The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-01
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY E. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public LEDGER

We crave further details of Charles
attempt at suicide. The cable merely
says Zita saw him preparing to shoot
himself and prevented him from doing
So Wed like to know how she did IT,
We should like to know how a weak
woman managed to get around" so
masterful a character as Charles.
1t may occur to you that our Curl
osity is idle Not so. The column is
dedicated TO the unimportant, and we
are always on the job.
The Birmingham Age-Herald repro
duced the current issue of the Marion
Star for the delectation of President
Harding. 1t was a considerable stroke
of newspaper enterprise and neat
compliment to the president. But the
significance of it all lies somewhat
deeper. 1t hasn't been so many years
since Alabama was chasing Republic
ans with dogs.
Arias of tic Bath.
Sir-Some weeks ago, as I recall it,
you spoke of singing during shaving
Since then I have set watch on my
unconscious self during shaving and
find that the song sing most often is
Silver Threads Among the Gold.
The words are not appropriate, unless
one wishes to make an atrocious pun;
but the tune certainly resounds Won
derfully in a small bathroom. What
IS yours, as they used to say?
A. r. w.
We said nothing about singing while
shaving. For US that would be feat
as perilous as that of washing a win
dow /on the top~floor of the Ginger
building. We did speak of the bath
as a place of addition. Our favorite
bathroom aria, perhaps, is the one
barking back to I'm Days of Old
When Knights Were Bold and Barons
Held Their Sway" When one can hit
the natural on the word baron"
which we are able to do about three
out of every five attempts, it is most
impressive and melodious number.
For place We play Soldiers Fare
well" We can hit every flatted note
in Soldiers Farewell with our eyes
shut.
Naturally enough, our bathroom
repertoire is made up of songs suited
to a baritone voice. For tenors we
recommend the little ditty called 'Ab-
sent'-the one Evan Williams used to
sing. The rests in Absent" synchro-
nize beautifully with the strokes of a.
razor.
The leisurely way of the coiumnist
is marked by many detours. A mo-
ment ago a beautiful thought came to
ANoL uPOu our CONSCIOUSNESS just DIS
We were on the point of projecting it
the gentleman at the adjacent desk
interrupted to ask how much salary
this Mr.. Wayne B. Wheeler draws
down and who pays it. We were not
only unable to answer his question,
but the beautiful thought fled, prob
ably never to return.
Still, we believe more people are in
terested in the amount of salary Mr..
Wheeler draws and the name or
names of his benefactors than in any
thought which energies from our con-
seriousness. So we pass the query
along. Maybe somebody knows.
AS :. matter of fairness and good
governmental policy, there should be
no secret about Mr.. Wheeler's salary.
The people If tlls~ country are entitled
to know how much their king is paid.
A query concerning the whereabouts
of Adelaide has come to rest on this
desk. We have no more than a rough.
general idea. But when last heard
from she was in Marshalltown, Iowa.
That was on Monday evening of this
" eek, and the Blue Swallow, having
done its 240 miles that day. was
browsing contentedly in a garage.
1t is not so much that President
Harding discussed the negro quest.o
in Birmingham. The point we make
is that he could have sidestepped 1t
and didn't do it.
It will, we fancy, take quite a while
to Settled all of the various phases Of
the negro question. But most of the
solutions are brought in by gentlemen
who are not afraid of the given prob
lem.
Even the F1nppers Arc Intrigued.
Sir-How do you like football as
a topic of conversation? We have a
representative of almost every college
not necessarily a graduate-and
things hum. We also have an irreg-
ular, quartet, pianist mandolinist and
two voices of indefinite range. The
point is, if you really would like to
take a chance we would love to have
you come out to dinner. I consulted
the boss. and she says either Thurs
day or Friday suits the commissary