The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-12
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
(From Philadelphia Public Ledger.)
Ietting George DO It

Letting George Do 1t
SirEI was indeed shocked to read
in this mornings column that you suS-
pected the subtle stuff did not pene-
trate the eastern bean. I thought you
knew that long ago. / will award
one steam heated back collar-button
to any one who will name five present.
day humorists of national or semi
national repute who were born east
Of the Alleghenies.
It is true that 3. L. T, who, with
all due respect to Don Marquis and
yourself business of blushing-the
Columnist), 1 shall call the Non
pareil. came from New England, but
he had to go to the middle west in
order to be appreciated. Take the
case of Percy Hammond. Percy is
not a. hum rist, but on the Chicago
Tribune he welded a mean subtIety
and his vocabulary was very wicked.
What a difference since he is writing
back? No! He simply realizes the
limitations of his audience.
Writers on the Chicago Trib used to
turn in some obviously satirical and
ironical editorials. Immediately Vox
Pop would seeth with diatribes telling
what would happen if an editor were
to SAY them words back in Pennsy
Massachusetts, or NJ Yawk."
I am not knocking the east. 1t has
many admirable qualities and is, under.
meath its assumed hardness, by far
the most tenderhearted section of the
country. But as for a sense of humor
they amt there, Beatrice-they amt
there. Outside of that they are o. K.
VERITAS.
We take this occasion to dissipate
any impression that we have re
verse on the east. The east has been
kind. to US beyond our deserts.
Whether 1t has sense OF humor we
are not in position to Judge. We're
no humorist There are stupid peo-
know about that. we were in news
paper work in the middle west for a
quarter of a century. During that
time we got letters from all of them.
Some of them were regular cores
spondents.
There are some superficial differ
ences. We fancy the west to be in
tellectually more alert and keen. That
may be nothing more than fancy. 1t
may be due to the fact that we have
MT met the right people. But the east
is infinitely more polite and more con-
siderate if a trifle less sociable. Once
in Chestnut street. in Philadelphia, We
met stranger native-who, hay-
ing directed attention to the fact that
there was a bit of dust on our coat,
kindly reached over and brushed it.
off. A western man might have di-
Iected attention to the spot but he
would not have stopped and brushed
it off.
When it was bruited about that we
intended to go away and leave the al
falfa belt recumbent the friends gath
cred around. They chung to US and
begged US not to do it. Don't go
east" they said. THE east is austere
and proud and incased in thick ice.
70 octxx L h ~
eat it out from sheer loneliness. And,
particularly don't go to Philadelphia.
The ice is thicker there than any
where else. AS far as Philadelphia
knows, you have neither grandfather
nor great-grandfather. That alone
That is all water under the bridge
now. We've found Philadelphia the
most kindly and neighborly town
we've ever known.
The east is more reticent than the
west, but we should scarcely classify
that as a social liability. 1t is not
so much that the westerner tells all as
that he consumes much valuable time
in doing SO. One travelling must cross
the Allegheny mountains before any
body asks him what he's selling. East
of the Alleghenies they don't care
what he's selling. The westerner tells
the casual stranger the intimate detail
of his personal affairs little sooner.
He shows the picture of "the wife and
Riddles" at a much earlier period of
cquaintanceship. But once an east
erner decides to tell all, he makes
clean breast of it.
In this business the reaction is
much slower in the east. In the west,
when we were adjudged guilty of an
offense, the skinning began on the
morning following the commission of
the act. It was usually completed by
the morning of the second day. BY
the morning of the fourth the offense
had been forgotten. often. in the
east, they do not get around to the
task of removing the epfdermis of the
offending columnist until after he has
forgotten what he wrote or why he
wrote it.
The east has impressed US as more
tolerant of the other fellows views.
1t is more observative and slower TO
anger. 1t has better manners than
the west and is better dressed And
it certainly is a fineN residential sec
ton.
OF course, none of the observations
made here is applicable to New York.
New York has fine looking lot of
police officers. They are polite,
courteous and efficient. That lets the
knows nothing and always will.
Round Dancing. NJ