The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-07
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By, JAY E. HOUSE
from Philadelphia Public Ledzer.)
This and That.

lFrom Philadelphia Public LedEef1
This and That.
Sir-When you first announced the
| contest of January 80 1 laid down four
rules which, if followed, ought to win:
1. Knock Babe Ruth.
.. Pat Adelaide on the shoulder.
s. Mention when Winter Comes"
4. Knock the big three"
I batted $50. w. S. II.
Sir-In re column contest, received
more than I thought I would; I got
my full name in the column when 1
would have been tickled to death to
see even my initials in print; and, in
addition. your dictum that my column
| with others) was pretty good. After
reading Crabb's column 1 have come
TO the>conclusion the only reason he got
his in while mine was discarded is that
he wrote the best column. Damme il
1 didn't pretty near go out and buy his
book after reading his column. II he
writes many more columns he will be
crawling up into your class.
Notes of the contest: There is some
mail at this desk for Mr.. Crabb. 1t
breaks about fifty-fifty; it will make
| Mr.. Crabb feel good and bad. We
have Thislaid his address. If he will
renew it well be pleased to forward
the usufruct-
ct have written you twice" burbles
one who addresses us as Dear
Friend" telling you OF my Pool No.
1, and telling you why I believe 1t is
destined within a few short months
| to become the largest proflt-payer OF
this great field. have not heard from
YOU You are not yet on my stock
| holders list. While investors from all
sections of the country have sub
scribed, you are holding back. There
/ must be a reason. Perhaps you nave
been waiting Developments. perhaps
! you were not sure that an investment
with me would yield you large returns
in the time 1 said it expected il would.
The fellow is wrong about one
| thing: He didn't write US twice; we
had not previously heard from him.
/ He is right about another; He ha\
| not heard from us and, unless he reaoS
| the column, he never will. 1t prob
ably is true investors from all sections
| of the country have subscribed; there
are gudgeons everywhere. He is right
also in his assumption that there must
be a reason. There is 1t is that he
is a crook engaged in an effort to film
flam" the public in gum" game.
However. we'll hypothecate the pay
checks for the month of June against
500 on the proposition that the poor
fish who are falling for his bait never
get back a dollar of interest or prin-
| cipal. Well wager him even money
that there is no oil field. WeA make
: another wager of the same size and at
; the same odds that If there is an oil
field he doesn't own any of it. II he
is a real sport, there's action for him.
Meanwhile, a hunliliating thought
engrosses US. We are proud of the
| reputation as n bad man which we
have so assiduously cultivated. We
don't mind being referred to as bad
Influence We rather enjoy being
classified as a criminal But we hate
to have anybody think we're sucker
enough to buy mail-order oil stock.
And there is another thing that per-
plexes and annoys: How did our
; name win its place 'on sucker
list?
| The Matter Is Referred to Mr.. Open
helm.
Sir-What I want to ask is why
YOU pick on McGuffey's Fifth Reader
when you have at hand the current
, issue of the Red Book. In Il you will
! find a detective story by Z. Phthp
/ Oppenheim, where the master mind de-
, tective captures the master criminal.
turns him over to two policemen and
one burly one (why they have TO ne
burly is beyond me), heavily shackled.
A few minutes after they leave for jail
;
gets a phone MESA ge telling him that
1.-The prisoner had escaped by shooting
two of the policemen with an auto
matte revolver. concealed in the sole
of one shoe and pulling the trigger OF
, it~with the toe of his other foot. then
! forcing the driver of the car to un-
y lock the handcuffs.~ Can you beat il
Why not have the prisoner choke
them ali by blowing poison gas in
4 their faces? Yet gods! II is too
much y. Z. NJ.
f f. NJ is mistaken in the assump-
ton that We have a copy OF the Red
Book at hand. We told Adelaide last
month that if in future she wanted II
she might buy it. but that we had
sunk our last penny in it. We couldn't
stand it any longer. For that reason
we refer the matter directly to Mr..
Oppenhein1.
III