davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-27
A TRUCK DRIVERS PLEDGE

A personal pledge from every regular of
motor trucks in the city to assist in the campaign to
prevent accidents is being sought by local safety
council in of the western states Owners and driv
of such vehicles all requested to subscribe to
the doctrine of personal responsibility
Both drivers and owners have been asked to join
the safety association and to paste stickers wind
shields and dashes of their machines to remind the
driver of his pledge.
This is good scheme for making safe driving
personal matter. Until every owner and operator of
conveyance gets it through his head that safety
is his business accidents due to careless driving will
continue to mount up.
BY the way, what has become of that billion-dol-
lar Soviet concession in Kamchatka that American
business Napoleon negotiated last year?
Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-27

Miss Rabqae Lou Estes became
the bride of Ray Fowble at a pretty
home wedding on Christmas night
Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-27
TEN YEARS AGO
December 27, 1912

Valley has winter weather st last
with mercury falling to 81 under
government test conditions and to
27 and 2S in exposed places.
Holtville citizens making big pre-
parations for annual New Years
Festival.
Evening star., 1922-09-10

has been. these September evenings
are certain to be cool. so / always
have a good roaring fire Of birch
logs going i2 the big living room
fireplace and a pot of freshly-made
tea ready to be poured. In two of
the guest rooms there are open fires
also, and with those and the soft
candle light Pickering on the old ma
hogany, and a few vases of flowers
here and there, and Inez and me in
our 1872 costumes lowering about
picturesque and helpful-well. no
wonder we get 'em.
Then 1 try to guess what they will
want next. II it's a hot bath, there
are the new porcelain tubs. with
plenty of clean, full-size towels. If
it's a shaker full Of cracked ice and
some small glasses, those are ready
on a tray. And I can start 'em in on
hot homemade vegetable soup at less
than ten minutes notice. with some
of Sairy's country-style fried chicken
and waff1es. with honey to follow
promptly. to say nothing Of crisp
salad, two kinds Of pie, and coffee as
called for. That's what ! call serv-
Evening star., 1922-09-10

fearing man from the clinging vine
era. yet he was ready to checkmate
the livelihood of working girls. No
doubt he said prayer for me that
night. How could 1 live on $12?
couldn't get a room for less than $40.
It's hard to make ends meet. easily.
We couldn't even make them collide.
So Pauline, my music teacher friend.
and decided to find a less expensive
apartment We looked at rooms"
with shabby red carpets, food odors
all over the place and gas jets! For
SEQ a week we could rent a moth
eaten front parlor." with a picture
of Lillian Russell. framed and hung
on the wall. thrown in. The room
was so small that while Pauline was
playing the old piano on the other
side of 1t could have lain in bed and
turned the music for her. The land
lady looked suspiciously at our
clothes. and rather questioned the de-
STABILITY of admitting two young
ladies'" into her household. Yet 1 saw
the ice man put his arm around her.
** ~
NEXT 1 called upon an insurance
man who wanted a young
woman to solicit business for him.
He explained it to me and then
added: Didn't you think my ad
was different? I worked it myself.
BY the way. my secretary said very
nice things about you. You see. I'm
a bachelor and she knows my
| tastes"
How much does the position
pay:"
Twenty dollars. Do you know,
owe you money. already"
What do you mean?"
Because ! am going to write a
story for a magazine about you"
"Thank you. but I don't want to
get into print, even on a commission
basis. Some peoples fortunes are
wiped away just trying to keep out
of print"
Say, why don't you try the
movies or the Follies? If ever
met you around Times Square I'd
forget all about insurance
l think some of these business
men try to cut in that line on every
one. because I'm just a plain little
fapper.
Verify. 1 say unto you. no matter
| how busy a man may be. he seems
always to have time to interview a
girl. although he has no intention
of giving her a job. I tell you. those
| we'll fed. self-indulgent, roll-top
citizens have neither sympathy nor
Evening star., 1922-09-10
A Good Guess by Inez F:; Es % l.: .*;:: ~ %:: @ zs:s
Quite Try May Knock
n
and the Dull Gray Lives Rich

What a thought" says I. Don't
the rich need helping hand? Look
'em over. Inez. as they roll up. See
how tired and bored they are. And
at the average tourist hotel what
would they run up against? First a
room clerk with a sour face and a
curdled disposition who'd be sizing
'em up while they registered. figur-
ing how much he could sting 'em for
q room and bath next to the elevator
with one window opening on the
kitchen wing. Then they'd be turned
over to a pair of tip-hunting bell
hops who would put the right bags
in the wrong rooms and bring ice
water with one thumb getting a cold
bath. In the dining room they'd be
handed an embossed menu card with
an imposing list Of dishes printed in
Broadway French and running from
Canapes Russo and biscuit Tortoni:
but what they'd actually get would
be lukewarm consomme from a can.
a filet Mignon cut from the neck and
decorated with white rubber buttons
disguised an mushrooms, soggy pota-
toes. limp salad and some shaved ice
that was billed as peach sherbet.
After which they'd wander around
for an hour. see some savage old
dowagers glaring at meek bubbles
across the bridge tables, watch few
Evening star., 1922-09-10

been filled. Then he promptly launch
ed into his views of happerism. But
he was a good man. He told me how
successfully he had built up his
business, gave me much fatherly ad
vice and a tube of tooth paste.
Now he said. you run along on
! somewhere to tea. The business world
is no place for girls. You want a job
for fad or you're engaged and
anxious to earn little extra money
for trousseau thing. How have you
for trousseau things. How have you
yourselves all fixed up like Christmas
trees until father thinks he owns
| lot of timberland"
It's fierce to be struggling when
| you are longing for a career and are
dying for big, frothy chocolate sodas
and a good looking red hat. There's
| nothing disillusioning about them.
But I feel already as if | had a past
| I've lost my disposition, spent all my
money and my stockings look their
darnedest, Yet | haven't even cor
nered one ideal.
| And these are the guys mind you.
who call themselves grown-up. and US
| irresponsible. because we bring UP
our hair the way we want il and
when we go after a job are simple
enough to bring our real selves
along. They are successful, YOU can't
deny that. But one thing is sure: In
everything outside of business and
badness they haven't got half
| through their adolescence. They don't
| know anything and if any one tells
them anything they consider il i'm
| pudence or rirresponsibility. OF course,
with the title of big boss behind
| them. they can get away with muir
der during working hours, but If you
want to get their real measure-meet
| 'em on Longacre square.
Evening star., 1922-09-10
Topography of the Air.

EXPLORATIONS of the air have
revealed an astonishing definite
ness of arrangement in its layers. al
though, of course. the details are
continually changing. Ley, in Eng
land, has directed his studies of float
ing balloons to a solution of the
question OF the influence of the topog-
raphy of the earth's surface on the
state of the air above it. He finds.
among other things, that the dis
turbances produced by hills and VAL
leys are transmitted to an uneNpect-
edly great elevation. affecting the
lower and middle strata throughout.
A general effect noticed is that the
velocity of the wind. or of current
of air, is increased over hill and
diminished over a valley. 1t Is thought,
that similar observations. generally
distributed, would furnish US with .
real topography Of the air.
Evening star., 1922-09-10
Flapper, in Search of Job, Tells
Of Discoveries in Business World

came stalking in. There's nothing
for tomorrow Miss Diana" He pat
ted my very tall. dark and cosme,-
ically unlovely friend on the near
| mink shoulder. That mob scene
won't come of for a few days yet"
| Then he turned to me and said:
| There is my office. Will you step
| iE?'
| What's up?" ! asked.
why weren't you in here an hour
| ago" he cried. Il could have signed
you for the lead fn The Pink Para
disc You come in this time tomor
| row, an hour earlier"
1 was hopeful, excited. But Miss
Diana explained it to me: you're
| pink and blond and eighteen, kid. SO
| they don't mind the scenery. But you
will land something. That I-don't-
understand look in your eyes gets
them, and they know it's the real
stuff. Keep ii, kid. but the only thing
is. if you hang around this bunch
long you'll understand too much. The
stage wants art plus anatomy, pref
erence given those between the ages
of sixteen and twenty-five. It's a
hard life. Look: That man over
there is trying to fiirt with me. Bet
der"
FINALLY, l landed a temporary po-
sition selling advertising space.
but business wasn't good.
I'm not interested" said one man,
a dress merchant. Doing such a
fine, good trade that l don't need for
to advertise. My. amt you a cute
little girl! You come in tomorrow.
and we'll talk. How would you like
one of those dresses. there?"
My purpose here is to solicit your
advertising"
WHAT" he asked, trying to pat my
hand. You don't want a nice, pretty
dress? Not one with beads? Ny, what
a funny girl: You don't know me. 1
look better with a shave, and I'm all
right. You'd be lovely in that one
with the beads"
Do you wonder 1 have no illusions
left? When you're trying to tell
man what good business head
you've got mes saying how swell his
new Pierce-Arrow is and sends you a
box Of violets.
One rainy day walked sixty blocks
to see tooth paste manufacturer. l
was weary, worried. wet and win
killed. SO the tears began to register
when he told me the position had
Evening star., 1922-09-10

do with it? We want three rooms.
Sorry" says I. but we're full up.
you'll find a nice steam-heated hotel
about ten miles on, where they have
brass cuspidors in the lobby and all
the conveniences for entertaining
drain tile magnates."
"You-you mean you won't take US
in?" he growled.
How we'll you get me-" says 1.
"Hah!" he snorts. why, 1 could
buy and sell a dozen such joints as
this"
That's nice" says I. This ones
in the market, too. Only twenty
thousand. and we'll move out in half
an hour"
"You think I'm a come-on, don't
you?" says he.
NO." says 1. But I have you
listed as go-on. This way out.
please, and be sure to explain to the
family that you thought the beds
wouldn't suit"
"G-r-r-rw says he. 1t might have
been some definite and personal re-
mark, but that's what it sounded like
strained through the cigar. Anyway,
he went stamping out.
And Inez, who had been stretching
an ear during most Of the CONVEX
sation, met me with grin.
You don't scatter any sunshine
this time, eh?" she asks.
you've guessed it, Inez." says l..
"And I've sprained my disposition.
They let all kinds of people tour the
mountains in automobiles, don't they?
Oh, we'll! still have my appetite
left. Let's have supper"
(copytight, 1877, hy ssvsu Ford.)
Evening star., 1922-09-10
BY sEwELL FORD.

A 81 was telling Inez. 1 knew all
~ along l must have strong
~ suit concealed about me some
4 a where. Now I've found out
what it is. It's running stop-over
inn.
OF course like so many other
Eeniuses, / had to try lot of other
Things before 1 stumbled on the fact
that this was my special line. In fact.
] was practically pushed into 1t. If
hot wave in New York and a saxo-
phone beginner hadn't chased us out
of town. and if / hadn't discovered
that Aunt Luella had left me this old
, farmhouse. and if Barry hadn't dug
up that antique tavern sign from the
attic-well. / might never have sus-
pected that l was born to be a per-
feet landlady.
Why let on to be modest about it ?
Haven't / been told dozen times
within the last week that | was some
thing like that" BY people who
ought TO know, too. And. like all
true art. it's amazingly simple.
There's no trick stuff about it. You
Evening star., 1922-09-10

star me. I never take anything less
than a second part. One must be SO
careful what one does. mustn't one?"
she continued. Every one tells me
how much ] look like Mrs. Lydig
Loyt. Just the other day on the
avenue one of the younger matrons
eased up to me and said: Why. Julia,
how well you're looking!"
From that moment on l began to
feel more and more like Mary Pick
ford.
The crowd thinhed down until only
worn-out heavy" my companion
and I were left. Then the agent
Evening star., 1922-09-10

Frank Statement by Member of the
Younger Generation About the Difficulties She
Encountered Trying to Get Employment or
Even to Be Considered an Adult Human Being
in the Great City-"These Are the Guys"
She Says, "Who Call Themselves Grown-Up
and Us Irresponsible e'-Getting Their Real
Measure on Longacre Square.
Evening star., 1922-09-10

work for US. And, although I've
attacked them at all hours OF the
day, 1 have yet tp discover the tired
business man." On the contrary. I
should call them 1.-The tiresome busi-
ness man."
Those iron gray str;plings are
scarcely able to contain themselves
until Sunday, when they can get into
their golf knickers and go for
walk. They are tripping gayly
along the banks of immaturity. wait
ing for some one to push them on.
I am not trying to step on any ones
toes, but merely want to give q
Evening star., 1922-09-10

, fappers foXtrotting to the music of
| a college boy orchestra that was sore
| On the job. and finally sneak off to a
| sl.impy furnished bedroom without
! having swapped even a friendly smile
| with any one"
Huh" says Inez, when she should
have been wiping away tear.
But see how different we treat
en-" 1 goes on. I'VE start handing
out the chirky stuff as soon as
they've set the emergency brake
Why. I've trained even Dunk so he
does the porterbellboy act almost
| like an English butler. Then when
| they've been thawed out by the open
fire, and I've asked if they've had a
pleasant days run, and they've been
towed to cheerful rooms, and have
been filled up on some real food, we
turn 'em loose in cozy living room
that looks like home and let 'em
! play Russian bank. or popcorn, or
! roast apples-well. no wonder they
get to acting like human beings and
go away to tell their friends about
Judd's tavern"
Il notice you charge 'em good and
plenty" says Inez.
"Oh. they wouldn't appreciate it if
didn't" says l. But that's merely
a side issue with me--a mere detail
What I'm thinking about mainly is
not how much 1 can get, but how
much l can give-a chummy smile
here. a hot-water bottle there. or a
willing ear for some old dame who
wants to tell what wretched roads
they found coming down from Que
| bee. I don't put half of it on the
| bill, and they know it."
xx X
IOF course. we get all kinds. They
~ drift in. any time from pm. un-
til midnight: some in limousines. some
| in classy roadsters and some in f1iv-
vers. Most Of 'em have been tipped
off by others who have stopped with
US. but now and then the old sign
swinging from the elm tree tolls in a
party of people who generally stop
| out front for while and debate
whether or not they'll take a chance
The spinning wheel that I've stood
just beside the front doorstep is a
good bait for antique hunters. too.
And how they do rave about our
period furniture, and the Paisley
shawls draped over the mahogany
tables, and the collection of Sandwich
glass on the whatnot. Say, I've sold
no less than three sets of brass and
irons from the fireplace. just to be
! ccorf1modating to guests who fan
l~sk hot
had half a dozen spares slowed away
for replacement purposes.
/ work the same trick on chairs,
tables, candlesticks and other knick-
knacks, for Barry found dealer who
was overstocked with antiques, and
who was more than willing to sell
US truckload at bargain-day prices.
And it isn't my fault, Is it, If the
guests who make me an offer for a
banjo clock or a pie-crust table and
get taken up on 1t think they're
Juggling OF family heirlooms? They're
lucky I don't unload early colonial
chairs made in Grand Rapids, or
antique brass tenders, aged with acid
in some East Side basement shop.
! But, no. I let them kid themselves
all they want to. but outside of that
play fair with 'em. Any wormholes
they may buy from me can
guarantee as genuine, even if I was
not personally acquainted with the
worms who did the boring:
"Such gumps" Inez will remark as
she watches some of our overnight
guests Juggling off their prizes
triumphant.
"Oh. I don't know" says I. They'll
get their moneys worth showing
Evening star., 1922-09-10

just sidetrack everything else and
throw yourself into the business Of
making your guests comfortable.
You see. Inez," says l. IF you
really want to be nice to folks you
can't go wrong. The right things TO
do will come to you
Huh" says IneZ. What for
should we make such a fuss over
lotta strangers"'
shook my head discouraged and
almost gave her up. She has the
primitive. Save-dweller spirit still in
her; that bred in the bone dislike and
distrust of any one she doesn't know
the stray hunter from beyond the hill,
the woman from another tribe who
is foolish enough TO wear her bear
skin the wrong way or paint spots
on her face instead Of neat stripes.
But that's what makes it such an
interesting game. lnez, | insists.
This making believe they're old
friends that we've been expecting.
Honest, that's all YOU have to do.
Simply hypnotic yourself into that
frame of mind. and then the rest
comes easy. Also you must admit
that most of 'em do turn out to be
quite decent people
Yes" agrees Inez draggy. But
some don't like the looks of at all.
Not at first"
.,x,OU couldn't blame her for that.
either. For most of these touring
car parties DO look rather tacky when
they first roll up and unload The
machines are either mud-splashed or
coated with dust, and the people are
bundled in heavy wraps and often
wear dark goggles. Generally they're
finishing a long days run, either up
from New York or down from Breton
Woods. and their nerves are apt to
he a bit frazzled. The men climb out
stiff in the joints and grouChy in the
disposition, and the ladies-mostly
heavy old girls with double chins-
have to he pried out of the tonneau
by hubby and the chauffeur and help
ed in careful. like SO many invalids.
\ baby derrick and wheel chair
would be fine things to have if they'd
let you use such affairs on 'em.
Then they always glare around dis
satisfied. as il they were sure they'd
picked out the wrong place to stop.
They want to know about the rooms.
and how soon they can have dinner.
and where the car can be put. and
what is going to happen to the driver.
Nothing chummy or folksy about
them. Not so you'd notice 1t. And
. you can hardly expect anything diff
ferent after a 200-mile trip, part of
II taken at fifty an hour, and part
in crawling through crowded city
traffic. Perhaps they've been driv-
ing all day into a crisp northeSly
breeze, or through a cold rain, or
through clouds of dust. At best. this
auto touring is an expensive way of
being uncomfortable. but few of 'em
have found it out.
And there's always a whole raft
of luggage to look after-suit cases
to be lifted out, more bags slowed
inside, and thermos bottles. and hat
boxes. and golf clubs. and extra wraps
and odd packages done up in paper.
j notice that the men always grumble
moro or less as the stuff is unloaded
and glance t1isgusted at the pile which
Is finally stacked beside the front
door, but the women count each item
patiently to see that nothing has
been forgotten, and then, with their
jewel cases in one hand and their
vanity boxes in the other, they are
ready to step in and see what our
tavern Is like.
That's where I land my first knock
cut No matter how warm the day
Evening star., 1922-09-10

friendly kick on the shins in return
for the preachments against us as an
institution.
i
ONE day went to a theatrical
agency. The waiting room was
crowded, but a Celtic Ben Ami gave
me his place on the bench.
Fox Is going to have a big set.
Are you in on it," the woman next
to me asked pleasantly. She was
very tall, dark and cosmetically un-
lovely.
where's Fox" I queried. gently.
Evening star., 1922-09-10
ice. It's what these parties are al
ways looking for and seldom get.

ice. It's what these parties are al
ways looking for and seldom get.
** x
~ and keeps US all on the jump for
an hour or so. But it's worth while
just to see 'em thaw out and become
human once more. Why, I've had
these old plutes hobble out of their
big cars as peevish and ugly as a
traffic cop with a neck boil. Crouch
ing at everything and threatening to
bite somebody on the shoulder. And
by the time they'd finished a second
helping of Sairy's pumpkin pie they'd
be calling me little grille" and pat
ting me on the shoulder with one
hand while 1 tucked a five-dollar tip
| into my fingers with the other.
Even Inez, after her first suspicious
have worn off, seems to get the spirit
of the thing and enjoys doing her
best. She likes to lnger around in
the dning-room listening to the ta-
BILE chat and then dope out how the
different parties are made up, who
they are and where they're going.
Then afterwards she'll talk it over
with me.
First off I thought that young girl
with the black hair was the daugh-
ter" she'll say. but she amt. She's
the niece and that big man with the
gray hair is her uncle. 1 heard her
call him Uncle Nick. The young fel-
ler with the black eyes amt her
brother, either-Just a cousin. And
they've all been up in Vermont some
where to a wedding-the big mans
youngest daughter, I guess. Hes
widower, too, and I bet he's maxim
up to the lady that sat next to him
the one with the cheek dimple, who
laughed so gurgly. Lot younger than
him. though. She calls him Nicky.
"say YOU must have had an ear
out. Inez." says ].
II was ho!din' the candle for
her to light a cigarette" says 1nez.
"You gonna let 'em smoke like that
in the dinin' room. Trilby May?"
absolutely" says I. "Pipes, if
their tastes run that way. Our aim
is to give 'em sll the comforts of
home while they're with us
well, they amt so bad. them"
she admits ITS kinda fun"
Taking care of people and help
ing them have a good time always
is" says /, "if you go at 1t from the
right angle Look at the professional
sunshine spreaders-the settlement
house workers, the slum missionaries,
| the fresh -air-for kiddies organizers.
They always seem to be having a
whale of a time, just doing something
for others
But they look after poor folks"
protests Inez.
II know says I. "The poor have
hundreds of societies, besides all the
churches and lodges. to worry about
them. But the rich-nobody gives a
hoot how they get along. They can
be as miserable and wretched as you
please, and not a single committee
is called together to pass resolutions
and take subscriptions. You'd think
the rich had no friends at all, for
who bothers about whether they suf-
fer or not? And that's where we
come in, Inez. Modestly and quietly,
of course, without any ads in the
papers. with no contributions from a
list of patronesses, without even a
chairman and a paid secretary. No,
we just start in on our own hook
to bring little cheer and comfort
into the dull. gray lives of the de-
serving rich"
X y X X
TNEZ simply blinked twice at me and
l hunched her shouldera You're
Evening star., 1922-09-10

Tenth avenue and 56th street
Been playing regular" My COM
panion wore cotton stockings and
her neck was unwashed.
live never been in a picture
1 confessed feebly.
She shot me a superior look. RE
member Lucy's Ladyfinger" I played
the lead in that. Griffith wants to