davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
petual shortage. The damage grows
worse with the days.

q
AS for the argument regarding the
number of workers that are still un-
employed In this country, there is no
chance Of making day labor out Of
them. They are skilled workers.
Either they will work in their own
skilled or special trade or they will
hunt for work in other skilled or
special trades. And 1t is a fact that
much Of such unemployment as ex-
lists to-day is in part due to the short
age of fundamental labor, which,
by preventing general industry from
doing all it could do II there were an
adequate supply OF fundamental labor
to take care of its needs, would have
more situations to offer skilled and
special labor.
And this does not mean. impera-
tive as is the need of the country for
the labor to do its fundamental work,
that the gates must be thrown wide
open to everybody. On the contrary.
there is no reason why anybody that
is not needed should be let In, why
anybody that is not fit to live and
work here should be let in. We don't
want the parasites; we don't want
the useless. But the country must
have the labor, of the right physical
and moral fiber, to do its work.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
Harlem Lane in Its Glory.
Days When Driving Was n Favorite
Sport Here. r.

To THE NEW York HERALD: For the
FIVE years. from 1858 to 1873 l was n
constant visitor to Harlem lane, riding
trotters under saddle. being too young
to be trusted to drive.
The lane started at the 10th street
gate of Central Park. at Sixth avenue.
and ran diagonally northwest. crossing
Seventh avenue about 116th street and
meeting Eighth avenue at 123d street.
and from this point on Is now st. Mich
olas avenue. I think. It was the meet
ing place of all New York lovers of the
American trotting horse and brushes be-
tween notables occurred daily.
What was known as the Sealskin Bril-
gnde. so called because the drivers all
wore sealskin overcoats In the fall and
winter. was always in evidence. This
group included Commodore Vanderbilt.
Jake Vanderbilt. his brother, and Will
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
The Poison Pen Again.

The unhappiness and injury that
may be caused by scurrilous anony-
nous letters were revealed by the ap-
peal made few days ago by a town
Of southern England to Scotland Yard
for help. This appeal was the last
effort of the townsfolk after the local
authorities had spent two years in
an ineffectual endeavor to discover
the writer of thousands Of letters con-
tanning slanderous charges against
many residents of the community.
Within those two years several
persons were arrested charged with
writing or sending the anonymous
letters, and two women, both after
ward proved innocent, were impris-
oned. According to residents of the
place the anonymous letter writer
was responsible for breaking up
homes, estranging members Of fami-
lies, wrecking lives and for several
murders and suicides. In an effort to
give as wide circulation as possible
to SANDERS the letter writer sent
the communications to all parts of
England and TO India and to other
parts Of the British Empire.
England declared the case the
most remarkable of its kind which
the country has ever known. Amer
lea has had its share OF anony-
nous letter writer's. A few days ago
the activities of one Of their num-
ber we're brought to an end at Forest
Hills, Long Island, when the person
against whom the scurrilous charges
we're made put the correspondence
in the hands of the police and openly
refuted the allegations. This seems
to have been effective; publicity is
the thing these cowardly assailants
OF character most fear.
A few months ago Philadelphia re-
ported plague of poison pen letters
written with the purpose OF black
mail. Three New Jersey towns have
furnished instances of anonymous
letter writer's whose attacks we're
principally upon women, and Michi-
gan town was annoyed for several
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
Winter.

Householders who have been feed
ing the furnace since the middle OF
October may be shocked by the re-
minder that winter does not begin
until 9.57 o'clock this morning. 1t
will stay with us the conventional
three months. The seers have gazed
upon the goose, bone, the bears coat
and the tree larder of the squirrel
and they tell us, as usual, that it
will be the hardest. softest, snowiest
and openest winter since the year
the East River froze over or since
the January when there were dozens
of heat prostrations in the heart Of
the Belgian Congo.
A man from Medicine Hat or
White River Junction would say that
New York city did not know what
winter really is. A man from Chi
cago or Buffalo, where galoshes are
de rigueur from November to April,
listens to our talk about winter with
sickly smile. There are Montana
towns where New York's vaunted
blizzard of 1888 would have been
hailed as a sure sign Of spring. In
northern Maine when the winter tenn
perature rises to more than 10 de-
grees above zero they talk Of Gulf
Stream invasion and the possibility
of an enervating climate.
And yet we do have winter some
times Five years ago December,
with mean temperature of 25 de-
grees, was degrees colder than the
average December, and January had
mean Of 81 degrees. New York
ers shudder as they recall December
80, 1917, when the mercury fell to 13
degrees below zero and there was a
shortage of coal. Not content with
the chill Of December and January,
that same winter put the thermon-
eter at minus 7 on February 6.
Up in Goshen a prophet who has
been watching winters for eighty
six years declares that we shall have
eighteen more snow storms this win
ter. Every boy who finds new sled
In his stocking next Monday morn
ing will cheer the prediction. but
every coal buyer will moan. If
winter comes" says the householder,
echoing the poet; and then he adds,
will the coal man surely follow?"
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
The Torch.

NY days are dark now that you come
no more.
A dreary round Of dun monotony.
For they have lost their sweet ex-
pectancy
or you who were their light, their sun
beforei
1t was my wont to count the hours CT
yore
And mark the minutes till you came
Now dull to-morrows stretch unend-
inglyi
My days are dark. now that you come
no more
And yet they are all lighted In way
BY Memory's torch. Not no was each
bright hour
OF golden happiness used to know
Illumined in that other. older day
Tall shadows from that torch around
me tower
The light is all behind me as 7 GO
RosELLE MERCER MONTGOMERY.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
Arnold Arboretum so Years Old.

The Arnold Arboretum, Boston,
was established just fifty years ago.
JAMES ARNOLD, a New Bedford mer-
chant, made this now famous col,
lection of trees and shrubs possible
by a bequest In his will OF one and
one-quarter of the twenty-four parts
into which he divided his residuary
estate. In 1872, three years after
Mr.. ARNoLp's death, this bequest was
combined with another beQuest OF a
similar nature made to Harvard Uni
versity and work on the Arboretum
began Immediately.
CHARLES 8. SARGENT was appointed
the first director Of the Arboretum
and he has served In that capacity
through the fifty years Of its exist
ence. In the beginning, he says, he
found a wornout farm with a nat
ural growth of native trees to be
developed into a scientific garden
with less than $4,000 year avail
able for the purpose. He was with
out equipment. He had no support
or encouragement from the public,
for It knew nothing about an arbore-
tum or what It would accomplish.
The undertaking would have failed
of It's great purpose had not those
interested In It had hope, enthusi-
asm and visions OF its future prac-
tical usefulness.
To-day the Arboretum covers ap-
proximately $50 acres. Its great
natural feature is Hemlock Hill with
high, steep cliffs covered so thickly
with hemlocks that the rays Of the
sun rarely penetrate to the ground
beneath their foliage. In no other gar
den, says Mr.. SARGENT, are there such
cliffs or a more beautiful remnant of
coniferous forest. The Arboretum
has the largest collection in the
world OF hardy trees and shrubs OF
the northern hemisphere. They are
so arranged that each group is easy
OF access and It's economic value
can be studied under the most ad-
vantageous circumstances.
The remarkable growth and devel-
opment OF the Arboretum is due in
O great measure to capable admins
tration. Mr.. ARNOLD was fortunate
in his choice of trustees to carry
out the provisions of his will, for
two Of the three trustees we're low
ers and students of trees and un-
derstood the Importance to the world
OF more knowledge regarding them
than at that time could be obtained
in this country. The union with Har-
ward University afforded an oppor-
tunity for greatly enlarging the orig
The New York herald., 1922-12-22

inal plan of the trustees. The ar
rangement by which the Arboretum
became part of the Boston park
system was also much to its advan-
tage. as 1t assured police protection
for the grounds and definitely fixed.
SO far as man can definitely fix any
thing for ten centuries. the site Of
the Arboretum for 1000 years.
The Arnold ArboFetum is a monu-
ment to its founder and to the men
whose honesty of purpose secured in
such an admirable degree its benefits
to mankind.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
SHEEPSHEAD BAY PLAN
REACHES COMMISSION
Delaney Asserts People Want
Improvement.

John II. Delaney. Dock Commissions.
presented plans TO the Sinking Fund
Commission yesterday for tho construo-
tion OF a bulkhead and twenty-five piers
for the improvement of Shespshead Bay.
Opposition was voiced by a small dele
CATION. who Mr.. Delaney said owned
a little gold mine" by monopolixing the
water front for private enterprises.
This group Is absorbing all the profits
down there. of course" said Mr.. De-
laney. Some of them own structures
which blomish the water front and they
have tried 20 convert those who want
the Improvement by saying the new
piers would be used for, coal pock-
cts. Nearly all the residents of 5heeps-
head Bay, however, favor the plan"
Should the plan be adopted II 10 esti-
mated the cost would be In the neigh
borhood OF es,00o.00o.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
A Bishops Advice to Parsons.

Bishop SLATTERY's talk to the Con-
gregational ministers on the way
some men of the cloth waste time
would apply no doubt to the other
professions. Many parsons smoke
too much, says the Episcopal digni-
tary. So do many lawyers and doc
tors. Many parsons read too many
story books, says the Bishop. This
is news; most Of us would have said
that there were not enough story
books nowadays that are worth a
parsons reading.
But the Bishop did not restrict his
talk to adverse criticism. A pastor
should study all the time. "One way
to teach yourself to study is to teach
a class: another is to write a trea-
tise. AS to the latter, 1t is COM
unimportant whether 1t is
published; writing 1t clarifies your
thought" In this Bishop SLATTERY
agrees with many other wise men.
ITO be accurate" said MARTIN TUT
PER, write; to remember, write; to
know thine own mind, write"
No man who breaches or teaches
can hope to hold his hearers unless
he has subjected his thoughts to the
sieve of writing. If he doubts, let
him dictate his sermon or lecture to
a stenographer as II he were ad-
dressing his congregation or his class
and then take the manuscript and,
rewriting 1t by hand, see where
the strong phrase could have been
stronger, the weak phrase deleted,
the inaccuracy detected. the missing
essential added and the whole pic
ture made broader and brighter.
The writer, assuming that he is
not a graphomaniac, finds himself
leaving out things because they are
weak and trivial. But II he were
speaking without first having pre-
pared with the pen he would speak
the weak and trivial at the expense
Of the strong and important. The
rcor speakers are those who are. in
the words of HORACE, too indolent
to bear the toll Of writing-I mean
Of writing we'll"
Statesmen as well as dominies
may we'll heed Bishop SLArTERY's 8
advice.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
Our Need of Plain Labor.

The immigration problem was laid
before Congress by President HAIR
DING several days ago. 1t Is his aim
to get early action, but II Congress
does not respond promptly the issue
will still demand action. 1t will be
urged upon the attention of Congress
by the country.
The question will not down, be-
cause the country cannot get along
without the unskilled labor of which
there is an acute shortage. For the
matter of that, American skilled labor
cannot get along without the un-
skilled labor which is required to sup
ply the materials with which skilled
labor works. cannot get along with
out the fundamental labor which Is
the basis of all productive work and
service.
The country had none too much Of
this fundamental labor before the
war when immigrants were coming
here by the hundreds of thousands a
year to do the digging and other
manual tasks on the farms, on the
railroads and In the building trades.
And the country has less Of that
fundamental labor now than It had
then. 1t has less now because not
only did the war check our immigra-
tion inflow abruptly and enormously
but it drew back to Europe for war
service great numbers of our foreign
population that had been filing our
day labor occupations for years.
Then when the industrial depression
came after the war hundreds of
thousands more Of these foreign
workers left America in search OF
living conditions that we're easier
than our own for men out Of en-
ployment.
IL was at such n time, when the
country had been very generally
stripped OF its fundamental labor
that Congress put up the rigid ex-
cIusion bars. They shut out new
labor that was needed to do the work
OF the country. They shut out from
returning even the labor that had
been used here and had gone abroad
again.
That Is where the damage Of
the present immigration act be-
gan--in It's shutting the doors on
the only available plain labor sup
ply.-not when there was an abun
dance Of IL here but when there was
none at all measured by normal re-
qulrements. thus enforcing per-
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
A Scientific Dowser.
Magnetic Needle to Be Used in Re-
covering Prairie Treasure.
From the Hutchinson Ne,os.

From the Hutchinson NetpS.
Determined to use scientific methods
to discover the pot OF gold coins and
other valuables which was buried along
the banks OF Cow Creek, northeast OF
Chase, in 1870 by a caravan OF pioneers
in order to prevent its capture by the
Indians, Samuel Sanderson, ono Of the
rdoneers OF Rice county. and another
the use of a magnetic dip needle which
will point to the location Of such metals
IL carried over the surface where the
gold is concealed.
Although both men were over 80 years
Of age they were Of . rugged appearance
and showed that they had spirit enough
to give the undertaking a fair trial.
They secured the desired technical in
strument from the United Water. Gas
and Electric Company after giving their
Identification and telling the use which
they intended to put the instrument to.
Their story was to the effect that about
the year 1870 a band OF Indians at
tackled a party OF pioneers who were
camped along the banks Of Cow Creek
near Chase. The men In the group de-
cided to bury their valuables so that II
they had to fee for their lives those who
made good their escape could return and
get the plunder which would otherwise
have fallen into the hands OF the In
dams After brave resistance the new
settlers had to abandon their baggage
and make a run for their lives.
Mr.. Sanderson. whose frontier cabin
was near the place. remembers having
helped the settlers, who returned some
time later in their search for the pot Of
gold which had been buried. But since
they were slow in returning they were
unable to find their treasured possess
sons, even though they plowed UP a
great deal of land in their efforts to
determine the location.
The two old men have decided that
since money is so scarce 1t will be well
worth their time to 30 after this lost
pot of gold.
They have made a study or the best
methods OF carrying out such a search
and have decided that by using the
magnetic dip needle and traversing
carefully every foot OF the ground In
the neighborhosd OF the place where
the treasure was buried they cannot
foil in their undertaking.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22

years by an unidentified writer
whose purpose was to break up a
number Of homes. Middletown. New
York, had an unpleasant experience
with a writer of vicious letters.
Twenty-eight OF these letters were
finally turned over to the postal au-
thorities and the letters ceased. Two
other New York towns were troubled
for more than a year by q series of
unsigned letters threatening dan
gerous revelations"
The self-destruction OF two Wash
ington State women was laid to false
accusations In an anonymous letter.
and two murders in California were.
1t Is alleged, due to the same cause.
A case In many respects similar to
that in England was called to tho
attention of the French Government
early this year. For three years per-
son, called by the people the Demon,
caused what fairly may be called q
reign of terror in Tulle, France, by
sending out hundreds Of anonymous
letters. Practically every person in
the town was affected by these mys-
terious messages, the effects OF which
were summarized in this sentence:
MANY persons fell Ill of the torture,
two went mad, one died and three
killed themselves Two women
who were believed responsible for
this misery drowned themselves when
they discovered that the authorship
of the letters had been attributed
to them. Only this week a young
woman was sentenced to imprison-
ment following prosecution growing
out Of these cases.
Poison pen writer's are confined to
no nationality. They are invariably
towards. 1t is to be hoped that
Scotland Yard will unearth the tor
mentor Of the town in south Eng
land. However skillful the anony-
nous letter writer's are in hiding
their tracks they are as general
rule detected and in the end they
deservedly become the victims Of
their own careers Of malicious
slander.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
D ally Calendar
THE WEATHER.

For Dastern New York - Mostly
cloudy to-day and tomorrow; not much
change In temperature: moderate yari-
able winds
For New Jersey-Mostiy cloudy to-day
ana tomorrow: little change in tenn
perature; moderate variable winds
b'or Northern New Engiand-Afoetly
cloudy to-day and tomorrow; possibly
light local snows not much change In
temperature; moderate variable winds
For Southern New Dngland-Mostly
cloudy to-day and tomorrow; little
change In temperature: moderate vari.
able winds.
For Western New York-Cloudy to.
day and tomorrow, possibly mow fur
ries; not much change in temperaxurer
moderate. variable winds.
WAszrsoroN, Dec. 22.-Prsasurs was
relatively low tonight off the Atlantic
coast. Precipitation has occurred with
In tho last twenty:four' hours in the
Atlantic States, the apper lake region
and along the north Pacific coast. Else
where fair weather has prevailed.
1.-The weather became warmer to-day In
New England and from the Lake Su-
perior region southwestward to Texas,
and temperatures were above normal to-
night between the Mississippi River and
the Rocky Mountains The outlook Is
Tor generally fair weather tomorrow
and Saturday In the Atlantic and east
Gulf States Tennessee. the Ohio Valley
and the lower lake region. except that
local SHOWS are probable in portions OF
northern Now England. northern and
central New York and the lower lake
region.
The temperature will be somewhat
higher tomorrow In the lower Ohio Val
ley and south Atlantic States, and will
not change materially IN the washing-
ton forecast district during Saturday.
Ihere Is no unusually cold weather in
sight.
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
lam H. Vanderbilt. the latter usually

lam H. Vanderbilt, the latter usually
driving Small Hopes and Early Rose !;
Frank Work with Edward and Dick
Swiveller-these two were the fastest
teams then in existence-Robert Bonner.
with either Dexter, Mountain Maid or
Pooahontas.
The sporting world was represented
by John c. Heenan with good horse
always. and the famous Harry Hill from
his resort In Houston street. where the
swinging sign was still to be seen. read
ing Entertainment for man and beast"
He generally drove his hump backed
colt. misshaped horse, but very fast.
The theatrical element was well repre-
sented by Billy Birch of the San Fran
cisco MInstrels with a splendid team.
These men all used the Brewster
three-quarter seat side bar road wagon,
ness and beauty.
The roadhouses. being the objective
points, commenced with Harry Ber-
tholrs at 10th street; next came
Florence's and Gabe Cases. and SO on
to Judge Smiths, at the Macomb's dam
bridge. at the northern end of Eighth
avenue, this latter avenue being used
by the drivers from 123d street north.
All hands sat on the wide piazzas of
these places, watched the driving and
talked nothing but horse.
In the winter much rivalry existed
as to who could win the magnum Of
champagne given yearly by Gabe Case
for the first sleigh to reach his place.
All the horse owners In winter used
beautiful Portland cutters and sleighing
was ever popular.
Tho principal boarding stables of that
period were Lovells. Talimanis, Fergi-
sons and Tattersalps. This last was at
Forty-second street and Seventh avenue
on the site used later for cHammerstein'e
Victoria Theater. These stables were
more than the name implies. being In
the nature OF clubs. whore each man had
locker. and were used for gatherings
and much horse talk.
The Speedway was not even thought
Of. Yet that has now given way to the
advancing automobile. and tho drivers
Of trotters except for track purposes are
almost a thing Of the past. @. d. p.
SOUTHERN PINES, N. c.. December ls
The New York herald., 1922-12-22
At = Box Office.
To Buy or to Reserve Orchestra
Seats Found Impossible.

To THE NEW York HERALD: This
morning I went to the box ONCE of a
theater where successful play is being
produced and asked for four orchestra
seats for any future performance.
I'VE are sold out until February"
replied the person in charge at the box
office.
But any time after that will suit
me-" cheerfully answered.
I'VE do not have tickets on hand for
so far in advance" was her reply. But
I. not daunted. insisted. "Then reserve
four tickets for me whenever any more
tickets are issued"
Which is absolutely impossible" an
swsred the ticket seller. exasperated by
this time at my insistence.
1T would seem." said I. shat you
are forcing me to go to an agency"
Why should the theaters go through
the forInality OF supporting box Office
under such circumstances? What Is the
function OF box office II It is a phyei-
cal impossibility either to purchase or
to reserve tickets for any performance
at any price? M. l. w.
NEW YORK, December 81.