The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-30
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY .. HOUSE.
tTrom Philsdslphia Pzbnc Ledgsf.l

4
"The inclosed." confides a CORE
spondent who signs himself W., lis
sent by one interested in high class
| journalism, in the hope that it may
prove an inspiring suggestion to You
in your great opportunity. which you
use to so little advantage
The Enclosed" is an appreciation
of Mr.. George r. Sims, who every
week for forty-five years wrote
column" for the London publication
called The Referee. OF him his friend
ly biographer says ins part: In these
columns, during the span of nearly two
generations, he told the average man
all about the super-average life;
| about the inwardness of the theater,
the club, the restaurant, the police
| court or assizes, the Bohemian life
of London, the day and night life OF
Paris, the personalities of Journalism,
music, sport and politics. All this was
seasoned with intimacies about him.
self, his household and dogs and do
nestle habits and misadventures. He
had the secret of avoiding any kind
of unpleasing egotism while Offering
his everyday life, pleasures. pains.
deliberations and illnesses as a spec
tacle. He made his liver public prop
erty- To all this he brought a won
derful store of out-of-the-way knowl-
edge and an unusual mastery of liter
airy devices. He could spin verse as
| easily as prose. He was a master of
cockney speech and slang. catchwords.
passing. vogues Of all sorts and every
thing that went to make up the Bo-
hemian life of London.
But to all this" the f. b. continues.
"he added special knowledge of the
flash 'patter' of thieves, tinker's talk
and gypsy lingo. He was also an &C
complished general linguist and was
tof In holt he ri Of ErI1-
rope. He knew France, Germany,
Spain and Italy-so well that in scores
of their cities he used to recognize and
talk with hotel and cafe walters whom
he had known in London"
| What we really think about it all is
that w. expects too much for the
money. Here was a man, if we are to
accept unreservedly the claims of his
biographer, who was good. Well go
further: He was amazingly good. We
know of no man writing in the news
papers or magazines today who has
his accomplishments or his technical
: equipment. And w. expects that we
shall find inspiration in his career
which will enable us to write as he
wrote. The man expects too much.
We should feel positively foolish in
attempting to emulate the late and
France, Germany, Spain nor Italy.
: We've never been there. What chance
should we have to recognize a hotel or
!. cafe waiter whom we had known in
|. London7 We have never known a
London waiter The only person we
know in London is Mrs. Philip Whit
comb. She was Gertrude McClintock
/, one of the four McClintock girls. Ruth
| McClintock married Jake Mohler. We
/ remember their wedding very well
! they got thirty-seven cut glass berry
: dishes. Frances McClintock, who was
the youngest, married Bob Shoemaker
He was a University of Pennsylvania
man. They live in Chicago. Frances
, sings very we'll But Gertrude was the
restless one. After she had graduated
/ from Smith she grew tired doing moth
ing and learned stenography. Then
she went downtown and got her a
| job. Before her folks knew she had
learned stenography she had a good
job in a law office. After that she
married Philip Whitcomb and went
ever since she was knee high to a
: grasshopper.
Adelaide knows the SINNERS ir
, London, but we have never met them
: She thinks they're fine. 1t seems Rot
Skinner was struggling country
editor in Massil1on when Mckinley
; was elected President. He was in love
| with a daughter of one of the towns
) rich men, and Major Mckinley told
: him to go ahead and get married and
f he would give him a good job. which
i he did, at Marseilles. The Skinner.
' live in London now, and Adelaide saw
Mrs. Skinner a couple of years ago
/ when she was over here on a visit
But we would hardly be justified il
speaking to a London waiter on the
/ strength of Adelaide's acquaintance
with the SINNERS and our own long
5 standing friendship for Mrs. Whit
/ comb. We wouldn't think of doing so
~ M ssT