Evening star., 1923-11-29
B|LL|ONAIRE TOWNS
PRIDE TAKES FALL
Efforts to Govern Self Fail
as Plebeian Meighbor De-
mandS Control.
Special Dispatch To Tie Star.

Special D.>ratclI ia Til. Star.
san FRANCISCO. November -
Popular belief that troubles harass
only the poor and that riches in suf-
ficicnt quantity can cure most any
evil no longer can be said to hold
water Witness the case OF the Ath-
erton municipality of miIionaires---
in aggregate wealth real billion
aire community-iust outside San
FranciScu'S cosmopolitan borders
Athartou today is a shiuiu- examr."
II how things can 20 wrouG--an'
dom thing r.:,ht after auosacT
To starr with. Athc~t"u Is r2~'l'i
si,a; :iul"s; painfully so. Ninety per
cont of it, population v:.n write
check tor a million and not get IN
ovtrdraft notice. Buffers huttle II
every home. and the Atherton house
hold that doesn't boast thirty rooms
and at least four $4,000 motor cars
is exceedingly passe. But even tn
exclusive have woes.
Decides ON Annexation.
Athcrton's troubles started about 4
much more plebein, town OF Mento
Park decided 10 annex it. Manto.
Park had been furnis hing Athertou
with electricity. its police helped prI-
vato watChmen guard the sleeping
militonaires and IniilionairesseS. and
whenever there was a fire Ment1
Parks dopa rtment turned out and
helped subduc ii. II this arrange
m.nt was to be continued. Mento Par.
ANNOUNCED, Athcrt"n must be tnneX.a.
Athcrton said il would consider tn
matter But il looked no further thau
Mcnto Parks social register. Tho an
nrXation offer was promptly and IN
dignantly rejected.
Ment" Park, however. was not So
easily dissuad"d. Ii wanted atherton
even if Atherton didn't want IL 1t
decided on annexation anyway.
plans to Incorporate.
Atherton's only escape WAS TO III
corporate II municipality Of ITS own:
The incorporation meeting convened
in the spacious garage oil one OF us
weaifhicst rpSidents-one who keeps
seven motors. Members of the falrer
SIX assembled in fashions latest die
ratcS Th.- garage proved too small
50 every body repaired To an ad)oinln&
lawn where Incorporation was duiH
voted.
Mento Park had representative e
th, meeting. As soon rs II was over
he fastened TO telephone, ana all oi
Athcrton's electric lights were cut
off For two nights, until big pow
or company rushed TO its relief, the
millionaire community burned can
dies. old-stylc lamps and even Ian
terms.
Mento Park next withdrew it's po
lice protection. A night OF two aft
erward, when there WAS n small fire.
il notified Atherton politely that Men
to Parks fire department was solely
Tor the benefit of Mento Park resi-
dents.
Name Police Chief.
Atherton rctaliated with another
lawn party, at which it appointed 4
multi-millionaire physician as cofa
bined police and ire chief. lie was
instructed to purchase fire-hghtipg
paraphcrnalia and also he was al
lowed at S2uG-a month deputy chief
to care for such rough work as pinch
ing vagrants, speedcrs and burglars.
The new police fire chief was busy
ordering new tire-fighting apparatus
and new police uniforms, when the
new city clerk notified him that the
city's sole funds consisted of 81, de-
rived from the sale of building per-
nit. Fire department plans went into
allegiance. The police-fire chiefs "rougH
STUFF assistant promptly resigned As
If to rub salt into Atherton's wounds.
Mento Park threatened TO tie up the
only available water supply.
Now effcte and exclusive Athert6'H
has discovered that the building per
nit which brought the lone 81 mt
tho city treasury was for bunch ot
shacks which are to house japanese
laborers. Verify, pride gocth befor"
n fall.