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VIGNETTES BY THE “ONLOOKER” Brief Comments and Reflections Anent Topical and Timely Events Succinctly Discussed From our Viewpoint Does the growing power of women depend on the vanity of the sterner sex? According to Harold Susman in “A Question” this would appear to be the case — “The rule of women you deplore? Well, let me ask you then — What would their power be but for The vanity of men?” On the whole the evidence in favor of the contention is pretty conclusive. Back in the cave-dwelling period when ihe only inducement women had to forsake their parental homes —caves I should say — was the instinctive desire to avoid the painful connection with busi ness end of a young tree in the hairy hands of their suitors; back in those pre-historic days, there was but little vanity and a correspond ing lack of trinkets for their personal adornmeDt, And the women had no influence. It was when the men sanctioned the first series of social events —or cave parties, as they were no boubt called —that the first symptoms of a new and strange spirit awoke in the manly breast of our ancestors. They had for the first time in his tory been able to make comparisons, always an instictive pursuit, but one which is often disastrous to one’s peace of miud. The first Bteps of the world-old vanity dance were undoubtedly learned at these social meetings. And all evidence tends to indicate that the men were responsible for the inculcation of the germs of unrest. Previous to the ‘‘Raffeplatches” the people were ignorant of person al adornment. At one of the meetings a newly married man probab ly introduced his wife wearing a necklace of mastodon teeth and thus created envy. Then the race for distinction in clothing and ornament began, and it has never stopped. If Mrs. Longface posses sed a cape of fur, it was up to Mr. Strongram to procure an entire garment of even finer fur. The men outvied each other in the satis faction of vanity, and the women did but aid them. There was no sense refusing in view of the nearness of the family force, always ready for business. Having this historical data at hand it is easy to account for women’s growing influence. It has been a natural growth. If the man failed to provide as abundantly as others he became “hen-peck ed” and naturally self-conscious of his failure. This feeling engen dered self-distrust and cowardice. Thus the woman advanced in power until finally she was able to dictate the wishes that had for merly been the pleasure of the man to grant. The men successful in satisfying the rapidly increasing demands of women now entered a new phase of the great game. They became the workers, changing places with their women. And right here they consigned mankind to an everlasting struggle. Once they were fully occupied, the wo men got together and exchanged ideas. Most of these ideas cost real money, or hides, or jewels, or whatever they used as a medium of barter, and the men failing to see the trend of affairs, became en meshed in the net they had constructed with their own vanity. And they have not been able to extricate themselves. In fact there seems to be little effort to do so. But after all, the net is no longer the crude affair of the cave-men. Perhaps in the softer texture of a silken net lies it’s compensation! Nature has an “unwritten” law for certain feathery tribes which for certain inscrutable reason she has made the pariahs of the air. The foregoing apparently indicates our intention to Iraw an analogy between the unwritten laws of birds and men —but there is no such intention on our part. It is so much more simple to let our readers create their own analogy if they wish to do so. The ‘'unwritten law” of the crow—that pariah of the farm — fields —is inexorable in it’s operation. It is as inevitable as nature’s evolution. Some time ago, in a periodical the name of which has slipped our memory, there appeared the story of a crow. Desper ately wounded, the black pariah lay hidden from sight. Unable to grub for food he waited for the end. The fact that a single raucous call would bring several of his companions to his side to end his hopelessness occured to him, but, human-like in this respect he did not utter the call. It is the “uuwritten law” of the crow tribe that fatally hurt members be quickly dispatched —by a lightning-like stroke of a sharp b'll —to that bourne where crows wander forever in fertile meadows, and farmers with shotguns are unknown. This particular crow did not call for his comrades. But an inadvertent movement made him for a moment conspicuous. The telescopic sight of his companions on wing espied the flutter and without hesitation the “unwritten” law of nature was fulfilled. The crow is a carrion bird, despised by all feathery tribes and killed without compunction by men, Yet it seems to be not unac quainted with the spirit of mercy. The “Embargo League” has just been incorporated under the laws of the state of Miunesota. The object of the league is to in fluence national legislation towards declaring and embargo on export traffic in foodstuffs in order to decrease the high cost of living. Congressmen Schall and Smith who are sponsors for the movement, intend to circulate petitions in every city and town in the state and forwarding them to Washington. Mr. Schall in a re cent apeech declared it to be self-evident that the fault for present high prices of foodstuffs lies with the people themselves. He insists that we are suffering from a reign of commercial tyrany, and ex presses the firm belief that neither the war nor a shortage of crops is responsible to any extent. • In the light of recent investigations in the cold storage hold ings in Chicago and other cities there appears to be little or no doubt that speculators are responsible for the prevailing high prices of many everyday edibles. Probabilities for the success of an appeal for an embargo on food exports are not bright unless the appeal is spontaneous the nation over. Even though an embargo actually went into effect what is there to prevent speculators from storing products and thus curtailing supply? An embargo without legislation prohibiting the storing of certain foodstuffs, including meats, beyond a very limited period would be futile. There is at present a law forbidding the storage of eggs for a period longer than ten months. But there is no law limiting the quantity of eggs which an individual may store. An “embargo” on food export looks good at first glance but by and of itself alone it is much like the sort of prohibition that is sound in theory but which fails in practice. Since writing the above President Wilson has notified Frank (Continued in 3rd column) ' . . . * . . ic By "Ham" mmmm The great trouble with the boaster, is that the standard of excellence set by his imaginary self is so high that it is impossible for his real self to measure up to it. We await with much interest the appearance of a post election photograph of the defeated candidate. Our interest is born of our curiosity as regards the continued luxuriance of his hirsute appendage, after his “close shave” in the recent presidential cam paign. The story of the great responsibility which, in a certain crisis, would rest upon a single button, so entertainingly related to ua by Mrs. Agnes C. Davis of the Daughters of Veterans, on the occasion of the presentation of the flag to the institution by that body, gives rise to the thought that we now and again encounter a person whose idea of his own importance is so exagger ated as 10 cause him to conduct him self in a manner implying that he is the only “button” sustaining the uni- verse. To have the reprints of persons of greater or lesser note so often con fronting us upon the pages of the va rious periodicals, would become mon otonous if it were not for the fact that there is a so great dissimilarity in arijfcji MJjjfc. t ■',"fMjt c r iiA '■?'>;.* PANTASCOPES Pertinent Points in the Pantascope of Passing Events Paragraphically Portrayed “A man is as his Maker made him” —is a sentence I often used to hear from my father. He was a kindly man, and that was the way he used to excuse the faults of others. But although I respect the allowance-making spirit of the re mark, it always seemed to me that if a man is “as his Maker made him” he has neglected his opportunities. After a certain number of years he ought to be as he has made himself. We start life with a certain character and as soon as baby hood has passed and as fast as the brain developes we show what that character is. We are now in the hands of Life. Life puts us through experiences, pleasant and painful, fortunate and unfortu nate, exciting and monotonous, and in this way effects changes in us. But what have we done for ourselves apart from what we came with, apart from what Life has done upon us? Anything at all? Mostly very little. Some men never at all turn their will in ward and use it upon themselves to accomplish a fixed plan of self- creation. “Endurance is the badge of all our tribe,” says Shylock, me aning that his people had had so many wrongs to put up with that at last they had got hardened to them. But this is not endurance won by will, but the endurance forced in by Life, by experience. That sort of endurance may be useful to have, but it does not inspire respect. If, five seconds after a man’s alarm clock went off in the morning, a bucket of ice-water were poured over him, he would learn to spring out of bed on the instant of his clock, and after a while the habit would probably per sist though the ice-water were no longer forthcoming. But this would be a very different sort of promptitude from that which a man would acquire who trained himself by unaided will to spring from bed on the instant of the clock’s stroke. Will and character grow by acquiring powers not forced upon us by Life and circumstances. Keep ahead of them, therefore. Don’t be content to be “as your Maker made you.” Keep the will to be going all the time. There are any number of books published nowadays that pre tend to tell you “How to grow a strong will,” “How to be a forceful personality,” and so on. They are mostly misleading nonsense, that you know already as soon as you begin to think. Every hour of the day the will ought to be a bit stronger than it was the hour before. For several times each hour we can practice it. We can will to wake up three minutes before the bell goes and to get up at the moment we wake. We can spend a minute then in looking forward along the day and willing that each hour shall lind us men on deck in command of ourselves. We can use our will in refusing t<» be disturbed from serenity and kindliness by other men’s little peculiarities and irritating ways. We can eat with the will that the food shall gradually build for us bodies of finer health and of purer tendencies. We can give that last touch to all our work and duties. We can walk with better carriage. We can refuse to let memories come in on us and wake longings, remorse, fear or the blues. We can compel our lazy minds to study something every day, a language, science, or what not. And we can insist upon it with our tired selves that at least a few minutes of every day shall be spent in an attempt to feel the helping presence and comradeship of our higher natures. And this will in time give us a character of our own making, grown for ourselves and above (or perhaps altogether replacing) that which we brought with us, or came to us by heredity, or was forced upon us by the experience of our lives. We shall become m the true sense the self-made man. —Student Brilliancy vs. Success Many persons are of the opinion that to succeed one must be clever. Brilliancy of mind is a valuable asset, but this alone does not constitute success. There are thousands upon thousands of clever, brilliant men who never accomplish anything from which their fellowmen derive any benefit. Especially in this day of rush and haste, there is any amount of brilliance which goes 4o waste. There are innumerable times when clever persons are the blindest; opportunities are thrust upon them in vain. Ability oftimes goes astray. Men will struggle for years, against great odds, to attain skill and understanding, and after so doing abuse them. Brilliance and cleverness are worse than useless unless used to the right advantage.—D. M. D. By “ Optimo ” their likeness, as reproduced by the many publications, that if it were not for the fact that in each instance their name was subjoined to the cut, we would not recognize any two of them as being the portraiture ot the same person. If the inscriptions were ab sent, we would experience all of the pleasure that attends one who views for the first time the features of a strange but interesting personage. We were confident that there must have been a gentleman of color in the accumulation of combustible material. Justice Hughes voted ballot number thirteen at the recent election. This should be to .us an object les- son, teaching us to appreciate at its full value the fact that the thirteen of the numerals is more deadly than its mates. Justice Hughes is to return to his former trade (we beg pardon—pro fession) of practicing law. Thus and again is proven fallacious the theory advocated by the doughty Scotchman, of library fame, to wit, that we should “put all of our eggs in one basket; and then watch that basket.” Justice Hughes’ basket of presiden tial eggs having been scrambled, it af fords his supporters no little pleasure to know that he will not be thrown empty handed upon the tender mercies of a self-centered world. The Self-Made Man Interesting Philosophical Adaptions and Comment on Matters of Morals, Literature and Passing Events ty News.” 1 here is % tremendous market for phonographs among keep ers of ice cream parlors. This market is largely undeveloped, but it is certainly there. The refreshment parlors present ideal opportun ities for the demonstration and sale of phonographs, and there are thousands of them. Many ice cream parlor keepers run a phonograph in their stores for the enjoyment of their customers, but stop right there. 1 hey are overlooking the fact that they are showing a sample of goods, have conducted a demonstration, yet have made no effort to sell or lease the article demonstrated. It should be easy for the phono graph manufacturers to develop this field. •Just consider how favorable the ice cream parlor man is sit uated. People come to his store for rest and refieshment. They have withdrawn from the serious business of the day to devote a few minutes to relaxation. They are in a mood to listen to music. They remain seated for several minutes, during which time a good dem onstration of the phonograph can be made. These demonstrations need not be open solicitations. It is better to use printed cards, in tLis case, giving machine prices, terms on which machines are sold or leased, and the price of records. The machines will sell them selves when demonstrated under such favorable circumstances. Many people will be reached in this way who would never go to a phonograph demonstrating place. Almost everybody goes to the ice cream parlors repeatedly during the year. People who go to an ice cream parlor for refreshment only will gradually get interested in buying a machine and will keep go ing back while considering whether to make the purchase or not. This wil naturally increase the volume of business along the usual lines. After the machine is bought the purchaser will keep coming back to hear and buy new records, again boosting the regular line of refreshments.” The plan ought to work well, but why confine it to the ice cream parlors? It seems to me, Mr. Restaurant, Mr. Drug Store and a few of you other merchants, that you could adopt this plan with pleasing results. A meal seems to taste better when listening to good music, and when at the soda fountain or partaking of a light lunch, which is served in many of the drug stores, if one could hear selections from the opera or his favorite song, your patronage would increase, and at the same time open a path for the sale of a phonograph now and then. I know well that the path of strict virtue is steep and rugged. But, for the stern discipline of temperance, the hardship of self denial, the crushing appetite and passion, there will be the blessed recompense of a cheerful, healthful manhood and an honorable old age. Vig'nettes by the Onlooker (Continued from First Column) Connelly, the leader of the embargo movement in California, that “the embargo movement was receiving his most serious considera tion.” This clearly indicates that the movement is becoming a na tional issue. Other reports from Washington presage a hot debate when the question comes before the house—probably toward the close of the present congressional term. Several years ago the government decided to determine the actual value of properties belonging to the various railroad com panies traversing the country. To this end scores of engineering experts were employed. This stupendous task of valuation is now producing some interesting results. For example, a recent report shows that a certain south-western railroad company’s valuation, based on recent prices, is forty-six millions of dollars. This means that the road could be built today for the sum mentioned. The stock and bond issues of the railroads in question ag gregate some ninety-nine millions of dollars. The difference is about fifty-three millions. Can it be that the labor and construction ma terials were more than a hundred percent higher twenty-five or thirty years ago than in the present times? We hardly believe this will be found to be the case, Probably the explanation is in the fact that “organizing” ex penses were higher in those days. And as the railroad in question spanned several streams it is also possible that the organizers in cluded considerable water in their statements of assets. Water, ap parently was responsible for a larger percentage of the total liabili ties than steel, labor, and other materials indigent to railroad build ing. And of course the stock was sold and the dividends were promptly paid. But just think how much greater the dividends would have been had the line been capitalized at its actual value! But, then, the “organizers” had to earn a little something for “is“uot the laborer worthy of his hire?” Fifty-five or sixty percent is a handsome commission to be sure, but not an unusual one as the gov ernment valuators are discovering in their interesting researches into the history of railroad making in the land of big commissions. We talk a whole lot about how America will be affected by the commercial attitude of Europe towards us after the war is ended. And in spite of various opinions as to whether or not we shall pros per as the result of Europe’s attitude, little or nothing has been done to improve national efficiency by means of constructive legislation along social and commercial lines, There must be one of only two results of Europe’s attitude toward us. Either we prosper or we do not. Business will be good or it will be bad. An increased business means the necessity for preparation to handle it. A decreased volume of trade means preparation also in order to absorb the shock without financial panic. It is certain there will be a change, one way or the other. Now that America has accepted the theory of preparation for all things, let us not wait until changed conditions are upon us be fore creating measures to handle them. REMARKS OF THE “PASSER-BY” Here is a new one. The following is copied from the “Novel- • v 'p- V V " V A rfgsz liy Mr. C. R. S. V X