The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 24, 1907, Page 21

VOLUME CL—NO. 86. IX PAGES—SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, - The Sunday Call Undertakes to Disprove It With the California Beaufy . agRAFE Ry, Prooe tand G2 a) Mans N AW 22,000 °Fnc£.,.oa:!19':9‘f—,° = mime ry END m’g‘*y;',‘,,“‘:h are on back 1 S CHALLENGES CHIC ihicago Beéuty-Comest IsWon by Young Stenographer | Is She the Greatest in America?| | AGO, Feb. 23.—Is a simple Chicago working girl the most | b 1 woman in the world? That is the claim made by| the Chicago Sunday Tribune for Miss Della Carson, who has been declared by expert judges to be the most beautiful woman in Chicago. Miss Carson was crowned as Chicago’s queen of beauty over more than six thousand competitors, after a beauty contest that in- volved a $50,000 wager and the expenditure of $25,000 in advertis- | ing and prizes. This was the most remarkable as well as the most romantic beauty quest in history, and the fact that the young woman declared to be the supreme beauty of Chicago is not a' society girl but a $12 a week stenographer is the most astonishing| fact of all, for among the contestants were many rich and fashion- able women. Professional beauties, actresses and artists’ models alone were barred from competition. i The story of the great Chicago beauty quest is more like a] fairy tale than an event of the twentieth century, and yet perhaps! only this century could have made the story possible. The contest|" grew out of a wager between two millionaires over the beauty of a photograph. A young man from the East, who was visiting in Chicago, happened to be showing a photograph of his sister, a young woman of unusual beauty. “I think it is a pity,” remarked the Eastern millionaire, care- lessly, “that Chicago, with ell its riches and enterprise, cannot pro- duce beautiful women of this type.” This touched the local pride of the Chicago man. He de- clared that the Easterner was mistaken—that Chicago contained more women of great beauty than any other city in the world. The Easterner smiled indulgently. “I’ll bet you $50,000 that I can bring you the photograph of a Chicago woman whom competent judges will declare to be more beautiful than your sister—with all due respect to the latter, whom, I admit, is a great beauty.” The wager was accepted on the spot, the judges agreed upon and 2 stipulation made that the names of the principals be not re- vealed. Then the Easterner returned home and the Chicago man set out to find his beautiful woman. He studied all his beautiful social friends and acquaintances, but he was not satisfied with the results. “I wish I could get a picture of the most beautiful woman in Chicago,” he sighed, for he not only wanted to win his wager, but he felt that the honor of his city was at stake. But how could he find the most beautiful woman? Being a Chicago business man, the natural answer suggested itself at once. “I will advertise for her,” he declared. He went at once to Lord & Thomas, advertising agents, and explained his dilemma. Lord & Thomas were amazed. They thought they had carried on all sorts of advertising campaigns that were possible. But here was'a new one~— they never had advertised for a beauty before. But the money was ready to pay the bills and they undertook the commission. Modest announcements were made jn the Chicago daily news- papers of the terms of the wager, with a request that photographs of beautiful ‘Chicago women be sent to the advertising agents. The returns were not satisfactory. A few hundred photographs came in, but the millionaire felt that they were not likenesses of the most beautiful women in Chicago. He began to complain. “We have undertaken a bigger thing than we realized,” said the agents. “We must advertise on a more comprehensive scale to arouse ublic interest. We must offer prizes; we must appeal to the friends of the beautiful women to come to our rescue, since it is clear that the women themselves are too modest to send in their own photographs.” “Then why don’t you do it?” asked the millionaire. The ad man figured a minute. “If you will authorize us to spend $25,000 we will agree to get you five thousand photographs of the beautiful women of Chicago.” “Go ahead,” said the millionaire, who had $50,000 at stake. Lord & Thomas went ahead. They stirred Chicago until the strange wager and the romantic beauty quest became one of the greatest things in Chicago history. Phofiognphs poured in until when the judges came to make their selection they had more than six thousand beautiful women from whom to choose the most beau- tiful woman in Chicago. In order to stimulate interest in the contest Lord & Thomas had Continved on Page 22, Columns 1 and 2 TR N ECAUSE a Chicago millionaire, to win a wager, found a stenographer in his city who was clearly more beautlf}l than a certain beauty of New York, the Chicago Tribune hurls its deflant proclamation that this fascinating Windy City stenographer is the most beautiful woman in America. That’s like Chicago. They never do things by halves in Chicago. Nobody doubts that they have beautiful women in Chicago. That Chicago’s prize beauty is a rarely bewitching girl is evident from a glance at her photograph, which appears on this page. But when Chi- cago, lost in contemplation of the charms of that which is its own, declares that this yonng woman is the most beautiful woman in America, Chicago forgets a very im- portant part of the map. Chicago reckons without— CALJFORNIA! The editor of the Chicago Tribune should travel. He should come to San Francisco and, lowering his gaze from the cupolas of the new skyscrapers which are aim- ing at the clouds, he should feast his eyes and his soul upon the faces of the women who trip over the bricks and bloom the more effulgently for the exercise. Even this wlnrl-Qlown mortal from the shores of Lake Michigan would be moved to exclaim: “Cherries are ripe!” He would find that the warm ocean current which sweeps this strand has a more esthetic mission than making a mock of winter and bearing fleets upon its bosom. He would learn, whether or no, that here in Eden is nurtured Beauty. He would go to Sacramento only to find that the gold of the wheatfields of the great valley of the north is burnished when it appears in the hair .of the maldens. At Fresno he would find the pink heart of the fig failing by contrast when it reaches the lips of the Fresno woman. Like the orange tree of the Southland, bearing at the same time bud, blossom and fruit, he would behald the Los Angeles woman in every stage of - develop- ment beautiful and more beautiful. At 1d, at Stockton, at Santa Rosa, at Redding—Ah, but it needs a poet for this dream of fair women! 1 And The Sunday Call will bet the Chicago Tribune nothing. It is wrong to bet. And it would not be a com- pliment of the kind we love to pay our California women to make them, like the speed of a horse or the punch of a pugilist, the subject of a wager. Neither would. it fair to gamble on their beauty—it would not’ be fair the other Chicago, unlike New ¥ the superlative beauty of glorious Cali o DELLA CARSON Chicago has been the scene of a spectacular beauty contest involving a $50,000 wager and in which the photographs of over 6000 women were submitted. The winner is Della Carson, a $12 a week working girl, who, the Chicago Tribune claims, is the most beautiful woman in America. California Beauty Is Suprem How The Sunday Call Expects to Shame Chicago FEBRUARY - 24, 1907—PAGES 21 TO 32. PRICE FIVE CENTS | | N | =" (Copyrighit 1907, fribune 5., Chleago.} -+ € is not an incident of chance. It is a royal fact. It is our never-failing resource; it is our best product. To the red-blooded men who made and are making“the great commonwealth of California these things are axioms: The mightiness of our future; the steadfastness of our home-love; and the beauty of our sweethearts, our moth- ers and our wives! An axiom, truly, this regal beauty.of our women, to all Californians whom God has blessed with eyes. all Americans, unfortunately, are not Californians. There is Missouri, for instance, which remains to be shown. Right gladly California will' show Missouri, Chicago, New York 'and Hackensack, N. J. A medium and a leader is required. - With a proud heart and a buoyant confidence The Sunday Call offers itself for this modern chivalry. This, then, is the task to which The Sunday Call here- by consecrates its services. It will seek until it finds the California beauty of beauties, and having shamed Chicago with its discovery it will proclaim her a greater beauty. than will be found in any other State or city of the Union—fairest of women of America! Other cities, a score of them, each justly proud of the sweet grace of its womenkind, also arise to challenge Chicago's claim. Incidentally, and with no less vigor, they “chal- lenge the claim which The Sunday Cal! makes for-Cali- fornia. They turn now, each to seek out its best and set her upon a pedestal, even as does The Call in California, and when the beauties are found a national jury, per- force leaving their hearts at home, will look from one to the other, at length shall decide upon THE ONE, and then—~— Ah! we shall see what we shall see. The Sunday Call sets out to flnd the modern Cin- derella in most modern fashion; not with a tiny slipper, but with a salver of gold! And when the most beautiful woman in California has received her title from the im- partial jury which is to be impaneled The Sunday Call will gallantly present her with the platter upon which lie the golden coins in return for 'the pure joy of having looked upon her face. Yes, Miss and Madam, the first prize in s conf to discover the most beautiful ‘woman California is“to be a salver upon which is piled $150 in gold. The wo@lh given second place by SN, ACCEDTS® THE CHAULENGE, s Gold Prizes for But |, ¢ e e Ny $ < z r// TME @HICAGO TRIBURE. California’s Most Charming HE Chicago Tribune publishes the portrait of a Chicago working girl and declares that she is the meost beauti- ful woman in America. The girl was selected in a contest held in that city in which over 6,000 photographs were selected. The Sunday Call believes that Chicago 'does not monopolize the beauty of the United States. : On this account we have challenged The Tribune to a contest, the decision of which is to be left to impartial judges, as to whether California cannot produce a more beautiful woman than the Chicago beauty. We want your help. We want you to help us find the most- beautiful woman in all California. Send us the photograph of the most beautiful California woman you know. The honor of the State is at stake. Chicago’s presumption must not go unchallenged.: But we must have your help. The ladies themselves cannot be expected to send in their own phetographs. But you must know some one of sur- passing beauty who lives in California. Send us her photograph. | The photographs of the most beautiful will be published in The Sunday Call. The woman adjudged by the jury to be the most beautiful i California will be given a prize of $150. She who ranks next will receive $50. The third will re- cei\_g: $25, and the next twenty-five $10 each. Send in the photographs of your friends. Photographslc))f aict)lggsslc):s andyprofessional models are barred. the judges will receive $50 in'gold, the third beauty $25, and the next twenty-five contestants will receive §1) each The least prize of all will be worth a struggle on the part of the friends of every lovely woman. ; Thus has The Call, on behalf of California, chal- lenged Chicago, and, incidentally, the whole country, via ‘Western Union: ~ SAN F'RANCISC]O. Cal,, Feb. 23, 1907.. The Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Ill.: Our compliments to your city and to you upon the be | ‘:jehlrim'ot'flae“mm beautiful woman of Chicago. She e ) Send us the photographs of your beau- G o o Address Beauty Editor, The Call 5