The evening world. Newspaper, February 26, 1903, Page 12

Dettehes by the Press Publishing Company, No. 53 to 6) 7 Park Row, New York. Entered at the Post-Ofice at New York as BecondCiass Mall Matter. ‘WOLUME 48... + NO. 18,164. GAS TRUST EXTORTION. One cannot but admire the ingenuousness of the re- fark of the Secretary of the Consolidated Gas Company, that he “has received no complaints from customers who believe they have been overcharged for gas.” Wt f@ & long lane from the complaint clerk's window fe the Secretary's desk, and few are the customers whose protests pass the length of it. Most complaints succumb te the strain of the first interview. They die of dis- eourtesy right there, and it is a bold consumer, fortified by an unusually righteous wrath, who proceeds further. The cases of complaint meriting investigation and gorrection because of overcharge are numberless. If) Beoretary Carter has received none he is recommended | World by its readers: | That of Dr. EB. O. Kellogg, of No, 104 West Fifty- eighth street, whose bill jumped from $12.90 to $20.20 within a month without cause. He “complained to the company, but got no satisfaction.” ‘That of R. G. Saunderson, who was told by the in- spector that his meter showed only 90 cents’ worth of gas burned, but whose bill was §2.50. That of Joseph Loria, whose bill was $4.10 when he burned all the gas he wanted, but jumped to $5.80 during the month he economized. That of John P. Cole, who is “paying more for gas) than ever before and using less.” And numerous others these will serve the purpose designed. Many of this winter's bills show an extraordinary in- @rease over tho bills for the corresponding period two years ago. Emil W. Kahn’s bill of Feb. 18, 1901, was $1.70; that for Feb. 14, 1903, is $4.20. B. Greer’s bill for January, 1902, was $2.30; for January, 1903, $4,80. The bill rendered K. Wolcott for this month is $10.20 as against one of $5.20 for the same month last year. “It fe simply a case of robbery,” says Mr. Woloott, and we ‘gre inclined to agree with him. The simultaneous in- erease all along the line cannot be attributed to coinci- @enee. It is very excellent circumstantial evidence of a policy of mulcting the consumer, left helpless as he is against the company’s charges. Helpless? if he complains he is insulted. If he re-| fuses to pay the overcharge his deposit is forfeited. If he changes to another of the various companies in vue “combine” he gets no relief and finds the same tactics eed. If he tries electricity he encounters the same Roskefeller influence. If he tries oi] he is forced to deal with the same monopolistic power, and he has the dis- quieting reflection that he is obliged to pay more for very gallon of of] consumed than last year because of | the arbitrary increase of price made py this same Msnopolistic power. ‘Wherever he turns for light, whether to gas or elec- tricity or oll, st 1s Rockefeller that he sees in the back-| ground. And by a coincidence he does not fail to note it is Since Rockefeller’s presence was visible there that the bills have grown so big. CHILD SLAVERY IN NEW.YORK. _ “Twenty thousand children in New York made old at meventeen by work, and their lives over at forty! Chil- dren damned into the world, not born into it.” ‘This strong statement by Dr. Loulse Fiske Bryson Goes not exaggerate the horrors of child aprvitude. It is K a real slavery these luckless little ones undergo, by com- f Parieon with which the lot of the negro children on the Plantation before the war was paradise. It 4s the slavery of unremitting toll by childish hands and tender bodies ®t e@ time of life when they should know only the mean- ing of play. Vor thom no basking in the sun before the cabin door, no running in to mammy for hoe cake and buttermilk, no Jong hours of sleep and the! physical joy pf living not denied even to the humblest pickaninny under the blight of slavery, But instead, all day tn factory or all night in the allk mill, learning nothing of children’s games or of the pleasures that are theirs by right of birth. Nothing but work and toil in poisonous surroundin, nd the physi- al and mental! weariness that soon mean despair and disease and death. While the lot of the children employed in street trades may be such as to excite pity {t does not compare fm actual hardship with that of the unfortunates in fac- fory and mill. The street waifs at least are not deprived of fresh air and physical |iberty and the sense of freedom, The best way to war on consumption is to stop the ehild labor which breeds it, says Dr. Bryson. Her facts and figures about the prevalence of the evil which she has laid before the Labor and Industry Committee at Albany should carry weight as being authentic authoritative. and LENTEN FASTING, Lent, though beginning later this year than usual comes somewhat early for dwellers in a cold climate to benefit physically by denying themselves animal food en- tirely and reducing hearty meals to simple repasts, March, in which the season of fasting mostly falls, ia fone of the greatest of cod-liver-oll months with the doctors. #ea period of mortification of the flesh an observance of Lenten principles of abstinence even thus early will re- ‘ult in a great gain for the physical well being of the Bon-churchgoers. To curtail dinner-table pleasures at ) thts time of year helps nature mightily in the spring ‘Bonsecleaning which is essential to sound health for, Af not disposed to fast rigidly, why not cut down the ally allowance of meat? We ali eat too much of it thet ly those who begin the day with the traditional fast of chops or steak, eat a outlet or hashed on toast for junch and atiack a ronst for dinner, is bad enough in midwinter; in the Spring it is Anviting as it does the overloading of organs whose Working 1s ewsential to the purity of the blood, @re overtaxed a long train of evils may fht’s disease as & gloomy ghost looming expectant of its prey. ensue, up in te Viet U "Bobs" has said he will come bax” next fall, and the country will be glad to of the great Brittsh general, At ¢ durbar in India it was recalled ip Gen. Roberts was e major in i nt and thought littie of as an Into greatness through ae Grant's, to read these sample complaints sent to The Evening | « which The Evening World will cheerfully furnish, though | @ But there 1s no voubt that apart trom {ts advantages |’ Prof. Jouh M. A. Long, Founder of the O14 Jokes' ttome and the Heinent Fhileathropist, Heathen Sclen- (um, Author of ‘Chemistry fer Obtldren; or, ‘The Fairy Tales of Sotence;" ‘Moral and Im- proving Pirate Stortes.’* “The Post's irksome ‘Trade,"’ ‘Writing as @ Musole Developer,” “The Beriour Gide of Humor." etc., ste. ——— “ ‘0 the member of the Bociety for the T Prevention of Cruelty to Humor who malces the best reSord in res- cue work in connection with the Old above portratt of Prof. Josh M. A. Long, with phonograph attachment, and, in consequence, GUARANTEED A @PRAKING LIKDNESS, will = be awarded, A Word About the Bad, Bo great bes been the demand for badges from our friends who are de- strous ef becoming officers of the 8. P. C. H., and as much empowered to take old jokes into custody, that the supply haa been exhausted. Due announcement will be made in a few days when @ fresh, supply is received. Paragraphs and Poesy. ‘Prot, Jom M. A. Long: PERCY PLAYS MOOKEY ON SABBATH, That Sundey tea day of rest I w'poge you'll all agree; ‘ But when I'm eent to Bunday-school You leave the “rest” to me. SPENCE AND SENSE, A real estate broker named Spense Bent a clerk to collect a fow rense; wa brought back @ dollar ‘The “old man’ didn't hollar, Just remarked — You've More dollars than sei PROSY PROBE, ‘This {s a very bad habit to get {pto,"” remarked the living skeleton, as he put on @ bathing eult. Pleasant Peter—That fellow, Chump tora, thinks he’s a lady killer. Pessimistic Pa ell, his face is enough to scare one to death. some good In The World, ." remarked the Harlem goat after devouring a fow pages of that popular newspaper. JAMES B, T, The Old Jokes’ Holmes. Prof, Joan a. A. Long I wend you several applicants for ad- mission to the Old Jokes’ Home, They are all deserving, haying been long—oh, so long—in the service of Momus: ‘The Jok: ut the old sport who hed ruined Dis constituuion and wae living on the by-laws. ‘I say Pat, is this the way to Boston?’ “How dye know me name Wee Pat? “TE guesned tt “Well, hen, KUess your way to Hos ton,” ‘The joke about the man who was Wheeling W, Va. along the same path |that Providence Rhode island, passing the man. Who would rather run ten miles than stand five and meeting the baseball team with the famous catcher and the oniy pitcBer who could hold four quarts and piay all day A. HOLMES, No, 47 King street. For the (Horsepittal! Prot, Josh M. A. Lone: I have been a constant reader of The World for the past five years, and, therefore, J think 1 am entiiled to wend ‘a tow old, disabled jokes, so have a lite tle pity and handle this with care Why, no. Well they carry talle (tales). : BP WENTWORTH, xe NEW Jokes’ Home a life sixe copy of the]. 4 a 18 WORLD: T HURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26, 1909. UNCLE SOUPGREENS BLOWS QUT THE GAS AND RETIRES FOR THE NIGHT. Alles | | €80<24 YORK'S A SAVES Wha ets AND THE GAS. DICAT MuST ‘A’ BLOW INDICATOR A BLOWN GOING AROUND LIKE A alt nN We L0US OPERA), 5 OLD ray rR 7T1ON, MANDY. BE-PUZIN SPALL A AWY WAY ?. 2 @ aMOW ITS a QYRNED 52 ° R bs THEN You KNOW THEY 18 3 THE COVVYRY BARBE FOR THE RUSH AND UP HIS"RAZXORS BLDI8PO99O9$0O49-2O$OO499G9HOHH90006.4-90049900099 606006 Quek! SMASH IN HE SUFFOCATES! SUSPICION IS SS AROUSED— THE BUNCQ MAN WiLL HANDLE RAZOR INSTEAD OF GOLD BRICKS, Sous Yi 4 yy a ye “hh Yi, j An Up-State “Farmers' Grange” has passed resolutions to the effect that all tts members shall abstain from wearing beards,—News Item. ODD 2DFOODOOOPHOO4 THE DOOR BEFORE WHY DO MEN aeolian harps. & (a iy, Wi Mi in - He THEYRE OFF ww ZZ WEAR. WHISKER .S¢ By Roy McCardell. Ww HAT’S the use of having follage on the human face, Ane > Wh nances? ‘True, the wind blows through them, but whiskers are not . do men wear hair mattresses on their counte= It 1s well that the Western New York farmers are cute ting them out and cutting them off, They are a constant source of trial and trouble, and un- less kept full of camphor balls are apt to,become moth eaten, A deyse growth of underbrush upon the face of a delicate ‘man saps his vitality. Whiskers aie nesting grounds for microbes and an impas- sable barrier to soup. We know it is a ticklish subject, but we must agree with the reformed ruralists who are tired of the bunch. There is no face so ugly that ‘hair ourtains beautify them They are aaign "Gold Bricks Bought!’ as plain as print They are e source of Jest and merriment always, especially when ‘Galways. The farmer who comes to town without trimming his beard will get trimmed himself. ‘There 1s no excuse for whiskers except those grown so long that Jays wearing them can't get near enough to a gas jet to blow it out without burning them off. Cut off your whiskers, Be a smooth article, Even @ pointed beard causes pointed remarks. Remember the famous whisker-wearer and the fate that befell him: ‘There once was « man with « beard, | Who said, “It is just aw I feared, An owl and a hen Have all built their nests tn my beard!" Don’t forget it was her whiskers that made the Bearded Lady “not like other girls.” pi Rase a beard, never ralee one People call them “Jo-jos" and “spinach” to your fase when you wear whiskers. Be sensible and eanitary—emputate your whirkers! Two larks and a ween, | | | EUROPEAN IDEA OF A WIFE. And How It Differs from the Amere ican. By Delia Austrian. O*: of the things that émpresses one travelling abroad. is the attitude that the foreign husband takes toward his wife. It is only natural that the American ginl shotd look upon the relation of the foreign busband to his wite as strange. She does not consider marriage @ stage of development, where a woman surrenders her individuality and gives up all ambitions she may have. The American 299995999 F99FO-99O998-995FF544-990995-9-905-99-26S 99300990004. > + Some of the Best Jokes of the Day. pecullarities?—Philadelphia Press. in he now?" “He's off} somewhere a-fearnin’ of Latin an’ Give,” And what's the old man doin’? “SoULUW valle in dialect for to way John's bille."'~Atianta Constitution, THE NEW IDBA. Fathgr (aitowing off his baby boy to bachelor friend)—Well, what do you think of him? Fine boy, tan’t het Bachelor Friend--Yes, very’ fine boy, Dut he's bald, Sill, of course (wlancing Did you know thag horses could talk?| at the father's bald heed), oplidren are not satisfied nowadays unless they oan bewin where thels father dem of, — DOBIOUS, Miss Gotthar—On my birthday T re colyed the outest Mttle dog from My Gophthe with long eans and the funniest enud nore ¥ Miss = Spelta-—T know which Mr. Bophthevyou mean. Why describe nis IF HE COULD. { "Can I pul up here to-night?” asked the seedy man who was signing his name in the hotel register “Yes, sir, said the clerl, “In ad vance."-~-CRleago Tribune, A LINGUISTIC TALE, “T nover sce John these days, Where eee | HOME FUN FOR WINTER EVENINGS. | QUEEN OF HEARTS TARTS, UP HILL PUZZLE, Get yourself a clear box and bore four |holes through the top and bottom of it, Then get four empty spools from your mother's work~basket (huve them all of equal size), plug up the heles with pegs of wood and drive a wire nail into each end, Slip the wire nails through the holes In the box and fit the cover down on the box, ays the Philadelphia North Amerioan, If the spools turn easily in- wide the box, all night, Just fasten the corner with tacks, But, first out a silt Jn each end of the box and run two long Pleces of twine through the alits between the spools, Now, if you have done this right, you oan go out, your brother Jack oan get ‘Wp on the woodhouse roof and hold his end, of the twine tight close together, while you, at the other end, first draw your ends «ight toward you, then sud- denty pull them far apart straight up the box will run like @ etreak of lightning up the two etrings to where Jacky @tands on the roof of the wood- shed. Now all have Cut out the black and white tarts and |{s cold, outside as soon as apring comes) fit them on the tray so tha will find & resting pI thom over the edge of tray or cover se on wheteny, | Fasten @ large out-out picture ‘or dra i ‘on the side of your lence faces, can mal THE MAGIC PILL BOX, Take a amall, round pili box and a oln that exactly Ate into it side of the coin with paper of exactly the color of the inalde of che box. Now how the coin to the audience, being careful to show them only the face ‘hat is not covered. Now drop it into the box with the covered face up, Put ence that the col peared, Pui the Hd on the bux and talk qaygterious: ‘a ui hat the coin hag ut tae Jid on the. ba husband does not ask a woman to give up her freedom when she becomes his wife, But how about ber foreign sister? The German girl ie reared with the idea that marriage is the goal toward which whe is slowly but surely striving, and if she fails to reach that barbor of peace and rest her Life will be « failure, says Delia Austrian in the Chicago Tribune. In Germany no wife would be tolerated if she spent her time at clubs or gave muoh of her attention to the interpre- tation of Hauptmann and Sudermann, If one were to question a man's authority in a German home he would answer that the could no more conceive o household without a head then his country without aa emperor. The wife in turh willingly considers him as her Jord and ts satisfied if she have a comfortable abode end plenty to eat. 1 Still the German woman {s not held in subjection to the same extent as Is her Italian elster. The man io Italy exerts a powerful influence over the mind and heart of a woman, An the male population of the peningula is greater than the female, the percentage of women that do not merry ts ex- ceedingly small. ‘The contempt in which woman's life ie held in Italy is an obstacle to the development of her char- acter, Amore these people the man considers himnelf es having thé right of Mfe and death over her, not only as@ , trusband and lover, but also as « father or brother, The Frenchman, with a keen appreciation of art, expects his wite to be charming and attractive as posable, Phougtr the typical gay Parisian society woman devotes much time to shopping, driving in the Bole, attending congerts, theatres and receptions, the average wife is expected to see that ber household ts eoonomically and well managed. The . French husband docs not worship at his wife's ehrine; he ts rather an enemy to be placate’, Though he ts not eaiy allured, the wife through a natural sense of coquetry desires to appear attractive in her husband/e eyes, More than this, there are certain clearly defined laws she cannot defy. She cannot recetve a male caller unless her husband be present; he accompanies her to the ematiest social function or she t home. If she has no small childrerf she often keeps nd'# books, answers hie mail or helps him in busl- It is only the Parisian ‘400 that lead @ life of ease and luxury. The Engiieh woman is much more independent than her French sister, Physloal strength is her most marked ohar- acteristic. She snows herself as being a fine type in her courage, the splendor of her physique and in the soundness of her judgment. She 1s allowed much tn the way of educa- tion, physical training and independenoe. Sho does not per- mit marriage to crush her individuality, Still she has not as much freedom as her American slater, nor Goes he worship ‘at her #hrine near so fervently. further West one goes the more ts the wife regarded companion to her husband, while in the Orient she te yet hie slave. ‘After one has seen the condition of women abroad one comes to the conclusion that the lot of the average Americas