i
Comment-and
Discomment
These are hard days for plain kids,
-with mischief in their mlnda. There's
a conspiracy on the part of cops,
teachers, parents and preachers to
keep their little noses eyer to the
grindstone and their feet In the
straight and narrow path. Pranks
and practical Jokes that would win a
twenty-year-old undying fame in
college are looked upon as evidences
of a vile and wicked nature when a
lad is ten years younger. Boys don't
have any fun now, unless you count
the opportunity to dangle dead mice
in front of little girls' faces and
ether harmless things.
which he Introduced himself, he sur
Rested that he always tried to "make
the punishment fit the crime." With
all due deference to the superior
Judgment of the Omaha Juvenile
judge, we think he's a trifle severe.
A terrible crime, of course, to cause
a panic among men older than he
was, to say nothing of the women
and children but we had though,
that the court occasionally consid
ered the Intent, Judge Tash, a week
ago. took this Into consideration
when he let four youthful house
breakers off with a fine and then
suspended the fine.
The news dispatches (that's a nifty
way to refer to a bit of grapevine
telegraph stuff) tell the story of an
Omaha boy who was sent to the re
form school for a term of several
years for breaking up a community
center meeting at some school house.
All he did was to ring the firebell,
And a mob of men, women and
children rushed to the door. No
one was injured, but all of them were
pretty badly scared. And when the
excitement had died down, every one
of those people, instead of being
grateful that it had turned out to be
a false alarm, proceeded to set up a
howl against the boy. And, to use
a dainty little French phrase, they
got his goat.
Boys, like Mr. Kipling's "single
wen in barracks," don't sprout
wings. They're thoughtless little
heathens, and they like to have good
times. Very often, it's true, their
ideas of a good time don't conform
to those of other people but isn't It
the fault of other people for not
teaching them better ideas? When
we hear of little boys in a town who
don't like Sunday school, but prefer
to go fishing, we don't immediately
Jump to the conclusion that some
thing is wrong with the boys or their
parents. Occasionally it happens that
something is lacking in the Sunday
school. Or maybe the fishing is
exceptionally good.
If this particular Omaha Judge
had been given the opportunity to
sit In Judgement on several cases of
which we have intimate knowledge,
the state penitentiary would probably
be full of college lads. Back In
1910, when we entered the Univer
sity of Nebraska, we recall several
stunts that furnished us a good deal
of amusement, did some damage, and
were never discovered. Of course,
we weren't mixed up In any of them.
That's understood or we wouldn't
be telling about it. We have ever
been studious. It is our chief draw
back. But sometimes, of an even
ing, when Smoke and Stoney and
the gang would borrow one of our
pipes and smoke our good tobacco
they sold good tobacco In those
days we listened and learned. One
can always learn if he listens at the
right time and the right place.
We were rooming at 1449 S Street,
with Tommy Stratton, Mrs. Stratton
and Ashby. We lived on the third
floor, far away from the piano in the
parlor and the lady-like boarders on
the second floor. Stony and Smoke
had a room together on one side,
we had the room at the front of the
house, and a tall youth, built like
a drink of water, had the room on
the other side of the hull. Down
at the other end was a Bohemian lad
of promise and promises. It was a
good gang, and a studious one, Just
before exams.
This sixteen-year-old high school
boy who will go to the reform school
will come out of it with a n.uch
worse reputation than he deserves.
He'll find that his record will be
against him for pretty near the rest
of his natural life. It won't be quite
as much of a detriment as though he
had served a term in the peniten
tiary, but it will have a bad luflusnce1
the rest of his life and lie may livo
to be pretty old. Enemies will
whisper it behind his back, and some
of tlicm may say it to his face. Em
ployers will be careful not to trust
him too far. In later years, people
will forget Just why he served a sen-'
tence in the reform school, and
there'll be a lot of wild things that
folks will believe he did.
Up on the third floor we were Just
like brothers, Bave that we didn't
quarrel as much. When one of the
boys was initiated into the Spikes,
the rest of us bound up his wounds
and bought arnica for his bruises.
When another one, in the shower
bath, backed up against a red hot
radiator and was striped like a
zebra for three months, not a one
of us laughed where he could hear
it. And once but that's another
story.
TOUTS
the tinkle of the little bell that
heralded his coming, they went down.
Three of them besieged the windows
one on each side of the cart and
the rest proceeded to tie his hind
wheel to a telephone post. When
this was done, they walked away,
and suddenly half a brick took that
old plug In the side. He Jumped
forward, the rope held the wheel, and
the -popcorn, the popper and the
stock in trade and the dago were
Jumbled together In the bottom of
the cart. They never could do It
again. He was always looking on
all four sides after that. And one
day someone conceived the idea of
buying an air rifle.
There's a real tale connected
with the air rifle and the use to
which we put It the next three weeks,
before It disappeared mysteriously.
Personally, we think that Tommy
Stratton still has It. But maybe the
six-foot Danish student, who couldn't
see a Joke, was the guilty party.
Some day, we're going to tell it all,
after we're certain that Smoke Is
out of the state. Afterward, he be
came an airman, and has some of
those German planes to his credit.
He never brought down enough to
rank as an ace, but he did pretty
well for a roughneck. Stone also
has a pretty fair war record, and
so, oddly enough, did the studious
Bohuntt. It wasn't our fault that
we didn't kill half the Germans In
the war. We might have dom so If
It hadn't been for a gentle govern
ment sending us to Newport and
Block Island, Providence and Boston
to serve the war.
foolish things with no Intent to be
come criminals. Boys hear tales of
practical Jokes and deviltry from
older boys and from men the
papers are full of them and only
one out of a thousand ever gets
caught. Why should the one who
11 fAllcht ha inaJa in. .tl
j D " 1 1 v. v. . V. DU11C-1 1111 fill
j the sins of other young heathens?
Vliy shouldn't Justice be tempered
with mercy? Why couldn't a Juve
nile court have a rattan whip, and
order the parent to use It where It
will have the greatest effect? In
these days, when people ae sent l
mentaly slopping over hardened
criminals, why Is It that only a few
people take interest in boys, who,
with might little encouragement,
may grow up to believe they are out-
i laws? We're missing one of our
best best.
Before we got started on remin
iscences, we had the germ of an Idea,
and even thoughts of 1449's air rifle
crew won't let it get clear away.
There ought to be other and Icbs
severe punishment for boys who do
JlrU wanted at Alliance Steam
Laundry. tf
TKXAS TWIXKLK1W
Trobably the funniest sights on the
streets of this town are women wear
ing cloth shoes an leather coats.
Personally we have had our share
of manly ambitions, but we don't re
call ever having aspired to be a
corsetler.
It has Just about got so In this
country that as soon as a widower
begins sewing on his buttons without
starting a fuss he gets married again.
Considering her snaERled teeth, we
don't understand why Emma Gold
man was so opposed to going whero
there is nothing to eat but soun.
Dallas ews.
Glasses accurately fitted at rea
sonable prices. Drake & Drake,
Optometrists. tf
The lord high executioner, in "The
Mikado," you will recall, had the
proper Idea. In the little song with
It began, as we recall, with the
dago popcorn vender. Every night
he drove out in the residence section
with a boxed-up wagon, and . his
stand was just half a block away
from the house. In those happy
day?, butter wasn't ninety cents a
pound, and when that dago would
get a batch of corn freshly popped,
covered with butter, and the odor
would come drifting up to the third
floor, we went down. Just what
thi3 popcorn vender did to arouse
their wrath has been forgotten, but
it was the sort of a thing they
thought he shouldn't do to good
customers. And so war wap declared.
The next night, when they heard
MR. RANCH OWNER
. DO YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR RANCH?
If So and Your Price Is Right We Can Sell It
WE HAVE A LARGE LIST OP BUYERS IN
THE CORN BELT
And Besides, We Have in Nebraska,
Iowa, Illinois and Other States
OVER 800 AGENTS
WHO BRING, CUSTOMERS TO US
WHEN YOU LIST WITH US YOU LIST
WITH THESE TOO. WRITE US
Describe Your Flace and Name Your Low Net Price
TO YOU AND BEST TERMS
If you want to buy a ranch we have what you want
PAYNE INVESTMENT CO.
RANCH SPECIALISTS
Omaha Natl Bank Bldg.
Omaha
The Story of the Bank Book
In your Bank
Book is written
the story of
your Success in
Life.
It is to your
Bank Book you
turn when op
portunity comes and upon the balance it shows depends
in a great measure your ability to grasp your chance.
On rainy days when the storms of adversity gather and
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through in safety.
Again sickness may
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ing capacity is lim
ited or eliminated.
Your Bank Book
comes to your
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That finally when Life's shadows grow dim and the twi
light of declining years settles upon you, your Bank
Book brings to you the comfort and the cheer that makes
your last days, days of independence, happiness and en
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Well be glad to show you how
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First
State Bank
!
The Season's Most
Important Event
Announcement Extraordinary
TO TIIK THEATRE AND MUSICAL PATRONS of Alliance
ami Vicinity:
The management of the Imperial Theatre desires to thank
the patrons of this city and vicinity for the liberal patronage
and hearty co-operation that has enabled us to bring the better
class of entertainment to this city and to announco that under
a liberal guarantee arrangements have been made to present an
Opera . Festival Night at the
Imperial Theatre
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Friday, April 30
Ralph Dunbar's Presentation of
America's Best and Greatest Comic
Opera
m m m m m m r
A timely revival of Bernard Shaw and Ossar Straus'
wonderful combination of Captivating Melody and
SIDESPLITTING COMEDY that New York listen-,
ed to for 3 solid years.
40 PEOPLE 40
including the most noted cast of musical artists, James Stevens,
George O'Donnell, George Shields, Sylvia Thome, Clara Camp
bell, Arthur Sherman, Winifred Anglin, Mitza Huff and Jane
Studley.
The Chorus
Another typical Dunbar Chorus of beautiful young
ladies and manly lads who not enly furnish a power
ful musical foundation for the opera but who also
contribute a routine of Genuina Bulgarian Folk
Dances ending in a veritable Whirlpool of Color
and Motion.
.
The Orchestra
An orchestra of symphony players under the direction of
that well known director, Mr. George Lyding.
The Production
Same lavish scenic and mechanical display as used during
its run at the Casino Theatre, New York.
The Press
Kansas City "Star" says: "Excellent Company."
Omaha "World-Herald" says: "A Treat."
Wreeling "News" says : "Even Better Than Robin Hood."
NOTE
Alliance gets this big opera direct from City Auditorium,
Denver en route to St. Paul, Minn.
SUBSCRIPTION SALE OPENS FRIDAY. SEAT SALE
OPENS SATURDAY AT HOLSTEN'S DRUG STORE.
PRICES $1.50, $2.00 AND $2.50, PLUS WAR TAX
MAIL ORDERS NOW
All Mail Orders to Manager Imperial Theatre