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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1923)
Trapper Bags Three-Legged \ Range Outlaw “Gimpy"’ Coyote, Terror Among Stoek of Nevada, Dies With Boots on— Bride Also Caught. . Ely, Nev., Feb. 24.—The wild west a is no more. No longer in Nevada Is * the boast heard from the lips of Black Bart and other desperadoes that they would never die with their boots on. They died as they lived and are no more. Only the desperadoes of the ani mal kingdom claim a charmed ex istence in their outlawry now, and when it was said by the ranchers of White l’ine county thut no trnp would ever hold ‘‘('.impy.” three-foot v cd despoiler of countless barnyards and the cause of an annual loss of - $500 in that vicinity ftiany believed, even as -they believed the ribald mouthings of Black Bart. They oven went so far as to say that the bullet was never made that would lay "Gimpy” low. From the almost' impassable stretches of White Pine couqty came the rumor recently that "Gimpy,” the "killer,” was dead—dead with lii3 boots on. as it were. This week "Gimpy’s” hide is on the way to the fur market. Crippled Desperado. "Gimpy's" life was only a coyote's life, and his hide was only a coyote's hide—somewhat larger and more val lo than others, perhaps, hut the ^Jwlaw has taken his life ami his hide, and only the story remains—the al most legendary tale of a three-footed desperado of the last frontier: How "Gimpy” lost his left front foot Is not of record, but bis ability to steal into a barnyard, even by day, snatch a turkey or a chicken and A make a getaway into the hills is well v known. Ranchers knew him from his work long before they ever say him. Phil Aljets got the first view of "Gimpy’s” three legs three years ago, and "Gimpy” got his name. While lying down and pretending to sleep, as all the wolf family do to \ make an easy catch, a big house cat m came out of Arthur Smith's Oeorge town ranchhouse. The tomcat came too close, and "Gimpy” grabbed him. As Tom escaped, torn and bleeding. "Gimpy” came into full view, and Phil keeled him over at the first shot from his rifle. “Gimpy,” wounded, fled. Bore "Charmed” Ufe. He was seen frequently after that by cowboys and ranchers, but never when anyone had a rifle. Meanwhile barnyard fowl, pigs, sheep and oc casionally a prize calf vanished. "Gimpy" was blamed. A prize was put on his head. A half dozen government trappers went after him. They tried traps and they tried poison. "Gimpy" would pack off the poisoned meat, and In so doing - lie was listed In government statistics as dead. But “Gimpy” survived. A few weeks ago a new trapper drifted in. A week ago there was ^^■ftGimpy" in the flesh—and his good 'front foot In a trap. It had snowed for many days before. Chickens stayed too close to the barnyard, and "Gimpy” became hungry and care less. The trapper was* glad to see him, but “Gimpy” was angry. The "kill er” was tethered to a light drag an I put up a terrific battle. But the trap per tapped "Gimpy” on the head and sent him to his happy hunting grounds. Johnny Bell Identified the carcass. Left front foot gone; creased across nose—not shot in shoulder, as sup posed. It was "Gimpy.” A few yards away in another trap j was I'aullne—"Gimpy's” bride. She C was not known by sight or name. * But she was traveling with him, ns this was the muting season. Call her ’ Mrs. Gimpy.” if it suits you better. The heads of the "Gimpy” family are no more. Hteptoe Valley is freed of “Gimpy,” the "killer.” He died with bis boots on. Harvey Introduces Tea t as White House Custom ' London, Feb. 24.—How the British national custom of pausing for "after noon tea” was introduced Into the White House at Washington to the virtual disruption of White House routine was revealed by Ambassador George Harvey upon his return from the debt-funding conference at Washington. "I don't suppose afternoon tea had been served in the White House slnce_ it was built." Ambassador Harvey raid, "and when I first nsked for s afternoon tea the servants did not what I was talking about. They soon caught on, however, and there efter there was considerable rivalry among the servants as to which should serve me my tea.” Tea In America, where it Is the custom to dine early in the evening, is not necessary, the ambassador said, but In England, wh#re the dinner hour is much later, tea Is a lifesav ing bridge for the gap between lunch mid dinner. Trial Marriages Taboo in Atlanta, Asserts Judge Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 24.—Trial mar riages, considered the proper thing In t'hlna, Hkranla, the South Kea Islands, TImbucktoo and a few other places, are taboo In Atlanta. They wore declared so by no lees an authority than Judge Johnson, In recorder's court. Willie Hurbert and Bessie Clark, who appeared In court and gave the same address to the usual question, were asked whether or not they were man and wife. "Well, not perzaetly,” Hurbert re plied. "But we's engaged.’’ "Fifteen dollars for you, Willie, and your fiancee will have the opportunity I of paying $t> and costs or 12 days. ' Trial marriages don't go here—not while I'm Judge!" One Pickerel Eats 400 Fellows Put Into Pond i Hartford. Conn., Feb. 24.—Frederic re'tSe*T’. Wolcott, president of the Connec ticut Fish and Game commission, tells of placing 400 pickerel, each f half an Inch long, In a pond within the state and 21 day4 later only one fish was there, having eaten all its fellows. „ A Sigh for Green Whiskered Drama! ----By O. O. M'IXTTRE. Czechoslovakian Insect plays. Rus sian Souris and mighty Shakes pearian tragedies are tine. They get my vote. Still— There are times when there Is s stinging hunger for the good old drag ’em-out days, the days when the slap stick smote the baggy pantaloon with a resounding whack. Bald pates were only bald to be whanged with the stuffed club. Only a few high spots remain in New York of that delectable period when green whiskers were funny and a lady's bare back was to be slapped. Fourteenth street has one of these shows and the Bowery has two. They cling to the old traditions. Perhaps the seltzer siphon isn’t comical any more to the majority but I belong to the hapless straggling minority. I thrill to the olio with its forest back "dropr The whistling of birds: And from s tree drops Limbo, the Frog man. in marvelous green spangled tights Even now I am tilled with wonder as to whether he really uses oil made from fishing worms to keep him sup ple. Those Halcyon Days. In the halcyon days, program boys sold peanuts and Fifl La Mont hawk ed her pictures between acts. In the lobby there were for sale prize pack ages of Indigestible sticky pop corn, and ’llelnie passed among us with trays of foaming lager. Everybody knew Hcinie. They even kidded him from the stage. Where, O, where arc the Heinies of that heart-warming era? The Beerbohm trees and Salvlnls come and go. but the straw-colored wigged comedian with a telephone In his vest and a neck that seemed to disjoint is about lost to us forever. It was a frankly friendly audience in these days. The bass drummer diu not have to be a human dynamo— hitting skillets, ringing sleight bells, tooting whistles, etc. no Dear me drum, tapped the triangle and, when the comedian stooped, he rubbed the eCHf*"*' .woiuOT ^ VaH 1£c -f/vll-Or <i.ve v«« r*T And from a tree, drops Umbo, the Frog Man, In marvelous green spangled tights. sandpaper blocks to give the tearing effect. And we dropped from our seats with laughter. The orchestra chewed tobacco un abashed. And something happened on the stage each night to make them laugh. The opening scene: ' The Beach at Riviera." Here Come the Girls. The naval lieutenant In white flan-, diels and gold braided cap—walking briskly. He wonders where the girls are. And he no sooner gives voice to his wonder and here they come. Some chewing gum, many in tights, led hy Izzy Bloated, the "rich Wall Street broker.” Izzy with a hearty paunch and bald. It appears that Izzy is giving the girls a party at the Riviera, lie has eluded his wife mid hero they nil are. They sing: "That Looney, Spooney, Riviera Moon"—and. as Izzy Is under a prop palm tree with Isitta Vampire in his arms, there is a screech off stage. Mrs. Izzy has arrived on the ( private yacht. You can hear the; waves splash. The next scene shows Izzy dis guised as n waiter at a Paris cafe. ! Into the cafe comes Mrs. Izzy and the: handsome naval lieutenant. You know the buffoonery that follows., The ancient gags, the venerable | wheeze and the smack of the puffed bladder over Izzy's pate by the proprietor. But Izzy has to serve them, and O! how he hates the pretty naval officer. Between the first aiul second acts — the illustrated song. “In My Old Texas Home Tonight.” Ityt a soul left his peat. Some eyes worn moist ened at the tawdry lyrics. Y'ou saw the prisoner in his cell and then the dream pictures of the wide open spaces of Texas—and the little cabin hut with mother putting the light in the window for her wandering boy. Perhaps you were not affected. I’ll tell the world I was up In the balcony shedding honest tears. I wrote home' before I went to bed. Komanre in the Ads. There was even romance in the scrofulous scarred curtains. Ads of' 25-cent dinner places, chewing gum, $1 bottle perfume, and yea always, the pawnbroker ad—"Jake Treat* You Hight!” The plays were plotless and the tunes were boldly swiped. The pro grams show the humor of that day. The characters were named thusly: Kull-i* -Mump— But * Wit guy! Afla!eh K*t*enmeF*r—Ha lives on the avenue Chief Fr*id of His Wtfa—Courtety of the cigar utore. Tithe Ihmpleknaee—Wstch her dtm plea! Uua Uaaolena—lie hasn't an auto, hut O my! I M. Batty—Carries hi* own atraifht Ja'-k-t. Perclval Prune*—A uliillng live wlr* And so on! Now and then there was a cooch dance. And. while unalter ably bad, it did not compare in vul gaiity with our South Ke;a island shimmy shakers of this day. Sailors and ladies’ maid* made up a vast percentage of regular attend ants. Gold Teeth in Chorus. The chorus girl gauged her popular ity by the number of her gold teeth. There was an odor of stale cigars, stale beer and cheap perfume. The gallery gods had the -right of free speech. Tf a homely chorine appeared one of them would yell in falsetto: "O, why do they call me a Gib son girl?” And she, good naturedly. would swish her skirt at them from the wings as *he made her exit. Hoars of laughter! Then amateur nights, when after the regular show the colorless stage, struck of the tenements would have their dream come true and appear in the spotlight. Cat calls and hisses did not bother them. They might lie greeted with cries, of, "You'd better lie good!” but, with a certain pathetic manner, they continued until perhaps forced to flee from overripe orange# and apple* which the gallery carried for "ama I teur night." Memories awaken the old desires. Perhaps a visit to the few remaining 1 plays of this sort would burst the Illusion. Youth is far away. I.augliin; at Misfortune. Still, I believe that many of us are , tired of many of the weepy, serious theatrical presentations. We laugh it the man on the street chasing his hat. That wss the idea back of the oldtime burlesque—laughing at mis fortune. Analyzed, most of our dramas to day are glorified versions of "Edna, the Pretty Typewriter.” The old den under Brooklyn bridge, with Mol, the hag, crooning of murder and theft, is still with us in various disguises. Our favorite melodrama of the old days was “Human Hearts.” At the end of the performance the perform ers, In costume, walked across the stage one at a time to receive the ac colsde of cheers or jeers. Even today I halo that suave vil lain with the black mustache, the rid ing boots which he constantly flickej with his whip, snd the supercilious snarl he affected when conversing with the soul suffering heroine, Beth. No other villain has inspired tho hiss and no hero has so wrung the heart. I know the fellow who played Hi Holler in "Way Down East," There i is still a glamour about him. Much more to me than there is to John Barrymore and a lot of others I could name. And he gave no more enjoyment. {Copyright, 1923,> Town of 3,000 Population Has 83 Basket Ball Teams Decatur, Ind., Feb. 21.—This city, with a population of approximately 5.000, boasts of 83 basket bail teams. Two gymnasiums afo kept busy from noon until late at night each day of the week, except Sunday. Masons to Move Children’s Home Old Megeath Residence to Be New Location of Loral Institution. Members of the executive commit tee of the Masonic home for children are planning to move the home into its new location, the former Megeath home at 2137 South Thirty-third street early in March. The home was donated to the Masonic bodies to be used as a home for children. In order to meet expenses which will la* Incurred in making some necessary improvements and to estab lish a fund for the maintenance of the home. Masonic lodges ami bcot tisb Jlite and York bodies are to carry on an Interlodge campaign, under the direction of the members of the ex ecutive committee for gifts and pledges. L'p until now the Masonic home for children has been maintained at Twen ty-second and Davenport streets. The new home, when completely furn ished will accomodate more than 100 children. G. VY. Megeath gave the home to the Masonic bodies more than a year ago. It was for years fhe seat of the pioneer Megeath family and one of the most beautiful residences in Oma. ha. bines giving th£ site to the Ma sons. Mr. Megeath has built a new home On the Dodge street road and is 'living there r.ow. — Kissing to Be Banned. Rome. Feb. 24.—Rome authorities nre about to issue a ban on kiss ng in public places. In the interest of pub lic hygiene and general orderliness. 1,300,000 Pieces of Direct Mail Advertising to be Made in Omaha * * \ .'I V"T"^ ■HE American Writing Paper Company of 1 Holyoke, Mass., is the largest maker of paper—papers for every business and social purpose. This organization operates twenty-six (26) mills, each a specialist in one or a few related grades of paper. The combined output of the Company’s mills is 460 tons of paper per day. The Acorn Press, 1214-16 Howard street, has been commissioned by the American Writing Paper Co., of Holyoke, Mass., to produce 1,300,000 pieces of advertising literature. This part of a tremendous campaign for merchan dising the Eagle A line, is only the first of several to be created by The Acorn Press during 1923. The Acorn Press -1214-16 Howard St. % 4 •
