Newspaper Page Text
Making Young
Mollycoddles
With ALCOHOL
And TOBACCO
»
By EUGENE CHRISTIAN, F.S.L).
T HIS is not a temperance lecture, but a plain state
ment that ought to interest every growing lad
who ever cherished the desire to become “man
ly,” to excel in sports or to grow into a healthy and
splendid animal.
There probably isn’t a man to-day but what started
smoking and drinking, if he does do these things, be
cause he thought it was “smart” or “manly.” The ideal
of every healthy growing lad is to become a man, to
be a big strapping hero sort of a fellow’ who does big
and heroic things. He sees the older boys and young
men using tobacco or taking a drink, and it is only nat
ural that he should consider It all a par^ of the game
of growing up, to look upon it as rhther necessary, if he
would impress those about him that he, too, is rapidly
becoming a man.
It is a natural mistake and a boy should not be cen
sured too strongly for doing the things, under such
circumstances, that he sees so many others about him
Boys Who Use Tobacco Cannot Compete in Sports with Their Playmates Who Do Not
continually doing. But the fact remains that both
tobacco and alcohol do not make boys manly. Instead
they make them weak and effeminate.
In other words, there are more “sissys" or “molly
coddles" made from boys through the use of tobacco
and alcohol than in any other manner.
Floys, if they are normal and healthy, delight in
sports. They want to run and jump, leap and box,
pole-vault and sprint, play football and baseball and
hockey and do all those health-giving things that are
so enjoyable and that really make them manly.
The little boys who begin smoking and keep it up
lind that by the time they have entered high school
they long to take an active part in the school sports.
They have learned that It is the members of the track
teams, the crack-a-jack ballplayers, the sturdy half
backs, who are really the heroes of the school. They
are respected by the faculty, “adored" by the school
girls and looked up to by everyone in the school.
■Naturally the youngster who has been smoking for
a number of years wants to get in with these leaders
in school sports and when it comes to the try-outs he
enters the contests. Here is where he gets his first
real lesson—for he will generally find his “wind” isn’t
good enough to give him a chance in the hundred-yard
dash, nor in the live-mile runs, nor in the cross country
runs.
And the young chap of from fifteen to eighteen who
thought it manly to drink as well as smoke generally
finds he is practically useless on the ball field, his
vision is had, his judgment poor and he is a poor
fielder, a poor runner, a poor hitter. He gets no place
on the team. In football he is no match for his sturdy
opimnents.
And so these boys who foolishly indulged in tobacco
Boys Who Use Tobacco ^nd Drink
Find Themselves Unqualified to Take
Part in the Manly Sports of Their
Schol or College.
and alcohol have to take back seats. About the best
they can do is to cheer or act as umpires or referees
and there is opportunity for only a few in every school
or college. His friends wonder why he never “cared
for sports.” They do not know he would give any
thing to be able to enter the contests and games. They
think he must be somewhat of a mollycoddle if he
never went in for such sports. He has to sit about,
and he really becomes more or less of a mollycoddle,
all because he poisoned his system with alcohol or
tobacco or both.
It is well known there is enough poison' in a pound
of tobacco to kill twenty men, and enough in a gallon
of whiskey to kill six men. The reason these poisons
do not kill instantly is because of the powerful resist
ance nature throws up against them. When alcohol is
taken every cell in the body is called into action to
resist and light it. Nature throws into the stomach,
duodenum and intestines a large amount of body fluids
in order to neutralize and prevent the poison from
getting into the blood. The liver, which is merely a
storehouse for blood sugar, the richest element In the
blood, absorbs all it possibly can of these poisons in
its effort to keep them out of .circulation. This con
gests the liver and explains why a headache follows
excessive drinking. The great amount of body fluids
absorbed in the fight against alcohol explains the thirst
that follows excessive drinking of liquors.
When the boy, always more susceptible to poisons
than an adult, takes poisons into his system, either
alcohol or nicotine, the heart is forced Into greater
action. And the constant use of tobacco and alcohol,
or of either in excess, makes the heart keep up this
overwork until it weakens, misses a beat pow and then
and suddenly stops altogether. The doctors say “heart
failure,” which is quite true since science knows ol nc
other way to die.
Tobacco Is both a stimulant and a sedative. To the
strong man who has not used it in his early years,
and who does not use It in excess, It has a soothing
effect. The stimulating effect, however, is overcome
by the paralysis or deadening of the nervous system.
This is not felt at once, but In time it means nervous
ness, inability to sleep and a weak heart. No boy with
these physical defects can hope to become a good ath
lete. It is no wonder he becomes pale, dull-eyed, thin,
stoop-shouldered, listless and so effeminate that he is
called a “mollycoddle.”
Tobacco acts directly upon the optic nerve and af
fects the millions of nerve fibres leading from the iris,
which is the wonderful little curtain that gives color
to the eye. The constant use of tobacco means poor
eyesight, sometimes a partial loss' of eyesight. Nico
tine also acts upon the sex vitality. Instead of making
a boy manly, it so poisons his systefn that he is far
from manly. Any physician will explain this to any
hoy who has doubts about the evil effect^ of. tobacco
in this way.
At the time when the boy is changing into the man
he is most apt to contract the liquor ana tobacco habit,
and at this time he is the most anxious to possess a
fine physique. The healthy boy boasts of his strength
and his prowess, or of the strength and prowess he
is soon to acquire. And these things will come to him
and make him manly if he is fortunate enough not to
use tobacco or liquor.
Man is always better without them, but it is a crime
against his manhood to begin their use before he has
reached maturity, which is between the twenty-third
and twenty-fifth year. If he does use these poisons
in his boyhood he is taking a great and grave chance
that he will never be a real manly young chap.
\
How “CHEATING TIME” Begins IN LATE SPRING
C HEATING time begins in late Spring and con
tinues through the Summer. That is, there is
more cheating in weights and measures during
this time because of the early berries, late berries and
early garden truck and general fruit and garden trucks
that come in their turn from May into October.
This does not mean that everybody cheats, or that
every green-grocer or huckster cheats at weights and
measures, but there are still many that do, despite all
efforts to destroy unlawful scales and measures. Prob
ably the worst of this sort of cheating is done by the
dealers who' have no stores and really no strictly
organized huckster business, but who take out a lot
of stuff at night about the time people are going home
from offices and Saturday noons during the half holi
day period.
As an instance of this, a man bought two boxes of
strawberries from a huckster at a corner not for from
Wall street in New York, it was early in March, and
at two boxes for 45 cents it looked like a bargain.
His wife was delighted, because she had been paying
32 cents a box for strawberries. But when she emptied
the berries the bottom of the box was so stuffed with
paper that both boxes just about equalled a quart. In
other words, she bought of a reputable dealer for 32
cents; her husband bought of an unknown huckster
whose shop consisted of a box on a street corner, and
his berries cost him 13 cents more for the same quan
tity.
The woman wpo buys at her door may have an honest
measure and demand that the berries or whatever it
is be poured into her measure. If the huckster refuses
to do this do not bother with him. if it is something
sold by weight have the delivery boy or huckster bring
it into the kitchen and place it on a pair of kitchen
scales. This will Insure honest weight and measure.
But the commuter, rushing for the train at night,
whose attention is caught by some seeming big bar- 1
gain, has no such opportunity. He must take what is
handed him and hurry along without weighing or
measuring it himself. The result is that late Spring
becomes cheating time in every large city w’ith an un
scrupulous lot of men, who work off short measure and
weight on the suburbanite, and while the huckster who
ventures into the outskirts of the cities and about the
tenement and apartment sections is frequently one who
cheats with the false bottom measures and doctored
scales, it is probably the suburbanite rushing for trol
ley, train or ferry who stops to buy something on th*
street corner that is the most profitable victim.
Unless it is absolutely necessary, the suburbanite
should not do this, but leave the buying to his wife
and see that she is properly provided with honest
scales and fair measure and has tne courage to de
mand that everything she buys at the house is tested
by them, as well as putting her meats and groceries
bought at the regular stores to the test as soon as they
are delivered.
What to Do For
I T often happens that city folks desire to
plant a few choice flowers or some favor
ite vegetables in the little space that a
city or suburban lot affords, and it is found
by experience that for some reason the earth
is rather unproductive.
A number of reasons may exist for the soil
being unable to respond freely to the desired
growth. One reason more apt to exist than
others is the fact the earth has become acid
ulous, or sour, and in such shape it is impos
sible for the elements with the aid of sunlight
and moisture to enter into the composition
of the plants.
Lime will sweeten a soured soil quickly
and effectually.
In spading a little spot where last year It
SOUR GARDEN
did not seem to do its best, sprinkle a little
lime through the earth as it is turned Over
with the spade.
An occasional application of lime to the
surface about growing plants will make a
wonderful change. In such cases the lime
should be worked into the earth slightly with I .
some tool. Care must be taken to avoid get- 1
ting the tool mixed up with the roots as in
jury might be the result.
Peonies often seem slow to bloom, or the
buds blight after showing color. A little lime
worked into the earth about the peony plants
will work a wonderful change.
Lime the lawn very slightly by scattering
over broadcast and it will increase the green
and make a more compact and vigorous j’
growth in a few days.
The REAL DANGERS
Of Passenger ELEVATORS
T
'HAT there is a danger connected with
elevators is not denied, but it is not
in the elevators themselves now, be
cause they have been so thoroughly perfected
that if one*thing breaks there is another to
prevent the car from crashing down the
shaft, and if that thing breaks there is gen
erally a second or third safety clutch.
Because of this, the accidents caused by
falling elevator cars are. extremely rare, yet
there are accidents—not counting those of
people falling down the shaft!* because of
open doors and absence of the car—in which
people are. badly crushed or killed, that are
due not at all to the elevator itself, hut
either to the passenger or the operator.
V There are several things to remember
about elevators which many people know,
but become careless about because of con
stant use of these elevators. These are:
Never leave the car until it has actually
stopped. Many times a careless elevator man
will throw open the door a second before the
car has actually stopped, when it is within
a couple of inches of the floor and barely
moving. But just because the door is open
and the car is practically stopped, it does
not mean danger is past. Some one may ac
cidentally knock against the elevator man’s
arm at that moment and cause him to jerk
the lever, w’ith the result that the car will
instantly shoot upward or downward and any
person careless enough to be getting out is
likely to be caught and crushed.
Never start to get out or in a car and then
hesitate on the threshold. The elevator man.
used to judging the time it takes for a per
son to step on or off a car, may almost au
tomatically move his lever, having no means
of knowing you have hesitated on the thresh
old, and although he can stop the car in an
Instant, during that instant you may be jerked
violently up or down or be crushed.
Never hesitate on leaving or entering a
car. Some people saunter out of a car while
others step out lively. In most big elevators
the cry is “step lively," and because that is
the habit the operator gets to take it for
granted every one will. To walk out very
slowly is dangerous.
Never crowd against the elevator man.
You might be pushed or fall against his op
erating arm and cause him to lose control of
the lever and cause the car to shoot upward
or downward and a severe jolting would re
sult when the safety clutches operated, if
nothing worse happened. Every elevator
should have a guard around the lever so
that the operator could have free use of his
arm inside and yet any amount of crowding
could not jam any one over against his arm
and interfere with his operation of the lever.
Now that elevators are so nearly perfect,
it needs careful passengers as well as care
ful operators, and with such care the acci
dents would be less.
While waiting for an elevator never lean
against the door. In fact, never lean against
any part of the cage or outside covering, as
sometimes it is difficult to tell which is the
door and w’hich the wall, and many a door
is not latched and a weight slides it open.
The sliding causes the victim to lose his
balance and dow r n he is likely to tumble into
the shaft.
i
YOU MIGHT TRY-
To Save Closet Space.
M ETAL towel racks, that have flat places at each curved end to screw
to a wall v almost double the capacity of your closet if screwed
to the bottom of the lower shelf. A aozen garment hangers Anay
be suspended from each one.
Why There Are “SUMMER”
and “WINTER” Postage Stamps
The Sick-Room Light.
I F there are electric lights in the sick room they will generally be found
too brilliant, hurting the eyes of the patient, and not every sick
room has the electric lights tha/t can be turned up or down. Make
a little green silk bag and fasten it over the incandescent bulb and
it will give a good but subdued and harmless light. ,
Avoid White Paper.
W HITE 1 paper is not as good as blue or brown for wrapping up
things that are to be put away for a long while as the chloride
of lime in the paper will fade fabrics.
S OMETIMES you take precautions to
place a few postage stamps inside a
note book where you would think they
could not possibly stick together by carry
ing the book in your pocket, because there
seems to he too much thickness for the body
heat to penetrate, and yet you discover them,
perhaps only a few hours later, stuck so
firmly together that they are spoiled.
Then again you may carry postage stamps
about for many days or weeks and they never
stick together. And the explanation of this
is that the stamps that stick are probably
“Winter” stamps.
This is because the Government makes
three brands of postage stamps, "Summer,”
“Winter” and “intermediate.” The interme-
M
Getting DOUBLE VALUE Out ol Your FLY TRAPS
OST people who use fly traps never think of get
ting the real value out of them. That is, they
are satisfied to place one or two in the kitchen,
some sticky paper in the dining room and living room
and let it go at that. This is a waste of golden oppor
tunities in the great work of annihilating the deadly
house flies.
In the first place the flies go where there is food.
Of course, it is treason to feed such a deadly enemy
as the fly, or to allow him to secure food, but sometimes
this cannot be helped. Yet with the aid of fly traps it
will be found to your advantage to allow one or two
places for the fly to get food.
For instance, few people ever think of placing flv
traps near the garbage can. They endeavor to keep It
covered tightly and let It go at that. Now with the bes“
of tightly covered garbage cans there is likely to be bits
of refuse scattered about; sometimes a large dog will
get in the yard and scratch off the cover and scatter
the contents of the can about.
Almost instantly there is a procession of flies from
no ontf seems to know where, making a line for this
exposed garbage. Here Is your opportunity—keep one
or two good fly traps next the garbage can. Put good
attractive bait in these traps and you will be surprised
to note how rapidly they are filled.
Secure a fly trap to the edge of the garbage can with
wire. Place one or two more on the ground beside the
can. and then it does not matter if a bit of the refuse
is scattered about, the flies will wander into the trap
to get at the bread and milk, which is the best bait, so
long as i* is kept fresh.
When a storm is approaching the flies seent to know,
uid the.' straightway make for shelter in the houses,
trying to get through the screen doors and windows.
Keep a fly trap outside each screened back window-.
And keep such a trap over or near the screened back
door. The rush of flies to get inside, both when a storm
is coming up in the evening or when savory cooking
attracts them, results in getting hundreds, perhaps
thousands, into the traps.
It should always be remembered that the great fight
is not to get them out, but to keep them out. Kill
them off by catching them outside and naturally there
are only a few struggling to get inside every time a
door or w’indow screen is opened.
Set Your Fly Traps (A) on and Around Your Garbage
Can. (BY On the Outside of Windows and Doors. (C)
Nr it t-> Horse Stalls and Outside Stables.
There are many extremely dry spells during every
Summer when there is practically no moistuYe about.
Flies need moisture. During these spells it pays to keep
the bread and milk bait always fresh in the fly traps,
even if it has to be renewed four or five times a day, as
the flies will hurry to get at this moisture they so badly
need.
An excellent trap of this sort, furnishing the moist
ure needed by the flies and at the same time killing
them, has been suggested by Clifton F. Hodge, Ph. D„
biologist at Clark University, Worcester, Mass., and was
explained in “Good Housekeeping” last season. This is
a bottle filled with a two per cent solution of formalin.
Fill the bottle with this, first having made a little nick
in the edge of the neck of the bottle. Place a saucer
over the top and invert it. The formalin solution will
run out through the nick only until the nick is covered,
when it will always remain that way, coming out only
as fast as the liquid in the saucer is used or evaporated.
Such a poison trap may last months without replenish
ing. It can be secured to a little shelf and the bottle
wired so it will not tip over.
In the dry spells when there is no water near the
flies will flock to this, which should be in some porch
nook or near the stable, if there be one. It should be
secured high enough so little children cannot get at it.
Above all, if you have a stable, keep it well supplied
with fly traps; set one or two in the stalls where the
horses cannot step on them; put others in the basement
or wherever the manure is stored, and in this manner
you will ge<t more flies in a day than you would get
in the house in a week.
A dozen or fifteen fly traps used in this manner and|
eared for properly w’ill keep your house freer from flies ^
than all the shooing and chasing and labor without 1
them that you could possibly perform. ^
diate stamps are supposed to be used during
the Spring and Fall, or during the seasons
w’hen it is neither extremely cold or ex
cessively hot.
This does not mean that the Government
Printing Department makes these stamps
with any different design or color. The
seasonable part of the stamp is all in the
glue, or gum, that is used to back them. For
the Summer sale the gum used Is slightly
harder than for the other sort. This is so
it will not melt as readily with body heat
or room heat and is intended to assist in pre
venting them from sticking together.
In the Winter such hard gum is not neces
sary, and again, too hard gum in the cold
months will crack and frequently crack right
through the paper of the stamp, spoiling it.
And so a thinner, lighter gum is used, which
is more pliable, not so apt to crack with the ’
cold afid is better all around. Of course, for
Spring and Autumn the intermediate grade
of gum is used, of a consistency between t.he^
hard of Summer and the thin of Winter.
It is claimed by the officials of the Bureau
of Engraving and Printing at Washington,
where our postage stamps are made, that
the process of their manufacture, and espe
cially that of gumming them, is one of the^
most delicate and difficult of all the work
in that department.
It really Isn’t the printing—that is quite a
simple matter, as is the perforation, done
with a mammoth stam(- at the time of the
printing impression' iT> is the care need
ed in spreading tlx * '/ver the backs of
these stamps. Af- - -■>» sheets have been
printed they are run toiler a roller from
which they receive a iin coating of gum,
the consistency of tbi>, gum depending en
tirely upon the season of the year these
stamps are intended for use.
From this gumming roller the sheets, now
covered with the thin coat of gum, pass
gradually over coils of steam pipes until 1
they are dried. The greatest of care is
needed to get the layer of gum quite even
on each surface. This gum is in small vats,
from w’hich it drops to the gumming roller.
An even temperature must be kept and fre
quent tests made to make certain the gum
is of the right thickness.
Considering the millions upon millions of
stamps used it is remarkable that so few’ of
them are ever found with the gum too thin
or too thick, or uneven. To make sure they
do not stick together, however, in Summer
or Winter, always place waxed paper be
tween them when you carry them. t