Rat Army Invades Texas

Feb. 1920

Rabbits, Too, Are Now a Pest on Many Farmsteads

ODEM, Texas — For the past several months rats and rabbits have become so plentiful that the damage done by them is becoming serious. A conservative estimate is $100 damage to each farm, done by rats to grain and seed in the barns alone. Some farmers estimate they have 1,000 rats in a single barn.

Rabbits are doing thousands of dollars' worth of damage to cabbage and garden crops. It is not uncommon to see Mexican boys coming in after a few hours' hunt with from ten to fifty. One farmer shot four rabbits with two shots in his cabbage patch and killed seventeen in one afternoon.

The peculiar thing is that these pests are new to the country. Two years ago it was a rare thing to see either a rabbit or a rat.


Kid McCoy, Former Boxer, Staging Billy Sunday Role in Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — "Kid" McCoy, former pugilist, is at Marion, the county seat to assist in knocking out the devil at evangelistic meetings now in progress there.

The ex-fighter is declared to be as eloquent in the pulpit as he was aggressive in the ring.

Man Posing as Evangelist Dupes Local Residents

1903

SWINDLER AT MARSHALLTOWN

Man Who Posed As Evangelist Duped the Residents Into Buying Soap and Toilet Articles.

Marshalltown, Mar. 2.— A big swindling scheme has been unearthed here. A man who has been here for a month, promoting a manufacturing company for toilet soaps, perfumes, etc., victimized hundreds throughout the country who answered his advertisements, he charging $2 for each application for a position. It is not known to what extent his peculations aggregate. The man posed as a singing evangelist. His whereabouts are unknown.

—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 3, 1903, page 1.

Con Men Selling Electric Money Making Machine

1920

BOORS ARE NOT ALL DEAD;
BUY MONEY MAKING MACHINE

By United Press Leased Wire

Milwaukee. -- Two men in jail here are said by the police to have fleeced several Milwaukeeans of hundreds of dollars by selling a new money making machine. The men are Frank Goeber, 39, and Samilo Bargieb, 35. Five of the bills used for demonstration purposes were of $50. The machine has electric equipment and the practice, say the police, was to give the intended victim a shock before selling him the machine.


PREACHER'S SON LEADS GANG OF HIGHWAYMEN

By United Press Leased Wire

Chicago. -- Henry Olson, alias Johnson, who claims to be the son of a Peoria, Ill. evangelist, was arrested today and charged with leading a gang of thirteen hold up men who have terrorized Chicago for several weeks. Police say Olson confessed.

Olson with seven companions was arrested after a revolver battle. Two of the bandits received minor injuries.

According to police, Olson confessed his gang had committed at least eighty holdups with the last few days. He also confessed, police stated, to shooting Patrolman John McNamen when the officer attempted to arrest them following the looting of a south side jewelry store.

--The Appleton Daily Post, Appleton, Wisconsin, January 6, 1920, page 1.

The American Breed, Girls Smoking, Welsh Evangelist

1906

The American Breed

Professor Edward A. Ross, of the University of Nebraska, uses the term "the American breed" to describe what he calls a distinct type of man — the restless, strenuous people so different from the easy-going types of Europe. There are reasons why our immigrants should become nervous and energetic in one or two generations, but Professor Ross seems to think that the restlessness is not acquired here, but is the reason why these types left Europe. America is therefore weeding out the energetic folks from Europe — they are selected, venturesome natures and constitute a type. Whatever the reason is the type is fairly distinct and the chances are that much of our prosperity is due partly to our energy and not altogether to our tariff.


Girls Smoking

Cigarette smoking among girls is stated by the secretary of the Leeds, England, branch of the Anti-Cigarette league to be on the increase. The practice is particularly prevalent among the factory and warehouse girls in Leeds. Many of them, however, have taken the following pledge: "I promise, with God's help, to abstain from purchasing or using tobacco in any form, at least until I reach the age of 21, not only for my own sake, but for the good of my country." The league has now 4,000 pledged members.


Evangelist Endowed

Evan Roberts, the Welsh evangelist, has been given an income of £5 a week for the remainder of his life by will of Mr. Robert Davies, a millionaire philanthropist. Mr. Davies' idea was to enable Mr. Roberts to engage in continuous revival work wherever he felt called upon to go, without having to think too much about the money question.

--The Weekly Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, April 18, 1906, page 4.

Famous Evangelist Leading "Winning" Services

1920--

Increased Attendance At Meetings In First Baptist Church

Bob Green, the famous evangelist, who is conducting a series of meetings at the First Baptist church in this city, is drawing larger crowds each night. His oratory and appeals to people to lead different lives is being helped by the large chorus choir under direction of Philip Brown.

"The Winning of Men," or "A Passion for Souls," is being brought out by the evangelist in a series of addresses and he is doing it in a way that appeals to intelligent, honest people.

The evangelist, who is known in his home town, Franklin, Pa., as Rev. R. M. Green, pastor of the Baptist church there, is regarded by many as one of the most famous pulpit speakers in the state of Pennsylvania.

--Olean Evening Herald, Olean, New York, December 1, 1920, page 6.



PENNSY R.R. SHOP EMPLOYEE SUFFERED BADLY INJURED FOOT

James Baird of No. 106 Coleman street, an employee of the Pennsylvania railroad shops suffered a badly injured right foot while at work yesterday afternoon. An x-ray photo of the injured foot showed that five bones had been broken and according to the attending physician the man will be confined to his home for about 8 weeks.

The accident occurred, it is said, in the babbiting room at the shops when in some manner a part of the heavy jig used in babbiting, fell from its position, a distance of about four feet from the floor and struck the man's foot.

--Olean Evening Herald, Olean, New York, December 1, 1920, page 8.