41
Mrs. Peattie to Be Honor Guest at Meeting of Omaha Woman's Club
Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, former Omaha newspaper woman, and here to speak last Friday under auspices of the Omaha Woman's Press club, will be the guest of Mrs. R. B. Howell, at the Blackstone, over the weekend, and attend the open club meeting Monday afternoon at the Burgess-Nash auditorium. Mrs. Peattie is a charter member of the Omaha Woman's club, and served as president for a short time, before removing to Chicago many years ago.
A luncheon for past presidents and the directory of the woman's clubs will be given in honor of Mrs. Peattie Monday noon at the Burgess-Nash tea room.
Dr. Frederick K. Krueger of the social science department, University of Omaha, will address the club Monday at 3 o'clock. His subject will be "Immigration and the Radical Question, With Particular Reference to Conditions in Omaha." Dr. Krueger is the first professor of economics and social science at the University of Omaha, and is an acknowledged authority in his line Dr. Krueger has studied extensively abroad, and at the Columbia university of New York, University of Nebraska, and other schools. He speaks several languages, and knows at first hand much of the racial traits and traditions of the European peoples. Dr. Krueger is also an accomplished musician, and does choir and chorus work on the side as relaxation and inspiration.
Mrs. Thomas R. Jones, department leader, will have charge of the program. Mrs. Leslie A. Ayers will sing "Lieti Signor" by Meyrbeer; " 'Twas April," by Nevin, and "Roses After Rain," by Lehman, with Mrs. J. M. Welshans at the piano. Two piano numbers will be played by Mrs. Wlshans and Miss Virginia M. James, "Hockzeitstag auf Teldhangen," by Creig, to be their principal selection.
42
Says Curtailment of Circulating Library Means Discouragement to Aspiration and a Loss to Culture
Mrs. Peattie Who Helped Organize First Circulating Library, Informed by Club Women That Its Scope Is Threatened-- Makes Appeal for Its Maintenance by State.
Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, writer and critic, who spent several days in Omaha last week, expressed concern over the fact that there is a threatened curtailment of the activity of the state circulating library. At the request of Mrs. F.H. Cole and other members of the Woman's club, which Mrs. Peattie helped to organize, she addressed a plea to the Omaha Chamber of Commerce asking that efforts be made to maintain the circulating library on its present basis.
In calling attention to the fact that a necessity for economy seems to prompt the contemplated steps at curtailment, Mrs. Peattie writes:
"I sympathize with over-taxed people and with judicious economists. But I would like to ask if it is not the excessive development of material things which has brought about these conditions?"
Men Most Important.
She goes on to say that material things are important only as they serve or benefit men.
Her letter is as follows: February 20, 1923. To the Omaha Chamber of Commerce:
Dear Sirs: May I, who was once an enthusiastic citizen of Nebraska, take the liberty of again thinking of myself as one of you and protesting against the disposition which has been made of the circulating library of the state?
Twenty-nine years ago when the Omaha Woman's club came into existence almost its first disinterested act was to start a state circulating library. It had but $50 to spare for this purpose but with this it trustingly purchased some good books, which it placed in the charge of Mary Sherwood Lamberston of Lincoln, who unselfishly offered to undertake their circulation.
We gave our young enterprise all the publicity possible, with the results that books and money began to come in to us. Our desire was to make it possible for every man, woman, and child in Nebraska to have the benefit of this library. We wanted to think that in time the loneliest farm house in the state would have contemporary literature upon its table. To a great degree this extravagant aspiration was realized eventually. So admirable was our scheme and so eagerly did the people respond to it that in course of time the legislature of Nebraska took charge of it. I understand that the library swelled to 35,000 copies, and I have heard that several other states followed our example and created state circulating libraries.
I am told that three-fifths of the people of this state relied upon this library for their reading material.
Blow at Culture.
Now, it appears that this library has been added to that of the University of Nebraska, where it will be accessible only to those who can visit its shelves. All those many thousand who relied upon the traveling boxes of books, receiving from them inestimable delight and cultivation, will be deprived of this source of culture and of happiness.
The regime of economy instituted at Lincoln as a relief to over-burdened tax-payers, is the cause I understand, of the lack of the usual appropriation for the sustainment of the traveling library. I sympathize with over-taxed people and with judicious economists. But I would like to ask if it is not the excessive development of material things which has brought about these conditions? Good roads, superb state houses and other fine public buildings are excellent things: but they are made truly significant only when many admirable and some superlative citizens follow the roads of their commonwealth and climb the steps of their public buildings. It was not the architectural beauty of the Roman Forum which made it a building to be revered. It was the men who stood in it and who enunciated their convictions there.
So, I beg you to forgive me for what may seem to be an intrusion and to permit me to protest against.
(IMAGE)
Mrs. Crofoot heads goes over the top. The Ten Dollar club will be the interesting club of the woman's division of the drive. It is within the means of every Omaha woman and has been received by the public with enthusiasm.
43
Mrs. E. W. Peattie, Dr. F. H. Krueger Are Speakers, Omaha Woman's Club
Mrs. Elia W. Peattie of Tyron, N. C., a charter member of the Omaha Woman's club, now dramatist, novelist, and literary critic of much ability, and Dr. Frederick K. Krueger, of the University of Omaha, divided honors Monday afternoon at the open day meeting of the Omaha Woman's club at Burgess-Nash auditorium. Mrs. Peattie, who came to Omaha to speak last Friday at the Fontenelle hotel under auspices of the Omaha Woman's Press club, read several of her poems Monday afternoon, including "January Jasmine"; "Wood Smoke"; a tribute to Sidney Lanier, entitled "Lanier in the Valley"; "Brides of Tryon," being a reference to the dogwood blossoms in spring; "Hills Round My Valley," and "In the Cool of the Day."
Mrs. Peattie made a very strong appeal to Omaha and Nebraska club women not to permit the defeat of the bill pending in the state legislature providing $26, 360 for traveling libraries. "This defeat would deprive three-fourths of the reading public of Nebraska of good and suitable reading matter. Such action would be reactionary, and should not be permitter," Mrs. Peattie declared.
Dr. Krueger, speaking under the direction of the Political and Social Science department of the club, reviewed the history of Europeans immigration to America, and the baneful influence of southern and eastern European immigrants upon the national life here, as compared with the sturdy integrity of the north European immigrants. He explained the new immigrant law, passed in 1920, which seeks to reduce the undesirable flood of illiterates and papers. Dr. Krueger criticised the new immigration law as not taking quality into consideration, but paying attention only to numbers, since immigration is now restricted to 3 per cent of the amount of immigration in 1910. "We need quality, as well as reduced numbers. We must use love, tolerance, and understanding under our so-called "Melting Pot of America," rather than hate, prejudice, and lack of understanding," he said. Mrs. Thomas R. Jones presided.
S. R. Elson, secretary of the Omaha Council of Americanization, announced a mass meeting for naturalization of 150 foreign born men and women at the city auditorium Wednesday night, as in line with the work urged by Dr. Krueger.
Mrs. J. M. Welshans and Miss Virginia M. James played two piano solos and Mrs. Leslie A. Ayers sang. Election of club officers will take place Monday, March 5, with the heads of departments and chairmen of standing committees acting as the nominating committee.
44
Former Park School Boy Wins New Literary Honor
Donald Culrose Peattie, 37, novelist, botanist and philosopher, who lived in Omaha with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Peattie, and attended Park school, has been awarded a new literary honor.
His book, "An Almanac for Moderns," has been awarded the medal of the Limited Editions club, given to the book published within a year which may be considered a classic.
This is the first award by the club, of which George C. Macy of New York City is head. The committee making the award consisted of Carl Van Doren, Burton Roscoe and Harry Hansen, who received suggestions from 48 authors and critics, one from each state.
Prints Special Edition.
In addition to bestowing a medal, the club will print a special edition of the winning book.
Robert and Elia Peattie lived and worked here from 1888 until 1901 when, with their four children they returned to Chicago, whence they had come- Robert to do editorial work and Elia to become literary critic on the Chicago Tribune. Elia Peattie died last July, Robert in 1930.
Elia Peattie, author of a score of books and who in later years wrote and sponsored folk drama of the Carolina mountain folks, launched the woman's de
(DRAWING) Pearl Handled Monkey Wrench?
Portable Safe?
45
T.W. McCullough 'Comes Home' to World-Herald After Half Century of Service on Omaha Papers
By T. W. McCullough I am coming home again.
Returning to The World-Herald is really just that, for I was part of The World-Herald when Mr. Hitchcock was bending all his energies to establish a great family newspaper in Omaha. I was city editor of the Omaha-Herald, owned by John A. McShane, when Mr. Hitchcock, bought the paper in August 1889, and consolidated it with the Evening World, so that I have a lively set of recollections of the incident and of the public and private reactions to the transaction and the predictions that were made.
At that time Omaha was over supplied with newspapers. A count showed the Omaha Bee, morning and evening editions; the Omaha Herald, morning; the Omaha Republican, morning; the Omaha World, evening, and the Omaha Dispatch, evening. Competition between this array of organs of opinion (and that is about what they were, for it was the golden age of personal journalism locally) was bitter, and the scene did not lack for lively color.
Consolidation of the World and the Herald foreshadowed what has happened since. Within a year Major Wilcox had abandoned his Dispatch and acquired the Republican from Fred Nye and Frank Johnson, and before another year was out the Republican had yielded to the inevitable. Omaha had two substantial papers, each publishing morning and evening editions.
Hitchcock, Rosewater, Greatly Loved Men
The intervening years have been full of interest and life. As city editor of the Herald, I went over to the new ownership and was soon made night editor. A year and a half later I was night editor of the Bee, then city editor, then managing editor, then associate editor. One of the pleasant thoughts I have is that at no time was my personal friendship for Mr. Hitchcock or his associates diminished by the loyalty and love I bore for Edward Rosewater, who really was a great man and loved by all who knew him well, just as Mr. Hitchcock was loved in his turn.
It would be remarkable if the Omaha newspapers had not gone ahead with the progress of these years. The World-Herald of today still has the spirit of 1889, and the name, but that is about all. An eight-page sheet during the week and a 12 or 16 page issue on Sunday taxed the publishing facilities about to their limit in 1889, and other elements on the paper were in proportion.
Yet the papers were good for their day; infinite pains were spent in their preparation, just as prevails today, and no one needs be ashamed of having been connected with one of the Omaha papers when The World-Herald was born of the confluence, if I may use that word, of two lesser streams of journalistic thought. And just as three lovely mountain streams combine their torrents to form the mighty Missouri, so did the flowing together of two good Omaha papers in time produce one of mightier power and influence.
Unstinted Exertion to Build Up City
So I am glad to be associated with The World-Herald again in
(IMAGE) T.W. McCullough..."like a lusty winter."
a way that I hope will be useful. I have spent a long lifetime in and around newspaper officers, and while I never was afraid of one, each passing day has increased my awe of the potentiality of the newspaper, its influence for good or evil, and I firmly believe that through all the years I have been in Omaha the editors of the newspapers have exerted themselves unstintedly to build up the city, to conserve its good name, and to benefit and protect its citizens. Difference of opinion has existed from time to time as to methods, but the end was always the same.
In coming home again, as I cross the threshold, I feel a breath of the past. I will not see G.M. Hitchcock, sitting in his little 8x10 pen at the front of the office. Nor will "Bob" Peattie, managing editor, be there to greet me with his smile; nor Elia Peattie, whose smile was as winning as that of her husband, nor Mary Holland Little, who was the first girl reporter in Omaha, an innovation of the Herald whose city staff was graced by two clever women, Mrs. Peattie (who did specials) and Mrs. Little (who did everything from "police" to political meetings), who was lovely as a woman should be, but who could write like a man and cover the toughest assignments perfectly.
Many Brilliant Newspaper Workers
Al Fairbrother will not be there, nor Sands Woodbridge, nor Dick Metcalf, nor "Doc" Tanner. Dave Cartan will not bring in his brilliant critiques of the current play at the Boyd or the Grand theaters; Charlie Perrin will no longer cover general sports, nor will Carl Smith provide his classical accounts of baseball games. Major John Corey, whose veneration for the "flimsy" was so sublime he thought a press report could not be condensed, and who was horror stricken at times when he saw what I did to mere words, I will no longer edit the night telegraph news. Nor Long who did the work on the day side, nor Lee Helsley, nor Dan Shelley, nor Charlie Connor, nor Raymond Austin Eaton, of whom a thousand stories, all true, might be written. Nor Will Bert Fowler, Roger Craven, Frank Morrisey or Jim Crawford, be there to greet me as I enter. Gallant gentlemen all, and lovely ladies. Many of them went on to much higher places, but all were good newspaper workers, brilliant and capable.
In the counting room was Frank J. Burkley, who acquired some permanent wrinkles worrying over problems that didn't bother the editorial department, and Andy Bethge, who passed out the pay envelopes with a never failing smile, Billy Dox and "Humpy" Smith saw that the papers were properly mailed or counted out to the carriers; "Billy" Crounse kept track of the circulation details. Among the advertising solicitors were big John Oliver and Bob Douglas, whose ambition to be the best dressed man in Omaha was nearly realized. In the composing room was William "Bagpipes" McDiarmid, in a class by himself; W.J. "Scotty" Scott, and Bill Boyer, splendid printers, always ready to help in any emergency. Jake Reiner and Frank Wallace looked after the presses and Matt Reiner and Lou Conoly did the stereotyping.
Carl Smith's Extra, an Omaha Sensation
Some real feats of journalistic endeavor were accomplished by the "gang." Carl Smith's high effort was when he produced an extra, single-handed, giving the story of the murder of "Charlie" Poore. "Smithy" was working late, after the night force had gone, when the story broke, about 4 in the morning. He assembled some printers, the pressmen and stereotypers being already there, and then went after the story. He had the extra on the streets before 7 a.m., and Omaha seldom has been treated to such a bit of real sensation as it was that morning.
Dick Metcalfe's apogee came when he "covered" that famous all-night sitting of the joint session of the legislature in January, 1891, George D. Meiklejohn, lieutenant governor, and Samuel Marshall Elder, speaker
BRANDEIS
ALL - ELECTRIC AND ONE OF THE MOST "VERSATILE" SEWING MACHINES KNOWN!
WHITE
of the house representatives, both claimed the right to preside, and a double-header "chairman" failed to keep any semblance of order in the chamber. Metcalfe was the only reporter present during the night, and the front page of The World-Herald the following morning showed how well he functioned.
My own high contribution to the gaiety of nations was the collaboration with Al Fairbrother, editorial writer, when between us we dragooned Governor John M. Thayer into calling an extra session of the legislature in the winter of 1890, to relieve the farm situation by reducing freight rates. The railroads soon had the call recalled, but Fairbrother and myself at least attained our objective, even if we were unable to consolidate and hold the ground.
Great Motives of Paper Unchanged
Thomas H. Tibbles roamed the state and brought in news of the "green uprising," the revolt of the farmers, which it was my pleasure to chronicle for the readers. Other Nebraska papers took pride in "playing down" the movement, but the vote in November, 1890, showed that Tibbles knew what he was talking about.
The World-Herald was going places. The road was not easy, but the Hitchcock eye was fixed unswervingly on the goal, and the record of almost a half century of achievement shows how well the effort was expanded.
For myself, I hope that I have not lagged in spirit. At all times I have tried to keep up with the parade, never getting out of touch with what is going on around me. New faces have moved into the picture, new ways of doing things have been devised, new methods bring better results. Yet the great function of the newspaper, to inform, to instruct, to entertain; to present facts, to interpret thought, and, as far as is humanly possible, to analyze motives, remains unchanged.
So I come home again, not in the heyday of young, but with what Shakespeare described as "old age, frosty, but kindly, like a lusty winter," hoping that the days that remain for me will be like those whose recollections crowd on me as I write this, full of action.