LET'S GO

December, 1930
Volume Six, Number Twelve

PARISH PUBLICATION: 1925-1932
Special thanks to Joe Boman and family for the loan of their bound copies of this rare publication.
Further thanks to Father Rauch for the loan of one issue which the Boman's didn't have
Without those loans this project could never have taken place.
Bob Corbett -- March 2004



This pamphlet was conceived in enthusiasm by men and women who are bristling with PEP to build a Beautiful Church in St. James Parish. They are impatiently waiting: they are clamoring for action. They want YOU to know what they propose doing. They hope you will be with them. Don't look for a seat in the Grand Stand -- People who do things move -- the disinterested sit and watch -- Our Parish Big Drum is beating a marching tune -- "LET'S GO."



NO MID-NIGHT MASS AT CHRISTMAS
Pastoral Letter to the Clergy and Laity of the Archdiocese

Dearly Beloved in Christ-Greetings!

Concern1ng the Midnight Mass at Christmas we beg to advise you that we have decided to return, for this year at least, to the procedure as indicated in our Third Diocesan Synod; namely to have no Midnight Mass in the parish churches, that the earliest hour at which Mass may be begun on Christmas Day would be four o'clock.

We have come to this decision for reasons that are sufficient, not the least of which is the adhesion of the venerable clergy themselves, who at their recent Conference, voted two-thirds in favor of the above procedure.

Regard1ng the Midnight Mass in Semi-Public Oratories, religious communities as heretofore may have their Christmas Mass celebrated at midnight for the members there-of and those attached to their household; with the privilege also of having the other two Masses said immediately subsequent thereto.

The attendance, however, at the Midnight Mass in these Seml-Publtc Oratories is limited to the above mentioned persons.

Faithfully yours In Christ,

John J. Glennon,
Archbishop of St. Louis.

CHRISTMAS MASSES AT ST. JAMES

First-Solemn High Mass, 5:30.
Second-Low Mass, 7:30.
Third-Low Mass. 8:00.
Fourth-Low Mass. 9:00.
Fifth-Low Mass, 10:00.
Sixth-Low Mass, 11:00.

Miss Carreras has volunteered to give an organ recital at all the Masses.

THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

An envelope for the Christmas Collection will be mailed to every known wage earner in the parish and it is to be hoped that all who can afford to contribute will make a generous response. This collection is to be distributed toward the support of our Catholic Orphan Homes, Diocesan Seminary and High Schools and Cathedraticum. The taxation imposed on the parish for each of these institutions is as follows:

Orphans..... $250.00
Seminaries ................. $350.00
Cath. High Schools ......... $260.00
Cathedraticum .............. $260.00

Totals ..................... $1,120.00

To meet the parish note, which was paid November 10th, it was necessary to defer the payment of salaries to the clergy and the nuns. There were also many other parish obligations deferred such as, coal bills, insurance, etc. It is very doubtful as to whether there shall not be a deficit in the parish treasury though the pastor has been making stringent efforts to economize and to eliminate expense.

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Baptisms: Every Sunday at 3:30. It is not necessary to notify the rectory.

Confessions on Saturdays throughout the year from 4:30 to 6 and 7:30 to 9; also on Sunday morning from after the first Mass until 5 minutes preceding the next Mass. This time is reserved for the aged and others who because of work are not free to go on Saturday. Parishioners are reminded that this is an added strain upon the clergy and is intended as a convenience only for those who otherwise would not have an opportunity of going to Confession. School children and others who are free to go on Saturday frequently abuse this privilege and often make it impossible for those for whom the time was intended to go to confession as the priest must serve the congregation rather than the individual and begin Mass on the minute.

Note. Confessions will be heard New Year's Day before and during the 7:30 and 9 o'clock Masses when all who are free or find it convenient to go at this time will be heard.

CONFESSIONS

On the eve of Christmas for school children 3 to 4:30. Adults who are free from 4:30 until 6 leaving the time after supper for those who were not free in the afternoon.

A Jesuit Father will assist the parish clergy hearing confessions.

Christmas eve is a strict Fast Day and a day of abstinence. On the Sunday following Christmas, the Feast of Holy Innocents, children will be blessed after the 7:30 and 9 o'clock Masses.

NEW YEAR'S DAY

Since New Year's Day falls on Thursday the eve of the First Friday, Confessions will be heard on the Wednesday preceding from 4:30 until 6 and from 7:30 until 9. The Holy Hour will be held on Wednesday evening. Particular attention is called to the hours of the Masses on New Year's Day. There will be four Masses as on Sunday 6, 7:30, 9 and the last a High Mass at 11.

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The parochial school will close on Friday, December 19th, and reopen January 5th.

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The Feast of the Immaculate Conception Monday, Dec. 8th, is a Holy Day of Obligation. There w11l be only 3 Masses at St. James Church as is customary for all Holy Days, New Year's Day excepted. Masses 5:30, 7:30, and the last at 9 o'clock.

CHRISTMAS CARDS AND CHRISTMAS PRESENTS,

It would be well for those who want to make the most of the Christmas spirit to send cards to their friends and presents to the poor. The custom of giving and returning gifts has almost become an unbearable burden and a source of anxiety and worry which takes a great deal of the good out of Christmas. Catholic people should be thoughtful even when selecting their Christmas cards, and as this Festival is religious in its origin and character, so too, the cards should be in keeping with Christian tradition and should be made an incentive to reverence and religious fervor. '

Christmas is a Birthday Feast, it is the Birthday of Christ and a Christmas card which in no way portrays or symbolizes this event, is artistically incorrect and religiously unbecoming.

In bestowing presents on those who are not in physical want, consideration ought to be given to their spiritual needs, for frequently it happens that those who are rich in material wealth are spiritually thoughtless and poor. A good spiritual book such as The FOllowing of Christ by Thos. A. Kempis, a prayer book. especially the Sunday Missal for lay people, or rosary beads would be a proper Christmas present and undoubtedly would be a serviceable article as well as a constant remembrance. Children are always delighted with books that have a variety of religious pictures and these can be procured at our Catholic Publishing houses and in most of the department stores. "

The Promoters of the Apostleship of Prayer to facilitate the propagation of religious truth will maintain a religious article stand at the back of the church on this and all Sundays preceding Christmas and will display a variety of articles that will be appropriate for Christmas gifts.

BAPTISMS

Lucille Ann Vogel, 6814 Plateau.
Juanita June Cadwallader, 5830 Wise Ave.
Mildred Cosby Zilliken, 2164 Knox Ave.
Ella Frances Wynn, 1342 Pierce Ave.
William Joseph Adams. 1447 Gregg Ave.
Patricia Ann Garrity, 2217a Prather.
William Joyce Baker, 6108 Oakland.
Mary Violet Sailer, 5602 Enright Ave.
Daniel David Dolan, 1036 Grandview.
Leo Bernhardt Menner, 6651 Berthold Ave.

ST. JAMES ALUMNI DRAMATIC ASSOCIATION

The Absent-minded Bridegroom, a three act play, was presented by St. James School Alumni Dramatic Club at Lambskin Temple Hall Tuesday night, November 25th, to an audience of about 700 who were mostly young folks. There was not a vacant seat in the hall and every available foot of standing room around the door was filled notwithstanding inclement weather and formidable blizzard.

The players were given an enthusiastic backing by the Alumni Association and a well organized effort to sell tickets as well as a reputation acquired by the actors in previous plays assured a full house.

Dan Murphy, president of the Dramatic Club, assisted by Mr. Fred Coad, and the other officers of the Alumni Association, assumed responsibility for staging the play. Dorothy Buescher sold more than $40 worth of tickets, and Mae McCauley, Mrs. Fred Coad, Mrs. Hefele, Agnes McLaughlin, Virginia Jones, Alvina Barr and Marie O'Gorman made a door to door canvass of the parish and sold many tickets.

Furniture for the stage came from the homes of Henry McCauley, and Officer William Hefele.

Rosalie Moran and Marie O'Gorman had charge of the cloak room. Charles Jones and Robert Duggan were general utility men and took tickets at the door. Genevieve Mahon, Agnes McLaughlin, Virginia Jones, Dorothy Buescher, Lillian Saxton and Ida McCauley were ushers.

The play was well received and the performance of the actors was praiseworthy. The play was rather an unattractive comedy and gave little opportunity for display of personal charm. It was of the stage-Irish-man type and was mildly of the kind that a few years ago was rotten-egged in Boston and New York. It was the usual drinking Irishman and the customary reference to the pig that was killed because the family were too poor to feed it, and the colleens were of the bowery type, lacking in reverence and culture, and outspokenly crazy to get married. There wasn't one of them that YOU would like to invite into your home and this because there was not one of the stage characters that one could associate with Catholic background and culture. Undoubtedly the play was a caricature and not a just representation of the Rooneys and Cooneys in the Catholic homes of our cities.

The play, however, seemed to go over big. The plot was clever and the players performance skillful. The youthful audience saw only the farce and it made them laugh. The selection of the play was made hastily and appeared to be clever and attractive.

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The committee on sale of tickets have expressed an intention of visiting today, Sunday, Dec. 7th, all those to whom they entrusted tickets and request them to be ready to make proper returns.

LOST ARTICLES

There are many articles that were lost in church or at parish gatherings which have been retained in care of Mr. Charles Thompson, parish janitor. He informs us that there are now a pile of prayer books, beads, purses, pins and gloves for which no one has called. The last article he received was an attractive pin found in the church by Mrs. Wm. Hefele. We are also informed there is a rosary in the care of the janitor of the Lambskin Hall which was lost on the occasion of the Alumni play.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

St. James Parochial School will cooperate again this year with the Christmas Carol Association in the Singing of Christmas songs on Christmas eve.

Donations that are given to the singers will be used for charitable purposes. Last year the 24 Catholic groups turned into the Catholic School Health Bureau $694.00, and in recognition of their efforts $600 was given by the association to St. Mary's Dispensary for glasses, crutches, etc., for poor children and $200 to a Catholic Orphanage for playground equipment.

Volunteers from among the men of the parish are requested to lead the carolers and to send their names at their earliest convenience to Sister Gabriel.

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BUNGALOW FOR RENT -- Three large rooms and hall; hardwood floors and furnace. 6544 Berthold Ave.

A TROOP OF BOY SCOUTS ORGANIZED IN THE PARISH

On Monday, November 10th, at a selected gathering of men who met on the call of Father O'Connor in the school hall, it was decided to organize a troop of Boy Scouts in the parish and invitations were sent to Mr. Case, district superintendent of scout troops in the central district, and to Father Maxwell, promoter and spiritual director of the Catholic Boy Scouts of St. Louis.

In response to these invitations and to some that were sent to the parishioners, a bigger and more enthusiastic meeting was held on Nov. 19th, which was addressed by Mr. Chase and Father Maxwell. It was decided to immediately perfect an organization and recruit from the parochial school a select troop.

At this meeting Mr. John H. Wack accepted chairmanship of the Troop Committee and Geo. J. Boerckel was appointed secretary and thrift committeeman; Ray Dolan, A.F. Dolan and F.A. Walsh, outdoor committeemen; C.H. Gesell and Andrew Smith, educational committeemen: Rev. P. J. O'Connor and Rev. N.E. Pohl, advisors; Mr. M.P. Foley, scoutmaster; Mr. James Pierce and Jack Webb, senior and junior scoutmasters.

The organization will be known and is recorded as St. James Troop No. 16 of the Boy Scouts of America.

The following boys have been selected and will be registered as charter members: James Brady, Albert Buescher, Leslie Burch, Daniel Burke, David Coad, James Coad, Melvin Ehrlich, James J. Kelley, Robt. Lauterwasser, James Lawless, Gerald Lutz, James Moulden, Robt. Mudd, Harold Plengemeier, Peter Palumbo, Helgard Rademeyer, Hubert Ward, Lester Whitmore.

It is the intention of the orgnnizers to thoroughly train, at this time, a select number of boys and later through their agency to bring into the organization the majority of the boys in the parish. There will be a meeting every Wednesday night in the parish hall from 7:30 to 9 o'clock and an announcement will soon be made of a tenderfoot ininvesture ceremony to which the fathers ot members and other interested parents will be invited.

MARY FRANCES COLEMAN BURIED FROM ST. JAMES CHURCH

The remains of Mary Frances Coleman, wife of the late Theodore Coleman and mother of Mrs. Chas. Ralston, 6448 Nashville Ave., were buried from requiem Mass at St. James Church Nov. 4, 1930.

She was born in County Limerick, Ireland, and her maiden name was Mary Frances King. She was a woman of refined character and retained to the end of her long life indications of exceptional charm of face and manner. She never wavered in her strong Irish Faith and religious fervor, and she transmitted this character to her children. May she rest in neace,

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Mrs. Bridget Carroll, who recently purchased a home at 1461 Sproule Ave. and resided there with her son, died on Nov. 8th, 1930, after a lingering illness, during which she frequently received the Sacraments. She was buried on Nov. 11th, 1930, from St. James Church and her remains were interred in Calvary Cemetery. On the one occasion on which the writer met her, she impressed him as being a kindly, good woman, and a person who would command respect and be assured of affection. May she rest in peace.

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Matthew McLaughlin, 6225a Victoria Avenue, used crutches a few days last week due to a severely sprained ankle suffered in a football game.

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Raymond Kelley, 6519 West Park Avenue, contracted an infection of his eyes which necessitated treatment by a special1st

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Virginia Harris. 1083 Fairmount Avenue, with scarlet fever, is being nursed by her mother who is recuperating from a very serious surgical operation.

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Adolph Menncr, 6480 Wise Avenue, suffers severe recurrent attacks of appendicitis. When he recently underwent an operation his condition did not favor the removal of his appendix, notwithstanding its evident infection. He hopes to rapidly gain strength so that he may soon be relieved of it with another operation.

A MOTHERLY WOMAN DIES

Mrs. Ellen Cunningham, wife of A.E. Cunningham, 6654 Mitchell Ave., mother of a large family, died on October 25th, 1930, at her home, after a lingering illness and a fine spiritual preparation and was buried Oct. 28th from Mass at St. James Church. Her remains were taken by rail to the family burying-ground in the cemetery of Pilot Knob, Mo.

The Christian mother in all its beautiful tracings was delineated in every detail and lived in every act of Mrs. Cunningham's life. She gave a charm to her home which the transient visitor could not help but observe and her guests were numerous and always hospitably entertained. Her sweet unselfish manner and her self-sacrificing devotion to duty made her home attractive to everyone who happened to be her guest but especially to all who were in her family group. She had neither much education nor wealth, but she had a big heart and a fine Christian spirit, and these are the ornaments which are the best attractions of fine womanhood.

During her illness, which was long and painful, she retained all her charm and consideration. She was solicitous for the welfare of those who paid her visits and would insist that they go to the dining room and take some refreshment. She is mourned by all who knew her and she has left in them an enduring impression of good will and affection. She will have many to pray for her repose. May she rest in peace.

FATHER-IN-LAW OF MAYOR MILLER DIES OF HEART DISEASE

James Cooney, former patrolman and father-in-law of Mayor Miller died at his home, 6828 Wise Ave., on October 25th. He was 71 years old, having retired from the police department on May 1st after 45 years of service.

He was a native of Ireland and had many of the characteristics of the Irish police officer. He was fearless and just in discharge of his duties and was kindly and sympathetic in the many contacts that he made with his fellow man regardless of reputation or character.

He made it a point to attend Mass in St. James Church on Sundays when he was off duty, and he frequently would manifest his generosity to the church by contributing in person to the Pastor a $5 or $10 bill. There was a peculiar resonance to his voice and a clear cut straightforwardness to his countenance. His eyes were vivacious and kindly. He was an honest man. His funeral was attended by the Mayor and a respectable gathering of people. May he rest in peace.

A SUDDEN DEATH

Joseph J. Witte, 6544 Berthold Ave., died suddenly at his home November 12th from an acute attack of heart disease which was probably induced by pus entering the blood stream from abscessed gums. He is survived by his wife and his daughter, Mrs. Ed. F. Cross.

Mr. Witte and his family have resided in St. James Parish about 5 years and associated themselves with all the church activities. He was a man whose employment gave him little time for recreation or social entertainment. He was best known to the pastors as one who invariably was in the parish church on Sunday morning and assisted at Mass and listened to the sermon with an expression of marked reverence, an indication that his love for God was deep and practical and directed most of the actions of his life. Whenever we met him he had a cheery smile, a squint of humor and an encouraging, complimentary word. He was a man whose kindly face will remain in our memory a long time, and he will be often remembered in his Pastor's prayers. To his wife and daughter, we extend our deep sympathy. His death was sudden but we do believe he was ready for the summons and through God's Goodness he was given time to intelligently receive the Last Sacraments. May he rest in peace.

HONORA O'GORMAN REMAINS BROUGHT TO ST. JAMES CHURCH

Honora O'Gorman, the last surviving daughter of a charter member of St. James Parish died on November 9th and was buried from St. James Church on Nov. 12th. Though she did not recently reside in the parish, she frequently made visits to her brother, Mr. J.P. O'Gorman, who is a trustee of the parish and well known in this community. Those who knew her best regarded her as a saintly woman. May she rest in peace.

DEATH OF MRS. MARGARET COONEY

Mrs. Margaret Cooney, born 85 years ago in County Kilkenny, Ireland, mother to Sister Juliana and Mrs. Peter LaGarce, died at St. John's Hospital November 3rd and had the unique honor of having her remains waked in the Hospital Chapel where a requiem Mass was chanted, on the day of her funeral by Father O'Connor. This privilege was granted to make possible the presence at the funeral Mass of Sister Juliana, a member of the Community of the Sisters of Mercy.

Mrs. Cooney resided for a period of 60 years in St. James Parish and was regarded by all who knew her as a woman of simple refinement and fine faith. Her Rosary was always in her hands except when she was occupied in her housework. She spent the few months previous to her death, in St. John's Hospital where she had a room and medical attention, and was given much attention by many of the Community and her daughter, Stster Juliana.

She was buried Nov. 5th at the Central Cemetery of the parish of Clayton. Her pall-bearers were Dennis, James, Norman and Mike Brady, Harry Placke and John LaGarce. May she rest in peace.

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Parishioners have informed us that copies of Let's Go are mailed, they believe, to parishioners and relatives of parishioners in every English speaking part of the world. We feel honored that our little paper is so interesting and widely distributed. To all our readers wherever they be, especially to former parishioners and relatives of parishioners and to our old friends we extend our Christmas Greetings and well-wishes. To all we wish a holy and happy Christmas assuring them a remembrance in our Masses on Christmas morning.

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Anthony Briuglia, a former parishioner who a few years ago moved from his home at 2025 Schaeffer Place to Larchmond, New York, died recently and is survived by his wife, Josephine, and his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Skouras, wife of the well known director of the Skouras Theater Co. We extend to them our deep sympathy

THE POOR AMONG US

The very poor are never in extreme want when they are among the poor because those who have ever had a touch of hard times realize the anxiety and humiliations which poverty begets. There is in this community a number of families who are in a condition of extreme want and are in need of clothes, of coal, shoes and food, and there are many others who are out of work and will have come to the end of their little savings before the winter is over. It is gratifying for them to know that they always have a port in the storm. Anyone who is favorably known in this community has only to come to the Rectory and the immediate want will be alleviated. This is made possible by the frequent donations that are made to the poor box and charitable offerings given to the Pastor.

There have been more requests for assistance at the Rectory this year than formerly. When a family receives a notification that they will be evicted unless they pay their rent, they come with their sorrows to the Pastors and an earnest effort is made to give assistance and consolation to everyone of them. Several families are now almost entirely depending on the little which they receive through the agency of the Church and the treasury for the poor is almost depleted, but we are confident that there will be enough forthcoming to make it possible to send out several baskets for Christmas and through the cooperation of the school children and Mothers Club it is expected there will be a sufficiency supplied for all for at least this one day.

To the poor who through no fault of their own are now suffering, we extend our deep sympathy and exhort them to place all their trust in God and our Blessed Lord who was himself born in a stable. We can assure them if they have absolute trust in His goodness and dispose themselves to be worthy of His Graces they shall not be forgotten.

All who are in want should not have the least hesitation in making their needs known at the Rectory, and if they send their names and addresses they can count on receiving from the parish, a Christmas basket

THE CORN-FED PHILOSOPHER AND HARD TIMES

By Rev. P. J. O'Connor

Poor luck! just as I expected; the severe Winter killed many of the birds, and the tropical summer dried up all the streams and ponds; the young birds died for want of water. Quail were hard to find; I had searched several hours all the likely spots; the day was warm; the dogs were tired; I had a blister on one of my heels and was about ready to quit and call it a day when I came upon a farmer in a narrow stretch of woods chopping logs. I saluted him ingratiatingly like one does who is conscious of trespassing.

"How do ye do?" he said, "I reckon you are from the city."

"Yes," I replied, "I am visiting at Renners and I am afraid I have crossed the line and am trespassing upon you."

"That does not matter," he said, "you can't do much harm where there is no game. Mr. Renner and myself keep no line no how, his friends are mine and mine are his."

I thanked him, and as he appeared ready to rest and chat, we both sat on a log.

"How are conditions in the country?" I asked.

"Couldn't be much worse," he replied, "no corn, wheat ?5c a bushel, and no market for anything we have to sell. People who had big mortgages on their farms are walking away and leaving their holdings to the banks. I sent 100 nice chickens to a commission man in St. Louis the 1st of October and he returned me a check for $33. I was sorry I did not keep them and eat them myself, but a man must have some money to 'buy groceries and tobacco. And how is the City?"

"Bad," I replied, "No work and many families are on the verge of starvation."

"These hard times," he continued, "are a great blessing if they help to make people think. Canned products, cold storage meats, and newspapers are the food of the masses. We are constantly repeating to one another what we read in the papers and much of our conversation on social problems is a barrel of wind and the canned thought of an editor. There are few people who think."

"You ask a farmer what is wrong with the world and he says, 'no price for anything', and a city man will tell you there is no work and the cost of living is too high. They are both right as far as they see it, but they don't see very far."

"No work!" he repeated. "I find plenty of it here on the farm doing chores and odd jobs. There will be work as long as there is a cow, a plough and a human being in the world. And it must be done whether it pays or not."

"You must be a feminist," I said. "I am sure the ladies will agree with you."

"The only time," he added, "when there shall be no work is when all the work is done. The reason why so many city folk are out of work is, they have been working; too hard and have finished their chores. They may be clever in making labor saving devices, and I don't blame them because they like to sit around and watch the machine do it, but they get through with their jobs too quickly, and I understand they don't get paid when they have no work. Tell them from me, an old clodhopper, to ease up and make the job last."

"Many hands make light work and too many hands make no work. There are too many butchers, too many bakers and too many candlestick makers. There are too many people in the cities and not enough in the country. Whilst the going was easy everyone wanted to be in the city and have a slice of the big payroll. They have now done everything that was to be done and they must stop for a spell. They have built more houses than they need, more automobiles, furniture, etc., than the world wants. There is a surplus of everything and city folk are coming in one another's way in trying to dispose of it. When the going was good the country boys and girls rushed to the cities, a little starvation will drive them back to the vacant farms and when they return, they will find lots of work, husking corn, foddering the cattle and chopping wood, they will have so much to do they will have to rise with the sun and go to bed with the chickens."

"The trouble with ye city folk is, ye want a creased pants all the time and ye are too highly eddicated to dirty your hands or do your own washing. I have been told your city women don't want to have babies because they would not have time to play bridge and many of them are taking jobs away from men, not that they want to support the home, but that they might have fine feathers on their back and keep up with the Joneses."

"In the cities most of ye are a pleasure loving people and don't know the difference between necessities and luxuries. Ye can't get along unless ye have a radio, an automobile, an electric washer, furniture as fine as there is in the White House, theatres, picture shows and a few football games a week. I am not saying ye should not have these things, but you cannot have a champagne dinner on a beer salary."

"I will say this about ye, however, ye are bighearted. When ye have money ye let it fly and when ye haven't; well, ye blame the hard times or the Democrats."

"There is a good deal of common sense in what you say; however, I am sure you realize these are only skin troubles in our social system," I affirmed. "The disease is organic and more deeply rooted."

"Yes," he answered, "I am glad to find that you also are a thinking man."

"Let us," he said enthusiastically, "look into this whole situation and view it from bedrock."

"You recall what Robinson Crusoe did in the desert island when the hard times came upon him. He saw there was no use blaming the government. He was the government himself and the people also. What did he do? He planted a garden, stored his crop diligently against Winter, made tools, cut some trees, fashioned himself furniture for the use and the ornamentation of his cave, captured a few kids and raised a herd of goats. Of their skins he made clothes; of their fat he made tallow and in that way he lived tolerably comfortable."

"If he had a gang of workmen and their wives and children, undoubtedly, he would distribute them around on the work and unify their efforts for the general welfare. Some, he would have cutting trees; others sawing, planning, and constructing; others clearing and tilling the ground and producing a harvest. Every man and woman in the settlement would have to work for the general good; one for all and all for one. He would have no man idle or hanging around pool rooms or gambling. Everyone would be a worker and a contributor to the general welfare. Some might give their time to medicine; others to improving the morals and to the duties of religion; some to teaching the children or training the women to cook. There would be some to write books and take care of the entertainment for times of recreation and relaxation."

"From the general store every man, woman and child would be given at least the necessities of life and there would be no one starving. Those whose services were more useful and whose labors more exacting, would be provided first with the comforts and conveniences that might stimulate them to give the best that was in them. The infirm and the feeble also would be given such kindly consideration and nourishment as their needs might demand until the time they could go back to their work. And on occasions there would be days of festivities and general relaxation in which everyone would enjoy and partake of the luxuries that might be on hand."

"Robinson Crusoe might think it proper to make money or some medium of exchange: but you can plainly see that a caveful of gold would not add a single article of food or clothes to the general produce. People make a mistake in thinking that money is wealth. Everything we have comes from the land or the sea, and the men on the land or in the mines or the oil wells are the producers of the raw material and they cart it or railroad it to the men in the work shops, who are now usually in the cities, that they may improve the product, perfect it and get it ready for distribution and general use."

"These men in the cities are the artificers, the chemists, the inventors and the distributors. You may call them if you will, the manufacturers and storekeepers."

"Produce is the result of their united efforts and of necessity it must travel in a circuit like automobiles in the course of construction, each worker giving it a stroke or a touch to perfect it and make it more serviceable. There should not be more men at any point on the job than were necessary for the purpose, and if too many gathered at any one place, some of them of necessity would have to be idle and the whole community would thereby suffer a loss, that is the reason I stated there are too many men in our cities."

"I may add that scientists, chemists, scholars and inventors have immeasurably increased our prosperity and lightened our labors by making the process of perfecting and finishing easier and finding new uses for raw material."

"The wealth of the world has increased immensely because of the ease of productivity and notwithstanding this, millions of human beings are like hungry hounds nosing around soup kitchens and charity bureaus, sniffling to find something to eat."

"Evidently there is some deep rooted cancer in our social organization that prevents us using and assimilating what we are producing. There appears to be a surplus of everything in the farm and warehouse; but the majority of our population are in dire distress."

"Why-my hungry brother?"

"Because money complicates our social problems, and our government is not giving us the protection which our labor-producing army should expect from those who are the regulators and the directors of our commerce."

"A small number of clever, unscrupulous manipulators have designed ways and means of capturing and holding in their possession, more than 50% of the results of all our labors and have made unconscious slaves of the masses. Our liberties we have, but our bread and clothes are gone."

"These barons of industry are multiplying each year by the thousand. and the extent of poverty increases and will always be diversely proportionate to the number of our millionaires, because when one man has much of the world's produce, the others will each have less."

"I recently heard a priest say over the radio that 50% of the wealth of the United States is in the hands of 1/30 of 1% of the population. I cannot vouch that I am correctly quoting him, my hearing is not so good."

"I presume when he spoke of wealth he meant stocks, bonds and negotiable papers, which, as I have already said, is not real wealth but like chips in the card game are the counters."

"In our modern complicated social system, they mean as much as wealth."

"Why is it that the few have those big stacks of chips in front of them, whilst the rest of us have so few? The answer, my friend, is evident. They are gamblers and not producers and have been playing with loaded dice."

"You hear of the police nosing around among the bookies in the downtown districts, scenting out gamblers and rushing them to the holdover for 24 hours, but did you ever hear of anyone representing our local or national government investigating the gambling dens of our millionaires, though they have bled the people dry and are criminals of the most unscrupulous type. They have no sense of justice, pity, patriotism or charity. They are all for themselves and they care no more about the laborer and his children than they do of a yellow dog."

"True, there has been a Senate investigation during the past year, and a few of our fearless statesmen succeeded in fairly exposing dishonesty but that was not a drop in the bucket to what should have been done. The majority of those in the Senate and Congress received the report with doubtful enthusiasm and the wire-pulling proceeded until everything was quieted."

"Why are the stores empty? though the market is gloated with produce."

"The reason should be clear even to an imbecile. I have observed farmers come to town and look in at the store windows, they put their hands in their jeans pocket and finding no money there, they turn away. They have no chips, no money, that is the only reason why they do not buy."

"The plain honest people, the masses, have labored, produced, tunneled into the earth, brought forth its treasures, they have cultivated the ground and gathered the harvest. They have stood for ten hours a day over a foundry fire, or have fed the machine till the last article in the store room was finished. These factory boys and girls are old before their time. They have given of their scanty means to the church, they came to the front when their country needed men to fight and die. They are the backbone of our Democracy and half of them are now threatened with starvation-again I ask you why?"

He did not wait for an answer. Coldly he sneered, "they were never given a living wage or a just portion of their earnings and the sin that is now crying to Heaven is the defrauding of the laborer of his hire."

"In this endless chain of commerce there are toll gates through which all the goods must pass and the tyrant barons of industry wait like sharks in a stream and take prodigious bites with their avaricious gaping jaws. They do not call it a toll, they speak of it in their corporation reports as dividends, salaries and add it on to the overhead. The president receives a salary of perhaps $500,000, the V. P. $200,000 and the lesser directors and manipulators fifty, thirty, twenty, ten and five thousand dollars and a big slice of the balance goes to the holders of the preferred and the common stock, the owners of which are usually the relatives of the baron. These are the exorbitant demands that are made upon industry and which are paid for by the consumer, whilst the poor, honest, ignorant, toiler gets only a fraction of his just share."

"As a result, when the goods are exposed for sale, the wage earners and producers have not money to make a purchase, the produce remains locked in the stores unless such as is perishable which is frequently dumped into the river."

"It is evident that the men who own from five billion to one million of the country's wealth, have not been such producing prodigies as to justify so large a reward for their services."

He mopped his brow and peered into his hat and from underneath the inside band he drew a clipping from a recent St. Louis Globe-Democrat and requested me to read. The excerpt read as follows: "So far as the representative companies in the various industries are concerned, the total dividend outlay in the current year will approach closely, if it does not exceed, that of the year before. Up to December 1, according to compilations by the New York Times, 10,682 separate dividend declarations called for a total distribution this year of $4,414,791,392, against $4,488,465,736, covering 9206 separate declarations for the full year 1929. Statisticians estimate that the aggregate, after the record for December has been completed will be fully as impressive as last year."

"Fully as impressive as last year"! he shouted, "to whom? To the man who has a notice from the landlord to vacate his home! or to the woman who hasn't a dime left to purchase a bottle of milk for her starving infant! "

"Five billion dollars of the wage earners produce to be distributed in Christmas baskets among the poor?"

"Not on your life! it goes to the Rajahs. They need it to purchase million dollar necklaces for their luxurious robed wives that they might make a vulgar display of their wealth at the next social function."

"How many of these who are receiving dividends worked in the factory where the surplus earnings were produced!"

"Have the statisticians computed whose sweat and labor went into these dividends?" "Assuredly not! statisticians are not in the pay of the poor."

"And what are we going to do about it?" I urged.

"Nothing," he replied, "little or nothing at present. A chronic disease cannot be cured in a day. We must keep on taking our medicine over the Winter. People are to blame themselves for the unhealthy condition of our social system, as long as times were fairly prosperous they took no interest in our elections, and the majority of those who cast votes did so in a partisan spirit to promote the interest of a two-faced politician or to retain or procure a position for a friend. The majority of our legislators are politicians and there are very few statesmen."

"Our system of education also is at fault. We have taught our children that success is to be measured by a bank account and attach little or no importance to their religious training."

"As a people we are drifting away from our moorings. Conscience is a broken thermometer and all our Ideals have narrowed down to self expression and indulgence which are the ridges on the mountains of selfishness. There used to be a time in this country when a man's word was his bond."

"Our magazine scribblers and Hollywood aristocracy and much of our press pander to our pagan propensities and are leading us to a precipice. We are governed by Rajahs. We are on wheels and moving towards a terrible catastrophe because the elephantine foot of Democracy is prodigious, crushing, threatening. The plain people if long irritated will arise and move like a herd of buffalo. There will be carnage worse than the French revolution."

He paused and arose, his eyes flashed indignation. I could not tell whether I had been listening to a prophet or madman. The sun was setting behind the Ozark hills, the sky was clear and the scene was peaceful. I called to my dogs and took up my gun. My blistered heel recalled me _to the immediate irritations of life. I thanked him for his elaborate instruction though I wished I had not excited his loquacity.

"Do you believe in the government of the United States?" I queried.

"Yes," he replied severely.

"Has it the ability to cope with this deplorable condition that threatens its young, lusty life?"

"Assuredly it has," he replied, "the Government is of the people and for the people, but the people are sleeping. There are signs of awakening. Hard times will make the people think and from the travail of their sufferings men will be born who will voice the peoples' indignation and the plain people will know from the common sense of their words and the free ring of their voices they have shepherds who are ready to protect them from the wolves and they will flock behind them and go eagerly to the ballot box. The two old parties with their millionaire backing will be swept from the land. There will arise a people's party and it will sweep the land like a hurricane and in the wreckage It shall leave shall be found the haggard corpse of plutocracy."

DIES OF SPINAL MENINGITIS

Mrs. Margaret White, a comparatively young woman and wife of George White, 5823 Victoria Ave., died at the Isolation Hospital on Nov. 29th from an attack of spinal meningitis superinduced by loss of vitality resulting it is said from a recent attack of the Flu. When Father O'Connor visited her home on the occasion of taking the census, she appeared to be sickly and her husband and herself told him a tale of a harassing struggle during the past few years because of sickness and of the superinduced unfitness to work for a living. They were partaking of their frugal meal and insisted that he would partake of their humble hospitality, which he did. Apart from this pleasing little entertainment little is known to us of her character or her conduct. Her neighbors speak highly of her Christian character and her kindly, sympathetic manner. May she rest in peace.

THE SCHOOL CHILDREN TO GIVE AND NOT TO TAKE THIS CHRISTMAS

There will not be a party for the children this Christmas. Instead of receiving a gift each one will be asked to contribute something to the support of the poor in this locality. And the $100 which the Mothers Club annually contributed towards the school children's party, will be used to purchase coal, shoes and clothing for destitute families. A committee of Mothers Club members are assigned to solicit old clothes and other necessities for distribution. They are Mrs. Cullen, 1111a Central Ave.; Mrs. Holland, 1032 Fairmount; Mrs. Kletzker, 1041 Fairmount; Mrs. Nixon, 1535 Buck Ave.; Mrs. Bovard, 2201 Forest Ave.; Mrs. John Murphy, 6438 Lloyd Ave.; Mrs. Lambert, 1455 Graham Ave.; Mrs. Besand, 6922 Bleeck Ave.; Mrs Geo. L. Bayer, 6819 Southwest Ave.; Mrs. Birtley, 2012 Knox Ave.; Mrs. W. Meier, 6144 West Park Ave.; Mrs. P.H. Murphy, 6219a Victoria Ave.; Mrs. Mary Jones, 1034 Tamm Ave.; Mrs. Mitchell, 6310 Oakland Ave.; Mrs. Lawless, 1139 Childress Ave.; Mrs. Klasek, 6212 Victoria Ave.; Mrs. Ed. Pierce. 1223 Childress Ave.; Mrs. John Wack, 1546 Tamm Ave.

.........................................

Clem Placke has become an independent business man by taking charge of the battery department of Frank's Service Station at Clayton and Graham Avenues. The station is now a hundred per cent St. James parishioners. Frank and Louis Fieser and cousin, Herbert, sell and repair automobiles, Clem Placke services with batteries, and Louis Haenichen serves gasoline and oil. We wish Mr. Placke a great deal of success. He has been since his childhood ever willing to give a helping hand to St. James Parish.

...........................................

Patrick Phelan Sr., has lately been confined in his home, 6609 Wise Avenue, because of a rather severely affected heart.

SOUTH FOREST PARK IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

At the November meeting of South Forest Park Improvement Association, the Directors suggested that an electric light be placed by the city at Oakland and Grandview and that a stop and go sign be installed at Tamm and Oakland, also at Skinker Road and Oakland Ave.

A vote of thanks was given Mr. Eberle for his successful efforts to have lights installed in the 1000 block of Childress Ave.

CHURCH CLEANING

The Sister Sacristian requests the ladies of the Parish to assist in Church cleaning on Wednesday and Thursday, December 17 and 18. Among the ladies who were present on the last occasion were Mesdames Griffin, Mahon, Wiber, Mudd, Foley, Nixon, Marshall, Moore, Doering, Kelly, Ready, Engelhardt.

........................................

Sister Incarnata (Ella Morrissey) and Sister Bernedette (Sophia Smith) Sisters of Mercy and former parishioners, were recently pemitted to come on a visit to the Parish to see the new Church. They say it is very beautiful and they are delighted.

.........................................

Mr. Patrick Ludden, 6115 Clayton Ave., a parish trustee, narrowly escaped death a few weeks ago when he was struck by an automobile whilst standing on the curb, of an evening, waiting for a Grand Avenue street car. One of his shin bones was badly shattered, three of his ribs were fractured and his face and hands were lacerated. He was in a critical condition several days at the New St. Mary's Hospital, where he is receiving medical care. The latest reports confirm the opinion that he is now out of danger.

.........................................

One of Mrs. Rehagen's children (Hazel O'Donnell) has been very seriously ill and is now home from the hospital.

COMPLETING THE CENSUS
Clifton Heights District

Knox 2151 Mrs. Katherine Corcoran 1041 Michael Strobl
1903 John A. Badendieck 2158 Andrew Meyer 1045 Harry Schweiker
1904 Dennis Crowley Mrs. Octavia Meyerrose Pierce Avenue
1908 John Nixon 2162 Michael Torpey 1326 Mrs. Henry Duncan
1916 Henry Vorholt 2164 Ted Dreyer 1328 Annie and Mary Brady
2004 Harvey Whittaker 2167 Daniel A. Prindible 1330 Angelo Stockero
2006 Mrs. Clara Serene Sulphur 1342 Andrew Wynne
2012 Wm. Paul Birtley 2119 Fred Wolf 1344 Mrs. Kate Fehrensen
2063 Morgan P. Foley 2139 Julius Batory Sublette
Mrs. Clara Jackson John LaGarce 1331 Jos. Maltagliati
2164 Milton Leo Zilliken 2149 Harry Leu 1343 Henry Eckenfels
Wilson 2155 John O'Toole Sulphur
6022 Robt. Opperman Mrs. Lawrence Wilhelm 1414 Mrs. Josephine Noonan
James McHugh Adeline 1423 Mrs. Nellie King
6030 Caroline Friese 6103 Robt. Hanna 1432 Stellario LaFauce
6036 Thos. Tucker 6108 Albert Volz 1502 Peter Santambrogio
6042 Henry Eckhoff 6124 Patrick Barry 1507 John S. Jones
6106 Mrs. Sarah Ritchel 6131 John J. Howard 1609 John Hounick
6116 Francis Bendyk 6136 James Ryan Victoria
6148 Alice A. Smith Devlin 5806 John Ross
6270 Mrs. Helen Brady 1343 Thos. King Louis Timmer
Famous Avenue 1347 Ant. Barbaglia James Williams
6201 Charles Brockelrnann 1422 Geo. Kehm 5814 Howard Wert
6201a Oliver P. Kneble 1428 Mrs. Jos. Balvin 5820 John Carroll
6210 Jacob Marks 1432 Julius Clivio 5823 Mrs. George White
Francis Marks 1601 Mr. Pollard 5828 Mrs. Anna McEvoy
6221 Mrs. Clara Diefenbach Hughes Place 5835 Edw. Schuler
6240 Mrs. Percy Gilbert 1328 Wm. Moynihan 5952 Sylvester Jenneman
6251 Mrs. Cath. Harrington 1336 Wm. Kearney 5952 Mrs. Henry Frank
6276 Martin Scully 1333 Elizabeth Stahl Way Street
6279 Hugh Harrington January 6022 Thos. Phillips
6307 Mrs. Albert Stumpf 1324 Mrs. Fred Braun Loretta Avenue
Clifton 1326 Mrs. Vernon Haller 6020 Modesta GentUini
2110 Mrs. Elza EIchor 1334 Ed. J. Hefele West Park
2115 Andrew Schmidt 1336 Louis Masperi 5618 Robert Mudd
2139 Frank Dvorak 1342 Amabili Viscardi 5706 Victor Cova
Fred Schmidt 1346 Miss Veronica Mrus 5715 Mrs. Thompson
Wm. Rolly 1326 Mrs. Henry Duncan 5725 Tony Grandinetti
Jack Shores Manchester 5726 Caesar Bretani
2146 H. Rundquest 5521 Mrs. Mary Nixon 5734 Phillip Mapelll
216:3 Aug. G. Beinecke Jos. Stillman 5736 onas. Brambillo
2164 Mrs. Jas. T. Page 5539 Frank Schneider 5740 Frank Beraro
2168 Wm. Harte Michael Kearney 5749 Pascala Belfiglio
Celeste Jansen 5579 Phillip Gendece 5750 Joseph Grandinetti
2175a Mrs. James Caldwell Thoe. Williford 5758 Mrs. Maria Rossomano
2193 Aug. Benisch 5609 Geo. Wester 5760 Sylvio Morrelli
Frisco Park 5719 Christ Rigoni 5804 Mrs. Anna M. Landwehr
6272 Chas. B. Huff 5833 Frank Marne 5807 Louis Iannuzzi
Elizabeth Frank Way 5821 Frank Cali
6005 Mrs. Annie Murray 6017 Helen Holden Mrs. Rose Romeo
601:! Harvey Duncan 6023 Margaret Smith Vito Cali
6019 Jules Spengeman Nashville 5825 Benedict Conklin
Paul Gruber 5914 Anton Heryatin 5928 Louis Bonano
6131 Theo. Cook 5924 Nick Vulso 5832 Mrs. Mary Ent
6149 Fred Ginther 5925 Frank Harnes Mrs. Pauline Hull
6223 Wm. Paul Young 5926 John Reisinger 5835 Arthur Nischwltz
Elmer Tucker 5931 William Binger 5900 Louis Grandinetti
Evelyn Avenue Oakview 5900 Leonard Strathman
6131 Francis Edwards 1014 James Taylor Emmett Curick
Esther 1015 Mr. Murphy 5912 Mrs. T. A. Foy
2124 John W. Readmon 1020 Jos. E. Flynn Wise
2150 Mrs. Dean 1024 Phil Brady 5830 James H. Cadwallader
1030 Cecelia Jenneman
Rose Jenneman
Agatha Jenneman

ELECTRIC CLOCK FOR ATTENDANCE PRIZE

The committee in charge of arrangements for the Holy Name Society meeting, Monday evening, December 15, have made extensive plans for the entertainment of those in attendance. Mr. Edw. J. Houlihan, former Mayor of Richmond Heights, and a former president of St. James Holy Name Society, and Mr. John L. Sullivan, Assistant Circuit Attorney of St. Louis, are billed as the speakers of the evening. Mr. Houlihan needs no introduction, as we all know what an interesting speaker he is; and Ollie Dolan assures us that Mr. Sullivan will make us sit up and listen.

The meeting will open promptly at 8:00, with the reading of the Holy Name Office, followed immediately by a short business meeting and election of officers for the coming year. THEN THE FIREWORKS.

Free smokes and a fine lunch for all present. An electric clock will be given as an attendance prize.

Every member of the society is urged to attend, and the men of the parish who have not heretofore identified themselves with the society are cordially invited.

The arrangements committee, consisting of John Lawrence, George Jenneman, and Frank Walsh, will be assisted by Messrs. Louis Hiegel, Clarence Gesell, Bernard Kelly, Edw. Loyet, Wm. Hense, Walter Bosche, George Wibel, Chas. Thompson, John Ryan, and James Pierce.

The Holy Name Society will receive Holy Communion in a body at the 7:30 Mass on Sunday, December 14.

...........................................

Sterling Rose, who had been living with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shepperd Rose, at 7268 Wise Avenue, was married by Father McMahon in St. Luke's Church to Miss Virginia Wunderlich of Holy Family Parish on Friday, November 14. The young couple went on their honeymoon to Chicago. John Mahon acted as best man in the ceremony.

...........................................

The school children certainly enjoy the warm soups and sandwiches served these cold days by the Mothers' Club in the new lunch room.

THE MOTHERS CLUB CARD PARTIES

The Mothers Club have given three successful card parties to raise money to pay for the improvement of the lunch room and have already lessened the bill by $750. They will discontinue the games till after Christmas.

The attendance prize at the last game was won by Mrs. Parsons; the bed set by Mrs. John Houlihan and the Rosary beads by Mrs. George Boerckle.

.........................................

George Shaffrey and James Brady at the request of Father O'Connor put a plaster-board ceiling on the modest home of Miss Alice Smith, a solitary old lady who resides in Frisco Park district and is as poor as the proverbial church mouse. Father O'Connor paid for the material and these carpenters worked free of charge.

.......................................

Therese Jacobs, half sister of Mrs. Ben Buescher, 6214 Victoria Avenue, died November 29, 1930, and was buried December 3, 1930, in St. Libory, Illinois. She died after a lingering illness in St. Mary's Hospital. May she rest in peace.

......................................

George Leo Cody, son of Edward D. Cody, 6453 Lloyd Avenue, married Miss Challan White Saturday, November 22, 1930, at Nuptial High Mass in Blessed Sacrament Church, St. Louis, Mo., Rev. Geo. A. Rider performing the ceremony. After breakfast at the Claridge Hotel the couple set out to spend their honeymoon in Kansas City. On their return Mr. and Mrs. Cody will reside in St. James Parish in one of the new apartments on Dillenberger Avenue.

.......................................

Thanksgiving Day Father O'Connor officiated at the marriage of Catherine Cunningham, daughter of Mrs. Flora Cunningham, 1034 Art Hill Place, and John William J. Burgess. Donal McCallister and A. Lilian Baldwin were witnesses.

........................................

Marie Wichman, granddaughter of Mrs. C. Wichman, 6736 Dale Avenue, was taken to the Isolation Hospital with scarlet fever Friday, November 28, 1930, where she is doing nicely.

UNCLE HENRY'S LETTER
December 1, 1930

The Pastor sez:

We should be thankful these days, for the graces bestowed on us by a generous God, and the opportunities we have of knowing, and following, His teachings.

dear Charlie:

i guess you been reading in the papers how we fell behind in our Community Fund drive, an you probly have got a idear that the people here is "tight", but you have got a false impression. they are just tired of the mixture of "hokum". flavored with "apple-sauce" with which the fund sponsors have been feeding em. most of us took the dose, because our boss was holding the spoon, but we didn't like it. they will have plenty of trouble unless they purge the fund of some of the non-charitable, selt-supporting organizations they have on their list. our ideal of a charity organization is our St. Vincent de Paul Society, which pays out about 95 cents of each dollar it receives; distributes it directly where it does most good; an without discrimination as to race or creed.

charlie McVey got a lucky break, an a good job. when eddie Ryan decided to retire from management of the service station at Tamm an Clayton. now he can work days like other respectable people. instead of being nice to racketeers, an givin service to bootleggers and highwaymen, on the prowl. charlie's appointment lends a decidely Hibernian atmosphere to the firm of Jacobs & McVey.

i was talking to mrs. Cullen the other day, shortly after she got back from a trip to Chicago, and she was soar as a boil. she says she is through riding in airplanes until they change the design of em, an make the doors wider. it seems like she took a ride when she was up in "Gangsterburg", an when the ride was over, she had to back out of the seat, "wide part foremost", an after about 10 minutes of twistin' and squirmin', she begun to reelize what a fix she wood of been in if sumthin' would of went wrong about a 1000 ft. up, and she would have to jump. i said to her, "It Is a wonder your husban dont stop you from taking such crazy risks", an she answered "humph! the only time i listen to him is when he talks in his sleep".

here is sum news for; the Dolans has another boy - number five. Ray didn't say if he was disappointed or not, but i imagine Sally was, on acount of she still hasn't got no prospeck of assistance with the dishes or housework, when the kids is big enough to help. they named this one Dan David. the first name is in honor of a clever young recently married lawyer living in the parish; or because they expect him to become a great soccer player. they now have Ray; Bill; Jay; an Larry; an i suppose the new one will be "Dee Dee". they dont need to worry about runnin' out of names though, on acount of they is plenty of good ones left; like Henry and Charlie, an Ed., etc.

wel charlie, the Alumni Dramatic Club give a show last week, an made a big hit, only this time they was a large crowd to see it, an so they was well paid for there efforts.

jerry O'Connell got hisself into a peck of trubble an had the rest of the cast stewing too, on acount of he was suppose to get married to the widow Rooney, an as the appointed day drawed near he got nervous -it bein only his second venture - an he tried to back out. john O'Shaughnessy tried to help jerry out an so he advised him to lose his memory an pertend he was a desprit carackter that was wanted by the police, on acount of running away from his wife an three kids.

if he done a thing like that he didn't deserve no sympathy, but Joe Phelan an kitty O'Shaughnessey knowed he was fakin, an they was sweet on each other an wanted to get married, so they tried to shake him out of his nervousness so he would go through with the match an take the widow Rooney - who was Cath Hefele - off the matrimonial market.

mae McCauley an jack Houlihan tried to help out there friends Joe an Kitty by dressin up jack as the suppose wife jerry had deserted, an if i had a wife that looked like jack, i would desert her too. things was certainly messed up when Mae brung in three kids. - agnes Dolan, dorothy Mitchell an john Murphy; an one of em which was black, got mixed up an claimed john O'Shaughnessey for his father. this expose of duplicity naturally put john in dutch with kitty, an she was on the verge of throwin him over. by this time, everything was balled up, an the community was headed for the bow-wows.

then mary Wack got the bright idear of callin in dan Murphy, who was a "smart" detecative, to untangle the mess, an when he got all excited, sumone locked him in the hot-house, to cool off. this was the best thing they could do, on acount of i have saw dan act before, an he would have only made things worse. from the language he used, he must of thought he was talkin to the furnace gang at Scullins. things finally straightened thereself out, an they was a epidemic of reconciliations, an they all made up, an live happy after.

your pertickler friend & uncle
HENRY

......................................

Mr. Henry McCauley, a trustee of the parish, escaped with slight injuries when the automobile he was driving overturned recently on a highway

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