Image taken from page 12 of The Children’s Friend 1881. Parker Collection B087.1 869352
MARCH STORIES January 05, 1914, In Clark street, next door to the Grand Opera House, is a saloon own ed by one George S.’ Lovelace that typifies the Bohemian spirit of Chi cago night life. Into this place on New Year’s eve, when the bar was lined with attor neys, actors and other men whose appearance .bespoke prosperity, wan dered “what was left of a man.” He was a strange contrast to the light-hearted men that lined the bar. His every step told of infinite weari ness. He looked sadly out of place. He crept rather than walked towards the bar. Members of the party nearest him eyed the wanderer with good-natured sympathy. It seemed to hurt him. “Happy New Year, stranger,” one of the party called out “Have a drink?” The tired man drew three nickels from his pocket and laid them on’ the bar. “No, thanks,” he said, very low. “I was just ordering one.” It was rather a surprise for the one that extended the invitation. The man, from his appearance, looked like one of the many panhandlers that work Clark street. And his po lite refusal made him look so much finer and bigger. The party at his side stopped their jesting and paid more attention to him. There was a look in his eyes like that which comes into the eyes of a splendid animal that had been hurt by its master. In some mysterious manner one of the party, managed to draw him out He probably needed some one to talk to. And he told a strange story. “I’m forty-five years old,” he said. “Oh, I know I look older. Four years ago I made the mistake of falling in love with a young girl. She was twenty then. I was making $40 a week in the electrical business In Paterson, N. J. “I bought a home before we were married and afterward I thought we were very happy. Then the1 baby came, we ” the man’s head bent low. There was a telltale huskiness in his throat “but she died after three months. “And then he stepped in to inter fere,” the man’s sad eyes blazed fiercely, ”and my house of happiness was wrecked. He was young. I might have foreseen what would have happened. But I trusted her. I couldn’t make myself believe that in every case ‘youth called to youth.’ I thought she was an exception. “But it happened and on New Year’s eve, two years ago. I went down to the stores to get a turkey for the next day. We planned to have some of her relatives from New York city with us for dinner. When I got back to the house I noticed the light were out I thought it -was fun ny. I went, in and called her. No answer. Then I put on the lights. I found it after a few minutes, it lay on the table, a note that spelled the ending of my real life: ‘I’m so sorry, Jim. I’m going away; for good. It would have been different if thebaby had lived. But I just can’t any more. Helen ” The man paused in his story. The tears welled threateningly in his eyes. It seemed minutes and minutes before he went on. “I knew she had gone with him,” he continued, “even though she hadn’t said so. I left a note for her relatives, left the door open and went out I have never been back since. At the station I found that she had gone with him. And so I went out to the cemetery to bid goodbye to my little girl. “I swore I’d follow them until I found them. I followed different wild goose hunches. They brought me all over the country. I landed in Chicago ten days ago. I thought they were here. The tip was wrong. And’ so I’m going on.”
RAILROAD ACCIDENTS 
December 19, 1911
TRY TO -KEEP RAILROAD ACCIDENT QUIET -. Fifteen or more persons were in-! jured in a collision between a suburban train and a switch en gine on (fie L. S. & M. S.” R. Rl near Garfield boulevard at 7:30 o’clock this morning. The tear coach of the train was partly wrecked, and mots of the windows were shattered. Many of the passengers were thrown to the floor and cut by, ‘flying glass. The Injured entered the forward coaches, and were given medical attention when they reached the LaSalle street depot Ah attache of the company said: “I have heard of the acci dent, but no detailed report has been “received.” Later positive denials were made at the offices of the company that any trouble occurred. Officials were told pas sengers on the train had describ ed the crash, but still denied there had been a collision. No report of the wreck was made to the police, and the names of the injured could not be learn-! ed at the offices of the Lake Shore.
February 05, 1912
When a railroad ac cident smashes up an engine driver oh, very well. When a railroad accident smashes up a railroad president that is differ ent. No sooner had the news reach ed Washington that Mr. Harri han and two other railway digni taries had been-killed in their private car in southern Illinois than the interstate commerce spectors to the scene to make a full and searching report.
July 21, 1913
LOSING TWO ARMS DOESN’T KEEP THIS MAN FROM SUPPORTING HIS FAMILY Alex Semereux at Work. Minneapolis, July 21. When Alex Semereux, a railroad switchman at Odessa, Minn., lost both arms in a railroad accident two years ago, he didn’t go to begging. “Guess I’ll have to talk myself Into a living sales or something like that,” he pluckily told his wife. He secured agency rights on a line of automobiles. He soon found, however, that driving a car was necessary to his business. He couldn’t afford an extra man for “demonstrations.” He decided to try himself. t Semereaux’s left arm was com pletely severed at the shoulder, so he had a leather and steel contriv ance, bearing a steel hook, fastened to his left arm. Then he conceived the idea of fastening a huge spool on. Jhe steering wheel as a means of al- lawing him to guide the car with his “hook.” At first driving was a painful pro cess in low gear; how he thinks nothing of a speed of 45 miles an hour. Two days ago Semereaux breezed into Minneapolis, bought a new car and arrived in Odessa, 200 miles away, in nine hours. He drove every inch of the way, and averag ing more than 22 miles an hour over rough country roads is “some” driv ing, any motorist will tell you.
July 07, 1915
DANCER ASKS $10,000 FOR EACH TOE! 75 i -! 11 N! T r: Miss Daisy James and Her $100,000 Feet- ‘ i Pretty Daisy James, the famous New York dancer, can’t dance any more because she lost both of her feet in a railroad accident recently. She was in haste to board a train and ran under the closed gates, where she was dragged beneath the car wheels. Now she has filed an action in the supreme court for $100,000 against the Delaware, Lackawanna & West ern Railroad company for she values each of her dainty dancing FEET.
November 16, 1916
BEAUTIFUL LEGS Beautiful and useful legs are worth $20,000 a pair, according to prices fixed in two quarters. Daisy James,. dancing,actRESS lost her legs in a railroad accident andi a jury has awarded her $20,000. The legs shown in the picture belong to Zitelka Dolores, a Ziegfeld beauty, and she has insured them for $20,- 000. Harrison Fisher, famous artist,, says Miss Dolores’ legs are the most beautiful in the world. Miss James i says her legs are worth more than $20,000 to her and she is appealing The case.
Local Clothier Grapples With Thief He Finds In Store While Wife Calls Police. , While several men stood out side his store and declined to offer assistance, O. J. Schei, Salem clothier, yesterday afternoon grap pled with a burglar wcom he found in his shop and, single handed, detained the man while Mrs. Schel summoned the police. ‘ The burglar, whom the police believe to be Fred Barstow, waB discovered by Mr. Schei when he and Mrs. Schei entered the store about 5:30 o’clock. When he saw the man lying behind a showcase, Mr. Schel rushed to the street and requested persons standing near by to assist him, but no aid was forthcoming. In the meantime the burglar attempted to make his es cape through a rear door but was overtaken and overpowered by Mr. Schel. Talks to Prisoners. ; The burgar, who professed to be deaf and dumb, refused to give ibis name to the police. Officers said he registered at a Portland iotel December 8 as Harry Belh of Portland. On December 9, they said, he registered at a local rdoni ing house, but his signature was Illegible. s Although he declared he was deaf and dumb, the burglar was found to be talking to fellow pris oners thla morning, police said. He is about 23 years of age. I Burglar Not Armed. Mr. Schel first noticed that his taeh registered had been tampered with and it was this which caused lim to make a survey of the shop. In the fight which followed the burglar twice moved as If to draw a gun. Later, when searched, po lice found that he was not armed. A large crowd gathered in front -,of the store to glimpse the prison er. The man Is held on a burglary ‘charge. f