The News From 100 Years Ago

Parachute jump proves dangerous
Mr. Rodman Law, who recently made parachute jumps from the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, gave the businessmen of Wall street a thrill this afternoon by leaping from the thirty-first story of the Banker’s Trust building. Banker’s Trust is located at the corner of Broad and Nassau streets in New York.
Law’s latest exploit came near ending in tragedy. His parachute did not open until he had dropped 150 feet, with the result that he was almost impaled upon the flagpole of the Sub-Treasury building. Only a quick kick that changed the direction of his drop saved him.
As it was, the parachute hit the pole a glancing blow. This caused his supporting umbrella to tilt and detracted it so from its powers of buoyancy that Law landed with considerable impact. A few minutes later, however, Law managed with help to walk away¹.

Social on for Wednesday
The Christian Endeavor Society of the Christian church will present a recital this coming Wednesday evening. The social is being offered in order to raise money to buy song books. Earnings from selling ice cream and cake for fifteen cents will be included.
The following program is planned: piano solo (Miss Teresa Melanie), oratorical recitation (Master Johnnie Wentworth), violin duet (Misses Edith and Ida Hyatt), vocal solo (Miss Viola Leo), and a mandolin duet (Misses Elda Sargent and Olga McRenolds). Ice cream provided by the Sweet Tooth. Cake provided by various members of the Society.

Surveyors here
Mr. H. T. Havilland, representing the United States Geological Survey, arrived yesterday with instructions to make a complete survey at various locations. Mr. Havilland has a party of seven men detailed with him. The survey is being made for the purpose of determining the poossible power potential of several rivers and streams such as the Carmel river and the Feather river near Oroville².

Alleged thief sticks it rich!
Former Post Office employee Frank A. Tennant, accused of pilfering small amounts of cash from the mail, will soon be standing before Judge Sexton in Federal Court. A former postal inspector, Tennant had access to much mail. He is said to have purloined about $95. Tennant is being held in lieu of $4,000 bond.
First business first, however. Tennant was advised yesterday that his father-in-law, Mr. L. N. Drake, had passed on. The problem of the bond suddenly disappeared. Drake had bequeathed the sum of $100,000 to his son-in-law.

Guaranteed beauty
Dr. Dudley A. Sargent, a physical culture expert, has been a judge of perfect human forms for the past decade. Sargent now says that housework is the magic elixir that will make women’s figures beautiful.
Sargent also reported that when a woman does her own housework, with its manifold varieties of physical requirements, nearly every muscle of the body will be brought into action during the day. Nothing is better for the development of the large muscles and for reduction of fat than, say, running up and down stairs. Also, scrubbing floors on hands and knees proves excellent to the development of the chest and spine. Kneading bread is a specific for a finely-shaped forearm, and an hour’s work at the washboard is unsurpassed as a developer of the upper arms and back and shoulders.
Perhaps women can use this information to encourage men to take a hand in home chores.

High school girls return from Idlewild
The party of high school girls who went to Camp Idlewild for a week’s outing returned on Monday evening accompanied by their chaperones, Mrs. J. Kyle, Mrs. O. R. Shepps, and Miss Emma Loppentine. Those who participated in the outing were the Misses Eunice Allen, Helen Allen, Alta Daingerfield, Margaret Jenkins, Ruth Kyle, Darlene Neighbor, Geneva Marcellus, Louise Sherpa, Edna Goldsworthy, Beth Dysart, and Ruth Dysart.
The following young men of the high school are still enjoying outdoor life at Camp Cauble, about four miles from the Idlewild Camp. Lachlan McLean, Kenneth McLean, Harry Wylie, Marry McMahon, Charles Stockbridge, Renaldo Coe, Henry Gruden, Llewellyn Lewis, and Donald Hale. The boys, chaperoned by F. G. Social
and Jack Agnes, will return at the end of the week.

Snippets from around the area…

• Girl wants to work as housekeeper. “I do thorough work.” Contact Bessie McGee, Pacific Grove.

• Mr. F. H. Metzler and family have returned from a visit of several weeks to different places in the southern part of the State. They are glad to get back to Pacific Grove.

• The spring bazaar and sale of useful or fancy articles will take place under the direction of St. Mary’s Guild on April 25. The bazaar will be held at the St. Mary’s Parish House in the Grove.

• Mr. E. A. West and wife, accompanied by Mrs. F. M. Gilman, have departed for a stay in San Francisco. Mr. West stated that the couple and Mrs. Gilman have reservations to lodge at the Hotel Argonaut.Work wanted! Nursing or house cleaning by the hour, day, or week. Experienced. Referenced. Contact me at Post Office Box 7, Pacific Grove.

And your bill amounts to …
• Save money. Get your own shirt, collar, and cuff ironer. This is the highest-grade hand machine made. Price is with gasoline burner plus shirt, cuff, and collar boards.
$71 complete. With power pulleys instead of hand drive wheel, $82.59. Sold at Wright’s Hardware.

Author’s Notes
1 Although the first, known mention of a parachute (accompanied by a drawing) dates back to 1470, Louis-Sébastien Lenormand of France made the first public jump from the Montpellier tower in 1783. Lenormand had designed parachutes to facilitate leaving hot air balloons in emergencies. Ten years later his balloon
collapsed while in flight. Lenormand was saved by his parachute.
2 The United State Geological Survey (USGS) was created on March 3, 1879, and given responsibility for classifying public lands, plus examining the geological structure, mineral resources, and natural products of the entire nation.