Ancient Needlework

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 22, 1919

The early Britons were expert in needlework, and the earliest (British) Church of England before the fifth century won fame from its “handmaids of the church,” who made linens and altar frontals for numberless churches in Europe. Tapestry, the work of queens like Matilda and noble ladies in olden times was largely needlework.

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Osato’s Victim Goes Route When Abandoned

*Blogger’s Disclaimer: Before you decide to read this article, just be warned that there is some very racist language used towards a Japanese individual. The views expressed here are not my own, I do not endorse racism, 1919’s or otherwise. I just believe in presenting history as is actually was, and that we do ourselves a disservice if we whitewash it to make it more acceptable to modern society. As with all the articles I post here, this is a faithful transcription of an article as it appeared, nothing more. So please don’t send me any hate mail. Thanks for reading!

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 22, 1919

Jessie Taylor and Her Underworld Associates Caught in Police Dragnet

Second Hand Dealer Collects Cash

Sob Story Told of How Once Pretty Woman Falls Victim of Wily Jap, Who Abandons Her for Frances Fitzpatrick; Hotel Man Succeeds Jap.

The arrest a few days ago of Jessie Taylor, in her double apartment at 710-12 North Sixteenth street, where it was charged she operated an ill-governed house, becomes an interesting item of society news, because of her former friendship with a heathen Jap named Osato. The Jap married Miss Frances Fitzpatrick, a society belle, last January.

When the bulls went to Miss Taylor’s apartment to arrest her and the inmates they found hanging above the couch a large framed picture of Osato, of whom she had once been so fond. In fact, it is stated by other tenants of this well known old rookery that Osato once was madly in love with this denizen of the underworld. When he became acquainted with Miss Fitzpatrick, however, Jessie lost out completely and continued stronger than ever in her evil ways.

Jessie has had a remarkable record during her occupation of the gilded palace of sin, if all reports are true. She has two flats at the above number and when the police swooped down on her they took Jessie and two other girls and their companions and a substantial assortment of hard liquor.

In the patrol wagon they were bundled away to the police station. Arriving there Miss Taylor found no former Japanese sweetheart to go on her bond and was sent to the booby hatch with her companions. Miss Taylor still retains much of her youthful handsomeness and it is easy to understand why Osato should have been attracted to her. Is is said, however, that the sweet young society girl stole away his heart and that her marriage to the Jap quite upset the unfortunate woman of the underworld.

The wedding between Miss Fitzpatrick and Osato created a sensation the like of which had not before upset the equilibrium of Omaha society. He is a photographer and it is said he does a good business on West Farnham street, where he has a studio.

The fair maid whose attentions he sought and later spurned remained in her gilded palace in the Mardis block. Spurned by her Japanese lover, she quickly went from bad to worse. In physical altercations with others she is said to have “razored” one woman and scalped another during her abnormal bibulousness.

When Osato abandoned Jessie there came a Sixteenth street furniture man to succeed to her affections. He was more solicitous of her money, however, than anything else. She had lived at his third-class hostelry down the Sixteenth street row. He saw an opportunity to merchandise Jessie and “set her up in business.” He has been the collector daily at that Mardis block joint ever since. His name is Ike and he buys and sells second-hand furniture in the building adjoining the California hotel, of which he was formerly manager.

There is really a tale of sadness in this story. Jessie Taylor has seen better days – when she did not have to depend on the heathens and unscrupulous second-hand dealers for love tokens and an existence. When she appeared in court there still remained a twinkle of the eye which indicated those better days. But she had been sent the “route.” Even this heathen Jap, ensconced in the bosom of a Christian society girl, had passed her up. Her junk peddling friend collected her money daily and robbed her of most of the earnings she was able to accumulate, as well as those of the unfortunate women she harbored.

It was a lesson in sobs, depicting more things than the outside world ever dreamed of.

The heathen Jap still enjoys life with a white wife and has the respect of West End society.

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Merchants Fall Market Week To Be The Best One Ever

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 15, 1919

The committee having in hand arrangements for Merchants Fall Market week, September 8 to 11, in Omaha has planned the most elaborate program ever offered visiting merchants. Monday evenink, September 8, the men will be the guests of Ak-Sar-Ben, while the ladies will be given an automobile ride followed by a theater party; Tuesday, Septem,ber 9, there will be a big outdoor picnic at Miller park with a box lunch, ice cream, lemonade, ‘n everything. Following the lunch there will be athletic contests with prizes for the winners, after which all will go to the Prettiest Mile club house and dance. by the way, Dan Desdune’s famous band will furnish the music for this. Friday, September 10, “Merchants’ Market Frolic” will be held at Ak-Sar-Ben den. Ladies will be admitted to this for the first time in history. There will be dancing here also. Thursday, September 11, will be the biggest day of the whole affair. A noted flyer will give a wonderful aeroplane exhibition showing dives, tall spins, spirals and other stunts. Following this exhibition there will be a buffet dinner at the Field club, the distribution of $1,000 worth of prizes and another dance.

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Telephone Operator Looks For Her Name

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 8, 1919

Mrs. Mabel Harden, pretty telephone operator for Hastings & Hayden, realtors on Harney street, likes to read the Mediator. She receives the mail for the big institution and when her favorite weekly newspaper appeared two late last week she filed her complaint with the head of the firm. Byron Hastings likes to please his employes so he sent out and bought a copy from a down town news stand when his own paper did not appear Saturday morning.

Mrs. Harden’s choice of literature is a good one and she cannot be blamed for complaining when this paper fails to show up on time. Incidentially, this fine little woman is a big asset in this real estate office and is always full of information. Her disposition is so cheerful that even the high cost of living and the hot weather do not disturb her even temper.

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Doc Barnes Smashes Office Girl In Kisser; Damage Suit Results

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 8, 1919

Gertrude Wright Tells Some Things About Employer and Quits Job – Says She was Saved From Butchery by Two Customers – Wants $15,000 for Damages Done.

How would you like to be an office girl for a physician? This is a question that is being heard these days, because Miss Gertrude Wright tells a hard story about how she was used while acting in that capacity.

Miss Wright has brought suit for $15,000 against Dr. Charles E. Barnes, whom she declares smashed up her ruddy face because she did not comb her hair to suit him. Miss Wright had been employed by the doctor only a few days when he began to “get fresh” with her, according to her story. Not being used to the sort  of caresses administered by Barnes, Miss Wright took occasion to say a few things to him from time to time, when he tried to put on airs with her.

The finale came a week ago when the doc smasked her in the kisser with his fist. She says he shot an insulting remark at her, whereupon she retorted in kind. The doctor, she says then threatened to carve up her carcass and other things of that sort. He was about to complete the job, she says, when a couple of fellows dropped in for “treatment” and that scared the doctor into submission. Gertrude quit her job on the spot.

According to Gertrude Doc Barnes is not much of an angel, especially with the women. In that respect he resembles many others who practice his profession. The experience of Miss Wright is not unlike that of many others who have sought employment in such offices or have entered hospitals for training. They don’t stay in these places very long until they learn a lot of things they never heard of,  especially about doctors and their doings.

That does not mean, of course, that all doctors are brutes. It is their nature to take things as they come and few of the mare greatly concerned about human anatomy, which they consider is somthing to practice upon. Miss Wright intimates that she learned a lot about such things before the had been long in the doc’s employ. She was not crazy to be used as a subject for cutting operations so she quit when the doctor smashed her on the jaw. Doctors should be more considerate. Some of them are. but the case of Miss Wright throws considerable light on things of which the public has heretofore been densley ignorant.

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Krug Park Activities

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, August 1, 1919

Omaha Women Place Their Approval on Krug Park Bathing Beach.

Krug Park bathing pool and white sand beach is a Mecca these hot days for the fair sex of Omaha. Every morning, long before 8 o’clock, large crowds of fair swimmers are at the beach, waiting for the bath house to open.

The policy adopted by the park bathing company of reserving the mornings from 8 to 12 for women and children (Saturdays and Sundays excepted) has proven most attractive and thousands of Omaha’s mothers with their daughters and little boys under 12 years are taking advantage of this pleasant and invigorating pastime.

It has been prophesied by some that mere man had better begin to look to his laurels or the fair ones of Omaha will surpass him at swimming.

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Emulation Counts in Life

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, July 18, 1919

Woman Evangelist Was Evidently Aware of the Fact, and Turned It to Advantage.

     In an Indiana city, not long ago, a woman evangelist held a revival meeting. She took no collections while the services were in progress, but on the final night she announced that a free-will offering would be in order. Interest in the meetings had been growing and the church was crowded to capacity. The ushers, with contribution plates, started in their rounds. The evangelist said she instructed them to say “Amen” whenever 25 cents was dropped into the plate: when 50 cents the usher was to say “Hallelujah!” and when $1 the usher was say “Glory hallelujah!” in a loud tone. The collection amount to $1,100.

     If there had been no emulation the total might have been small, but the evangelist knew that no person with money to give would be content with an “Amen” when a neighbor, sitting in the next pew, was acclaimed with a “Glory hallelujah!”  The same principle holds good in everyday life. If one man has a fine vegetable garden it is an incentive to his neighbors. The interest women have in pretty frocks is largely due to somebody getting one and making the others desire something equally becoming. Men would care little for position if it were not for the age-old lure that makes them want a better job than the other fellow.

     Without such emulation there would be nothing to drag men and women away from the commonplace things of life. There would be nothing to induce one boy to seek for the head of his class or persuade him that he should run for president later on. Many, of course, are content to have “Amen” said to their efforts in life, but more wanto to hear the “Glory hallelujah!” ~ Indianapolis News

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Women Prey of Loneliness

The Mediator

Omaha, Nebraska, July 18, 1919

London Writer Says That is the Cause of Their Tireless and Ceaseless Toil.

Men are amazingly and amusingly ignorant with respect to the mysterious life led by their mothers, wives, daughters and aunts. For years at a time a man may go on blindly with his work and his play and remain in total ignorance about the activities of these inexplicable beings. He is dimly and dubiously aware that they are not idle. In his paroxysms in intuition he guesses that his comfort and even his happiness in some fashion may depend upon their labors. But the greater part of his existence is passed in a sublime ignoring of all the immense miracles wrought by women every day of his life.

I have come to the conclusion that women are the loneliest of God’s creatures, and that their loneliness is the great first cause of their tireless and ceaseless toil, James Douglas writes in London Opinion. Nearly every woman goes about with a lonely look on her face and the older she grows the lonlier she looks. There are very few lonely men, for men are gregarious. They are also, upon the whole, less imaginative than women. They live more on the surface. They do not possess that quality of power of living a secret inner life of contemplation and broodingly retrospective passion. Men live in and for the past and the future. They are at war with their environment. Like Noah in “The Doll’s House,” they are always waiting for the miracle to happen. One seldom sees the print of tragic intensity on a man’s face. One seldom sees anything else on a woman’s. It is this veiled tumult of the soul that drives women into frantic and feverish labors.

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