Life — October 19, 1928 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ou ask him: (1) How are you? (2) And ‘our kinsfolk? (3) For whom are you ing to vote? (4) For whom did you rote at the last election? (5) Would you be in favor of a law prohibiting the manu- facture and sale of intoxicating liquors? (6) Do you like me personally? Although I have not anywhere near finished canvassing the entire 20,000,000, owing to having had such a good time with the first five, I have enough data to make up some rather startling statistics on the subject, which are presented herewith: Case 1. Mr. X. Of good heredity, son of a shoemaker. Age 29. On his mother’s side slight traces of phthisis and eccen- tricity are observable. He himself was a weakly and highly nervous child, subject to night-terrors and ear-lobes. First noticed a tendency to vote at the age of 13, but thought nothing of it, lay- ing it to stories told him by an old nurse. First actual voting at 21, when he found himself making a mark for William Sulzer, who was not even running for ofice. This upset him and he went into retirement, coming out only for the morning papers. Is going to vote for Hoover. Voted for Coolidge at last elec- von. Resutt or Straw Vote to Date Number of voters canvassed .... 1 Prospective votes for Hoover Prospective votes for Smith Voted last election for Coolidge .. 0 Voted last election for Davis .... 1 (Canvasser’s Nore: If the above tabula- non does not seem to jibe with the infor- mation gained from the voter mentioned, itis because we have reason to believe that he was lying and is not going to vote for Hoover at all, but for Smith. And the chances are that, regardless of what he said to the interviewer, he voted for Davis last time... . Canvasser’s Nore.) Case 2. This straw vote ran on for two days and a night, owing to excessive congeniality between the interviewer and the interviewed. A charming man, named George Maxey Risser, age 40, residence either 45 West 54th St. or 54 East 45th St, N. Y. City. Has traveled a lot and has brought back all kinds of good things from foreign lands. Had to be told who the two candidates were and even then didn't know. After arguing all Wednesday night and well into Friday, he was finally persuaded to vote, but insisted on scratch- ing both Hoover and Smith and writing in the name of the interviewer. The in- terviewer, seeing the logic of the thing, agreed also to scratch Hoover and Smi it insisted on writing in the name of “Not the Mr. the interviewee. This led to more arguing and more straw balloting, resulting in a deadlock. Resuct or Straw Vote to Date Number of voters canvassed .... For Hoover For Robert Benchley ... For George Maxey Risser ....... Next week we expect to have lots more votes to announce, but even then we'll have an awful lot of work to do to cover the 20,000,000. It’s pretty hard for one man to carry on a straw vote alone, but we are a game little chap and can do it if neces- sary. So watch next week’s totals. (We will watch, too, and between the two of us we ought to find something.) Lindbergh?” THOUGHTS ON NOTING THE TITLE OF MISS AMELIA EARHART’S BOOK Do you suppose her pilot sings Anent that trip across the sea, “The hours I spent with thee, Earhart, Are as a string of pearls to me”? Carolyn Wells, FORE! A cHurcH was recently struck by light- ning during the Sunday service. It is as- sumed, of course, that the bolt was aimed at the golf club across the road. Everyn: Did you ever know a man who closed his eyes when he kissed? Vivian: I never saw one do it yet, comicbooks.com