Choice Commended

Sirs:

With considerable surprise and much gratification I read of your purchase of the control of the Architectural Forum. For the five years that I have been practicing architecture (and reading TIME), the Forum has proved the most valuable magazine of the half dozen available. I commend your choice.

Your advertising announcement states: "The now isolated elements of the building world . . . are being brought together. The leader . . . will be the Architect." As it appears from within the profession, feeble indeed seem to be our own efforts toward an integration of our work with that of contractors, manufacturers, investors, etc., though very great the necessity. In spite of the fact that, as a professional body we are ultraconservative, self-effacing and individualistic at heart, I trust we shall emerge as the leaders. . . .

GEORGE A. ROBBINS

Philadelphia, Pa.

Cocktail Ad

Sirs:

Is it TiMEworthy:

1) In view of the 18th Amendment to accept cocktail advertisements?

2) As a matter of policy on the part of a magazine of your standing to accept such advertisements even if there were no 18th Amendment?

3) In any case to print such an advertisement on the same page with your summary of the news of the day regarding religion? (TIME, April 18).

Regardless of one's views on the subject of legal prohibition, it seems to me that the question of the propriety of permitting and encouraging in the case of alcoholic liquors such advertising campaigns as have under modern conditions caused the tremendous increase in the use of advertised products, is a proposition to which little attention has been paid, but which will have to be faced squarely if a change comes in the legal status of such beverages.

I view it from the point of view of a "Dry," but those who are "moist" or "Wet" can hardly disregard this aspect of the problem.

CLEMENT F. ROBINSON Attorney General State of Maine Augusta, Me.

Martini & Rossi's vermouth advertisement clearly states: "non-alcoholic." What people put into a legal liquid--be it orange juice, ginger ale, milk, water or vermouth --is none of TIME'S business--ED.

Pierced Skull

Sirs:

More miraculous than the pierced brains you report (TIME, May 2) is this head injury. The man is a patient of Dr. Joseph Raymond Pugh of Hammond, Ind., who can give you more information if you wish.

In June 1927 Paul Kosty, now 35, was working in the La Salle Steel Co. Plant at Hammond, Ind., at a bench on which hot steel bars from the rolling mill were clipped to a prescribed length. He leaned over as a bar shot out. It pierced his head, entering behind his left ear and protruding under his chin. The bar clipped off at 20 ft. of which 12 ft. had gone through his head. Kosty seized the bar with his hands and pulled the other 8 ft. through the hole. Besides a head wound he suffered scorched hands, was in & out of the hospital for two years. The hot steel cauterized the wound, so there was no infection. Now he works for the same company as a watchman. There are no bad effects, except scars and 70% impairment of his left ear. BELA SMITH Chicago, Ill.

Washington University

Sirs:

A loyal booster for Washington University (I get paid for it), I have long thirsted for the sight of the name of the university in the pages of TIME. When I sent you information about the 75th anniversary of the university's inauguration, you sidestepped swiftly, neatly. But last week I thought I had you. "TIME will have to mention the National Intercollegiate Glee Club contest," I said to myself, "because Yale's in it. And TIME can't mention the contest without saying that it was held in St. Louis at the invitation of Washington University, in the Washington University Field House, with Washington University's Chancellor George Reeves Throop presiding and Washington University's Professor Ernest Conant as chairman of the committee on arrangements."

But you fooled me (TIME, April 18, p. 38). You even failed to mention that Washington University's Glee Club sang in the contest as host, winner of the Missouri Valley title in 1931. Thanks, however, for mentioning St. Louis. That helped.

RAYMOND F. HOWES

Alumni Bulletin Washington University St. Louis, Mo.

Washington University (present enrolment: 7,355) was chartered Feb. 22, 1853. First meeting of the corporation was on Feb. 22, 1854. These dates moved patriotic Rev. Dr. William G. Eliot, founder, to have the institution given its present name. Last February began celebrations, which last until June, of the 75th Anniversary of the inauguration of Washington University (April 1857). There were speeches, three Washington lunches in Benish's Cafe, a Washington's Birthday concert of the Men's Glee Club, the Women's Glee Club, the Chapel Choir and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Messages of congratulations came in from President Hoover, Secretary of the Interior Wilbur, many a university president. Among famed alumni of Washington University are Taftian Secretary of Commerce & Labor Charles Nagel. Coolidgian Secretary of War Dwight Filley Davis, Senators Roscoe Conklin Patterson and Harry Bartow Hawes, Publisher Conde Nast, Authoress Fannie Hurst, Missouri's present Governor Henry Stewart Caulfield. Washington has the West's richest university art collection (over $1,000,000).

Last March Washington co-eds gained permission to smoke cigarets, but not on dance floors. A famed Washington professor is Dr. Frederick Joseph Taussig, gynecologist, who last year published a learned compendium on abortion (TIME, Jan. 4).--ED.

Again, Pelorus Jack

Sirs: Doubtless many other New Zealanders will hasten to establish our claim to the fish "Pelorus Jack" which was referred to as an Australian by a correspondent in TIME of April 18. But in case they do not: Pelorus Jack was a very real and popular personality who for many years frequented the cairn waters of Pelorus Sound, New Zealand, and made a practice of meeting the daily steamers as they passed through the narrow French Pass on the regular route between Wellington and Nelson. (I am a native of Nelson and saw him innumerable times and this is not a fish story.) Where he came from was a mystery, as no fish remotely resembling him were ever found in that vicinity. But he was apparently of the dolphin family, about 20 ft. long and snow-white--a friendly soul who for lack of companions of his own species had "struck up a friendship" with steamers. As the daily boat entered the Pass he would come rushing alongside and swish delightedly back & forth in front of the ship and rub himself along the sides, while tourists hung over the rail taking his picture. Sailors said his object was to rub the barnacles off his back, but whatever the reason he would gambol with the steamer until it reached the end of the Pass (15 or 20 minutes) and then disappear until next day's boat. On one occasion he was fired on from a certain steamer and ever afterwards was never seen when that particular boat made the trip--an intelligent as well as a cheery soul. He had the rare honor of being protected by Act of Parliament, the New Zealand Government having passed a special Act making it a punishable offense to injure or capture him. His death (about 20 years ago) may be directly attributed to modern progress. The only boats he knew were single-screw steamers which have a propeller in back only, and when the Union Steamship Co. placed their twin-screw Arahura on the run (propeller on the side also, but I hope this will not involve TIME in a nautical argument as I am no sailor), Pelorus Jack met his Waterloo. Shortly after the Arahura went on the run his dead body was picked up with a big wound in the side, the inference being that in brushing himself against the side of the ship he had run into the side propeller. I had not meant to be quite so chatty on the subject but he really was an interesting old boy. E. M. ALLAN

San Francisco, Calif.

Zack Miller & Lawyers

Sirs:

In reading your article regarding myself under date of April 4, a part of this article at least must have been dictated by someone who was not fully cognizant of the facts. The argument in my bedroom started when I sent for the receiver to come over so that I could give him a list of a few old pet horses that I had in the corral that had never belonged to the 101 Ranch. There was nothing said about the pigs or any chickens, but there had been reports carried to me of the gun-toting lawyers of the receiver and we had a heated argument over these personal horses and that is what led up to the rapid exit of these two gentlemen from the White House.

Also, your article would lead your readers to believe that the entire Ranch had been sold, which is not a fact, as not one acre of the real estate has been sold, and we expect to come out of this financial difficulty and again take our place as one of the leading industries in the U. S. In this connection, I might call your attention to the fact that the 101 Ranch is being operated under a receivership and is not in bankruptcy.

I don't know where you got the picture of me, but it certainly represented my feelings on that day, and does not in the least resemble me outside of my hat.

ZACK T. MILLER

White House, 101 Ranch

Ponca City, Okla.

Pickett's Act

Sirs: "Died. Bill Pickett, 65, oldtime bulldozer on the famed 101 Ranch of Col. Zachary Taylor Miller; in Noble County, Okla. A towering Negro . . ." (TIME, April 18). I have Col. Zack T. Miller's letter for a suggested correction. I quote: "Bill Pickett would weigh about 170 Ib. and was 5 ft. 10 in. high and was the originator of the bulldogging stunt (not bulldozing). This nigger was one of the best hands that was ever on this place and up to the time he died would rather jump off a good horse onto a wild steer than eat a square meal. I had him with me in London in 1914 and he had also been to South America previous to that. He was the feature act of the buffalo hunt we had here on June 11, 1905, and it was from this show he got most of his wide publicity." And Pickett died in Kay County, Okla., though the ranch covers a part of Noble and Kay Counties. Today I received a picture of Bill Pickett and the following poem written by Col. Zack T. Miller all included in a leather bound covering: OLD BILL IS DEAD Old Bill has died and gone away, Over the "Great Divide." Gone to a place where the preachers say Both saint and sinner will abide. If they "check his brand" like I think they will It's a runnin' hoss they'll give to Bill And some good wild steers till he gets his fill. With a great big crowd for him to thrill. Bill's hide was black but his heart was white, He'd sit up through the coldest night To help a "doggie" in a dyin' fight, To save a dollar for his boss. And all Bill wanted was a good fast hoss, Three square meals and a place to lay His tired self at the end of day, There's one other thing, since I've come to think Bill was always willing to take a drink. If the job was tough, be it hot or cold, You could get it done if Bill was told. He'd fix the fence, or skin a cow, Or ride a bronc, and EVEN PLOW, Or do anything, if you told him how. Like many men in the oldtime West, On any job, he did his best. He left a blank that's hard to fill For there'll never be another Bill. Both White and Black will mourn the day That the "Biggest Boss" took Bill away. "'Bill' Pickett was born about 1860; died April 2, 1932, from injuries received while roping a bronc on the 101 Ranch. He was the originator of that great rodeo sport, 'Bulldogging,' having been the first man to jump from his horse onto the head of a running steer. "This was written on the day of his death by one who had been his boss for 30 years. "--Z. T. MILLER" PAUL W. CRESS Perry, Okla.

Sirs: Issue April 18 Milestones mentions death of Bill (or "Nigger"--as he was always "billed") Pickett (am sure spelled with two t's). "Bulldogger" not "Bulldozer" is technical rodeo term {Continued on p. 50) {Continued from p. 6) for his act and those who these days throw steers-by horns. How necessity--danger--was responsible for Pickett's act is an interesting tale: It seems he vyas a "hand" on a Southwestern ranch, was helping load cattle, went into the car to "untangle" the load. Those starting the cattle into the loading chute did not give Pickett time to get out and back on the Runways or "prodding boards" but sent an infuriated beast down the chute just as Pickett started up out of the car door. The ancient cry, "The Lady or the Tiger," became "Pickett or the Bull." Pickett grabbed the beast by the horns, crouched, finally knelt in an effort to throw it. Failing, in desperation, he sank his teeth into the animal's nose, subdued it--which is not strange when we recall that ancient Sicilians and others challenged and fought by "ear biting.". . . J. KRAKAUER

(old TIME "r") El Paso, Texas

Sirs: . . . The writer, among many thousands, was present on the occasion. According to the advertisement Pickett was to enter the bull ring, wearing a red shirt, with no other person to be in the ring. Instead, prior to his entrance, besides the beautiful reddish-roan, fighting bull, there were some five or six well mounted white cowboys of the Miller outfit, all armed with large calibred revolvers containing blank cartridges, and also carrying lassos. . . . As this was contrary to the announcement, the already existing antagonism of the majority was increased. After an unusually long wait Pickett appeared, but no red shirt, and was greeted mainly by hisses & jeers. He made several futile attempts to connect with the bull, evidently trying to save his handsome cow-pony from being gored, and finally retired from the ring, with pandemonium at his heels. . . . He finally returned and with scarcely any delay rode straight at the bull, who was meeting him half way. In this contact the pony was gored in the chest section and in the encounter Pickett was able to obtain his position for throttling the bull. . . . At no time was Pickett on the bull's back nor did he ever bite the animal's nose. It is one thing to "bulldog" or wrestle with a ewe-necked steer and quite another to tackle a well-developed fighting bull. Pickett found this out, much to his consternation. Owing to the much greater thickness of the bull's neck, instead of being able to lock his fingers together, the tips were barely touching. This made his hold very insecure and with the bull tossing his head up & down, Pickett's legs and feet flying like a whiplash, he was in a very dangerous and precarious position. At this very critical point, the cowboys commenced to throw their lassos, some aiming for the bull's front legs and some for his hind legs, and with this, the fed-up and disgruntled multitude commenced to throw cushions, empty beer bottles, bananas, oranges, etc., some almost nailing Pickett--and with the danger, noise, confusion and fatigue, Pickett released all holds and bit the dust instead of the bull's nose. The bull, fortunately for Pickett, also addled, made one vain pass at him prone on the sanded arena but was diverted from further attempts by the maneuvering cowboys; thus ended the humiliating scene, as regards Pickett's part of it, a grand fiasco--the nearest approach of Pickett's crowd was "throwing the bull" figuratively instead of literally. The capacity of the bullring, about 30,000, was filled. GEO. P. MILLEX

San Antonio, Tex.

Sewanee's Smith

Sirs: TIME MAY SECOND STATES IN ERROR MAJOR GENERAL SMITH TO HEAD MILITARY DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH STOP HE CHOSE TO BE SUPERINTENDENT OF SEWANEE MILITARY ACADEMY A PREPARATORY SCHOOL RUN UPON A MILITARY BASIS . . . STOP ACADEMY AND UNIVERSITY ARE CONNECTED BUT LARGELY THROUGH FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATORS. . . . JAMES M. MAXON JR.

Chattanooga, Tenn.

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