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Newspaper
Athens Messenger
Location
Athens, Ohio, United States of America
Date
Oct 26, 1931
Page
4
Publisher details for THE ATHENS MESSENGER & HERALD PRINTING CO. Gordon & Bush. Charles H. Harris, editor. serving Athens Nelsonville Glouster Logan Pomroy Middleport Coolville and nearby communities with editions and subscriber rates listed. second class matter under 1918 act.
Across editorials, the piece laments public admiration for Capone and argues crime never pays. It condemns tolerance of organized crime, notes his sentencing exposes civic confusion and a need for stronger government to curb criminal power. The column warns society remains vulnerable while money fuels rackets.
The speaker argues that even wide dust free roads fail under heavy traffic and must be rebuilt, urging vast long term investment. He contrasts first and second class roads, rail upkeep, and the endless need to expand as conditions change, noting impatience with slow progress.
In a candid confession Torrio, former Chicago gang leader, says racketeering is a losing game. He notes that every man’s hand is against a gangster and warns of eventual downfall similar to Capone or rivals Hymie Weiss Dion O’Bannion and Jack Zuta.
In New York a columnist muses on hat costs and hat check culture detailing a $5 hat’s annual drain, a Waldorf concession sale at $45,000, and a vast hat turnover across clubs, hotels, and ships. He recalls Renee Carroll rising from hat check lore to Broadway fame, and notes Leon’s domination of boats and Broadway venues.
A Washington based inquiry service explains Jack Dempsey participated in several charity exhibitions for War Veterans and Liberty Bond funds. The piece also answers questions on wealth distribution, Lindbergh’s flight route, the Chicago Post Office size, Theda Bara’s retirement, and University of Zurich enrollment providing concise factual responses.
A poem arguing for human sympathy as aphids gnats slugs and other insects battle under harsh light to survive. The speaker notes insects threaten crops and flowers and asserts pro human stance in the coming fight despite ecological details.
A voice notes that the former gangster squandered wealth as the world suspects, for in the nature of crime he cannot keep riches long. He rises briefly, then is defeated before he begins, destined to be licked by circumstance.
A devotional snippet quotes Malachi 3 9 warning of a curse for theft from God. The line emphasizes moral causation and consequences in a religious context.
A fire damaged a sign on McAllister Street in San Francisco as a rock themed display was burned. Local authorities are investigating possible arson while witnesses report the incident occurred late evening. No injuries were reported and the scene was secured.
In 1926 a record high tide stranded 1500 bluefish on South Wellfleet beach. Local citizens formed a group to extract oil from the fish and paid the town 15 000 for the catch. The sum was shared among 300 villagers. Tomorrow features The Longest Billard Run.
A reader from Athens Ohio comments on a Messenger forum letter about beer houses and bootlegging. He argues prosecutors face a hard task proving three offenses and criticizes judges and slick lawyers who circumvent the third offense provision. He urges stronger county enforcement and more deputies to clean up bootlegging. October 23, 1931.
An Observer laments traffic in Athens and nearby towns urging better routing for through motor tourists. He cites Route 50, Grafton, Logan, Nelsonville, and Alfred to show jam relief via back roads, opposing the main drag. He notes poor rural road conditions, church and school impacts, and potential road projects as employment boosts.
The Athens Messenger offers a four color 21x28 inch map of the Soviet Union with population, industrial, and commercial statistics plus details on the Soviet government and Five Year Plan. Supplied by Amtorg Corporation, available by mail for ten cents with a coupon.
A reader from an unspecified location encloses ten cents in coin or stamps and asks for a copy of the new map of the Soviet Union. The request is sent to the Information Bureau in Washington D C, directed by Frederic J. Haskin. Name Street City State provided.
Editor notes forceful push for better roads across Athens County. Highlights Gard en road through The Garden, Asbury to Guysville Pike, and Carthage area previously isolated by mud, now opening up farmers’ local markets and reducing seasonal isolation.
A reader argues that party lines should yield to the general good and that officeholders deserve longer terms to avoid constant electioneering. He predicts loud politics in Congress as lawmakers push laws to “cure” economic ills, urging education and unity over divisive rhetoric. Continued on Page 5
Work halted at Hocking and Sunday Creek coal mines to allow miners to vote in the local option election in Athens. Ohio ranked second in auto registrations with 80 000 licenses, while New York led. Ida Douth McCarty and children visited Athens for the eighty second birthday of Mrs Lydia Armstrong, hosted by Senator J L Carpenter. John King traveled from Minot North Dakota to visit former Canaan Township residents.
In Washington two elder ambassadors from Japan and China face off over Manchuria. Debuchi, Japan's envoy, smiles and argues regional affairs while Kwai of China defends sacred treaty rights, shaping how the United States views Geneva representation.
A teacher observes a lively child who switches games quickly and shows restlessness. The piece urges stabilizing interests, teaching perseverance, and channeling the need for change into engaging tasks to foster finish and pride in created objects.
In a column on Wells and public life the writer notes Wells’s pessimism about modern society. He cites overproduction among steel firms and a Milwaukee inventor’s pipe breakthrough while condemning government policy for forbidding mutually beneficial agreements.
The speaker laments civilization’s folly while noting Brazil orders hundreds of tons of cheap coffee bricks for locomotive fuel to reduce surplus. He cites bread and coffee lines with copper and cotton at 7 cents as signs of systemic trouble.
The text argues against government price and production controls and proposes letting railroads steel coal and sugar set arrangements on demand. It warns that government wage and work day mandates would enforce a new paternalism, likening it to a canoe approaching Niagara. The speaker cautions industrialists who ignore this shift.
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