Dec. 30, 1906 (Sunday)

AN ARTIST ASKS, WAS THAT NEW YEAR'S BABY YOU WANTED OR NEW YEAR'S BABE? Here's an end-of-the-year design that was in some papers today. It's unclear what the message is. Is this simply a woman celebrating the change of the year? Or does she embody the youthfulness of the New Year? You can judge for yourself.

EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR THE ROPE-A-DOPE-AH IN TONOPAH: Joe Gans (left) and "Kid Herman" are preparing for a New Year's Day lightweight championship boxing match in Tonopah, Nevada. Evidently small betters are putting their money on Kid Herman while the big betters ($1,000 or more) like Gans, who is a 2-1 favorite right now. If you go, you might want to sit up close. These men are small. Gans is about 5 feet 6 inches; Herman is 5 feet 3 inches.

BASEBALL SALARIES DESCRIBED AS 'PRINCELY': It's time to complain about the high salaries of baseball stars, according to an article in today's Syracuse Herald. One of the headlines sets the shocking tone of the story: "Some Ball Tossers Have Signed Contracts Calling for More Than $1,000 Per Month." You read that right....$1,000 PER MONTH!!! Some examples: Cleveland will pay "that great sphere swatter" Nap Lajoie $25,000 for THREE YEARS!!! Jack Chesbro, "the star spitball artist" receives about $8,000, or $200 PER GAME!!! (For 2006 totals, multiply by 20.)

THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY OF LITTLE BIG HORN: Curtis W. Lindley of South Dakota, while visiting friends in Auburn, N.Y., took some time to describe to a Post-Standard reporter some aspects of the battle that led to the death of Gen. George A. Custer – from what he has learned from Indians at the battle. Lindley lived with Indians for years and learned to speak the language of the Sioux. One of the rumors he heard from the Indians is that Custer ended his own life by shooting himself in the brain. Lindley said Chief Gall (right) was one of the main strategists and made a vital decision when he noticed that the Indians did not have enough horses. He directed warriors to make attacks designed to allow them to take control of horses of the white men, which were then used by the Indians. Lindley said that Indians advancing up the hill toward Custer's men, sang a war song, which, translated into English, said, "I am the last to die."