April 30, 1907 (Tuesday)

SCULPTURE DEPICTING AN IOWAY CHIEF IS A HIT IN PARIS: American artists have made a big impression at the Salon of the Society of French Artists in the Grand Palais at Paris. It opens to the public on May 1. The jury rejected about 4,100 submissions and accepted about 1,600, according to today's New York Times. Among the best pieces of sculpture, according to the article, is something called "Indian Chief" by S.E. Fry -- a project he carried out at the behest of the city of Oskaloosa, Iowa. This is the statue of Ioway chief Mahaska (right), which is in that city. The sculptor's full name is Sherry Edmundson Fry. The statue was recently restored, and there's an interesting story behind it.

NEIGHBORS WANT POLICE TO FLUSH THE SONG "POOR JOHN": Magistrate Baker of Manhattan's Yorkville Court signed a summons yesterday for Michael Glyne, owner of a five-cent theater/show on Third Avenue in Manhattan. His establishment has a GIANT PHONOGRAPH placed above the front door. The judge wants Glyne to explain why he should not be ordered to CHANGE THE MUSIC that he plays on the phonograph. About 100 residents and business men and women in the vicinity of the phonograph have signed a petition of complaint and presented it to Capt. Raynor of the East 51st Street Station. The petition charges that the ONLY TUNE that the phonograph has been playing (for numerous days) is "Poor John," (composed by Henry Pether with lyrics by Fred Leigh).
According to the article, "The petitioners say the repetition of the tune influences their minds and their work."
Part of the lyrics:
...He always used to kiss me on the same place twice.
Often in the park, we would sit and spoon....
The song was used in the sound track for the musical "Cover Girl" (for a snippet, click on the song title).

NEW YORK CITY MAGISTRATES WILL WEAR GOWNS IN COURT: The city's Board of City Magistrates adopted a resolution yesterday to start wearing gowns while at the bench starting June 1. The gowns will resemble those worn by judges on the Supreme Court.
The discussion was not without humor.
When Magistrate Barlow exhibited samples of gowns, all of which were black, Magistrate Walsh piped up, "Aren't there any green goods among them?"
Then Barlow explained that there were TWO weights of silk -- a light Japanese silk for summer and a heavier brand for winter. Magistrate Walsh wondered whether or not the judges should use the LIGHT SILK for MISDEMEANOR cases and the HEAVIER SILK for FELONY cases.
Another attempt at humor was captured in today's account in the Times. Magistrate Breen mused, "I take it that when we sit in night court that we should wear night caps."
Or, maybe, drink a nightcap.