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My continued study of the copy of the ordinance led me to believe that it was passed as a revenue raising measure for the STATE. Let's see what happens. If I had been stopped at the State line in a decent way and paid my permit the State would have $2. This fee by the way increases with heavier trucks, and properly supervised this ordinance would bring the State a great deal of revenue. As it is. you will note that the J. P. made himself $3.15#151;the officer $2.90—the witness (that guy killed me, he never once spoke a word) $1— and the fine was $1. WHAT DOES THE STATE GET OUT OF IT?
In passing I wish to say that I saw no other written record of the whole transaction except the fee bill which I enclose. There was no carbon on the pad from which this was torn. I do not say that a record was not made later but I DO say that the whole mess stinks to the high heavens as a petty chiselling graft, taking advantage of men who cannot afford to pay such fines. Not so petty at that if you figure a dozen or so commercial out-of-State travellers per day. This estimate is not high as this route is the accepted all-year route from the Coast to the Southeast.
The more I thought about the matter the madder I got. On arriving at the Alabama State line I made a bee line for the nearest highway patrol station, asking what fees were necessary, I was told that the State was free to commercial travellers. They then asked if I had been swindled in Mississippi and told me that it was a sweet racket which had been going on since 1934. These Alabama highway patrol boys make it a point to warn all travellers from their side and told me that even so, many travellers are "arrested" WHILE ON THEIR WAY to the office in Pascagoula. . . .
JAMES BLACKTOX
Reginald Denny Industries
Hollywood, Calif.
John Stink's Story Sirs: How come, TIME? In the issue for March 29, I read that "last week" John Stink, wealthy Osage, emerged from a 50-year retirement in the woods. In March 1933, as a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners (an unpaid commission of more than 60 years' standing, since abolished by the President on the ground of economy), I was visiting in the Osage country and called at the log cabin home of John Stink or Ha-ta-moie, whose emergence from the hills was hy no means a new story at that time.
In my scrapbook is a full-page story from the Tulsa Daily World of April 7, 1935. The Omaha Indian woman in charge of John, who wrote the article, fixed the date of his reappearance in society as about five years previous. Isn't your news item a bit delayed? FLORA WARREN SEYMOUR Attorney at Law Chicago, Ill.
Sirs: Some one pulled your leg re John Stink, hermit Osage—(TIME, March 29). The atavistic old fellow has not just come down from his tree to claim $200,000. It's quite a story. Probably too long for publication in the Letters Column, but it will be interesting to your staff.
Many years ago, John Stink did go into a state of coma while afflicted with smallpox during an Osage epidemic. He was "buried," according to tribal custom, with some of his personal effects atop the ground. Then, also according to custom, his relatives divided his horses and other property, held a few wailing feasts and proceeded to forget him.