Recently a Californian, one Bernick Linden, made the supreme sacrifice of the booster, and killed himself in Los Angeles, it may be said without irreverence, that others might live in San Diego. This was no deadly jest. For San Diego had a higher suicide rate than its rival, a higher rate, in fact, than any other place in the country. In a region where life is nothing but beautiful girls in bathing suits, and sunny days, existence was too exquisitely delightful, and people were killing themselves out of pure joy on every hand. But Mr. Linden with remarkable insight saw that strangers who were not familiar with lithographic sections might attribute these wilful demises to other motives, and not settle in the city. So Bernick went to Los Angeles, penned his explanation and turned on the gas.
Gladly would Mr. Linden have given more lives to balance the figures of statisticians, but all that he had, he gave, their boosters have sold their souls for their cities, but here is the first man worthy of beatification. The people of Los Angeles will cry that he was bribed shamefully to smirch their reputation, but that is an attitude of cavilling envy. And, indeed, as long as there remains exalted ideas to which a man may consecrate his very life, the charge that modern materialism makes existence crass will thus be nullified.
Read more in News
THE CRIMERecommended Articles
-
Baseball ResultsSt. Louis 8Pittsburgh 2 Chicago 8 Philadelphia 7 Cincinnati at Los Angeles (Night) Milwaukee at San Francisco (Night)
-
ScoreboardSaturday's Games Indiana 124, New Jersey 113 Washington 113, Chicago 103 Philadelphia 109, Charlotte 102 Detroit 111, Orlando 107 Cleveland
-
ScoreboardTODAY'S GAMES Baseball at Tufts. 1 p.m. SATURDAY'S RESULTS Crimson 23, Niemans 2 YESTERDAY'S RESULTS NBA Playoffs Boston 121, Philadelphia
-
ScoreboardTuesday's Games Boston 112, New Jersey 96 Atlanta 123, Philadelphia 111 Houston 115, Charlotte 112 Milwaukee 130, Orlando 127 Detroit
-
ScoreboardThursday's Games Boston 139, Miami 118 Philadelphia 110, Minnesota 77 Cleveland 102, Washington 100 New York 108, Indiana 101 Utah