Disquisition by Scripps, E.W., A damned old crank, April 5, 1909

              Ohio University Libraries, E.W. Scripps Papers, MSS 117, Series 4, http://media.library.ohiou.edu/scripps
April 5 J 1909.
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"A DAMNED OLD CRANK."
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IEhe other day a fam.ous a.nd notorious slJiritualist or clair- .I.
voyant came to San Diego and for several days did a tflri ving business
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~xcnan,Sll1g guesses .Lor t~le dollars of the credul::ms.
My oldest son1 Jim, who is just breakin::; into business in
a serious way I and who is pretty a.."'1Xious just now to find out when a
tJusiness boom is gair1€:; tc> set In a:.:;a111 and the revenues of our business
111CreaSe J ' .. vent to consult the faker.
Jim didn't learn anythil~~; about business J I uncle nrt, and , but
~;.;ot the usual dose of information about himself personally I his fam­il:
r affairs and the usual advice to a young man of business.
In order to convince Jim that he (the faker) had .n.. eculiar
and occult opportunities for learnin::; what the future is to be the
wizard told him some tl1ings about the past B-'1d t~e present that any maXl
W:10 knHvv that Jim's surname was Scripps could have told him. Of
course it didn't occur to Jim til at on account of his o"m peculiarly
large stature, st:::sngth of' body, his habits of dress, coupled 'Nith the
fact that he was the son of a man who is locall:{ conspicuous, would
make it verJ easy for him to be "ti pped off II to the faker 10n[::; before
he got from tile ante-room to the sanctum.
Nor did it occur I perhaps I to Jim that hi s 01J1.:' l-:i!~; heal thji
body, open face I and roug..1-} and readJ dress iVotild invite from a shre'v1d
observer a certain amount of pretended bl'lnt candor.
Jim told me somethin;~~ abou.t the int.erview· 7 1)ut veri little J --­hut
he told me how the faker characterized me, his subject's fat~6r.
Said the faker "Your father is a crank, in fact he is a danned old
crank! II
"Vlhy didn't you swat him O!1e,
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