Jan. 11, 1916

THE ONCE OVER

Rex Lampman, tuneful poet, vivacious humorist and gentle anarchist, has found time among his multi-various duties as a member of the Portland Journal's reportorial staff to publish a book, entitled, "The Once Over," comprising a collection of his whimsical daily contributions to the Journal printed under the same caption, which have added so much to that newspaper's attractiveness.

"The Once Over," although like the dictionary, somewhat disconnected, has only dashes for punctuation and looks in print like the old "one-lung" automobile used to sound when climbing a hill, but is all the more entertaining on this account.

Rex Lampman may properly be called a product of the Rogue River valley, as he spent some five years here as publisher of the Gold Hill News, winning a statewide fame through his delightful verses and a brief and not as enviable glory as a muck-raker. As a reporter on the Oregonian he originated "The Crawfish," a humorous, once-a-week feature. But the sordid, smug stand-patness of the Oregonian jarred Rex' dreamy, progressive soul and he rejoined the Journal family to mutual profit.

Rex Lampman was succeeded at Gold Hill by his brother, Ben, gifted as a writer, with poetical talents surpassing those of Rex. Given leisure and opportunity, instead of being forced to consume his best energies with his nose at the grindstone in the thankless task of publishing a country newspaper to eke out an existence, Ben's fame would be nation-wide. Country towns and country newspapers have produced many a literary genius, and among them we hope some day will be listed the Lampman brothers — Rex and Ben.

But to get back to the "Once-Over." It sells for fifty cents cash or one dollar credit, and is well worth the price. Genius needs encouragement, and the people of the Rogue River valley should delight in patronizing a home product.