The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-23
NOT A MILLION
Would Tempt Ezra Kendall, the
Comedian,
To Raise His Boys in New Y Ork
City.
Mr.. Kendall Says He is Social
ist and Why.

ist and Why.
'.This work is a new departure for
you. Mr.. Kendall remarked Jour
nal reporter to Ezra Kendall in his
room at the Throop hotel.
Yes" replied the prince of mono
Iogue artists, as he buttOned his col
lar and prepared to adjust his black
bow tie This is one Of the kind OF
things that you sleep in the afternoon
Like it?" queried the reporter
"Oh, yes. You can jolly the world as
well in a minstrel show as you can IN
anything else. Somebody has to pay
me for springing gags. and Primrose q
West kindly consented to this year
Here's something that viii show you
why the gags have to come.
Kendall dived into the inside pocket
of his cutaway coat and brought out a
cabinet photograph. It was a group
picture of five children, three boys and
two girls.
You know formerly had a Pair of
Kids" he said as he handed the photo
graph to the reporter. Now I've got a
house full
DO you know what I'm going to do
with those kids continued Kendall IN
the manner of a query, as he took the
photograph from the reporter and look
ed earnestly at the five children pictuD-
ed there.
The reporter simply said ''What?"
why in a couple or three years more
I'm going to bring those chlIdren out
here to the WeSt.-I don't thInk 1 II
bring them to Topeka because even 10
peEa is too large to suit my IDEAS
and I'm going to buy place and make
a home for them. 1 mean to locate IN
some small town, say a town OF be
tween 5000 and 10000 inha bitantSy and
there I intend that my children shall
New York, but I wouldn't let them be
brought up there for million dollars
And I'll tell you why
The comedian sat down on the edge
of his bed, and took on a serious air.
In New York a young man has alb
solutely no identity He has absolute
ly no chance to display any ability
that he may have and no chance TO
make a name for himself. Unless he
has influence. he simply becomes bur
led, and possibly rises to the proud po-
sitiOn of clerk in a store, or some sim
liar occupation, but no farther 1t IS
simply ruin to a young man to be born
and brought up in New York city at
the present day unless his father is one
of the men included in a family perpet-
uation of wealth or has pull of
some kind. and 1 would thousand
times rather turn my sons out on a
farm in the west than see them at
tempt to make their HEing in New
York.
Now in the west it is different. a
young man is brought up in small
town, he knows everybody and every
body knows him; if he has any ability
fl shows itself, and tim if he goes
into the world he has always the con-
ISOLATION of knowing that he has home
waiting for his return II you live IN
New York. and leave for a few weeks,
you don't even know the JanItor Wnen
you get back.
4 guess that in principle I am So
cialist; in Chicago they go so far as to
call me an anarchist. but whatever 1
am I believe that there should be some
manner of levehng things in this world.
Why should men who have ability in
the different lines of work have to bow
before men who are their interiors in
every way just because their great,
great gTandfathers made a fortune and
have perpetuated it among their de-
scendants. I don't for moment be
IieVe in the destruction of capital but
I do believe that there should be some
thing done to put an end to this eternal
gam bling and money getting at the eX-
penSe OF the masses of this country
which is now going on every day in the
east. This speculation in the necessi-
ties OF life is all wrong. Do you know
that / think a corner on wheat is one
of the gravest offenses possible. Garry
it out to the very ends and you will see
why IT is so. The poor woman. living
in poverty and misery in the garrets
Of our big cities, trying possibly to sup
port a family, gets little less in her
loaf of bread every time the specula-
wheat. Itis nothing more or less than
speculation in human life"
Ezra Kendall was formerly news
paper man. working on the New York
Herald He entered the employ of the
Herald on the same day as James
Creelman, the now noted newspaper
correspondent, and worked with Creel-
man for five years. At the end of that
time he made up his mind that he was
better fitted for the stage than news
paper work, and took an engagement in
comedy work Since that time he has
been continuously before the public as
an entertainer.
The farce comedy. "A Pair of Kids"
was written expressly for him. and in
this piece he made a name for himself
as comedian Last year he entered
vaudeville work for the first time, and
this year is his first year in minstrel
work Next year he will probably ap-
pear in comedy drama, written for
him by Mary Morton, which will be
similar to the pieces now played by Sol
Smith Russell. with the exception that
there Will be less pathos
Surprised Mr.. and Mrs c NJ Ross.