The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-21
WHEN EDDIE FOY
WAS I'M DODGE
(Kansas City StarN

(kansaS City Starr
well. bless my soul, if there isn't
Chalk Beesoni Why, hello Chalk, how
are you?'
''WeT, well. Eddie. never thought Of
running across you again.
With explanations of glad surprise
Eddie Foy, the comedian, and c. E.
Beeson of Dodge City, otherwise
Chalk member of the Kansas leg
islature grasped each others hands in
the lobby of the Hotel Kupper
Let's see, how longs it been?" Foy
asked, a faraway, reminiscent look in
his eyes.
why, do you know It was twenty
eight years. In 1878 Eddie Foy was do
ing song and dance stunt in Dodge
City, and Beeson-they called him
"Chalk"-was engaged in business
there. They fell to talking of the good
old times"
II remember how I got my first i'm
preston of Dodge" Foy said "A
bunch Of cowboys boarded the train at
Newton and as it began moving west
ward across the plains these cowboys
whipped out their revolvers and went
through the train, shooting out all the
lights. Every one was scared half 10
death except the old conductor. He was
used to it. He touched one of the cow
boys on the shoulder and said:
Tickets
We haven't any tickets. the cow
boy answered.
Where are you going?'
Going TO hell
Then you get off at Dodge this
conductor said, and he went his way.
DO you remember, Ed. the reception
the boys gave you the first night you
appeared in Dodge?" Beeson asked.
The comedian remembered. In his
mind he pictured a little wooden build
ing, with a rudely constructed stage az
one end facing the rows of plain wooden
benches.
My. that was a great house" Foy
said. ut was packed to the doors and
people outside were paying for the
privilege of looking in at the windows.
All at once they got to shooting. Guns
popped like a bunch of firecrackers.
stopped in the middle of a clog danes
and, stepping to the footlights asked;
Say, fellows, do you think this Is
the Fourth of July?
Every day is the Fourth heres
some one shouted, and they went on
shooting.
Every man had a gun in those DAYS.
but never knew a Drawer, truer-heart-
ed set OF men" Foy went on. How
they enjoyed life, too. After the variety
performance was over we'd have a
dance and the cowboys'd dance with
the girls. And that band-that cowboy
band-do you remember what great
music We had, Chalk"
We'll, think do" Beeson said, with
a laugh. But say, Eddie, what about
that new suit of clothes you wore?"
They certainly had me going" Foy
said, roaring with laughter They
didn't take kindly to a fellow appear
ing on the street dressed up Why.
they just grabbed me up, tied my feet
and hands, dumped me into a Shiny
water trough. and then set me I'D in a
wagon and drove all over town with
me- But it was all in fun and l took
it that way, didn't l. 'Chalk?'"
''You certainly did, Beeson replied.
And didn't we have fun with that pat
ent medicine man who came TO town
wearing q tall plug hat?"
Let me see, who was it that struck
the hat?" Foy asked
Bat Masterson, the sheriff. threw the
lemon; and say, Bat was the best shot
with lemon / ever saw. I wonder,
Eddie, if that patent medicine man isn't
going yet?''
Beeson was silent for a moment.
Then, in husky voice, he said:
land say, Eddie, you don't know
how many times in the years thatve
gone by I've thought of the night YOU
serenaded me-and my wife. 1t was
the night after our marriage, and it is
one Of our sweetest memories"
Yes, Chalk, 1 remember Foy re-
piled. and his voice was bit husky.
In that quartette was Jim Thompson,
who was doing song and dance with
me; Dock Brown, the banjo picker, and
FANNY Garrison. the ballad singer, and
myself. Your house was out near Boot
hill, where, they used to bury all the
Ie4-UNs mat uled with their boots on.
1t was warm night in summer I re-
call the joy we all felt as we stood in
the moonlight singing, and the music
we made fioated across those broad.
treeless prairies. Oh, it was grand,
Chalk
They sat silent a long time in the
hotel lobby looking at each other. Il
was Foy who spoke next.
And to think, Chalk, that tWenty-
eight years after that serenade in
Dodge 1 come TO Kansas City and see
your son playing a cornet in Shubert's
theatre"