The San Francisco call., 1909-08-22


10 work in behalf Of fingers somewhat
strangers 10 the gentle services Of such
treatment. and even as il was. had my
hair cut TO lengthen the monologue.
Does the razor scratch?" he asked.
I'm back at the ola job, you see" said
he
had not known Frank was so YER
satile, and If it didn't sound like an
Aad" I'd say he is most excellent bar
her. even if he did lose $500 on his first
theatrical venture and $4,000 on his
last
uNNE day he continued, we
were sitting in the Fields home
playing penny ante'-weber
and Fields and Frank Bush; Max. who
was Fields brother and myself Lew
said If he had little money he'd take
a chance on the road. He and Joe
had Just quarreled with Gus Hill-this
was about p years ago-on account Of
The fact that Hiu did not feature Weber
and Fields. and they had resigned and
were out Of job. That didn't amount
10 much then. however. because neither
got more than about SIS week from
HuI-
I was only a kid. about Il years old,
but I had saved up nearly $500 during
the three years I had been in New York,
and all Of sudden the ambition came
over me 10 be a theatrical manager.
and quit being e barber. So I said:
I've got about $500. VIII that be
enoughg"
The company was organized on the
cooperative plan. II they made money
they divided Il Up pro rata. Frank as
hnaneier getting the FIRST 'whack,' ac-
cording 10 the merits of the individual
and the work he did IN the company.
They got as far as Paterson. n j..
Then the end came. Lew and Joe and
Nathan drifted hack TO New York.
Nathan went to work as barber again;
Weber and Fields made their peace
with Gus Hill and apparently the end
q Franks theatrical career had been
reached at the early age Of L.
should say. after hearing Mr..
Franks story. that the managerial bee
is the busiest in the world, and that
the theatrical virus is the most active.
because though he went hack to his
mug and brush took up his razor and
his shears. he saved his money 10 be a
manager again. ConddentialIy. let me
tell you, Frank says you can always
make dollar I'm the barber business.
- RANK was born in Warsaw When
he was 13 years old he was given"
IS he expressed it. by his father to a
barber. After four years he was to get
wages, meantime food and clothing
and many beaungs. and knowledge
OF the art tonsorial. 1T is necessary 20
said he. TO beat apprentices in the old
country
At the age OF Il. when youth knows
it ali. little Nathan concluded that after
a years apprenticeship he knew enough
about cutting hair and shaving faces
70 come to America so I skipped
out" said he With him came his sis
ter and his brother and they ali went
TO live with Mrs. Fields, his fathers
sister. Father financed the trip and
winked at the runaway
l1I Ew was about my age" he went
on. and we became fast friends.
We slept in the same bed in the
little house in Clinton street. New
york. 1 got job as barber boy. while
Lew and Weber, who were also friends.
worked at making cigarettes. Fields
the elder was the most religious of
men. He would not eat in strange
house for fear the food had not been
prepared in the kosher way"
Webers father was sort OF rabbi
and killed chickens according TO cere-
mony. It seems. Frank couldn't tell
me just what title he bore. but they
lived IN a little House In the rear of
an Essex street building. It was dark
and saualid and poor However. the
Two boys. Joe and Lew. kept at their
minicry with their work until they got
5obs around town in little music halls
and such places. Then came the Hill
oner. the row. the trip to Paterson.
which young Nathan financed with his
$500; the tramp back TO New York and
me re-engagement OF Weber and Fields
by HiII. while Nathan went back to
work again
kk7T FTER three or four years with
"A HIM. said Frank. the boys
were stars for certain. They
saved their money and organized
company which they sent out on the
road and made lots of more money
with. The Russell brothers were In the
cast and got as much as $50 a week
each. sam Bernard got $40 a week;
Lizzie B. Raymond, whom we used TO