The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-11
centerville Has Turned Out More
Successful Theatrical Folks Than
Any other Place Of
Its Size.
CAUSE IS DOUBTFUL
Paytons Claim the Credit for the
Amazing outpourins of Talent
From That One
place.

The New York Dramatic Mirror
says:
Centerville is small town in the
southern part of Iowa of about S'ooo
population 1t can boast OF having
turned out more successful theatrical
people. it is said, than any town or us
size in the world.
Il will try and give list OF all !
can call to mind" says Guy hickman
of the Hickman-Bessy company. II |
have overlooked anyone excuse me.
Those who have taken the stage from
Centerville are as follows. Inose
marked with an asterisk were porn
and raised there; others lived there:
"Corse Payton, Henry Payton, Sen
ter Payton,+ Harry Payton,* Ike Pay
tons Joseph Payton,* Vina PAXTON
Lucy Payton, Cornelia Payton, Dave
Curtis, Spurgeon Spooner.@ Mary Gipbs
Spooner,. Edna May Spooner,s Cecil
Spooner,s Bob Spooner,+ F. 3. Spoon
er.s Mana Spooner,, Allie Spooner,F
Mike Spooner.+ Lem Spooner,s Marie
Blair Spooner, Irene Spooner,+ Guy
Hickman,s Jack Bessey,@ Ben Hud-
son.. H. R. Hickman.* John Hick-
man, Mr.. Mathews Kate Martin
Annie Harrison. Clarense Carrie
Rumme'l,s Robert Harper.* Carl d.
Burch, Clyde Hiatt Eliza Hiatt
Charles Henderson, Bert King, john
ME Boyle Miss Brazil,+ Ben Wilson,
Leila Wilson, Daisy Wilson, Allen Cor
rell,. Goldie Gorrell,t Tom Swearin-
gen. Billie Swearingen,* Hal Swear
ingen,s Hattie Bryant
These circus people have the hon
or: Howard Henderson, Frank Hen
derson,* Ed. Henderson, George Ian
ders, Earl Payton,+ Billie Bashaw,*
Ernie Bashaw,* Fred Taylor Charles
Martins Code Walker Bill Mar
/ tim
IN vaudeville: Grover Roberts,
I'm picture shows: Carl Bawn,
Charlie Pewthers,* Frank Sapp.*
I'm a medicine show: D. M. Brazil,
/ Mrs. d. M. Brazil
And these have retired: Mark
/ Lowther,* Cass Lowther,* and TWEEN
ty others.
From this list the successful com
panies are: Corse Payton, Payton's
three stock companies; Ike Payton
Payton Comedy company; Senter Pay
ton, Payton Dramatic company Spur
geon Spooner, Spooner Stock com
pany; F. E. Spooner, Spooner Stock
company Guy Hickman, Hickman
Bessey company, three stock com
panies; Payton Sisters, Payton Sis
ters' Stock company; Edna May
Spooner; Edna May Spooner Stock
company; Cecil Spooner, Cecil Spon
er Stock company; Hudson an6
Sweet, Hudson and Sweet Dramatic
company"
Mr. Hickman also gives this list o.
matrimonial unions among those mar
ried: Corse Payton married Eta
Reed, Ike Payton married Matte
Keen, Senter Payton married Ollie
/ Stafford, Claude Payton married Lucy
Payton, Cornelia Payton married Dave
Curtis, Lem Spooner married Marie
Blair, Sturgeon Spooner married Mary
Gibbs, Cecil Spooner married Charles
Blaney, F. E. Spooner married Mana
Anderson, Allie Spooner married Ed
win Wallack, Guy Hickman married
Grace Mclean, Jack Bessey married
Grace Baird, Annie Johnson married
Charles Harrison. Charles Henderson
married Juno Barrett, Ben Wilson
married Jessie McAlister, Allen Cor
rell married Lena Wilson, Daisy Viii
son married George Bodsford, Goldie
/ Gorrell married Walter Fame.
Now the question is" adds Mr.
Hickman, what was the cause of al
this outburst of talent in old 'Appa
noose?' Ike Payton says he caused 1,
4 Senter Payton says he wants the
credit, as does Sturgeon Payton The
old landmarks OF Centerville sa,
Grace Hezlep is to blame. CUES:
the best way to do is to let them f1gh
1t out. But if you want to know wht
lit was that invented show business
be in Centerville some summer wher
we are all at home, about 2 o'clocl
p M, on the south side of the publ,
square. in the shade, and most an,
of us can tell you"
Truly Centerville is an amazing
town