Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-12-22
A THOUSAND CHILDREN
Noodles s"Fagan's Magnetism Draws
Largest Crowd Local Theatre
Has Ever Known.
breaches AND TEACHES.
A Big Show Given Free by Capital $
Guest-A Great Something for
Nothing"

Do many people read The Capital?
The answer was an object lesson YES
terday afternoon at the Boyer, former
ly the Colonial Theatre at the biggest
show ever given there, and all free
through the courtesy of The Capitals
guest, Noodles" Pagan.
There was not a "dodger," or a
handbill printed. The invitation was
extended wholly and solely through
The Capitals columns, to every man,
woman and child in Annapolis. Man
ager j. Fennimore Lee gave the use
of the theatre, The Capitals guest
gave the entertainment, and The
Capital published the news. Scarcely
child in this town but who was there.
The theatre was packed from pit
to dome. There were some three hun
dred colored chill 1ren in the balcony
and in the auditorium and gallery
there were some six or eight hundred
white children, all sizes, ages and
nationalities. There were in that
audience the Christian and the Jewish
boy and girl, the American, English.
Irish, German, French, Greek, Yid-
dish and every other nationality, all
intent upon what Noodles" said. and
what he did say was a great deal.
Noodles" told the children to
be clean-of face and hands, of heart
and character. He showed them
how the boys in New York schools
are made to keep their nails clean,
and in coming to school every morn
ing are given a tooth pick by the boy.
appointed to stand at the entrance
With this they get the dirt from
under their finger nails, and when
inspected inside the school, receive a
| good mark for clean finger nails.
Noodles" Fagan said, lin exact fig
ures,) how many thousand cases of
disease and sickness were directly at
tributable last year soiled finger
nails of children in New York schools.
Noodles" told the children of the
"Speak Kindly Club" How all boys
and girls who belong to that club are
polite and courteous to everybody;
how the poor news boys of New York
who belong to this club will help the
blind along the streets of that great
city, forming and endless chain of
helpers. He told the boys to be always
good to mother, and to do nothing to
bring shame upon her or themselves.
During his talk he related many incl
dents and anecdotes.
To see that vast sea of faces look
into his own attentively and interest
edly, must have thrilled Mr.. Fagan' s
heart. You could hear a pin drop
in any part of the theatre, so quiet
was that vast throng that when it
finally left the theatre was like
a great wave of humanity surging
as does the ocean.
A man who has the magnetism to
draw children as does Mr.. Pagan,
and to hold the undivided attention of
a motley crowd, is a wonder. He is
more than that. He's marvel
Yet Noodles" did it. Children to
right of him, children to left of him,
children in front of him, but none
"volleyed and thundered" save when
he asked them to give three cheers
for The Capital, and three for Mana
ger Lee.
He showed many interesting lantern
slides. Pictures of his travels in the
Yosemite Valley, Pixies Peak, the
Garden of the Gods, Mexico, Florida
and everywhere. He showed pictures
of the events of the day, and comic
pictures and amused and entertained
the children, the great big newsboy,
Noodles" Pagan, as no man in An
napolis has ever done before.
1t was great object lesson, a great
sermon the theme of which was mo-
rality and cleanliness. He besought
the boys not to smoke cigarettes, and
told them how deleterious it is to the
body of the boy and how it Injuries
his health. There is not a child in
that vast assemblage who will ever
forget Noodles" Pagan, and the
great talk he made. The whole
thing was something for moth.
ing and something that was worth g
great deal, and boys and girls, you
| a.