The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-18
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!, LOCAL EVENTS AND INTER-
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A LOCAL sToRY OF THE MAN
THEN AND u NOW WITH b
THE BANJO. e &, 4;
Last evening at the performance
given on the sMarkle show boat among
the actors who also did a specially,
was q man who Is well known in this
city. This Is neither startling nor I'M
usual. But the appearance OF that
man on the stage last evening and
when he was here early last winter
and the attitude OF the people toward
him then and now was ditferent--far
different.
Here's the story, and it's no press
agent yarn either: One cold. winters
evening q man, poorly clad. hungry
and 2 destitute. walked into Fairmont
and under his arm he carried BAN
10. This man was attempting to get
work In his profession, that Of banjo
player, which pursuit he had followed
all his life. he knew no other calling
and could do nothing else; he was for.
hidden 10 play in saloons by all whom
he asked. He was down and out, hun
cry and cold. He sought employment,
but no man wanted him--hls appear.
ance was against him. He wanted
work OF any kind, but no employer
wanted him. That man found 1t. q
pretty difficult matter to get anything
to eat TO sustain life and much harder
to- secure a place to lodge to shelter
him from the winters blast. But thank
God there were few persons to whom
he appealed that extended helping
hanl--gaye him something to eat.
After being In this city a few days he
caught a freight and went East, and
some person who had q Christian sp!r.
II lit Is not known whether the kind.
~ disposed person was member Of
a church or not, the Christian spirit
was there neyertheiess)-got that man
some clothes and secured him work in
his chosen profession or! calling. To.
day that same man who was consider.
ed a "bum" about this city less than
a year ago is one of'the most respect
ed members among the company In
which he Is playing. He is making
good and the prospects for him to ad.
vance .stlll further In his profession
| are, excellent, He Is working six days
| ah&eek and u entertaining hundreds
nightly with ibis. banjo music.i -
Some t@illi say THAT he should NOT
lhave, gohen III such a poyerty.sts,ck.
en- way; that he should not have got.
ten down and ont that 1t was his own
fault. That Just the Kind of a person
that never helps any one when they
lare down and ont. This maIlthad his
domestic strpubles atq 8 tiesRrobaby
drank toaah excess toss attemptsto
drown his troubles in a cup OF more
sorrow, for at the time being he was
wrought up the:could not see his. folly.
You might have done the, same thing
under the sametcIrcumstances,;c: -; x Z,
Now back to the story Of his re.
turn, which Is more pleasant: When
that man appeared last night on the
stage there was great applause OF
greeting and among. the greeters there
we're several who had assisted him
while i'll Fairmont, and IT'S a safe
guess that there were others who
turned a deaf ear to this man when
he asked for assistance. Yes. it's all
right 70 pat man on the back when
he Is in the world and turn him down
when he is down and out. II no one
had helped this man to again get on
his feet, do you suppose that he would
have been entertaining the large audi.
ence last night? No, that man wuuiu
have done as thousands OF others who
have done when in the same fix as he
took their own life. This man was
way up in his profession years ago.
drawing s125 per week. but trouble
came--and unfaithful wlfe-followed
with his drinking. That's the story
the same old. old story. That man is
now on the road to success and he is
going to continue to make good and is
going to- get back to his old high
priced position on the stage. There
are people today who cuffed and
bluifed him and there are some who
helped him. Good advice don't fill an
empty stomach; neither does It pro.
Fiue u place. u steep, neither uOeS II
nut man back on his feet. The man
who helped this man did not give him
a lot Of "hot air about mending his
ways. but he took him In and gave
him helping hand as the Lord God
expected that brother would netp
brother. and II that man who assisted
lin and put him where he Is to.aay
lie has got a better chance for, stars
In his crown than great many pre-.
tenders. who imagine because d man
Is down and out that the gutter is the
place. Cor him and that he should SUI
fer II lie has acted wrongly. 1t Is a
blessing Of heaven that all people are
not alike. for this would be a cold
world. That man WHO came here on
cool winters night without sufficient
clothing to keep; him warm. hungry
and sick at, heart and no ploce to lay
his restless head has come back here
In the sprlngtlme a far different mar
and for the one reason that the per
son who helped him believed that
| there Is some good in us all and by