The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-25
Rupert Hughes, an Iowa Playwright,
Owes Much of Success to His Parents
Writer in the New York Herald Tells of the Early Amb
tons of the Former Keokuk Boy Who Has Won
Fame
Fame.

T. SOuhdCASC hio EAa VI ~ AAs~>A - --.~-
brought success to Rupert Hughes
the famous playwright who spent his
early boyhood days in Keokuk. J. A.
Fitzgerald of the New York Herald
| in speaking of the early ambitions OF
the Iowa playwright says:
All aboard for trip with Rupert
Hughes. author of Excuse Me- the
twentieth century fun flyer, which
leaves the Gaiety theatre promptly at
1915 every night. Seemed rather
apropos to find the man who made up
| the Pullman comedy in an apartment
overlooking the New York Central
railroad yards surcharged with shrek
ing engines, bawling brakemen and
humping freight cars.
is this where you got the inspira-
ton for your play?'' he was asked, as
| two trains came together in heated
argument.
You'd be surprised how it helped
me-" he said, with a laugh. 1T gave
me my first idea. l was trying to get
several persons in complicated sit
uation, and | was not making much
progress. when | CHANGED to look out
of the window and saw a passenger
4 train going by. The idea came to
me instantly. l would plant my COM
4 edy on railroad train
4 but how on earth do you write
with that awful racket going on?"
i why. they're peaceable out there
now. You should hear them when
they are making up trains between
i midnight and daylight. That's when
i, do most of my work and that's
when they do their real humping.
..And every bump brings you new
idea?"
They don't come as fast as that,
} but the racket is second nature to
me. was raised in a railroad atmos
phere. My father was president o.
$ one of the branches of the Chicago
/ Burlington & Quincy for years, and
t have always taken an interest IN the
business. My knowledge of railroad
ing came in handy when / began t
y put Excuse Me- together
;, You've started a few other trains
r. from your dramatic station, was sug
n gested.
8 Guilty as charged in the indict
ment. / cannot recall just how man,
started. but only one or two Of then
e reached the main line. All the other
a. were tagged by Cain. the storehous
Of switchman 1t seemed that every tim
lie he saw one of my trains coming tc
IL ward him he threw the lever owe
Is and ran it on siding"
&C. "Ah, ha. Then you know Cain?'
w "Know him? We were together s
much there one time that peop
thought we were brothers. | was Oh
1g of his regular customers. His amb
in lance used to stop at the door ever
We morning. Even his horses used
re- nod to me-"
To- He'll never catch Excuse Me-
nut Il hope not But it looks as If
WI was going to lose his friendship c
hit. account of its success. | met hi
he the other day and he refused
In speak to me-
dr. But you won't require his servic
of any more"
s. III uOJ So Sul1 vi tuut, Wy LIZ
piece is liable to be frost. It's
). chance.
,os- is there anything in the writ
ter line that you haven't tried your ha
and att
nds Il think I've written eyerythi
ore but checks hope to be able TO WI
as few of them from now on. Since
wer first took to ink I've written sh
OF stories, novels, poetry, plays, mu
lass and librettos,
From whom do you inherit v
'ical literary Weakness
was 81 might blame it on some mem
lom- of my family, but | am too much Of
it's man for that. 1t is true that my fs
,rm- er writes legal briefs, but that's
the reason why he should be held RESP
tiles sible There is no one to blame
elop- myself
ucer Where did you begin your car
ards of crime?'
tally Il was born in Lancaster, Mo. t
over ty.nine years ago, and | took my
lilies false step in Keokuk, Iowa, Sc
,ner- years later AT that age | squee
IS Of out my first poem. 1t was entii
ffalo BE Kind to Everybody and my f
cuse, parents Immediately decided it
thin time to remove Byron and the OF
FALLS journeymen poets from the lib
ater- and make room for a little homem
water poetry. Thus encouraged be
in turning out verse with both hal
and and the result was volume OF p
cities ry before | was twelve. My fat
) the sent my lucubrations to a Chic
Germ publishing house and offered to
avail the expense of publication if it W.
put the poetry upon the market
ways Did any one buy the book?"
rpose Wait minute. 1t never was
MS of lished The manager OF the comp
: and wrote back and told my father tn;
the he valued my life not to let the s
e i'm get to the bookstands. He sugge
-reaty that | be compelled to wear h
that cuffs but my father would not Ii
c feet TO it. He, like the other member
240,- my family, felt that there was
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