The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-20
HAS HAD EXPERIENCES
lBy Ed L. Keen, London CORRESPOND
ent of the United States.

LONDON, July 19-England boasts
temporary possession of the youngest
moving picture impressario In the
world-but 1t acquired him from Amer
lea.
Besides this distinction, Charles
weston, who recently produced the
most ambitious and successful film vet
put out by an English company "The
Battle of Waterloo fought on the
held around Irthlingborough, North
ampshtre- may well claim the title of
champion human rolling stone.
Watson started travelling at his birth
his father was English and his
mother French-which took place on
train between New York and Jack
sonyille, ~ years ago, and has been at
1t ever since. AS soon as he could
toddle he began running away from
nome and kept it up until at the age of
nine he managed to make clean get
away from Florida by joining circus.
For five years, in all parts of the
country. he helped feed the elephants.
with no remuneration except his board
Then ! decided" he said. that 1T
was time to earn some money. So for
SOCK the sawdust for New York. land
ing there with five cents in my pocket.
found job at 50 a week cleaning out
spittoons in a saloon. One day, while
l was singing over my work, strang-
er came up and asked me il j could
act. | couldn't then, but you can
guess my answer. The stranger fell for
III and took me on. happened to
make good, and later got into the bust
ness end of the game, among other en-.
terprises taking Peter Pan about the
states.'
Then followed a succession of IN.
successful theatrical ventures, and
Weston, with the "wanderlust'' bus
still working in his system, came ia
London. broke The only outlet for his
talents he could find for time was to
teach roller skating. However, he was
soon able to organize an English the
africal company and TOOK it to Aus.
tralia. After successful tour, on his
return he stopped off at Colombo and
sent nearly all his money on to Cooks
office at Gibraltar. Later, changing his
plans he decided to take look around
Egypt
When landed at Alexandria /
went straight to Cooks and tried to
get my money, but they told me /
would have to go to Gibraltar for It,"
said Weston II had lost my boat and
was practically broke, but went to
Cairo. put up at Shepherds in $40
day room, and began to think. In the
lobby heard party of tourists inuuir-
Ing for a guide. That was my chance
I'm guide | told them. and they en-
gagged me on the spot 1 took them all
over the Holy Land and when had
finished the tour / was $500 to the
good. Then went on to Gibraltar, got
The Cooks money and proceeded to
Monte Carlo. There l lost it all, 5000"
On borrowed money Weston got to
Paris, and again tackled the theatrical
game with roller-skating as side
line. AS soon as he had accumulated
sufficient capital he organized another
company, with Russian actress as his
star and returned to America, But
here was something wrong with the
Russians eyes and the immigration au-
.horities refused her permission to
land. Weston had to pay her way
back to Europe, and this with other
expenses again landed him on the
rocks. In the meantime he had mar
RED an English girl, and they lived in
4 hall bedroom until one day he
.hought of writing a motion picture
play He got S25 for it and an invita-
ion to do some more
Il wrote another and they let me
,lay in It," he said. Then, one day the
stage director happened to be absent
md was put in his place. That's how
became film producer"
In producing Waterloo" Weston's
Of considerable line of
battle pictures, he first read all the
books he could find dealing with the
historic engagement. He got the list
rom an official of the British museum,
spent $40 in buying the books and sat
Up nights until he had mastered all
he technical details. Then he wrote
he scenario and was proceeding leis-
rely in his preparations for the pro-
luction when he learned that an
American concern was sending repre-
to Europe for the same pur-
pose
Determined not to be scooped on his
own idea, Weston hoped on a train,
quickly secured the necessary site at
interchangeable was familiar with
The country and its suitability, 1t hav.
ing been the home of his wife-and re-
turning to London proceeded to corner
Ill the Waterloo uniforms that could
be found in the city together with old