The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-10-21
Seized His Opportunity and
Raised the Hebrew Come
dian to Legitimate Place on
the Stage.
By GARDNER MACK.

By GARDNER MACK.
One Of the reasons that the chance
for advancement in this country Is
always free. like the poets have
said. is that the stuff men born with
the gift can mold into large, six
cylinder. 40-horsepower. self-start-
ing opportunity looks like a bunch
Of junk to the ordinary fellow and
nobody wants it. The deep. dark
significance Of the embarkation Of
the late Mr.. Jay Gould in traffic with
rat traps never became apparent to
the casual onlooker until after Mr..
r Gould had illustrated his familiar
ity with the workings Of his early
stock In trade on the persons Of a
few boards of railroad directors.
Nor did the chance cultivation Of a
habit of calm elaboration and abb
solute fixedness of purpose developed
through dealing with school rooms
filled with 'rah, 'rah boys. with a
football hangover. by a certain ex-
allied parsonage qualify as a real
opportunity for great public service
until the matter Of a certain tariff
bill was under consideration and
stealthy plans were laid for recess
sions on this schedule or that The
well-known stone wall was a filmy
mist In comparison with the OBJ
struction which the astonished recess
sions met when they made known
their views in the premises.
Recognition Not Easy.
Perhaps a dozen similar examples
could be picked from any recognized
biographical dictionary. Nobody can
ever really recognize the form that
opportunity takes. except the boys
who are honestly looking for 1t. The
only disguise 1t has never worn Is
that Of what is technically termed
a lead pipe cinch. And usually the
men do dig for it are willing to
silt out a few shovelsfuI of dross in
order to get grain or two of real
valuable stuff.
The matter of just what kind of
dross to sift is the thing that battles
most Of the seekers In the case Of
Joseph K. Watson, for example the
comedian OF the Happy Widows''
company at the Gayety this week.
few people will realize that the
chance composition Of q few verses
in a school room. when he was a lad
Of less than eight years, would have
led to the establishment Of a reputa-
ton throughout the country as the
nan who has delivered the most
severe blow possible to the impossi
ble unsightly and insulting Character
Of the stage Hebrew and has raised
the art of impersonating such we'll
known characters to q degree that
ranks with the achievements OF
David Warfield in the same direction.
While Warfield has carried his
Hebrew to the higher realms of
drama, Wetson has been willing to
keep his crusade in the burlesque
field where the need for reform was
the greatest and to see that It was
made a matter Of policy to managers
and playhorses to keep the wretched
carlcatLres Of former years out of
their productions.
While there Is still much to be
done in this direction. Watson has
started the ball rolling and intends
to keep it moving until the stage has
been thoroughly purged.
Began As Newsboy.
A native Of Philadelphia, Watson
was compelled to go to work for his
living for two reasons. He was ac-
cused OF spending too much of the
time that should have been put In
with his books rewriting the verses
in the books and making them hui
morous. The second reason was
that he needed the money as the
means 20 obtain the proper amount
Of nourishment and clothing and
shelter. AS a newsboy and boot
black he continued his practice Of
writing verses. He sold songbooks
on the streets along with his papers,
and he acquired the habit Of fitting
his own words to popular airs, which
he sang to advertise his wares, with
the result that he made an excel
lent salesman. and soon hired
clerk to do the selling while he de-
voted himself entirely to singing
His parodies OF popular dittIes soon
attracted the attention of actors
who happened to hear him. and he
buiIt ND a business writing parodies
for popular stage favorites. His
methods were new. because he usu-
sIly inserted a joke somewhere in
the song.
Among his clients was Charlie
Burk. one Of the Weil-known Burk
brothers. and the husband of Grace
Ia Rue. the singed who has since
leaned from burlesque to the vaude-
vile stage. and landed right side
m with her fame clinging even
more closely to her.
Rurk one day invited Watson to
his dressing room to sing for Miss
la Rue's benefit parody he had
constructed to fit the music of I'm
der the Bamboo Tree" Miss La
Rue became so much Interested in
No song that she had quite a lot Of
curiosity to know something about
the singer He told her of his work.
and she told him he ought to go out
with a company. and sing his own
songs rather than let some one else
s;np them He thought the matter
over, and decided that as a lot of
narfectly good money was being
made bv gentlemen who were using
his stun, he might as we'll have a
ding at It.