The Washington times., 1914-06-07
Francis Bushman Voted Most
Popular Player by Thou
sands of Admirers. Who
Know Him in Pictures Only.
Artist and Student, He Owes His
Success to Love of Work
and Constant Search for
Ways to Improve.
By GARDNER MACK.


are being utilized for other pdr-
poses than the disposal of canned in
telligence or the bestowal of knowl-
edge by absent treatment Their
tremendous influence. working its
sinuous way clear to the back pages
of the postal guide, through the
fourth class offices and even unto
the remote Businesses reached by
the rural free delivery but once a
month, has been utilized for the
purpose of cultivating the germ of
personal popularity until it becomes
a giant in the forest of fame.
Nationwide popularity. done up in
neat packages, can be sent by parcel
post. One might say there is moth
ing new in this That even before
the parcel post system was in
vented, certain shrewd members of
Congress wooed the tickle goddess
without difficulty through the
agency of the postal regulations and
a small packet of assorted, and al
legged, vegetable seeds. That is very
true. That was an extremely simple
thing-the seeds were exchanged
for good will. which was supposed
to pass current for votes in the fall
elections.
Known By 6o,ooo,ooo
But when such a public figure as
an actor sets out to become popular
by the correspondence school method
and gets away with 1.-THE time
has arrived to make a small note of
progress in the public prints. This
In It. There is an actor who Is
known the length and breadth OF
the United States by possibly Co.
oo,ooo of the soooo. 900 people included
in the census returns-and not lo'0O
OF all these people have ever seen
him in flesh and blood.
Further than that-and nobotsy In
the world can go further than some
actors in assembling mess OF popu-
larity for themselves-further than
that this particular actor has only
recently been put in a class with the
President of the United States and
other notables who depend upon the
suffrage Of the people for the
handles to their names and their
credit in the Treasury Department
He has been put in this class by
the clamor OF these very people VINO
never saw him By a majority or
something like $4,000 votes he has
been acclaimed the most popular
actor in the United States ana pest
fitted TO portray the part OF me
ideal young American In play
where such a part is yearning Tor
adequate portrayal. He is the hing
of the photoplayers,
II would be absolutely unnecessary
for me to mention the name OF FRAN
els Xavier Bushman to identity him
as this actor-eXcept for this fact.
A glance to the risht-or left as
the case may be-will show that
I'm doing business with a pinch
artist. Now, don't get the idea mat
nv regular battery mate, Felix, has
been signed up by some cartoonists
Federal League. Nothing of the
kind.
Felix ducked out Of the shop early
Yesterday afternoon for the purpose
of peeling the potatoes at his canoe
camp before his wife got back from
the matinee-she'd told him to do 1t
before he left home this morning.
And when Bushman breezed in
from Chicago about 3 o'clock in
the afternoon there was no one
on the Job but Wood Cowan. Wood
is a regular artist all right. but he's
been travelling the pace with that
grand little team of uplifters-Jesse
Hildebrand and Florence Yoder-and
II was only when / pointed out to
him that Bushman's business can
uplift Just SIS much as the fail styles
Of the Ptolemy family or the time
worn feud between tweedledum Cock
and tweedledee Peary, that ! got
him to even consent to look at the
acton.
Wins Fame Unseen.
The correspondence business has
had a wonderful influence on the ca
reer of Bushman. though. not to get
too far away from our general sub
iect Most OF the acquaintance l
have ever had with him was by cor
respondence carried on between the
moving picture exhibitors and the