The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-05
Trying to be Funny Every Day Tn the Year is No
 Joke, Says Mr. Al c. Field tl1e Dean of Minstrels,
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE


 IMAGINATION is a very strong as- set for futurist artist or writer - of fiction, but 1t has never helped a historian to bat over 300. nor gained commission for a portrait painter. 1 This axiom I jotted down in my notebook yesterday when I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with MT. Al G. Field, the dean of min strelsy.'
 What my imagination had done for me was to picture MT Field as the funniest of men-being a minstrel man that was only natural I think-hand- 1 ing the jokes right off the reel, as many as you could hold in your lap at one time; all these ideas based upon the flimsy material of which aircastles are made.
 What my imagination had not done for me was to picture MT. Field abso- lutely different from this-a man of quiet ease and unusual boise: a big man mentally as we'll as physically. and a most serious minded person; yes, I said serious minded.
 massive study In content and
 
 treatment of hair and eyebrows that was yet trim and debonnair. His splendid, erect bearing. as he strode along the street, distinguished him In the crowds and gave one the impression of strength and power that is quite dissociate from the minstrel man of our imagination MT. Field was very kind to his fin terViewer." and after having been through the ordeal in his lifetime with such distinguished talent as William Winter and Alan Dale. he looked at me through his black bound, amber and humane.
 MT. Field Is labeled a success by the world having accomplished in life what most of us happen to be seeking; he stands at the head of theatricals in his chosen line; he has amassed big bank account, and he has put himself on the literary map by writing some very clever books especially the one entitled Watch Yourself Go By" which most of us read when it came out few years ago.
 Two important things I desired to ask | l the present tour was a farewell, a Ia Sarah Bernhardt, and the other, how it happened that he had early in life. as had been told, entered the profession of minstrelsy with such grace and enthu- siasm
 The effect of the first question evidently pleased the big minstrel man, for he said, laughing heartily:
 Farewell tour? Retire? What, me? Never! I'm bit superstitious about this retiring business. l had two friends-the Sells brothers; big show men, you know, who made a tremendous fortune and they were just about to retire from ac- tive life when To and behold one of them died before he wound up his affairs so he could retire, and the other joined the silent majority short time afterward No; I'm just going to keep on keeping on as long as I can; no retiring for me, thank you"
 'The only thing that would make me want to retire-you see. I've been on the stage since I was 14-would be that I would like to settle down and have some sort of home life Sometimes I get so homesick for my wife and family nearly give up. It's an awful feeling, somesick- ness is. I've got beautiful home up in Columbus, O., and the sweetest wife and daughter and little grand baby you ever saw. and may be you think don't long to be with theml
 I've been married 43 years. What do you think of that?'
 Yes" he went on repeating the state- ment; its two-thirds of my life and a fellow never gets used to travelling about and having no comforts and home life Besides this business of being funny every day in the year is no joke. That sounds rather queer, doesn't it? But you