New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-16
By T. c. SCHANG.

THE annual "Follies" had not been
Il under way more than fifteen
minutes on the opening night when the
audience was aware that Mr.. Florenz
| Ziegfeld, the great captain Of industry
who controls the beauty supply in this
country, had made a discovery.
From the programme it was learned
/ that she was Frances White, but who
she was or where she hailed from was
a complete mystery TO the veteran in
dorsers of Ziegfeldian standards who
sat out front on that memorable
evening.
All they knew was that when
diminutive chit of girl, some four and
a fraction feet tall, CARRIED in saucy
little lavender frock, with ire
mendous brimmed hat tilted over her
left ear, could appear at the banner
beauty event Of the year and secure
the unanimous and immediate approval
of persons who had paid as high as
1915 seat, then they were in the
presence of History in the Making.
To dispel tn. mystery of Frances
White is the pleasure and pur0ee of
this article.
Credit for discovering Miss White
goes to Bill Rock, of the old vaudeville
team of Rock and Fulton. When 1T
was announced in May that Rock was
returning after an absence OF three
years with a new partner named White
a lot Of people thought Bill just wanted
to advertise "White-Rock, the sparkling
combination"
But Bill knew what he was doing,
did Bill, and directly after his two
weeks engagement at the Palace Mr..
Ziegfeld signed the pair for the
"Follies."
Although Miss White is only nine
teen-and looks ifteen-it was years
and years ago that Rock discovered her
in the act of singing illustrated slide
songs in movie houses on the Coast.
Later he saw and heard her singing
musical comedy leads with local stock
companies during the summer On one
such occasion he was so struck with
her possibilities that he actually drew
a ring around her name on the pro-
gramme and carefully laid it away FOR
reference. Please bear this incident
in mind. for il is of immense impor-
lance several paragraphs on.
Well. about this time Miss White
was an inmate of the Holy Name Acad-
envy in Seattle. For young person
who has had the exciting experiences
of a musical comedy heroine, who has
tasted the joys Of visiting the Paris
cabarets and the Tyrolean baths, even
B in so modest a setting as that pro-
vided by a Western stock company, Il
can readily be understood that the life
! at a convent was trying.
So one fine day-the day before the
! Alaska-Yukon Exposition. at which Miss
White craved to be-she disappeared
( from prayers and ran away.
Her mother forgave her, and she
returned to the carefree life Of fetes'
garden parties. masquerades and balls
( Of the Duchess which always take place
in Act II.
/ We now come TO a point in the story
which is approximately recent. Miss
White. without a Job, entered the offices
Of Mr.. Rock. then running "The Candy
Shop" Mr.. Rock scratched his head
renectively moment, and then, WITH
that fine sense of the dramatic which
has always characterized his work, he
punched bell on his desk and sent for
an envelope.
From the envelope he extracted an
old programme. He turned to the page
orrosite What the Men Will Wear,
and there as the reader has foreseen'
was the name of Frances White with
ring around it. After this touching in
c;dent there were tears, congratula-
lions and Miss White was engaged.
The first engagement of Rock ana
White was with $50 Long Lefty the
chow which Oliver Morosco will bring
% New York in October. After snort
onc.cement the couple left for their
yandeville tour. an act which they had
been rehearsing on the side ms
brings the story to date.
Miss White is probably the smalle"
star IN town. She weighs nlnety-sN
! mounds. A dramatic writer out""es'