The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-23
I'm Going 10 Revolutionize the Dairy
 Business in This Country Declares
 Billy B. Yam Actor and Farmer
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE
D like to make @ date for a story with Billy B. Van" l said to the
 nice man round at the Lyric

with Billy B. Van" l said to the
 nice man round at the Lyric yesterday, over the phone.
 Billy B.-who?" came the quick reply.
 Not what you think" I said, just as quickly
 Oh" he said sheepishly which closed the incident of the Billy Bedamned" business, and then we made our date
 It was just after the matinee that saw the Hon. Billy B.
 I perched myself upon my favorite rest ing place-a big trunk-just outside his dressing room door-and waited!
 It takes Billy B. an awful long time to get that greasy paint and makeup" off his nice, clean-shaven face; but then, if it made me look as funny as it makes him look; if it was part and parcel of the perfect whole which goes to make him one of the most popular comedians of the day-well, I guess I wouldn't mind how long it took to scrape it off and show myself to the world as he does-as what he really is-a very black-haired high cheek-boned young man, with deep furrows in his brow which reveals the face of a man who has done things which he has-"on'' and off the stage It is the face of a thinker and an ex- ecutive. ,
 Somebody has called Billy B. Van ''the Ebert Hubbard of the stage" you'd never think so, once you've seen him capering about the stage drinking "the courage of lion," out of bottle No. 5" or taking a draught of the love phil ter or portion, or lotion out of the bottle nukber," and making you laugh yourself nearly to death
 Hes really 'Dr. Jekyll and MT.
  when the furrows in his serious face are changed into the laughing wrinkles and the black eyes have cooked themselves warily-you know what I mean if you've seen Billy B. in"Spooks." You recognize that first of all he's a plain, every day business man, a farmer if you please Billy B. Van of Van Harbor, N H.; and second, an actor and one of the best in the country, too.
 q want you to meet Mrs Van" the oelectable gentleman said to me as I vacated my perch on the trunk and he | came from his dressing room, spick-and- i span as a new top.
 If it ain't Lizzie Schmidt" I said pal | pitatingly, as I recognized in this lovely, | plack-haired, brown-eyed woman, the I girl of that name on the stage. Mrs. | Van is very lovely to look at the most | adorable skin and the sweetest voice inn aginable.
 Does Mrs Van always travel with you?' I asked as Billy B. settled himself for a talk.
 You bet she does" answered the Iit- tie comedian with austerity in his voice 1 and smile. Chats a paradox, I suppose you'd call it, but then we can't always be orthodoX). It's hard enough to be away from my beloved ranch up in New Hampshire for six months out of the year, as it is and I don't know how I'd 1 do IL unless Mrs Van was along She and her sister are in my show; they are the Beaumont sisters, you know"
 We'll be at the hotel, dear, when you come over" Mrs. Van said to her hus- band, as she bade us adieu and left the Hon. Billy and myself to talk it out.
 All right, he shouted and then turn Ing to me, he said: You know there is some one in your town I'd like to meet"
 Wonder if Billy B+s been flirting" I | surmised. Well. whb?" And then his answer convinced me of his seriousness.
 I want to meet Mrs G. H. Mathis" he said quickly. There is a woman who mas done more for the things I'm inter- ested in-farming, you know-than any body else l can think of. She's wonder Ia like to talk to her about the dairy industry in the south. Say you know, I've got scheme that's going to revolu- tionize that sort of thing? It's the great est invention you ever heard of"
 Tell me about it, I begged, looking at this wonderful little man with all my eyes
 Well to go back bit" said MT. Van You know, some years ago my health failed and I bought place up in New Hampshire which I now call Van liar bor. You do want to know about it, don't you?''
 ''Yes,' I said for found that I'd struck the one thing in lfe-the one subject that the actor more than all else.
 Well, after I'd bought the old shack Of place. he went on, I began to get in cattle and I bought some. I bought some cows and pigs and then I bought chickens and I began to be a farmer in the fullest sense of the word. Everybody has a hobby; mine developed into a very practical one; it's milk, pure milk, mind you-pure. I found that to get good milk the year round cows must silo was the answer A silo, you know big, tank-lilSe affair erected by the side of the stable. Into this, up a long pipe, by means of a fan, green corn, broken into half inch pieces, is blown. Men standing in the silo pack it down as it | comes in, and when the big tank is filled l it holds 6S tons-it is closed and made | alright When cold weather comes the cows are fed with this corn.
 q furnish milk to the hotels about the country where live, and everybody says | it is the best milk they ever tasted It's pure, I know that" he continued "Peo- pie everywhere realize that my one object |