The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-04-08
Genesis of the Famous Ruth St. Denis
By an Eyewitness;
Was Pugnosed Farmer Kid in Overalls
BY JACK LAIT

copyright. 1880
went TO "A matinee today. | wanted
10 zee nm old, friend of mine. They call
her Ruth st Denis nov.
some twcnty-seven years ngo some Kids
lived on a farm near Somcryille. y. J.
wns one Of them. Rig and fat as nm
nov, my name II only Jack. Little ms
| was then, [ was Joaquin. Ruthless
namo WAS Ruth Dennis Cboth MS and no
St--thers were no saints IN any Of us
them. And one OF the Kid had no
name nj ~ lie was Ruth'a brother and
he was 4 brother. There M an
other Kid named Pearl piunkett. and
my two sisters filled tho lot.
Ruth's parents ran the farm, Her
father. aH remember him. was n Grand
army man. Her mother was n Christian
Science disciple.
Ruth was Il pug-nosed. frccklc-fa faced.
i~nsolent little brat. a tom'h0y and an
hourly shock to the summer huardefs
Her pet pastimo was introducing the
school teachers who came there TO fight
flies NIL summer To the bumhlebces. who
hittcth like some ladders. she was easily
the ringlcndcr OF the miHchiclous flock
" us.
Ruth always wore o~vernlls. saw
her Yesterday for the first time In those
twenty seven years. And ! got to think
Ing that. though I've known her since I
was Z years old, rye never seen her In n
skirt. on the farm she used 10 wear
%overnllA and on the stage she wears
nothing.
II wasn't much Of a farm. Dennis
place II had u horscpond md horscfles
ana two horses Toby and Dnn Niow's
that fo- memory RuthicD And II had
n few vegetables and ~ Kids,
with IA" exception ~ my sisters all
the KID turned IN notorious Ruth r.
Ruth ~ Dcnls, I'm the motorman Of
S.m column omd ss'r G,noso- IS ~, now %,,n ,H p. St,
Wns ono of the spOils Of the famous
rluntott alimouy or breach ~ promise
or divorce scandal, which had some.
thing tu no with one Of the nrockcn-
ridges
She sns ~ beautiful gtrl / ha,o often
wondered what became Of her would
like tu know where she e. dancing and
what her name is nov
our folks li,cd on the Dennis farm In
slmnrr only In winter We lived IN New
Work The winter after the last summer
that We spent on the Somerytllo farm
DN'N Ruth, then about 10. ran away
from hom" She got to New York and
came to our house. Ms mother sheltered
her and Hhc was with us for several dHyF'
Then mother sent her back home again
Ruth had run away 10 go on the
'siuCr' Even We Kid laughed at her
Sh" was ns fRr removed from the foot
lights us shc ucN H. from the farm liut
IA" never gave Ip that wild id'r aud
that longing SO -h- ran away again a
f'N wears later. this tim" to Ncwnrk.
y T.
" had relatives In Newark and |
remember mother telling us that snr had
gone tn see Mrs F1ske In some heroic
play there and had seen Ruth Dennis
carrying n spear NJ n Roman soldier ~
y GtrriHu m~Rid"n-motn"r wasn't quit,
sure. so. ~ course. ! can't be-. either
After that We lost track ~ Ruth |
thought " her now and then through
tho years and always fencicd that she
hnd hc omv y chorus gifl. unidentified
among the HNntrnr ~ such that tread
broadway or the marrow WAY. do their
onr-tNo-thrrc picture and grow old
dlHgW,'ullE.
In the coyrs" ~ time became a
dramatic critic Md within that de
pbrtm'nt f"ll the occasion Tor me 10 re-
view a dance Performance NJ the Colonial
thntrr. where Mr. Harris was presenting
the new society dancing sensation. Ruth
- p"uis. lhudrd NJ the foreign critic.
: t"'fnis,hnrcgn Interpretation
'llo. hum yhwned I THIS two
dollar omar Khnyyam cnn.rnn Ia not fur
me 7 shall send nm alternate
And 80 I did