The Washington herald., 1916-08-24

\ in Los Angeles, mother and
| decided that we must
spend at least a few days at the
great exposition in San Francisco.
So we packed our grips in a hurry,
took a train overnight and were
there in the morning. The only re-
gret | have at present is that l
could not have spent weeks there,
going through the marvelously con-
structed buildings, which were gorg-
ed with beautiful, interesting and
antique treasures OF art.
1t seemed to me there were thou
sands and thousands of people on
the ground that afternoon and that
they were all concentrated upon
moving in a slow or swift body to-
ward one spot, a grandstand on one
Of the large courts.
at looks to me-" I ventured, as l
saw them hurrying and skurrying-
old men, young men, women, and
children-"that there surely must be
an accident. They all seem so de-
termined to get there and wedge
their way through the crowd. Come,
let's wrcstle our way along, too, as
we've come to the fair to see every
thing, and must miss nothing"
So mother and | got a firm grip
e2rh others and S4arteH Il
forth.
whats the matter?" I stopped
two or three to ask as they were
hurrying by. rs there going to be
special musical performance or is
some one going to speak,"
"Hully gee, don't you know" a
little, wide-eyed youngster turned
and shouted at me Say, you'd
better hurry-we're going to see a
live moving picture actor-and it's a
free show for all of US, kids in
cluded!"
l could not help but laugh at this,
and soon we rounded a corner, as
sisted by the youngSter who desired
the privilege OF being the first one
to show us this living specimen. Lo
and behold! On a platform, smiling
down at the world of curious and
interested faces staring up at him,
was Francis X. Bushman. He
looked very handsome, very curly
headed and very debonair as he ad-
dressed, in his low, modulated voice,
the crowds gathered to hear him and
talked briefly on pictures and the
ambitions of the actors who play in
them.
Later he caught sight of mother
and me and we had a very amusing
conversation regarding the attitude
of the public, especially of the chill
dren, toward an actor they have
seen for years in Shadowland, but
were not quite sure he was a real,
live human being" as the little boy
expressed it, until he stood before
them, robust and healthy and made
of the same clay as they were.
"Gee, I never knew you was
realr a little tad just hollered up to
me-" Mr.. Bushman laughingly told
us, "and would you believe it." he
added, "a great many grown-ups
came and wanted to pinch me to see
if l were flesh and blood and not a
celluloid actor.
"And then one funny old farmer
with a sense of argument welded
his umbrella so that he pushed his
way through the crowd and got close
enough to ask a dozen questions. 1
seen you in picture the other day,
he called out, where you was swim
min in a rushin' creek. But you
can't fool me-that thar water l
seen wasn't real
"'How did you discover it wasn't
real water? l called out in reply.
'Because'-and the old man dis
torted his face into a very knowing
wink-'that thar water was runnin
uphill and thar amt no creek on
this here airth that kin run up a
hill
Il tried to explain to the old man
it was a real stream, after all, but
that in putting the film together the
negative had been reversed, which
did give a surprising effect and one
which probably had confused count
less thousands who had seen it. But
the old farmer wouldn't listen to
me. He just chuckled to himself as
he umbrellaed his way out of the
crowd, murmuring, you can't fool
this old bird with none of your ac-
tor tricks and that thar painted
scenery-you can't fool MEP"
We are looking forward to seeing
Mr.. Bushman as Romeo in a pro-
duction of Shakespeare Romeo
and Juliet" which is at present be-
ing produced by the Metro Com