The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-08
EDw. DoNNeLLy "AuMoRIsTr.
Actor WeIl-known in Bennington
Makes His Bow as a Writer.

L
a member of a company that has
been touring the cities of South
Africa for several (, months. IN
a recent issue of Stage and Cinema
a theatrical paper published at
johannesburg. he has the following
under the caption, People We
| Know"
I've been asked to write something
| for Stage and Cinema, and l feel
somewhat like our American humor-
| list, Oliver Hereford When Society
bud asked him il he'd ever had de-
sire to throw an egg into an electric
fan.
Should like to remark that South
Africa seems to the average New
Yorker as remote as the North Pole.
We really have no conception OF
your flourishing cities-the unbe-
lieveable mines-the magnificent
sweep of the weld.
OPSihihS Va tliC FCAur ehAhh vi
view from the Automobile Club can
not be surpassed mean the dis
tances-the clearness Of the air
and the enhancing sunshine.
The ocean views are quite extra
ordinary, especially at Cape Town,
and I've spent many a happy hour on
the rocks at Sea Point.
Perhaps my. most poignant impress.
sion. however, | can't really call
pleasant. The first night in Durham
when | sought the seclusion of my
bedroom, there were faint streaks OF
light in the morning sky When
was awakened the aspect of the sky
remained unchanged Said awaken
ing was caused by a colored gentle
man. dressed in abbreviated paiamas
insisting that ] take coffee. (Ye
gods Coffee at $50 a. ND
surprised myself in my use of UNI
diplomatic language, and the colored
gentleman removed himself from my
presence.
But that was only the beginning oi
a lot of trouble. 1t seemed for the
next few hours to rain colored gentle
men. | couldn't understand it at ell
but when ! bounded out of bed about
II a. IN. put my foot into a cup of
coffee that had been left on the floor
land light dawned. The colored
gentlemen had been after the cup.
1t took a lot OF talk to convince
the landlord that | didn't care for
coffee so early--that is. after I'd
got to bed--which is always a strug
gle It's struggle to get in. and a
struggle to get out, I have. however
learned to drink tea and Scotch--and
must confess I'm fond of tea
have no fears for the success OF
this article, because Pm quite sure
when it leaves the Editors hands II
will be different--very different
from the original. You see. the edi-
tor was Press Agent once-and
what follows will give to the unini
tiated some idea OF what q Press
Agent is like.
was playing with one of our
American stars in Philadelphia for
several months. One night bored
tired-looking individual busted into
my dressing-room and informed me
that he was the company's Press
Agent. and that he wanted to write
something about me- couldn't
think of a thing that could possibly
interest anyone looked back
twenty years-or more. and my life
seemed as dull in the retrospection
as partly submerged hippo's.
Finally he asked me IL | had
hobby of any kind. The only hobby
/ could think of that he wouldn't be
ashamed to publish was fshing-so
| told him was fond of trout fishing
The man suddenly became inspired
insane or something-and broke
down the door trying to get near
pencil and paper
Next day the leading Philadelphia
paper had half column about my
hunting prowess. Said had hunted
big game all over the world. and that
my hurting lodge on Staten Island
contained one of the best collections
OF heads In tho country, etc, etc.
However, one head was missing--a
deer head. It seems ] wouldn't shoot
deer because once, as a boy, | saw
my father wound deer, and that
deer shed tears In its dying agonies
Gt being well.known fact that deer
have the lachrymose glands), and
was so touched by the sight that
resolved never to shoot a deer.
Now as I've been so poor that
Diogenes' tub would look to me like
the Carlton Palm Court on rainy
Sunday, you can imagine what -ome
OF my friends said to me at various
times and in various letters about
that hunting lodge, believe the
Press Agent was hanged a few days
before | could get to him | used to
wonder why so many Press Agents
become editors. Now know
once knew Press Agent whose
name was Billingsgate Pumpdyke
Buncomb Hottaire. 1t was, really
He lived entirely on ice.cream soda,
wore oolored band on his straw ha,
and possessed fund of persuasive
eloquence that would have crumbled
the heart of a mummy in the Pyra.
mids. Nevertheless. the lady upon
whom he cast all the, wealth of his
young affection would have nothing