The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-01
STARTED TO BE LAWYER.

That necessity is the mother of ln- vention is conclusively proved in the case of Rex Beach, author of The Spoilers" 'Pardners,'' '"The Iron Trail" and various other successful novels and dramas. Born at Atwood, Mich, 40 years ago today, MT. Beacn started out on a legal career, but in 1897 he was seized with the gold fever. then epidemic all over North America, and the followed the crowd to Alaska. There he formed a partnership with Dave King, and two staked out a claim near Nome. It failed to pan out, and the youth who was later to attain an international reputation and $50, GOO a year in royalties and serial rights as an author found himself dead broke and minus the price of a feed" Dave King has told the story of what followed:
 '.We had room in Nome about the size of bath tub, with nothing be- tween us and the north pole but a piece of canvas. We took up another hole in our belt when meal time came. One night we were hungrity shivering in our bunlxs when Rex came across with a great idea. He was lots fuller of ideas than of grub in those days.
 Now, there were two vaudeville shows of renown in Nome that win ter; one was run by an old Deadwood sport, who had corraled all the his trionic talent north of Skagway, be- fore the ice set in; the other was managed by one Jake, who, being shy on actors, was left at the post. To him Rex hurried through the frigid night, and unfolded his scheme. Brief ly, 1t was that Rex had drama; no flimsy, skirt -dance drama, but the real thing, like the plays down, in Frisco. Rex said he'd provide the company all artists-and Jake fell for it and said he'd pay Rex well if it was a sue cess. Rex said his terms were strictly cash in advance, and at length they got together on a one-night basis. ii it was a success Rex was to get the whole first nights proceeds.
 Rex came back to the shack and scratched off a phosphorescent melo- drama with goose flesh all over it and
 red hot things that melted the frozen , ink In an hour it was done enough to stick a fork in, and by ten o'clock daylight it was we'll browned. Then we both went out looking for actors
 Four of them we got out of bar-roon chairs; also we hived in half dozen Chilcat Indians and an Inyut squaw to play the Roman populace, so to speak. Jake's wife was to do the
 heavy heroine. Rex licked the bunch into shape, and I went around towI sticking posters up announcing tht advent of the Royal company.
 we had timed Jake to pull off hi great play one the meeting night O ! the Arctic Brotherhood, of which VI
 were both members. Rex went tt i the meeting. and talked with the elo | quence of man with halter 'rount his neck He. told 'em they'd find i lost cheaper to pour gold dust int Jake's box office than to provide
 funeral for him and me. That crowe
 rose to a man, and as they marched l tagging on behind. Hardly half tn
 crowd had gotten into Jake's plac
 when he had to close the doors. Tn,
 Arctic Broth erhood let out thunder
 ous applause at every opportunity an,
 the crowd outside Joined in the en thusiasm just because they thought i
 must be something grand. After tn
 show Rex emerged from the box of flee with sack full of gold dust. W I arranged an impromptu banquet fo
 the fellows. and had enough dust lief | to last us until Spring.
 That drammer don't knoy l whatever became of it. Rex woul
 never own it as his first-born afte 1 he began writing for the folks bac l in the States. But it sure saved ou | lives that winter"