davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1919-04-27

alias INT, to put the stun across in
a way that was always three laughs
and a couple OF gasps ahead OF EN-.
They Dreamed Of Broadway.
Yes, they were thinking of Broad
way. George NJ. was thinking OF al
most nothing else. And so George.
the imperious, slambanged his family
into the metropolis. Managers and
public looked them over and were ter
rifcally unimpressed. One morning in
a boarding house room In Manhattan
some metaphorical person came up to
the cocksure George NJ. Conan. raised
his rakish derby when ne wasn't look
ing, cracked him on the skull with q
baseball bat. replaced the derby over
the lump and passed on.
Literally. what happened was that
the managers said, In the gentle way
managers have. Your parents are
pretty good in their way. but we have
nothing for them Just now. Your sis
ter is a wonder-we'l give her an on
gagement in leading music hall. As
for you. kid. you're rotten" George
Conan. like that other Georgia who
was q scion Of the Magnificent Am
persons. had got his comeuppance.
Josephine's salary and young
Georges winnings from his songs and
sketches helped out a bit. but for the
moment the star of the Four Cohans
was falling-and all because this
strong willed, bad boy OF theirs waA
insisting that New York must-must-
take him and them.
Staten Islands Best nall Game.
One Sunday afternoon he went down
to picnic at Staten Island. A ball
game was arranged between song
writer's and managers. George played
| against an alert, thin faced chap who
introduced himself as Sam Harris
Yes, he admitted. he was the Sam Har-
ris who. with q brother of Big Tim
! Sullivan and AL Woods. was producing
blood and thunder melodrama.
II need a playwright like you" said
Harris. or words to that effect. 81
need a manager" said George. you're
on. Cohan." you're on. Harris
"Shake.", Never a signature was pu,
to a contract-and never has since
And they came back from that ball
game and made millions.
Before even the beginnings Of tn,
FIRST million were In sight, however
George had suffered other comeup.
pances. He had expanded some Of the
old vaudeville material Of the Foul
| Cohans into lengthy musical pieces
notably Tho Governors Son." -Four
tenth street looked on the noise anS
explosion half kindly, which urget
George to bring the piece uptown. Blu
uptown audiences were not of -Four
teenth street or the vaudeville houses
ana ths heart OF Manhattan tolt
The sun., 1919-04-27
BY LUCIEN CLEVES.

r ONDON entrepreneurs of musi-
cal reviews, which have driven
out every other form OF musical
entertainment in the British capital,
have not hesitated to lean heavily on
the importations from New York.
The actors such as Elsie Janis. Leon
Enrol. who is gravely referred to as
an American although he came here
from Australia; Rock and White and
other entertainers from our reviews
have gone over to appear with great
success in these pieces. Stage man
ayers as well have been comman-
dsered; whole specialties have been
lifted" from American shows OF the
same kind and separate songs have
been taken for every one OF them
when American composers Of the pre-
vailing jazz have not been invited to
compose the whole score and get not
only the credit for 1t but the royal
ties as well. SO these entertainments,
which i'll so many OF the London
playhouses just now. bear the ear
marks Of the degree to which man
ayers and public appreciate the ex-
hilarating Yankee interpretations in
these pieces.
But with all this American success
there has been an element lacking.
The dances. whether the modified
shimmy or otherwise. lacked some
thing Of their maximum pep. The
Jazz dancing was not all that 1t might
have been, while the singing Of the
American numbers was obviously de-
ficient in some important quality. The
indispensable wriggles lacked some
thing OF the effect they created wher
the same music accompanied them In
New York. The evolutions Of the
chorus, even with an American stage
manarger to arrange them, were moi
as they had seemed on the Island Of
Manhattan. Obviously something was
lacking. The American stage man
ager had In his strenuous manner re-
hearsed the girls in the unmistakaol,
native jazz music. They were doinf
in all probability just the same step:
they had performed on some New
York roof top. They were doing them
moreover. in Just the way the stag
The sun., 1919-04-27

other show, began to receive $40 and
even as much as $40 instead of the
prevailing SIS or $50. Here entered
the show girl" since such distin-
guished members of the body were not
supposed to be classed any longer to
the happy, happy from which they had
been with so much distinction elevated
Nowadays the salaries OF the most at
tractive girls in such beauty exhibits
as the Ziegfeld shows and the enter
tainments that Morris Gest gives on
the roof OF the Century Theatre-such
beauties not infrequently receive 800
a week. OF course with any such rec
ignition OF her services il pays girl
TO devote herself to the chorus as a
profession. Some Of them have done
this with great success. Indeed we
know of one who has for the past
twenty -four-but maybe that story be-
longs in some other division of the life
and works OF the chorus girl.
But London Wants Them New.
Morris Gest has told New Workers
how eager London is for diversion
whatever II may cost and how literally
the theatre managers are paying for II.
So 1t was no sooner impressed on them
how much American chorus girls was
needed than they set out to get hold
~ her. She was not at large in Lon
don, so an agent came to New York
looked over the field and determined
that this missing ingredient was all
that the London productions needed
Just as the deadhead who wants to &c
to show will pick out only the most
The sun., 1919-04-27

better looking than they ever were In
the past. 1t is amazing In view of the
number of the musical shows to see
how the average Of beauty is main
tanned. So there is no reason for the
tired business man who sees himself
at once bereft Of cocktail and show
girl to be altogether respondent. The
show girl will at least be with us. how
ever alluringly London may beckon.
But there will also be enough for Lon
don too.
The beauty OF the English chorus
girl, her Lady We're de We're hauteur.
her regularity of feature and her Won
derful carriage-these qualities were
all wonderful enough in the old days
OF the musical comedies at Days and
the Ga!ety in London. With their Won
derful pcachy compilations, their deep
blue eyes and brown hair touched with
gold, they were altogether incompara-
ble-that is, Incompatible for their
The sun., 1919-04-27
l Complicated Watch
y HAT the art of making compli-
cafad watches Of high quality

IT. HAT the art Of making compn-
Gated watches OF high quality
survives in London Is shown
by a clock and calendar watch which
was recently submitted to the Kew
tests, being the first watch Of its class
TO be so submitted. In the first place,
e strikes the hours and quarters In
passing. though It can be made silent
IL desired, and In the second 1t Is a
minute repeater. In addition 1t has
an elaborate calendar mechanism
showing the name of the day of the
week. the name OF the month. the
date Of the month. and the phases of
the moon. The date Of the month Is
indicated by a pointer moving day by
day round q semi-circular scale; an
account IL taken Of leap year. the
mechanism being constructed on a
four years cycle; thus when the last
day of tho month 10 reached. be 1t
the 2sth, 2sth. 3oth. or s1st, the
pointer fies back to I. The watch,
which was made by q London firm,
has a free-sprung escapement with
oyercoii hairspring. and In the Kew
tests II received IT'S marks out OF a
possibie 100, being awarded 2s.a
foat of a possible 4o) In respect OF
variation Of daily rate. So.1 (out OF
l0S In respect of change OF rate with
change OF position. and lib (out Of
a0Y for temperature compensation
Tns Sisi rossrses tust over IN inches
= Alspstsrss
The sun., 1919-04-27

George to 60 on his way. On the road
his nrst plays were fairly successful
that's all.
II was after these experiences that
the frm Of Conan q Harris came into
being. They borrowed and scraped
what money they could. One day was
born Little Johnny jones' Again
Broadway sneered. whereupon George
took Johnny" on the road for a few
weeks. studying his audiences and re-
writing where his book told him to
rewrits. And he came back 60 Broad
The sun., 1919-04-27
CONTINUED from Preceding Pa0e)

Venus were being sung and whistled
from Providence, II. l., to points so
far west that the inhabitants believed
that Mendelssohn was a Yiddish COM
edian. Just about that time Jere
Conan was having some trouble about
meeting an insurance premium and
said so in the family circle. Young
George NJ. drew a gold mounted foun-
tain pen, wrote a check and handed it
to his father.
Another Famous HIT.
And now not little Josephine alone
but Father and Mother Conan had
learned to believe In little George.
Which, 80 far as the four-fourths of
the family was concerned. made It
unanimous.
1T Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My
Baby" came from the fevorish pen of
Georgia and followed the far reaching
trail already lighted by tho shining
Venus. And in years he was still q
child. A card" began to appear in
theatrical papers. stating that . gen.
tleman Of much experience in stage
craft was quito ready. for a consider
plays, musical skits. anything at all.
for brother artists--yours truly,
George Michael" And the George
Michael" of the advertisement was
the workshop name Of George NJ.
Conan.
In those blissful days that know no
cabarets. men and women. from the
smallest of small time vaudeville
houses up to the glowing splendors
If the first OF the Keith chain. were
playing and singing night and day
sometimes morning, afternoon and
night as the craze for the new "con-
tinuous" progressed--the sketches and
songs written by George Michael.
Steadily in way unaccountable
Georgie-now arrived at the ripe
age OF Is or 16 and much more certain
then than he Is now that Shakespeare
stun was somethin' fierce, the bunk
was finding or inventink time to write
anything and everything the Conan
Family, now the Four Cohans. was
performing.
The whizbang of those performances
brought vaudeville fame to the fam
| lily, whereas the writings which
George Michael" was supplying to
rival performers. all almost as care
! fully prepared as the productions OF
the Four Cohans, brought nothing ap-
preaching the financial returns Of the
sketches written by George NJ. Cohan
for the Four Cohans. But the little
groups Of rival players whom Georgia
supplied with material had no kindly
Jere to speak the lines. no motherly
Helen Frances costigan Conan. nc
marvellous dancer like the only Jose
phine and, above all. no George NJ.
The sun., 1919-04-27

way with Little Johnny Jones" again
and instantly the millions began to
pile.
He Tries Straight Comedy.
That was in 1904, or when George
had become George NJ. Conan. aged Ss
years. "Forty-five Minutes From
Broadway George Washington. Jr."
year after year they followed with a
success that caused George to forget
all about the metaphorical banging
with the baseball bat he had received
= few wears hsSore And in . moment
The sun., 1919-04-27

have said that they are kept here by
the irresistible lure OF home. 1t Is
domesticity that chains them to New
York. 1t is the delight of mixing up
/ nice supper out of the cook book.
trying an old fashioned recipe for
crullers or making a good apple but
ter with just enough cinnamon Of the
kind that delights the heart of the
farmers wife. 1t is such simple pleas
ure in the possession of their homes
that in the opinion OF certain optimists
makes the chorus girls loath to say
good-by to the limousine. take the
sparklers down to the safe deposit
company and in the sacred cause OF
art start out after the company on
the road.
Higher Rates Hero in Now York
Then the salary OF the chorus girl Is
higher here. II might be said to be
growing steadily. 1t was nearly a score
OF years ago that a New York pro-
Queer decided that 1t was absurd TO
have any regular scale OF prices for
his singers in the chorus, as it was for
comedians. Perhaps it is more cor
rect to say he rejected schedule for
the lockers and kept on paying the
singers only the same wage. Even
then certain members OF his chorus
who were supposed to possess the
power of drawing" that Is TO say Of
bringing men or women into the the
atre to see them who might otherwise
have stayed at home or gone to some
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
bERKMAN DECLINES
TO ANSWER QUERIES;
HEARING IS HALTED

Atlanta. Ga. September 2o.--Hearing
in deportation proceedings against
Alexander Berkman, who is to finish
term at federal penitentiary here
Octorer /. was brought to a temporary
halt today when Berkman declined 70
answer certain questions put by the
government
The hearing. held by Immigration
Inspector Kessler of Jacksonville. Is
to be- resumed next Thursday. at which
time government officials are expec ted
to announce what attitude they viii
take IL Berkman continues to decline
to answer.
Among questions which it was said
BerkMan refused, to reply to were said
to have been inquiries about his prev!-
Gus life and affairs in Russia and
names of possible relatives there.
This. he said. nigh, subject them to
danger His attorneys also protested
against the inquiries
Berkman and Emma Goldman were
convicted OF conspiracy to obstruct the
draft and it was said that since Bcrk :
man has been in the pententiary here
he has endeavored to continue his
propa ganda and has been segregated
from other prisoners. Miss Goldman
is confined at jefferson City, Mo. De-
portation hearings against her also
are to be taken up. The Berknan
hearings began today.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
PEACE-TIME ARMY
OF $4,000 FOR
FRANCE is PLAN

Paris. September 2o.-A peace time
army of $780, oo men and reduction of the
ten: of military service from three
years to one are recommended to the
military committee of the Senate in a
report submitted yesterday by Paul
Doumer, it's president, former minister
Of state. Under his plan 10000 men
would be called to the colors annually
Nv conscription and 10000 others recruit
ed through voluntary enlistment.
Asked to prepare report with rec
concentrations, NJ. Doumer's reply was
that after the ratification Of the peace
treaty it will be safe for France to take
two years off the term OF obligatory
military service. This would reduce the
effective strength of the army below the
point of prudence. he said. but the diff
ference could be easily made up in his
opinion by voluntary enlistments.
This system would make the French
army on a war footing totaiing 100000
men, divided into an actual army OF
1900 900 men. 10000 reservists and 2.ooO.-
900 territorials.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
GIST OF THE NEWS


of
PA &
of with
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in
-P
Page
NJ
n 5
p
Tugge institute wellknown
p
Of
tendance expected
Birmingham
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
WEEK OF HORROR
FOR TEXAS CITY
ENDS LAST NIGHT
Desolation Reigns Over the
Beach Section Which One
Week Ago Was Show
Place of Corpus Christi
BY Associated Press.

Corpus Christi, Tex, September
20.-Fears that the water supply
of Corpu. Christi might be inn
paired were expressed tonight
when it was reported n rise Of
from 10 to 20 feet was coming
down the Nueces river. from which
the water supply is obtained,
about IL miles from here.
Corpus Christi Tex, September 20.
One week of horror for Corpus Christi
ended tonight with the city rapidly
emerging from the chaos wrought by
the terrific storm and tidal wave that
swept in from the gulf last Sunday.
Desolation reigned tonight over the
broad sweep of North Beach, where
justsa week ago stood the show places
of this resort; scattered along The
beach, as in the business section, are
heaps of wreckage all that remains
of many industrial plants
Under the blanket of stygian dark
ness that nightly envelops the city
comp1ete silence prevails, except fer
the infrequent challenges of military
patrols or quietly moving relief par
ties returning from some quest of
mercy.
ter ruin is the spirit of the people,
constantly shown as the work of re-
lief proceeds.
Optimism dominates all discussions
of damage done-even those whose
dear ones are among the hundreds
dead bear bravely their sorrowful bur-
den.
1t is not in the ruins of their homes
or business houses that inspiration for
this spirit is found. for no single cir
cumstance has so raised the hope of
the inhabitants as the nationwide re-
Spouse to the ctys cry for help.
Though stunned by the enormity of
it's loss. the city turned to relief meas
ures almost before the storm Mad spent
it's fury. and since Monday the civic,
state and federal forces marshaled for
this purpose have worked uncea sinSly
and with remarkable success.
The 1000 homeless, almost all from
the North beach district. have been
cared for in every particular, hundreds
of them sent to other cities. while the
rest were maintained here on supplies
and money contributed from numerous
sources.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
j. S. OFFICIALS ARE
MUCH INTERESTED
IN VILLA RUM0RS

Mexico City. September 20.-Amer-
lean officials are greatly interested in
news indicating that Villa is planning
a new campaign against Carrarza,
which accounts for the activity he has
displayed during the past few months
accommodating munitions and men in
northern Durango. II is said he con-
templates a drive south from his re-
cent headquarters and will keep away
from the border so that by no act OF
his can the American arm - sent
across the Rio Grande. as Was the case
at Juarez
Villa released a short time ago 200
Carranza prisoners which his troops
had captured. cautioning them to keep
out of the federal army and urging
them to turn over to him all the rifles
and equipment they could get. Many
of them enlisted at once in the Villa
army while other returned to their
homes on parole. Six hundred men
from the Santa Rosalia garrison and
300 from the Chihuahua garrison have
recently deserted and Joined the VIII
listas, according to these reports.
1t is said here General Francisco
Gonzales transfer from Juarez to
Tampico was caused by threats against
his life by his own troops because Of
his acquiescence in the recent cross
ings of the border by American
troops.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
PACT SHOULD Be
RATIFIED, STATES
ROBERT LANSING
Secretary of State Makes No
Reference to BuIlitt in
Address at Water
town, N. Y.


WATERFOWL, N Y. September 20.
delay and without change" declared
Secretary of State Robert Lansing here
today in the first public utterance made
by him since the statement of William
c. Bullitt, before the Senate foreign
relations committee, in which 1t was
alleged that the secretary OF state on
May 10, in Paris, said that II the Am
erIcan people knew what was in the
treaty, they would defeat it.
I'm the treaty of peace" Mr.. Lam
sing further said, there is nothing
which invades the sovereignty Of this
republic, or which limits in any way
the full exercise of such sovereignty"
Mr.. Lansing spoke at the dedication
Of Lansingdorp. suburb of Water
town, erected by the government to
house munitions workers. He made no
direct reference to the Bullitt testi-
mony, contenting himself with saying
that the treaty as it is should be rati-
fled
I'VE ought to have peace at once"
said Mr.. Lansing The treaty should
be ratified without delay and without
change
which would endanger the going into
effect of the treaty by changing It's
provisions and thereby postponing the
return Of peace. l cannot comprehend
how any man with true appreciS-
ton of tile situation, much less one
who shares the responsibility can per-
nit any objection less than the impair
ment of the national sovereignty OF the
United States to weigh against the
universal prayer Of the nation for the
restoration of peace.
Let the treaty be Immediately rati-
fled and let us go forward with the
great task which lies before usg The
world demands it; patriotism demands
it; common sense demands It. we nave
ALREADY waited far too long.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21

BY Associated Pr.ss
Chicago, September 2O.--Federnl
Judge Lands today held 16 men
to the grand jury ON bonds of s15.-
coo each in beer smuggling cases.
which arose from the alleged trans
portation of beer across the Wis
consin and Illinois line. The drive
was the first sweeping effort to
stop the sale OF liquor In Chicago
since the supposed closing Of sa-
looms July 1. The judge issued
subpoena for former State Senator
Patrick }. carroll, arrested mt
Zion City last week when. 1T In
claimed. beer was found In his au-
tOmObile.
Before the hearing was nd
journed, subpoenns had been issued
for more than so saloon keepers
and cafe managers, who were al
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
PLANS TO OPEN

Associated
chicago. September 2o.--With the ma
+ion-wide strike of steel workers set for
Monday, officials of the steel companies
n the Chicago district were completlns
Mans tonight to combat the strike, while
union leaders renewed their pledge that
the strikers would not resort to Vio-
Ience.
Conflicting reports were in circu - ion
regarding the operation of the plants
this Monday Officials of the steel COM
NAMES were reticent regarding their
Mans hut IL was reported they were pre-
pared to open despite the strike II
enough loyal employees responded to tne
call already sent out. Other reports
ware 70 the effect that the plants weS>
prepared to shut down. Workers VINO
report for work Monday will be Kept on
the pay roll regardless OF wnether 'he
plants close, it was SAID
The Wisconsin Steel company plant IN
South Chicago, an independent concern,
employing 300 men, was reported 10
CONTINUED ON Page Eleveno
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
ECONOMIC COUNCIL
MEETS IN BRUSSELS


Brussels, September -t.-tHavas)-The
allied superior economic council met here
this morning. M. Jaspar. Belgian min
lister of commercial affairs. presiding.
The first subject to be considered was
the plan for organization Of a perma-
nent economic committee. The council
also took up. the question Of the Euro
pean coal supply. especially the southern
in Austria. and the division of tonnage.
The Danube question and the subject OF
customs duty imposed by Germany on
products passing over the right bank of
the Rhine were considered.
Statistics were introduced showing the
amounts Of raw materials and products
possessed by certain OF the allied coun-
tries which could be reserved for other
countries in need Of them. as well as fig
ures on the amount of raw materials
Germany has available for exchange
with tho allies for finished products.
The final question considered was thai
Of supplying the needs of Rumania Sew
eral memoranda concerning this were
approved.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-21
WAR AND TREATY
ARE DISCUSSED BY
SECRETARY OF WAR

Cleveland, September 20.-"f the
league of nations had existed In 1914.
when Sir Edward Grey tried to avert a
world catastrophe, it might have
turned war away. There is not a think
ing man here who cannot but believe
there was a great chance 1t would have
averted the war just ended" Secretary
of War Baker said in an address today
Lefore members of the Chamber OF
Commerce.
The secretary spoke on The War
and Treaty." urging immediate ratifi-
cation of the treaty and said the league
of nations could not be divorced from
the peace treaty.
Ratification of the treaty is now the
most important thing before the Sem
ate," he said. 1.-THE solution of much
of our Industrial unrest hinges upon it. ;