The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-30

"a Referring again to the famous din
ner, the Journal quotes Wells:
a Yes, gave it," said Wells. and 1t I
has taken me five years TO get 1t paid {
up"
3 One OF The results OF the dinner was
the wedding of q member OF the 4
chorus to Gilbert Wells, of burlington, |
Iowa.
Whether it was the dinner or the
fact that Wells was not the most
studious of freshmen, history does not |
state, but just ct this time young
Wells and the university parted
company.
1t also was rumored that the home
allowances stopped, that no more
funds were forthcoming from the
home on Hickory Hill, built by his
great-grandfather, Stephen Merrill, IN
the early SOS on his return east from
the goldfields of California. Young
Gilbert Wells, the fourth of the
fourth generation of the family, had TO
go t. work.
. "As I've said before" he explained,
before going on to do his dancing turn
with his partner, c. Balfour Lloyd.
Il have for long time wanted TO
dance East at prep school when
was a kid Jack Hughes was IN one
OF the higher classes. He was On the
Shubert forces and I went to him.
| He gave me a chance and l went on
at the Winter Garden, rank amateur.
Back On the "Two-a-Day."
Audiences seemed to like my
dancing. More than three years ago
met Lloyd and we formed partner.
ship. We've been very successful ana
have stuck together. There aren't
many dancing teams now-Doyle ana
Dixon, and a few others. few years
ago every other turn in vaudeville was
offered by couple Of hooters.
1--WE were in the musical comedy,
| You're in Love- three seasons ago
and then we went into vaudeville. We
were in 'Gloriana, another musical
show. last season, and we're back on
the two-a-day now"
daniel Wells of Milwaukee is my
uncle and Isaac Stephenson of Mil
waukee-Senator Stephenson, you
iknow-is my guardian" said Wells
who cannot be more than twenty-fouT
or twenty-five" He's going to see me
/ work in few weeks. Never believed
| could work." he added with smile
Don't know where I got the title
Iowas youngest millionaire l sup
pose you get it in a small place II
YOU spend money and know the PEG
pie coming through. Perhaps that Is
|, how I got it pinned to me. ] go BACK
to Burlington and spend couple 0.
| days or so every year with my
mother. She likes to i've there rol
she has a beautiful home and friends
and there is no reason she shohio
change her residence. Besides, she
goes to New York and around 1ol
MANY weeks out Of the year"
> Prefers Dancing to-.Burlngton.
Gilbert Wells is one of the rev
} vouths who has deliberately CHOSEN
: life of comparative discomfort to ONT
t of ease. He prefers to dance befor'
| the psbtic-"used to do it in placN
4 face he said, but it took nstii.
d half an hour to get the stuff Off ale
Q tho turn and SO we decided to turn INT,
staoa conference.-the live each weei
in a hotel room, not always of IN
manifest. to spend the greater part
each day in an overheated dresShie
room and every Saturday night In al
underheated Pullman than to sefu
down and follow the usual course
events in Burlington, Iowa.
The stage is hard tasKmaster'
demands an enormous amount OF s'.hs
f;co from it's pupils. Yet In the nv
Years from the date of the memorabi
dinner partv to the beauty chorus 9
"yvhen Dreams Come True wen
ENDS himself featured performer
,I,,eviIle with all the attitude Of II,
professional toward his work tie
II not interested half as much In Tn
p hietorv of that dinner party as he
o in discussing his "act." He has a
q o,,;rod The iargon of the vaudevlll
q actor and "flopping.' riot, SUI
10 oeee" and "good notices" come natu
IS o1,v from the lips OF the former coliee
20 student. =,
10 most successful of the dancing team
,6 ne a case Of when Dreams Con
10 1--WE !" for Wells has satisfied his ar
)6 hition TO be a dancer and there
- plenty Of applause
:, Dut II has not been easy Work
II Moreover Wells has reversed pr
n cedent. ,,,.;uas
81 some actors turn into miliiona1res
- There are fewer cases OF Weatti
70 ,-ounp men turning into dancers.
VI And five years is long time to p;
~ for a dinner party.
Mother His Backer.
'I don't believe, Mrs. Wells, tn
when Gilbert was dancing with b
foot on only the first round Of t
ladder of success-if even so good
eccentric dancer as Wells can acco
plish the feat Of dancing with enc TO
on even a figurative ladder-that y
is cut off home financial aid" suggest
the Hawk-Eye man.
- "Of course not, I'm his mothel
90 90 was the prompt reply, Il stood ba
90 of him all the way through. | Ia
SS confidence in him.
96 "And your confidence is now bel
- rewarded"
as 81 think so, am sure. He is c.
tainly very successful in his chos
work and. as he says, 1t is work.