New-York tribune., 1920-07-25
Lumber Camp Worker
Finds Fame by Playing
Saw ON Ziegfeld Roof

Last summer, when F. Ziegfeld jr.
was casting the "Follies," persistent
young man came to his Offices in the
New Amsterdam Theater Building al
most every day. He was stocky and
tanned and gave tinge in his make
up of the great out of DOORS" In his
hand he carried an ordinary hand
saw. The Ziegfeld attendants, not
realizing he was an actor, tried to
wish him" to the stage manager.
What else could man be coming in
to do if he were not builder of make
believe houses and fences and the
like?
But he wouldn't be shunted. No one
but Mr.. Ziegfeld himself would do for
this temperamental "carpenter," and
finally, in order to try to be rid Of
him, he was admitted into Mr.. Zieg-
fields offices.
81 want" he said briefly. "a place in
one of your companies"
Mr.. Ziegfeld is besieged with per-
sons who believe in their own minds
that they have long been overlooked
acquired, by diligence, an attitude of
patience for most anything or any,
body. After looking over his latest
visitor, he inquired:
"Well, what can you do?"
Il play q handsaw," was the amaz-
ing reply.
Mr.. Ziegfeld, being constantly on the
lookout for something "new," did not
send for the porter or the crossing
policeman or for the Bellevue Hospi-
tai ambulance, but he made an ap-
pointment with the young man, whose
name he learned was Moore, for that
and Moore, with his handsaw and III
cello bow, sat in chair and began to
draw weird notes from the tool. He
played bit from an old opera and
then one from a current musical pro-
duction. Gene Buck, Mr.. Ziegfeld s
assistant, was standing near by. He
whispered to Mr.. Ziegfeld that Moore
was a ventriloquist, which idea was
forming in the producers mind at the
same time. SO he asked Moore to play
again. A small group of stage men
attracted by the strange music gathered
closely. They soon learned that he was
not ventriloquist, but that the tones
were produced by the vibration of the
saw and the different tones obtained by
bending it TO and fro. Moore was en-
gagged and is now one of the featured
attractions. Each night he has to step
to the ringside tables and show the
audience that there is no trickery. The
discovery that there was music in {
handsaw was quite accidental. Moore
is Georgian and when young mal
he obtained a job in a lumber camp
1t was hard work and there WASH
much future, but he "stuck to it," He
had dreams, but, as he relates now, he
didn't see much chance of making any
of them come true.
One evening at dusk he was sharpen
ing his saw for the next days work
An old camp fiddler, character wht
eked out living as a lumber cam
troubador, came along and sat down be
side him to play a tune or so for {
few pennies.
Moore became interested in tn,
tones in the violin. He always hat
wanted to play. He took the bow ou
OF the tiddler's hand and as the sav
was between his knees he rubbed tn,
bow across the saw. He does no
know why, but soon there reverberatee
about the camp a clear bell-lke note
Moore drove to town the next day an(
got two bows and each night he begar
practicing. For two winters he amused
the lonely lumberjacks with his music
Then he came to New York, heard O.
Mr.. Ziegfeld, and the engagement wa,
the result