New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
The Luck Of a
Baked Potato
And a Girl
Being the True Story of
Gretchen Eastman and
Her Guest of the Stage

All larry stoiies peSin with Once
upon time" so it is just as well r.
say mot so long ago." as this Ia tina
true story of the adventures Of
Gretchen Eastman and her quest for
place on the stage.
Like many other little girls oat /,
Chicago, Gretchen Eastman was set q,
going on the stage. The only differ
cnce between other girls and Miss
Eastman was that she was not only
set, but she was determined, to 20 on
the stage, and she did it without saw.
ing anything to the family. who
thought Miss Eastman shc-s.d .evots
her time to preparing for social ca
reer.
The social call did not appeal to the
young lady, and one day she went ia
the La Sale Theater, in Chicago, and
in her hands when she left was the
manuscript part of the ingenue in Thu.
Girl at the Gate" Being thoughtful.
young lady, Miss Eastman made no
mention of being in the cast, but on
the opening night gave theater party
and invited her family, saying she
would meet them at the playhouse. but
TO take their seats and not wait for
her, as she would be there with some
friends.
As the family party entered the ths-s
alter, Miss Eastman was singing "You
Can Flirt in All Kinds Of Languages.p
Mrs. Eastman tainted in the aisle, but
Miss Gretchen sang her song through.
Just how she did it, the young lady a6-
mits she does not know, but thinks she
was too frightened to stop. 1
Stuck to Her Job 20
Through Eight Months Run
At family council it was decided that
Miss Eastman would soon tire and leave
the show. But she was in the cast for
the entire eight months run, and won
her mothers engagement ring, as the
family were so sure she would not re-
main that it was laughingly agreed Miss
Eastman could have any present she
asked if she was with the company dur
ing it's entire run. The laugh, in this =
instance, was Miss East,nan's.
Then to school went the young lady,
but the call of the stage was strong
and at a conference of friends Miss
Eastman decided on a trip to New York
Not wishing to bother her family, she
made the trip without making any an
nouncement
Thinking it necessary to be modest,
Miss Eastman made the long trip on
| the slowest possible train and in an
ordinary day coach. No sleepers or
diners for her, and surely diner was
not necessary, as her schoolgirl friends
had given her large basket lunch Of
pickles, chocolates and cakes.
Arriving in New York, Miss Eastman
thought it was time to make fashion
able start, so she selected the most ex-
pensive and exclusive hotel in the city.
BY the time she obtained an engage 5
ment the hotel had most of her funds.
A thoughtful stage director asked her
at the first rehearsals if she was COM
Portable in her hotel and Miss Eastman
confded in him the fact that, while de-
lighted with the hotel, she was not con-
tent Then followed the story OF the
large expense and the shrinking bank
account. She was directed to another
hotel where the charges were not so
excessive.
Lived on One
| Potato Day
Unwilling to ask the theater manage
ment for an advance, Miss Eastman
| found the question of paying IN her
room and eating very serious ene.
One of the girls confded to her where
big baked potato and bread and but
ter could be had for q slight charge.
For time Miss Eastman lived on one
meal day, and that was the baked
potato
Since the baked potato days Miss
Eastman has advanced in her profess
sion. She was with Montgomery and
Stone in "The Lady of the Slipper" and
took the place of Elsie Janis when that
young lady left the cast of "The Grass
Widows" to entertain our soldiers.
Then came two seasons in vaudeville as
headliner, and now she has been Sc
lected as one of the principals in The
Greenwich Village Follies, 1921" which I
will soon be presented.
Fame and prosperity have not n.ade
Miss Eastman forget the big baked
potato, for at her farm on Long Island
she raises and sells each year hundreds
of bushels of potatoes. That is not all.
She has developed the Eastman rose
and ships them to the New York mar
ket. But she delights to recall just how
h o. r,art tho h.. hal..l LIZ ,ed