The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-31

to tote the big fellow around, in
him ~ my friend from
Oklahoma"
.sRaas' Nest" Blass.
Ike vas. q great spepder and sell
dom carried . great Deal Of cash.
There were times. too, when no
would be called out Of town on
business and was impelled to
leave his elephantine protege to
the msrcies OF the worlds cham
picn ra1zers.
And those were the lean days for
Jess. Most Of them simply COULDN'T
be bothered, and everybody had
irons in the IRE whenever Jess
might happen around land it was .
daily occurrence) to mootch the
price Of ham-and-or q stack Of
wheatz
Jess hung his hat for . while IN
the Rats Nest" a side street.
ground floor apartment maintained
BY Dorgan and some Of his pals for
everything but sleep. At times, the
hoQtch there was knee-deep. Some
body would make q killing ct cards
OF roulette or ON the ponies, ind
then there would be, an orgy that
would have put Balshazzer 70
shame.
Most ludicrous of all was the
fact that .no bed in the nat was
large enough for Willard. In all
justice to the big fellow, he never
kept late hours: and many was the
time they would come home and
find him In bed, With his feet pro-
tryding through the brass RODS
at the foot. Jess would awake Il
fnd boxing gloves on his feet.
| hut l don't remember = single
occasion when the big fellow evaI
| lost his temper, although he was
literally the goat for every round.
er on Broadway; that is, all but
once.
Loses Goat Bat Once.
Mary Ann" Frank Morgan, tai
blonde rittsburger, who stopped
Joe Beckett in London severa
weeks 80, is the only person
know who ever captured Willard'
nanny. 1t happened in jack
worldfamous rendezvous for sport
ing and theatrical folk, then a
Sixth avenue and Forty-thir'
street.
| Jess vas so bashful OF Womel
THAT he would cross the street 1
avoid seeing them. Moran, one Q
the worst practical hellraiser
lknewn to sport. seized an oppor
tunity to make Jess the goat.
/ The incident had been prear
ranged, so far As location was con
cerned. Pearl White, the movi
queen, was sitting At another tabl
when the gang arrived with Jes
towering above them all like tn
Woolworth building. They ha
rented Jess a dress suit for th
occasion. The others wore tux
does.
Miss White supposed she va
} only to occupy the chair next
) Jess for the sole purpose of dai
cling him dumb. She was not
: on the finale; that is, she had N
$ been tipped Oh to Moran's re-
joke.
r Jess almost choksd when he 50
the lovely blonde picture star
t down beside him, and his bluah'
: almost iEnited the tablecloth. +
o smiled enough food into his lap
i feed . hundred starving kids
J; Europe.
First Flash Of Fight.
:: Meantime, Moran tied Jess Goa
= tails to Miss Whites sash with
J, safety pin. Then he had Je
: paged all over the cafe. Villa
!, realized a chance to duck for 90
% and jumped to his feet. Rip-p-p-p-
The next moment he had dragg
. Miss White from her chair. but
y didn't stop until they held him
- at the entrance.
y Miss White, with her charmi
e sense of humor. viewed the inctde
!. as only . good piece Of publicit
u =, but not so willard. When he re
: lied the extent of damage to NJ
Whites gorgeous costume, 1t to
every waiter and reserve copI
IN the heat to subdue him.
" And that was the moment 10
~ awaited by Dorgan. He discover
e the big moose could fight. II stu
~ n He was right, but not being 4 ii
~ manager, he turned Jess over
=. those heavenly twins. but now I
~ ter eaemies-Tom Jones and j
7" Curley.
It's hard to think Of Jess al
millionaire; but that's the way
Oh the world.