New Britain herald., 1922-11-20

San Jose Mercury Two years later he bought The Napa Reporter. Napa City, Cal. Later he established The Mbun- tain View Register. Mountain View, Cal.
 It was while he was newspaper man that he entered politics, running for membership in the state assembly. He never was elected to office. Dis satisfied with newspapers and poll tics, he returned to San Jose and joined a stock company, or, to put 1t In his own words, he turned respect able and became an actor" Then came years of drudgery in stock and repertoire. and incidentally IT years at the Alcazar theater in San Fran cisco. His career there was terminal ed by the earthquake.
 His Wife Schoolmate.
 MT. Bacon came East, where he played for IA years in various produc- tions and also in vaudeville, with his wife, formerly Miss Jennie Weidman, whom he married June 27, 1885. The marriage was the culmination of a romance dating back to the days when they had both attended the same grammar school in San Jose.
 The Blackstone theater was dark last night out of respect for the de- parted master. It will remain closed until Wednesday night, the manage ment announced.
 One of the finest tributes paid to MT. Bacon was that of his manager, George Kingsbury, who said:
 "A kindly man, of simple tastes, who gave much to the public that he served and asked little in return. Ba- con was known to his friends in the profession as much for the big, human man he was as for his sterling quail ties as an actor. He really died on the Saturday night when he gave his last performance--and his greatest"
 The popular esteem in which he was held is shown by the register in the lobby of the Blackstone theater. Bearing the caption 'Lightnin' Bill Jones, Calidiva Hotel" which he asked out-of-town visitors to the play house to sign More than 100000 autographs are contained in the numerous volumes, their writers hail. ing from every conceivable corner of the globe, and all paying tribute to the rare genius of their host.
 Frank Bacons play 'Lightnin' " broke all records and eclipsed all past successes. It ran in New York for three years and day---a total Of l. 2s1 consecutive performances.
 Old Friends Mourn.
 San Francisco, Nov. 2o.--In Sutter county, his birthplace, in the the atrical district of San Francisco and in the Santa Clara valley, Frank Ba- con, creator of "Lightnin' and the principal character in the cast, is be- ing mourned today. For in his death at Chicago yesterday vanished most pretentious theatrical wish--the an- ticipation of Franks return to his old haunts in the role which made him famous.
 As barefoot boy in the great Sac- ramento valley between the Sierras and the coast range, as an advertising solicitor in early manhood, as pho tographer, and then as the actor, Frank Bacon found contacts throughout California which made the first story of his success in "Lightnin'" cherished bit of news.
 At the Lincoln district school in Sutter county the children today heard the story of his death and his success recited in the classroom in which he had once been 9 pupil.
 On the Harris ranch where his cousin, Mrs. Mary Stoker, remember ed his boyhood activities, the picture of his smile fingers. In MarysNlle, where the stage coaches made head quarters in his days, carrying miners to the mother lode town, he left his impress on the old timers.
 In San Francisco, it was his assoct- ates on the early day stage in Ten Nights in barroom" and in the ten, twenty, thirty" shows in which he appeared who chatted reminiscently about him.