New Britain herald., 1925-04-27
Through The Static

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 It was a great old party that they held for General John J. Pershlng on Saturday night at the Hippo drome, New York city, and 1t was q great nerve they had keeping us up until 9.Se in the morning, standard time. It was worth it, though.
 Wen take a minute here 10 say something abont the weather. There was a large amount Of static and other noise, conditions being terrible , on both evenings. At times on Sat urday night the static sounded like the boom of the waves Of the ocean during a particularly heavy nor caster, There was not much improve ment last night.
 WTlC at Hartford broadcast the Pershing program from New York on Saturday night and we tuned in on that station. Otherwise we should have been totally out of luck. in spite of the fact that the noise quieted down considerably late In | the evening. It was possible 10 cut down the current on WTIC so that | the program came In without any in- reference to speak of. The program started with a presentation by Ben Bernie and his orchestra playing in , the grill of the Hotel Roosevelt. We l couldn't hand the announcer much. i He was entirely too wise, the re- marks irritating us considerably. He was a typical representative of the 'wise-guy" type, of which many are found In the largest city in the coun- try. Painful attempts at humor, many times at the expense of the radio audience. failed to endear him to us, and we were glad when his oppressive batter was over.
 We received some real enjoyment from the Pershi9g testimonial, but would have been grateful If WTICs announcer had kept mum more often. Several times he broke in dur. ing the applause to tell us that it was station WTIC, and by the time the control was switched back to New York the name of the next per former had been announced and things were starting up again. We particularly wanted to hear who was broadCasting, since so many famous stars were scheduled 10 go on the air from the stage of the nations largest theater.
 With Graham McNamee presiding at the microphone. the ceremonies opened. The Hippodrome orchestra played the overture which lasted for nearly half an hour. This compost tion was made up of all the well known war songs, from "Hinkey- Dlnky Farley Eoo' 10 There's a Long, Long Trail Awinding." And you should have heard those boys cheer when some favorite selection came along. Apparently the theater was jammed full 10 the doors.
 Carmela Ponselle of the Metropoli- tan Opera company, rendered as a soprano solo, My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice." from Samson et Delilah." And did we turn the cur. rent off in disgust because it was a soprano solos? We did not. We sal open mouthed while the liquid notes astoundingly clear, fioated into tho air, That's what good music can do
 l. would take too long to tell ir detail just what occurred during inc entire performance. Richard E. En' right, commissioner Of police, pre- scented the freedom of the city O New York to General Pershing 1T behalf of Mayor Hylan, who, accord ing to the commissioner, was filling an engagement Of long standing. w can't imagine what 1t was, at tha time Of night.
 Van and SchenCk. those inimitabl' harmonizers of tho vaudeville world rendered two numbers in dialect, al Irish number, "Cohen's Leading Tn, , Life of Riley Now" and an Italian selection. Raymond Hitchcock ap , peared on the stage to introduce two boys who have been on th stage for few year." as he said. H went on 10 say that when they wer nine and ten years of age respec lively, the one who was nine year , old was the little fellow and the on who was then ten years old was tn . big boy. Now, at Is and 14 years 0 age, the one who is thirteen is th larger Of the two and the one who ] l4 has apparently stopped growing He then uttered two names, know the length and breadth of the Unite States, Weber and Fields. And may be the audience didn't cheer! ThOs two comedians presented one of tn eXcruciatingly funny comedy scene in German dialect and 1t went owe big.