Evening star., 1926-08-25

may hardly be accused of affection
in shortening it.
He was born in the little village of
Castellaneta, in the south of Italy,
about 25 miles northwest of the his
toric city of Taranto. There We're
only a few thousand in the village
community and the young mans
family was prominen9 in it's small af-
fairs.
His mother was, according to his
own statements, the daughter of the
president of an engineering company
which constructed railways through
out Europe, notably in Italy and
France.
Valentines father, Giovanni Gugli-
elmi. a graduate of the University of
Naples. was in his younger days a
captain in the royal Italian cavalry.
He specialized in veterinary science,
and upon his retirement from military
service devoted himself to it.
Attained Name i'm Science.
He was able, in his meteorological
| researches. to discover the cause of
mortality of horses and cattle under
certain conditions. This was original
and revolutionary in character and
brought him considerable acclaim.
Prof. Nocard, a member of the French
Academy and of the Pasteur Institute,
made the discovery the subject of a
treatise which was widely circulated.
Castellaneta Is in the heart of a
| rich agricultural region OF Italy. Al
| most every one there Is farmer. and
crops are the basis of most of the
village talk. This. and a few other
things, account for the fact that when
| Rudolph Valentino came to the United
| States 13 years ago he described him.
self to the Ellis Island authorities as
| "agriculturist." He was. indeed, an
embryo farmer.
But to turn back: When Valentino
! was II years of age his father died.
| Though he had been the breadwinner,
| the family was in good circumstances
after his passing. There were funds
, enough to provide young Rudolph
| with an excellent education, so he
was sent forthwith to Dante Alighleri
| College at laramie. This institution
corresponds to an American h1gh
school and IS Of note in the region.
For two years he remained there
absorbing such education as boys OF
his age customarily assimilate. and
then he was enrolled in the military
College della BapionZa at Perugia. his
mother being determined that he
should have a thorough schooling.
But young Valentino was far from
serious.minded about it all. Studies
did not interest him half so much as
romantic novels. Then, too, the dis,
cipline irked him and infractions
brought their punishments.
Sent Home From School.
One day the King of Italy visited
o1,o n tiY1p
when the self-willed Rudolph was un-
der arrest, under lock and key. 1t
| wasn't every day that the King ar
| rived, and Rudolph was bcnt upon
seeing him. So he broke confinement
| and gazed his fill. Incidentally this
caused the school authorities to decide
| that they had gazed their fill on Ru'
dolph. Wherefore they sent him home
| in disgrace.
Not for a moment, however, was
his mother swerved from her intent
! about her Young hopeful. She packed
him off to Venice to take the cxamina
ton for the royal navy. This failed
too, because, as Valentino said in later
wears, he was one inch too small In
| chest girth, though he was a strong
and healthy boy.
Now his mother fell back upon
agriculture, the chief employment OF
their own countryside. 1t was con
templated to make a scientific farmer
of the boy, equip him with technical
knowledge about the soil and its crops
| Besides he had been home an entire
year and school was the best place Ioi
him after all.
| Thus he came to enter the Roya
College of Agriculture at Genoa. ant
at the age Of II he was graduated
with degree. which he probably die
| not take at all seriously, doctor of ag
riculture. He was ready now to &c
| out into the world and wrest a living
out OF the most reluctant tract Of
land. Did he not have that diploma
and degree? And wasn't it more thar
most of those in or about Castellaneta
! possessed?
The second chapter In the Life
Story Of Rudolph Valentino will ap
pear tomorrow.
| Copyright. Ie26.l