Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-11
District Skater, IS, to Make Tour

| fessional stage contracts But Laidlaw
was reaping a satisfactory harvest from
the sales business. A stage career did
not intrigue him until the manager OF
the B, F. Keith circuit offered him a
two-year contract TO sign-a contract
which carried with 1t such large sal
airy that the slate salesman was
tempted.
! After considerable elaboration, he
signed his name on the dotted line.
! And for the first time In vaudeville
history. former salesman of slate.
three score and three years OF age. laid
aside his drummer's baggage and began
professional stage career.
To make his act spectacular Laid
law had q portable billiard table a.,
by Z feet. built OF mahogany with a
surface OF maple. which was stained
to simulate the green cloth. The rails
dropped In order that the spectators
might have full view when Laidlaw
executed daring featS with either the
| fore or rear rollers Of his skates re-
moved. ,
This performer had special skates
made TO his design. which were so ar
ranged that he could snap either the
front or rear sets Of rollers as he de-
sired.
Laidlaw performed all his repertory of
skating tricks atop the billiard table.
The sensational skating capers. which
| he cut electrified audiences along the
Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida.
as well as throughout the Middle West.
with his long snow-whlte hair and
q cheerful expression on his rudy face
the skater looked the part Of typi-
cal Kentucky colonel who had turned
to roller skating as hobby. Al the
zenith Of his professional career MIR.
I.afdlaw was billed as world cham
pion roller skater OF his age" No one
ever appeared To dispute this claim
There were only few skaters In the
world-~and most Of these were only
about one-third as old as Mr.. Laidlaw
who ranked In his class,
The fact that his son. a Washing
| ton newspaper man. wanted his father
10 retire and come to the National Cap
ital Ia reside. led the professional per-
former To abandon his life on the stage
During the last nine years MIR LaidlaW
has been engaged In the hotel husi-
ness In Washington, He has Skated
| for pleasure and exercise every week
day during that period, Formerly he
was regular visitor To the leading
local skating Kinks, lie also has given
exhibitions at private clubs and at vari-
Gus motion picture houses,
| Despite that he now Is as ttxare Ii
not another skater IN Washington who
can match this veteran In skill and
proficiency.
Just to prove that roller skating Is
a healthful exercise. this writer wishes
| 10 stress the fact that Mr., Ialdlaw
has not been absent from his hotel
| duties even once In the last six and
one half years, In addition to skating
six DAYS week he also walks from 1
TO & miles daily along our Capital Ci.y's
beautiful boulevards and parkways.
The urge once again tn swing around
the show circuit" has mfed Mr. Laid
Law from retirement, Daily aud dill
gently, he Is practieing his new Skat-
Ing act. which will he his professional
swan song
MIR, i.aidaw uses two skating mats
made OF the finest maple In practicins
hts ''stunts" at the local gymnasium,
One of these mats Ii facsimile of tho
top OF q grand piano And every once
In so often. the skater climbs ON top
of a piano 20 test out his best he
loved skating maneuvers,
II YOU doubt what thts writer re-
ports, stop In at the Y gym" any week
day afternoon al $50 aud be CON.
vineed Fur there yuu win nnd q
patriarchsl performer, praetielng feats
which would defy the agility al cod
startling act, his last adieu To the skat,
Inc audiences that have not forgotten
the former champion performer.