Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
rSHE old-time minstrel shows,
castodians Of some Of the
most glorious or the tradi-


most glorious Of the tradi-
ticns Of the American stage,
ere having d second life In front
Of the rnicropkone.
When the Field MINISTRIES gave.
up the ghost several seasons ago.
cancelled their road. tour and went
into vaudeville, It looked like the,
death blow for this branch Of the
theatrical art that had produced
such shining names as George
Primrose, Lew Dockstader, Neal,
O'Brien, Julian Eltiuge, Honey
Hoy Evans and sLasses' White.
The stage practically closed be-,
cause OF the declining popularity
In favor Of the movies and touring
girl shows, the Ministries have
found new public favor In the air.
And the radio, in accepting the
Ministries as q part Of It's. life, Is
preserving all the personality and
characteristics Of the old timers.
Paul Dumont, . production di-'
rector for the National Broadcast
ing CO., does elaborate research
work to make certain his stagings
are correct historically and At
roundly In tradition. He inter-,
views every old-time minstrel man
that comes TO his notice. and has
absorbed what little literature
there Is on the subject. Musical
publishers have searched their
files to dig out for him many OF
the old minstrel favorites.
III Hall Of the Bureau Of Stand
ards viii 70 to New York this week
to explain to the Institute Of RAJ
dio Engineers in session there how.
the bureau checks piezo oscilla-
tors sent to:it for test by broad
casting stations. The bureau gives
these oscillators q two-day tenn
perature test, and then puts them
through. frequency measurements
by . method developed by its own
engineers.
A variety Of radio subjects will
be discussed ut the meeting, which
has attracted radio engineers from
all sections Of the United States
and foreign countries.
- 4 ~
New. devices that vastly improve
the technic OF radio presentations
have often been discovered by
pure accident. The latest incf-
dent Of this kind occurred re-
Gently when Norman Sweetster, q
production man for the National
Broadcasting Co., was idly OPEN
Ing and swapping shut his specta-
Gle, case. Suddenly he jumped to
his feet. !. IS. -.
aThat would make q good pistol
shot!" he exclaimed.
The snap Of the spring lid Of Q
spectacle case had suggested TO
Sweetster that It might be q solu-
ton for the current .diflculty Of
conveying q pistol report over the
air. He 10 now said 10 be expert
menting.
The great American public no
longer goes to bed at 10 pm. and
radio Is to blame, according to a
partial check-up on broadcasting
conditions conducted by the news
department Of the Charles Fresh
man Co. Letters and . house-to-
house canvass revealed that al
most one-half Of the Nations
urban. population .doesnt put the
cat cut until after u O'Clock.
People used to 60 to bed be-
cause there was nothing else to
do after 10 o'clock" said @. A.
Earl, president Of the company.
NOW radio keeps them DIP until
long after that hour"
IN an effort to reduce Americas
annual 100. 900 death toll from &C.
cidents, the National Safety Coun-
ell has arranged to broadcast q
series Of Is weekly programs over
the N. B. g. network, each Of
which win contain Q safety mes
Charles M. schwab win open
the series April 10. Twelve other
prominent men will follow him.
These include Secretary Of Labor
Davis, Secretary Of Commerce La
mont and Albert Russell Erskine
of Harvard University.
The underlying purposes Of the
radio safety series are to awaken
the individual citizen to his own
personal responsibility In accident
prevention and TO arouse the
American mind from It's lethargy
and indifference toward one Of
the vital problems Of the day.. !
d ~ \ i
"a a fer aavays vaara ~ ig,taya sive