Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
''Graharn


ONE Of the radio yachtsmen didn't
have any too good luck this past
| Summer, according to the casual
~ reports that come drifting in.
James Melton, for instance, got
practically shipwrecked on Lake Cham
plain.
1t was beautiful night when he and
| his friends turned in, but storm came
up and Jimmie was awakened when he
was tossed out Of his bunk. After try
| ing this and that to ease the little
cruiser off bit, they decided to run
for shore and get behind breakwater.
1t took them two hours to make it,
and then, feeling safe, they turned In
again, in spite of the fact that there
was still heavy wind. In the morn
ing when they awoke the bow was tilted
upward at sharp angle. In spite Of
the shelter the cruiser had managed to
drag her anchor and pile up on some
convenient rocks.
B. A. Rolfe. the dance maestro, had
his own troubles. One day he had an
| on the Jersey coast to take them aboard
his yacht for party. Fifty yards away
from the landing something went wrong
with the yachts power plant. Rolfe
decided to join his friends on shore and
| wait until the damage had been re-
paired.
A motor boat took him close to the
dock, but Rolfe discovered that low tide
had left it high above the water A
small float was the only approach
Rolfe Is man of considerable girth,
and he looked on that float with sus-
picion. 1t was the only way ashore,
however, and he decided to take q
chance
One foot on the float, and Rolfe was
In the water. Mortified and soaked to
! the skin, he waded ashore to meet the
waiting friends, in whose sympathy he
suspected more than a little hidden
capsized, but had merely sunk under
him. His pleasure In yachting has been
reported considerably dimmed.
CURIOUSLY enough, one of the most
- vivid childhood memories of Lud-
wig Laurier, the conductor of Slumber
Music, has to do with sleeping. It hap
pened when he was boy In Speyer Am
Rhine. At 8 years old he was interested
In all the sports that keep boys busy,
especially swimming.
One evening, after he had been in and
out Of the water all day, his parents de-
ctded the children should 60 to some
church service-a special occasion Of
some sort.
Ludwig was very sleepy, and asked
| his father If he might be permitted to
view the services from the choir, intend
ing, OF course, to snatch a few winks
The permission was granted, and soon
young Ludwig was peacefully mapping
Several hours later he awoke. The
church was dark and deserted and in
the faint light the organ pipes had a
strange glow. They seemed to be
pressing down on him. In a moment he
would be crushed.
With shrek the boy dashed down
the stairs and to the door Of the church.
His poundings and cries awakened the
sexton who let him out to run home to
his anxious parents. And ever after
he was exceedingly wide-awake in
church.
Martha Atwood, the operate soprano
who frequently takes part In radio pro-
grams, remembers a different childhood
experience. At the age Of IL, a gawky
girl, she was to make her first pub
lie appearance singing at q strawberry
festival at her home town, Wellheet,
on Cape Cod.
Decorated with fancy crepe paper
and ribbons, and holding a box Of
strawberries, she was to sing Who'll
Buy My Strawberries" At the last
moment it all seemed very silly to her
and she tried to run away. But her
mother caught her, gave her q severe
spanking before all the villagers and
hoisted her to the platform to sing
Little Martha got through the song.
but she says she really didn't sing 1t
at all, for she was only able to get the
words out at odd moments between the
sobs. To this day she admits pref
udice against strawberries.
\ X \
TN my travels about the country,
particularly on concert tours, have
had some rather odd introductions to
audiences, but one of the most ridicu-
lous I remember was performed by
Phil Carlin.
It was several years ago, when the
Prince of Wales was making a visit to
America. The great Peace Bridge at
Buffalo was to be dedicated and the
prince was to take part in the cere-
monies. His royal highness was to ap-
proach the bridge from the Canadian
side.
There were many anxious moments
Broadcasting was much younger than
it is today and every one was worried
over the outcome of such difficult task
as we were about to perform. Phil
had been waiting with microphone at
a vantage point. Every moment he had
expected to see the prince and his
Finally he spotted an automobile
party approaching, apparently with no
little formality.
Here he comesl" Carlin announced
enthusiastically, and followed with q
running description of the cars prog
ress and the actions Of the crowd along
the way.
And then he spotted me sitting In the
seat he had accorded to the prince.
And there wasn't a prince in sight You
should have seen the complete disgust
on his face as he turned to the micro
phone and said, I'm sorry. it's only
McNamee."
Phil's error was understandable. On
that day 1t was almost impossible to
move within certain bounds. All sorts
of precautions had been taken to assure
the safety of the famous persons who
were to be there.
| l had tried on foot to get to my post
to prepare for going on the air, but l
could make no impression. Somewhat
desperate, I got the most impressive
| looking car I could find, explained my
plight to a sympathetic official far
| enough away from the scene to the rea-
given this Sunday evening, when Lavoy
| Annfs. tenor will appear as a guest