Evening star., 1934-06-17

pareuLS, he says. nave d SlSIeT, luu Size.
And when, a lad 1 was slow growing, my
father encouraged me-1eave the boy alone
he said, one of these days he'll shoot up and
surprise you all But didn't
Father gave me a good education and at
18 I found myself keeping books for a livery
stable in New York. and collecting the bills
in between times.
But as tried to collect my mind was on
higher things. And the day I heard that Mrs.
Gen. Tom Thumb, the widow of the 2-foot,
8-inch midget who was such a favorite of
Queen Victoria. was looking for a leading man,
called to see her.
IT was then around feet tall lust about
a yard. She was considerably under that. But
a fine woman was Mrs Tom Thumb with
bright black eyes, and soft feminine ways, and
quick as they made them. She had had a
thorough education; had been school teacher
in Middleboro Mass, before P. T Barnum
found her and she went into the show business
and married Gen. Tom Thumb
Well to make long story short when she
saw me she liked me. and hired me at once.
She drilled me for her leading man. and we
set out on the road, after a good long run in
New York
Il left her at the end of eight months
disagreement You know how temperamental we
artists are
Then 1 branched out for myself. To Bos-
ton, at AuSten's; a while ballyhooing at Far
Rockaway. Trying to get people into a side
show is like trying to lure people to a bargain
sale. Sometimes they come, sometimes they
don't
Then ! started out for myself in vaudeville.
singing my own songs speaking my own speeches,
writing my own addresses. which / delivered
after the show in the theater lounge.
whenever sang mob of sentimental wom-
en- waited for me- had to be wise, had to
be kind and stin had to leave things so that
was not compromised. 1t difficult task,
that, and would have been too much for me,
except that my engagement was shortly over.
and the train or steamer waiting to whiSk
me away.
"QEHIND might be pa1pitating hearts and
tear or two in tender eyes. At least, that
was what they claimed when they wrote me.
But, perhaps. they were only joking a little
fellow.
However. it is in complications with the
ladies that the fortune of many an Ameri-
can midget is frittered away, and his art
spoiled and his hopes ruined. Some women
tell you that they love you-and mean 1t.
Others tell you and merely mean that they
love the one. two, four five or six hundred
dollars that you are making a veek-or used
to make before the crash.
IT played with Fred Stone in one of his
latest shows. In that was midget who was
buying bungalows to rent to artists in the Sum-
mer at Provincetown. He had half a dozen.
He figured If he could get two more, he'd have
an income without working.
well, about then, he married a woman
full size-who swore she adored him. But what
did she do?
"She moved some of her brothers children In
for him to support; she nagged him for money,
and urged him to make a will leaving all
the property to her. She raised Cain with
the peace of his life and it all finally ended
when he sued for divorce.
But what good did this do him? He had
to pay his lawyer and her lawyer, and when
Justice was done all his property was gone
Yes, indeed, love has wrecked the life of many
q midget.
But let me get back to the problem in hand
the problem of being midget in depression
days-and keeping up appearances.
1T Is true, some Of US did make good money.
But it costs a midget more to keep up appear
ances than it costs 6-foot foot ball hero.
Look at clothes. We have to be tailor
made. Our shoes must be made to order, and
the ordinary shaving brushes and chairs and
beds are built, not to our size, but to our years.
and so are a WEAKNESS and backache
Then there is the eternal gazing a midget
must endure. And the eternal patronage and
wonder. So, if possible, have to buy our
selves privacy, parlor when travelling, taxis,
box instead of chair at theater opera
vet for all these disadvantages, midgets
often manage well in normal times. Tom
Thumb, at part of his life, worth a
million dollars-money he had made shrewdly
in Connecticut real estate. Mr.. and Mrs. Jean
Bregant-Mrs. Bregant used to be my lead