The Washington times., 1934-09-17
my n1ntn year.
Fun at School

&11Ubk1GE AbtkS tOWA i 4CS0A
in that lake-dotted country is
Fairbault, where I attended a
sort Of military academy. Posi-
bly, I would not recall this but
for some Of the pranks that
oddly live in our minds as we
inventory our past lives. Our
class conceived the idea of leav-
ing some sort Of q tribute with
the institution. We boys all
"chipped" in and bought a met
al statue Of Winged victory"
and had our names engraved on
the base. The sculpture was
covered with a white sheet until
the elaborate presentation and
unveiling ceremony. I recall dis
tinctly that I thought it would
be quite humorous, and placed
. Q head of fresh cabbage in the
Outstretched hand of Victory.
Strange as it may seem to
New YOrkerS and other Eastern
err, we natives of the Middle
West never looked upon our.
selves as WeSternerS. So when
the family moved to Montana,
I went with considerable and
eager anticipation. I planned
to wear top boots, carry a gun
and use q lariat.
Imagine my dismay when I
discovered this frontier was
just another rural background
with bleak, brown hills, instead
Of the verGant woods and quiet
lakes Of Minnesota. The ma
tives Of Montana were q bit
more unreserved in their man"
ner-sOrt Of breezy and out
spoken. To an active, over.
grown lad like myself the Uni
versity of Montana was just an
other school and Butte was not
any greater adventure than st.
Paul
A strike Of the gold, copper
and silver miners proved the
turning point in my young life.
There came to town an old
repertoire star-Daniel e. Band
man. For q generation he had
toured the country. in all the
playS available without royalty
and had withdrawn from the
theater to become g. rancher.
Many small town people will
probably recall him. He had
many players who afterwards
became famous IN his touring
companieS-one Of them was
Julia Arthur.
FTetting under his Selt-in1.
posed bdnIshn1ent from the
theGter, BGndnlGn organized q
series of ShGkeSpeGreGn preSen.
tations, the receipts to 90 to the
families of the striking miners.
He enlisted college boys, includ-
Ing myse1t, to play the male
roles and society amateurs for
the feminine roles. We packed
the Butte TheGter and a good
time 1DGS had by all.
was convinced that an in
terested and respectful audi
ence was necessary for the best
work ON the stage. So I &C
cepted the first opportunity to
ret in the neighbOrhOOd Of
polite audiences place on
the train with q consignment
Of Texas lOnghOrnS for Chi
cago. New York was my ulti-
mate goal, but in the mean
time / was content with work
rs = stage hand or in a small
role I'm one Of the nearby
stock companies. have just
. haxy recollection Of having
worked or played in the Bush
Terminal Of Music. In the
course Of time-pOSsibly sew
eraI mOnthS-I landed the
ching I was after, an engage
ment with a company going
eastward. 1t was in a play by
Q priest, the Rev. Father Law
renee ]. Vaughn, and was called
"'The Woman of the West"
This company stranded in
Newburgh, N. Y. putting me In
mind of the old UGNdeUille gag
about the man getting 1Uithin
tho feet of the Golden Gates
and his relGtiveS refusing to pay
the fortune teller any more
money-it he couldn't Jump
those ttDo feet he could go to
III.
i With no metropolitan back
ground I considered myself for
I tunate to be taken on by the
Poll organization for their vari-
Gus stock companies. I got to
! know by heart the train Sched.
| uleS between Bridgeport, Wor-
ceSter, Hartford, New Haven
! and other New England stock
centerS. If one enjoys being ad-
mired at a distance and relishes
very sedate teas with matrons
who feel they are promoting a
civic enterprise by entertaining
the local matinee idols, then
stock IS just the caper.
Encouraged by my arrival"
on Broadway, / cOnnived to get
past the strict guardianship of
the BelascO Theater stage and