The Washington times., 1935-08-22

bv James E. BrotDn. In yeSter.
DAYS article the i0riter de-
Scribed Wtll'S early stage career
and his transition from trick
rider to humorous ntonologtSt.
By JAMES E. BROWN
Copyright. 1898, by International
News servicG
NEW YORK, Aug. % G.N.S0.
At one time, viii Rogers was re-
garded as the highestpaid per-
former on the American stage.
Yet never during his rapid
climb to fame, or after he had
attained his greatest success, did
he become conceited, lose his
boyish naturalness, or allow his
sense of values to become dis
torted. -,
Kelcey Allen, a dramatic critic,
tells the story that Charles L.
Wagner saw Will on the stage
and Immediately ought he
would be good on lecture tour.
So he wrote to him and offered
him $4,000 month to sign a
contract. =,
About a week later, Allen and
wagner were standing on corner
talking when Will walked by.
will nodded to Allen. Wagner
turned and asked the critic:
"How well do you know VIII
ROgers?"
ooh. well enough to speak
to him."
"WelI, wish you would find
out something for me. I wrote
to Rogers and offered him
$4,000 a month to 80 on a
lecture tour, and he hasn't
even answered my letter"
$4,000 JOKE
Allen said he would ask Will
about it, and the next day he
met him on Broadway and men.
toned the incident. Will laughed
and said:
"Well, I'll be darned. Yeah,
1 received a letter like that,
but I thought it was some Of
the boys at the Friars Club
kidding me. You know, they
got a bartender up there named
Charles Wagner.
It was typical Of Rogers th~t
he would think he was being
kidded by such a sensational
offer. He never took his su cess
for granted.
When the Friars were raising
money for alterations on their
club rooms. they asked Will for a
donation and received the follow
ing reply:
Enclosing check. Couldn't
think Of having my brother
Friars playing pinOchle on the
street."
PICKED EPITAPH
He once said:
when / die my epitaph or
whatever you call those signs
on graveyardS is going to read,
4 jOked about every prominent
man of my time, but I never
met a man 1 didn't like / am
proud of that. can hardly
wait to die so it can be carved"
In thus selecting the wording
of his epitaph, Rogers unconsci-
ously analyzed the factor underly-
ing the affection with which he
was regarded by the people of two
hemispheres. It was simply be-
cause he never met a man he
didn't like that he never met a
man who didn't like him. Thus,
he could aim his jokes at Presi-
dents, dictators, millionaires, and
senators, and still be regarded by
them with affection.
To Americans, Will Rogers was
their unofficial spokesman. To
Europeans, he was quite some
thing else His breezy irreverence
of titles confirmed their suspicion
that America was a democracy
socially as we'll as politically. The
English never really understood
the man who greeted the Prince
of Wales with:
Hello, old timer, how are you
falling these dayS?"
And received in reply the agree
BILE answer:
"All over the place. I've had
a broken shoulder since l saw
you last"
WHOLLY UNAFFECTED
Americans understood the type
they thought he represented, but
even in this country few could
believe that he was so unaffected
by his amazing success. Yet
Rogers never claimed to be an
actor. He once said:
"I'm entirely different from
the other movie actors. / still
got the wife 1 started out with"
Any suspicion that his careless
manner of dress was an affecta-
tion was disSpelled when he at.
tended a formal White House re-
Ception in his shiny blue serge
suit.