Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-08-22
HUMOR STILLED

All news about threatening wars
in Europe or Africa and all other
events have been overshadowed the
past week by the tragic death of Will
Rogers, the cowboy humorist, and
Wiley Post, around the world flyer,
which took place in Alaska near
Point Barrow, when their airplane
crashed on a lonely river.
The Rogers funeral takes place this
afternoon at Glendale near Los Ange-
les, that being for the family and a
few intimate friends, while 10000 per-
sons gather in Hollywood bowl to join
in a great public funeral service.
Memorial services will be held in the
Twin Cities as well as in many large
cities throughout the country.
The Wiley Pest funeral is also being
held this afternoon but in his home
state of Oklahoma.
Mr.. Rogers. who was kindly, witty,
wise, and always shrewd, was, with
out doubt, Americas best known citi-
zen. His full name was William
Penn Adair Rogers. but he was known
as just plain Will Rogers and was
jester-in-chief to all the world. He
was born on election day, Tuesday,
Nov. 4, 1879, in little cow town
known as Oolagah in the old Indian
territory. now the state of Oklahoma.
While he was of Irish, Scotch, and
American Indian ancestry and born
in Oklahoma, he might we'll. at any
time. have been taken for a New
Highlander
"My ancestors" he said, "did not
come over in the Mayflower. They
met the boat" And here is the other:
'My father was One-eighth CherO-
kee and my mother one-fourth Chero-
kee. | guess that makes me about
One-eighth cigar store Injun."
One editorial writer states that
"Will Rogers Irish forebears be-
queathed to him delicious, roguish
sense Of humor. heartful of tender
sentiment and generosity as well as
inability to take himself seriously.
From his Scottish ancestors he in
herited his keen sense of business,
his proverbial reliability. his forth
rightness. his Puritan instincts OF
decency"
Old timers at Claremore. the county
seat town i'm Oklahoma which Rogers
considered his home town, say that
as a youth, Will was independent,
full of fun, happy-go-lucky. and
wizard with horses and ropes
Will Rogers was known as the am
bassador of good will. He joked with
presidents. senators and congress
men. kings. princes, and rulers in any
and all parts of the world He was
rot a man Of new ideas, but he had
clever ways of expressing and offered
up the old ideas with new twist
to make them more palatable and
eagerly sought by young and old.
One time it seems that the late and
former President Calvin Coolidge who
had much respect for the dignity Of
his office thought that Will Rogers
was carrying the fun little too far.
The president was very conscious Of
his nasal twang. He heard Rogers
over the radio one night. and thought
the imitation was entirely too accur-
ate for comfort. Will Rogers prev
ious to that. and in succeeding adj
ministrations. had always been a well.
come guest at the white house. There
was a GOODNESS for time but news
papers. making mention of it, only
made it worse for the president. Mrs.
Coolidge came to the rescue and
straightened out the affair. Will
Rogers became such favored guest
again that he was able later to say
in public that he had told Mrs
Coolidge: We'll. Grace. you can imi-
tate Gals voice better'n me. but look
what you had to go through to
learn it,
With the experience of President
Coolidge and others in public life. no
politician in recent years cared to
take issue with Mr.. Rogers. good
humored as he always was. He could
bite with a smile and he did. Will
Rogers humor usually struck his
readers or listeners as being good
common sense.
In 1894 he visited Russia but was
rather puzzled about the Soviet ex-
pertinent as most Americans are. He
said:
Explaining Russia is just like ex-
planning the NRA. Everybody has
already got their own minds made