The Washington times., 1936-05-05

not too pleasant, so maybe It's
best to skip them. I ran away
from home when I was IL. Well
I didn't run away exactly. I just
didn't go home. My father and
I didn't see eye to eye on a mum
Der Of things, so one day just
took q hurried departure.
I have always had fairly MIN
BILE fingers and hands, and by
using them diligently and skill.
fully I managed to keep up
sort OF hand-to-mouth existence
The hands would snatch vege'
tables and fruit off carts and
convey them to my mouth with
no undue lapse Of time.
I tDorked as a helper on an
ice Wagon, / sold papers, /
rGcted balls in q billiard room
and did other odd jobs that
brought a tetD odd dimes and
-ptckelS, and one evening / made
an Investment that changed my
lite. ! bought q ticket in the
gallery of a Philadelphia UGude-
Uille house.
There saw the Burns Broth.
ers perform astonishing featS OF
juggling and my career was set
tied for me. I decided to become
the worlds greatest juggler.
At the time I had somehow
been elected secretary of the
Orlando Social Club. The only
thing I cared about the job was
that it gave me a place to sleep.
The clubroomS were in the loft
Of an abandoned livery stable. !
made a bed by stuffing some
gunny sacks with straw, and nail
ing them to the door. At night ]
would take the door off its
hinges, lay it across a couple OF
boxes, and snooze peacefully.
re 1porked s.oeH in summer.
but not so good in tOtnter. The
snotD Mould pour In through the
open Doorway, and tDould
01pGke1t halt frozen. I'd Stoy in
the loft and shiUer until the sun
had partially lDGrmed the boards
In the fence that surrounded
the stable. Then I'd 90 out doors
and stand tDith my back against
the boards. trying to absorb a
little heat.
I still carry scars on my legs
from my early attempts at jug
Cling. I'd balance stick on my
toe, toss it into the air and try to
catch it again on my toe. Hour
after hour that drafted timber
would land, end foremost, against
my shin bones. I'd work until
tears were streaming down my
face, but I kept on practicing-
and bleeding-until I perfected
the trick.
Any stray tennis balls. that
happened to soar over fences,
were fair game, and I filched
enough of them to practice with
until / had built up a routine.
Then I got my first job.
It was in the Flynn and Grant
Park in NOrristown, just outside
of Philadelphia. got S. q week.
From this the management de-
Quoted $1.O5 for being so kind
Is to give me the job. At the
} end Of the week I had spent
$3.50 In carfare, and discovered
] had to pay the management
10 cents for the privilege Of
working there for a week. So I
resigned as secretary of the Or
landO Social Club, and started
sleeping at the park.
During my recent illness my
death was rumored many times.
It reminded me a lot of my sec
ond job, where I "died'' a thou
sand deaths. 1t was at the Fortes-
que Pavilion, in Atlantic City,
about a year after my first job.
was juggling in 20 shows q day,
for $40 and "cakeS." Frank Tin.
ney played in the band.
Juggling wasn't all of my Job.
When there wasn't much of a
crowd in the Pavilion, had to
20 swimming. Then I'd develop
a lovely set Of cramps, and would
be impressively rescued. My limp
and exhausted body would be
tremendously carried into the
Pavilion, followed at a respectful
distance by a horde of onlookers,
who, once inside, would promptly
become customers, and I'd soon
20 on with my act again.
From this I went to work with
Jim Fulton in a burlesque show
and I got $25 weekly. That lasted
q year, and then I went with Fred
Irwin for three seasons. II was
while I was getting $35 q week
that something happened to
change my whole life again.
we were paid off in gold, while
The show was in San Francisco.
/ gave my first weeks salary to
The hotel clerk to keep. Then I
had visions Of robbery, and got it