The Washington times., 1936-02-01


than when it to a mother.
alto at the age Of three and could compose an
alto part any tune heard have my mothers word
for this was unlike singers in two ways First my
voice never broke know bass and soprano in the
Second have done any chorus work
Even in the days when sang at my fathers camp meet
ings, rendering Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight
sang soloist.
Entering Conway Hall Prep School in Carlisle Pa,
went for every sport they had that time Records
weren as low then they but used to the
mile in minutes flat and clear the high jump bar
sistently at feet 1912 inches-not so bad, Ell?
Followed summers of hard but pleasant work and winters
of school Then landed the coveted job of clerk
at Waynesboro, Pa and you will have to take my word
that wasn't lad named Thomas who started that popu
lar phrase "haggage smashe Shortly thereafter de-
cided that would be surgeon SO yours truly entered
the Mount Street School of Homeopathy, in Baltimore,
Nd hadn't been there long before friends urged to
compete for the Eaton Memorial voice scholarship the
Peabody Conservatory of Music had continued singing
at church services but didn't take my voice seriously
However, game and willing to try anything once
To make long story short John Charles Thomas didn't
get scholarship but he did place second and that made
me stop and think There choice of careers, it
seemed, what it to be-singer surgeon l fell
back old standby Of mine the practice OF Tipping
Giving up all thought Of medical lfe enrolled for
year Of voice study at the Peabody Conservatory Once
again the Eaton Scholarship up for competition and
this time I it, and entitled to three years Of
thorough music study. became impatient after two and
half years to make professional try. So wrote to Henry
W. Savage the New York producer asking for addition
Receiving immediate reply that thrilled me- packed
my bag and was off for the big city
Three hours after landing Broadway Mr. Savage had
signed for the role of Passion in his production of
'Everywoman Then followed couple of the
Old Olympic Park, in Newark N j.; two of Pass
ing Shows at the Winter Garden opereta called "The
Peasant Girl then "Alone at Last "Maytime for the
Shuberts; apple Blossoms and Glove Letter. for the
late c. B. Dilingham-payng in the companies with
such fine people the late DeWof Hopper who typfed
grand in the theater definitely thing of the
past.
The actual turning point my from light opera
opera after closed in the jacob operetta
Glove Letter. produced by the master Snowman Charles B.
Dillingham; at the Globe Theater Immediately went into
concert work.
My first recital took place at Aeoan Hail. with A. Ronnan
Simmons accompanist That first concert netted
exactly 1885, and at that had astonshed my manager!
Nowadays travel 900 miles yearly to fill 9Oodd
cert engagements
Made my operatc debut with ola Monnaie" at the Royal
Opera House IN Brussels, appearing King Herod" in
Massenets Herodade" worked diligently for three years
with La Monna" keeping in trim by playing 18 holes of
golf the Royal golf links outside of Brussels every day
that didn't ran and sometimes that failed to stop
my pursuit Of the game.
When the present King Belgium was married to Princess
Astrd of Sweden the late King Alfred honored with an
invitation to sing at the ceremony following the wedding
Later appeared with the opera at the famous Covent
Garden in London with the Chicago OPERA the San Francisco
and Los Angeles Opera companies and the Metropolitan
Opera Of New York. also singing everncreasing
Der Of concerts each year throughout the country.
About the most unusual in my life occurred when
met Dorothy Kaehler at weekend party held at Beverly
Farms Mass We experienced that 1Ovs first sight
and were married year and half later Mrs Thomas ID an
Gons deepsea fishing from the rail Of boat With ius
fable pride think that we make pretty good