Evening star., 1936-07-07
MISS JANIS TURNS
ITO CHARITY WORK
ACTRESS, at Al, to Dispose
4! of Property and Follow
! Goods Inspiration"
by the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
! TARRYTOWN, N. Y, July Elsie
Janis, on whom fortune smiled
. through a long stage career, looked
today to a new role as she resolved
to dispose of her possessions and de-
vote her life to aid the less fortunate.
This Is a divine inspiration from
God" said the 47-year-old actress.
,"I am doing it because want to do
something swell, something that would
give me a reason for living.
. I'm giving up everything I have
except the talent, personality, pep. or
whatever it was that put me in the
money as Little Elsie and kept me
there for 80 years"
= VIII Entertain in Hospitals.
\ Miss Janis, who won fame early as
an impersonator, disclosed she would
sspend much of her fortune In Gov
ernment hospitals entertaining dis
abled World War veterans, many Of
whom knew her overseas in 1918 as
the Sweetheart Of the A. e. F."
s She often went within the sound Of
the guns to play for the men just out
of the trenches.
Her plans were made known in q
lengthy letter to the editor OF the
Tarrytown News.
Miss Janis wrote that she herself
would auction her manor house and
her "so-called important souvenirs
and valuable nicknacks," but the
house, she said, would not be sold to
q private owner.
These great old trees have sheltered
selfishness long enough" she ex-
planned. Several acres Of woodlands
make up the estate.
= All of my much-blessed life" Miss
q Janis wrote, II have been greatly de-
= pendent upon guidance.
!. 'Mammon, who was certainly q CO.
/. director until I left the stage in 1929.
!, has been trying to horn in and swerve
! me from the peace have sought.
= Auction Proceeds to Charity.
: "I finally turned on him and said:
!; Listen, know all about your set-up
!. and just what you can give. The
: only really inspired happiness have
: ever had was when I was giving with
I out any thought of you-in the war
i and after"
!. The proceeds Of the auction. she
. said, would be given to local charities,
) but the house will be sold with the
provision it will be devoted to some
public purpose such as q museum or
school. 1t is an historic structure, the
. first part having been built in 1883.
> Miss Janis began her stage career,
carefully planned by her mother, at
the age of S, and made her New York
. debut as Little Elsie" when she was II
Leading roles in many famous plays
followed She wrote her biography
after she retired from the stage, and
then went to Hollywood to do ilm
dialogues.
Married Man Is Years Younger.
1t was in Hollywood that she met
Gilbert Wilson, 16 years her junior,
and married him. Wilson now is a
bond salesman.
Anyway, want to be a rookie
again, ana as any army guy knows
the less you carry on a march, the
better" she wrote. THE dear old
manor is the first thing I'm giving
up"
Unfortunately, she said, she could
not give the house away because at
this time II have everything but
money. That is just old Mammon
being sore at me.
However, I am going to sell it for
Just enough to pay for what I owe,
which, thank goodness, is not much,
comparatively. and is owed, not eor
fine feathers, but for fine folks Ike
doctors, coal dealers and even lawyers
"a hangover from the Mammon days
when I had income tax worries)."