Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-05-25
CHAPTER 2


CHAPTER 2
SANDY'S battered gray road
ister was on the ramp Of the
garage, and he slipped it into gear
viciously, then zoomed out onto
the street.
Hat pulled well down over his
ewes, he followed picturesque Will
shire boulevard over the bridge
and out the wide sweep toward
the beach where he was quartered
for the summer months. "A few
clothes, and I'm getting out of this
town." he thought to himself while
Inc zig-zagged his way through the
Saturday night traffic. AS he
neared the intersection of Wiltshire
end Wester, the Forty-second
street of Los Angeles, he caught
the blatant cries of the .newsboys.
"Read all about the big radio
hoax" they screamed shrilly.
ANNOUNCER skips town. Read it
|heahw
That's just the beginning"
thought Sandy bitterly, and accu-
rately he foresaw the newspaper
features which were classics of
journalism. They were to call him
the "Good Samaritan of the Air..
the credulous announcer, and some
even less f1attering names. Con-
sidering the hubbub and confusion
created, the reaction was normal.
He stopped just long enough in
Santa Monica to pack a Gladstone
bag with necessaries, then headed
his car south. He wanted to get
the taste of his last experience out
of his mouth in the fortnight that
remained before it was time to
open the new Les Angeles Offices
Of Sullivan & Knight, Inc. Official
ly, he was a partner in this adj
vertising agency which had it's
headquarters in San Francisco.
AS he sped along the winding
coast highway with the cool ocean
air refreshing him, he thought
back over the events since June
1st when he and Tim Sullivan had
decided to expand their profitable
little business. He had wound up
| his affairs in San Francisco within
the month, and said a regretful
farewell to the picturesque metro
politan city of the Golden Gate.
With the usual misgiving of a
northerner moving into the blatant,
hustling southern city, he had
"felt" his way around for few
days but experienced no difficulty
in locating suitable Office in the
heart of the printing district.
Sandy had signed his name to
the lease with some misgiving,
realizing that he was committing
himself to a job of pioneering in
highly competitive field where he
had few friends. The Office would
not be available for another month,
End Sandy faced empty weeks of
boredom until Aug. 1. Hence it
was welcome relief when a casual
acquaintance, Mike Borst, made an
astounding suggestion over a
whiskey and soda in one of Los
Angeles shining cocktail bars.
I've got to. take a radio show
on a two weeks tour" Borst COM
iplained. Another bunch of
squawking amateurs. The devil
of it is that can't afford to give
up job I've got over at KROX,
and can't afford to walk out on
my girls. Not bad lockers, either
if they didn't sound so awful.
Another drink? ?" -
Drowning his grievances in a
deliberate and painstaking manner.
Borst suddenly banged his fist on
the bar. His eyes frightened and
he talked fast. 1--WE got it. Look,
why don't you take over the radio
job for me for those two weeks ?
You've got nothing to do, and
nothing to lose. Besides that, it'll
help you get your bearings around
town and the practical experience
OF announcing on the program
won't hurt you. IS a matter of
fact, l should charge you for the
training. lC'S invaluable, man.
Invaluable,"
Sandy was amazed that Borst
would entrust his job to a man he
had met but casually at the AID
club, but the crazy plan appealed
to him. Two weeks would pass
quickly, he'd reasoned, and he
might as well be working as
Wasting the time until he could
take possession of his new office.
I'll do ii" he said suddenly, so
voclferously that Mike spilled half
his drink on his crimson tie.
Good boy,'' he mumbled and
slumped down, seeming suddenly
dlsinterested now that the trans
action was complete. Sandy had
half expected him to forget the