Imperial Valley press., 1938-04-28

tory and Greek mythology"
Lee lives with his wife on date
farm at Dixieland. He is a large
man, heavily built, with hair turn
ed as white as cotton. Palm trees
shroud his home. In the back yard
are small buildings where the dates
are kept, a chicken pen and en-
closure for pheasants. A sleepy
pit bull dog is major domo.
The First Effort
SiXty-five years ago in Chatta-
nooga, in the shadow of old Look
out Mountain. where the Tennessee
river swings in a great arc past the
battlefields of another century, Bob
Lee, 7 years old, put on his first
fireworks exhibition in the back
yard of a typical brick home, south
ern style. A dozen neighborhood
children paid a penny apiece to
attend. They were well rewarded.
They heard a loud explosion and
saw a pair of youthful eyebrows
vanish in the blast from a second
hand" roman candle.
That candle represented Lees de-
but into the world of pyrotechnics.
During the next half century his
hand set off thousands of dollars
worth of explosives and millions
watched the pictures he drew,
etched in flames. against night
skies.
Il always wanted to be an artist
Lee recalled Somehow they didn't
want a child in the studios and l
drifted into a fireworks factory in
Cincinnati. Thwarted from drawing
with pencil or brush, / decided 10
draw with fire"
Career Startes
Although only a youngster at the
time the Inauguration of Presinent
Garfield with attendant celebra-
tiOns sealed Lees career as a fire
works expert. Allowed by the A.
L. Due company. for whom he
worked to have a hand in an eX-
hibition. the lad took to the art,
hook. line and sinker. Save for
lapses into other fields, such as
designing cave-like interiors for
side-shows and drawing gilt mon
keys. lions and tigers on circus
wagons. Lee was welded" to fire
work for many years to come.
From New York to New Orleans,
ocean to ocean, Lee travelled pro-
noting displays. His greatest was
the Fall of Babylon, produced in
lights and flashes in Lexington,
KY. with scores of floats and strik-
ing tableaux. Another triumph was
the Battle of Manila.
Knew T. X.
Names Of great men pepper Lees
conversation.
Il knew Teddy Roosevelt well, y
he recalled. fHe saw several Of
my shows and congratulated me on
my show. the Storming Of San
Juan Hill. That was in Oklahoma
City at the first Rough Rider Re-
union"
Lee came to the valley in 1910
determined to settle down and make
a home. It was a bomb that made
him stay.
Although discouraged with his
/ farming. Lee joined in celebrating
a visit from Congressman Will
Kettner to the valley. He erected a
Welcome arch under which the
congressman's party passed neal
the Lee home, and set off few
bombs for luck. Kettner asked tc
n eet the man who set off the
bombs. Upshot of the introduc'
ton was that Kettner sent Lei
some palm trees to be tried as ar
experiment. That was the begin
ming of the date grove that stands
by Lees home today.
The Last Stand
Farm life failed TO completed.
hold his attention after he CAM
to the valley, and Lee put on sew
erai exhibitions in FL Centro ant
Yuma. Relics are still in his back
| yard. flimsy bits of wood and tinsel
I Iblown-out pin wheels, roman can
dies that long ago spurted thei
! ephemeral glory.