The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-25


 raised blooded livestock, particu- larly horses. But Sidney was more interested in stock companies than in stock farms. The family made a nice fortune, and pro- duced enough winning racehorses to advertise their farm thorough ly. The Toler farm did much to raise the standard of horseflesh in Kansas.
 When I was 8 red-headed, freckle-faced little brat, the pulp lic-spirited business men of Wich- ita built temporary wooden au- ditorium, to attract to the town a convention of travelling men, call- ed by all of us country takes, druramers. When the thing was finished it was raw-looking, barn-like structure, and was ap- propriately painted barn red. It was supposed to seat 5000 persons in considerable discomfort.
 Wichita was proud of The Au- ditorium. Paderewski played there Schumann- -Heink sang there, and Lewis Morrison played his Faust there. When the occsaion of bus mess men grew tired of manag- ing the thing, the Tolers bought it, named it the Toler Auditorium, and Sidney got a chance to do some acting on the home grounds.
 It was 8 good training school. A slightly ham stock company was operated by one Barney Wolfe, and Shore Acres" and East Lynne" were played to sobbing multitudes. Sidney Toler later or ganized his own stock company, and several of today's well-known film and stage folk worked in 1t.
 For years, Toler, after coming east, had tough sledding. He worked in a stock company in Brooklyn. He and Fred Knowles, newspaperman, collaborated in adapting existing plays. The idea was to adapt them just enough to keep the copyright wolf away. Later, Toler got many breaks on Broadway, wrote several fairly successful plays, and then went into films.
 The old ,Toler Auditorium was torn down when the home town outgrew its old-fashioned ways and talked of fire hazards. l don't know what happened to the stock farm, but there's a lot of its good blue blood running in the veins of horses of the Southwest still.
 Memory: Sitting on a splintery pine rafter in the Auditorium, bare legs dangling, for three hours while Sockless Jerry Simpson and Chester I. Long debated the issues of free silver and gold standard, in their campaign for Congress. It was Sockless Jerry who coined that immortal memory gem to end all naval appropriations: What do we want a navy for VI plOW COAA WAuAs
 No matter: Night clubs in Man haitian have been doing so badly since the first of the month that there's serious talk of removing, for the time being, lot of extra charges for location of table, ring side seat and other such dodges I saw this sign on the side of a brick building, not far from the Battery, the other day: Dir igible Masts." The height of op- timism in outdoor advertising! Martha's Vineyard residents who were aided by their former customers after the hurricane now write often to their friends in New York. There's going to be some grand home-comings out at the Vineyard when those loyal sum- mer folk return Fifth and Madison windows have been full of tropical attire for a month - and wonder what proportion of shoppers buy summer clothes in New York in January.
 Small World. Note: I've just had a pleasant evening with my near neighbor, Dr. Albert Shipp Pe- gues, of the English department of New York University, and 1t happened thus, I have letter from a reader in Cheraw, s. O., signed Sarius O. Pegues. He's 8 dealer in cotton and fertilizers, nephew of Dr. Pegues, my neigh bor. He sends a large photograph of one of the Pegues homes, built in l786, on the South Carolina side of the line separating the Carolinas. The picture and ac- companying historical sketch brought up old memories for the Doctor, and now there1l be a re- newal of long-lost family ties.
 T don't think I'll ever go in heaven" said Frank, my barber, to me the other day, as the after life was under discussion. T ain't good enough. No, I can't expect to go there, but maybe my wife and kids can" And thought how faithfully he has toiled, all day on his feet, for forty years, to make his family comfortable and edu- cate his son for the law. T think you'll make it, Frank" said. He frightened. well" he ventured, T been honest, anyhow, I never took anything that wasn't mine"
 (Cepyright 1889, McNaught
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