davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

good, either, so I think I'm even on that,
and no great harm done.
When my generosity became too apparent,
was asked to make donation to local ex-
permental theatre, but solved that easily
enough by announcing I'd lost my wallet.
Which brought immediate offers of loans
from the business geniuses I had gathered
about me, one of $500, another of 81, ZOO 1t
only by mighty display of will power
that 1 turned them down.
The curtain, of course, has to fall on every
play and 1t did on my "Steinbeck's In Town."
But not as planned 1t.
My farewell was to be an intimate dinner
for my good friends in Miss Balls Studio of
the Theatre-on me. And really planned to
foot the bill.
But The Man Who Came to Dinner and
killed my exit proved to be newspaper re-
porter, armed with photographer sent to
cover the affair and check on the report that
was phony.
Well 1 lodged the guy for a time but
eventually had to pose for picture.
So after he left made a quiet departure,
with my guests still waiting and looking at
empty plates
The plates were still empty later that night
when they sadly gave up and went home, since
1 wasn't there to foot the bill.
That night I evacuated to a suburb of
Pittsburgh and the next morning I hit the
road for other parts. But my fame" had
spread too far through the story the papers
printed on the hoax, and the police picked me
up at Ligonier, Pa.
So it was back to Pittsburgh, the police
station, the county jail and the workhouse
But not for very long. I'm out now.
had lot of fun. Nobody was hurt and even
the people I pushed around as "Steinbeck'
don't seem very mad about It.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

Friends and Influence People," may be inter-
ested to learn that have won friends and in
nuenced people all over the place not by pre-
tending to be interested in them as believe
he advocates, but by being just as nasty as
possible
While playing Steinbeck for example,
told society poetess that her poems were
lousy and she practically swooned in my arms
from sheer pleasure.
Another time, in the same role, grumbled
and complained that there wasn't any place in
town where man could get kosher dill
pickle-and off went two carloads of
cialites to comb the neighborhood for one.
When was hours late for dinner
gagement and broke fifty different rules of
etiquette once got there. people just said
only a real genius would act like that"
Whether you could build yourself up into
a celebrity by being rude I'm not sure. al
though I've heard that Alexander Woollcott
the original of the cantankerous author in
The Man Who Came To Dinner" has done
pretty we'll along that line. I've never tried
il from the ground up myself I've always
started at the top.
The idea of being Steinbeck came to me
when l drifted into Pittsburgh with about
$3.50 which 1 had saved from the Winters
panhandling. I'd been working pretty hard
at my job and felt that could do with fling.
Oh Iedu newspaper
suggested how TO go about it. The first was
about Steinbeck's selling his play, The Moon
Is Down to the movies and the second an
nounced that The Studio of the Theatre.
local dramatic organization, was presenting a
play called The Lady Who Came To Stay"
These two items sort of clicked together
In my mind And the next thing / knew I'd
picked up a telephone and reserved a seat
for The Lady Who Came To Stay in the
name of John Steinbeck
Everything else followed matter of
course.
The minute I called for my ticket Jane
Ellen Ball, director of the studio. wanted TO
know If were related to the famous John
Steinbeck.
Madam" I replied in hearty, insulting
accents II am the famous John Steinbeck!"
For a moment there was dead silence in
the lobby. Then there was general rush
in my direction. The jabbering crowd followed
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

me all the way down the aisle to my seat and
hung worshipfully
1t was very warm in the playhouse, so
took off my coat, with the nonchalance be-
fitting literary notable-and every male in
the audience did the same.
This simple response was the tpoff on
the reaction I found everywhere throughout
my impersonation-I could do wrong
The play started one hour late that eve
ming l had to meet the entire cast before
the curtain went up.
During the play felt like smoking, so I
lit a cigarette And my friends and neigh
bors all lit cigarettes too.
Afterwards l told Miss Ball that it
not known publicly that 1 was in Pittsburgh,
and that would appreciate it if she would
keep my presence secret
She promised. Then she excused herself
and hurried TO the nearest phone to acquaint
her favorte drama critic with my arrival.
He knew the authentic John Steinbeck
and told her I a phony after she had
described me TO him.
She repeated to me what he said and
passed it off lightly:
We'll, that dirty so-and-so never did like
me and we're not on speaking terms"
From then on the merry-go-round went
round and round.
recall the night suggested that I'd like
to have the kosher dill pickle.
We were at the studio after the play, and
I had spent hour signing autographs.
/ suggested a cup Of coffee and a sand
witch with dill pickle. But it MUST be a
special pickett must be kosher
Two carloads of aristocrats Immediately
started in opposite directions to locate It,
Through Miss Ball I met the best people
in Pittsburgh brokers, insurance execu.
tives, business leaders and their awe-stricken
wives. and daughters.
was guest Of honor at a buffet supper
in the home of the relative of famous COM
poser. was three hours late at the party.
They waited for me-and liked It.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

Ny host insisted that / auto
graph his favorite copy of Plato.
/ did. Ne and Plato - there's a
literary team for you.
The wife of a well-to-do bust
ness man held a cocktail party in
my honor. She wrote poetry and
showed me some.
With true. artistic integrity, /
told her that The Face on the
Barroom Floor" had more poetic
merit than her soulful verses.
Did she evicts me? Not her.
A famous playwright is entitled
to his moods, and ! was just in
dulging in one.
1 heard later that despite the
newspapers exposure Of me as an
impostor. she still refused to be-
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13


between me and the people I've impersonated
doesn't seem to matter. I've always been
taken at face value, even though / have
physical handicap and am forced to use
crItches
When some Of my Pittsburgh admirers
pointed out that l didn't look much like pic
lures OF Steinbeck l told them that those pic
lures were just Hollywood propaganda, put
out by press agents because I wasn't CLAM
orous enough looking for them That fitted
in with what they all thought about Hollywood
anyway and they swallowed it without muir
muir
Nor did my almost total ignorance of
Steinbecks life and works. even misspelled
his name in one autograph book-upset the
applicant Everybody was too anxious to be-
lieve in me to get pcky about it. All had TO
give them was a little brass, plus special
technique and they did the rest.
Brass check, gall, or whatever you want to
call it needs no explanation and the technique
part can be explained very simply. 1t just
amounts to this: when you're with lowbrows
praise them. When you're with highbrows
insult them.
Dale Carnegie who wrote, How to Win
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13
BY HENRY MILLER DANKERT,
Panhandler and Impersonator
Extraordinary.


ITS lot Of fun TO be a celebrity. i
know because I've been quite a few
OF them in my time.
have been T. s. Stribling. the
novelist, Haywood Broun. the famous
columnist. Dana Dawes, son Of the for
mer Vice-President Of the United States,
and whole galaxy OF others.
Just a little while ago spent a de-
lightful two weeks in Pittsburgh as John
Steinbeck. author OF THE Grapes of
Wrath" THE Moon Is Down." "Of Mice
and Men" etc.
I'm not really any of these people.
Of course. BY profession am a pan
handler and carnival barker. name OF
Dankert. But man has got TO have
his hobby, too.
Mine consists of borrowing the iden-
tity of some well-known man, whom
most people have heard of but few have
ever seen - like Steinbeck for instance.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

Not a bit daunted, the lady
offered me $500 which GER
tainly could have used - but with
an eye on the lawbooks. 1 con-
tinued my indignation and made
a wrathful exit.
When a relative of the COM
poser, Stephen Foster, talked too
long about the Foster genius, in
terrupted him by arking:
What are you boasting about
He was the town drunk, wasn't
he ?"
l was, however, generous at
times-just to confuse my public.
To Miss Ball / gave a check
for $1,000 to supervise my expert
mental theatre in California.
And to a budding Pittsburgh
playwright I gave another check
for $500 for a tenth interest in his
play.
OF course. the checks weren't
any good, but the play wasn't too
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

linen Tor n week, ten
days--until somebody
catches on II live the
life of Riley. Folks who
ordinarily would pass me
by with their noses in the
air, follow me around like
a pack Of beagles, invite
me 10 their homes, hang
on my words, beg for my
autograph
It's all just good clean
fun: In fact, a kind of
mutual benefit arrange
ment. / give them what
they want - the feeling
Of being important 49, and
they hand IL back TO me
with compound interest.
So everybody's happy.
The fact that there is
4 =
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

lieve was not the real Steinbeck.
During all this time was defying every
convention of dress and social contact.
1 scorned necktie, coat and hat and shaved
if / felt like it.
kept appointments or scorned them. ig-
nored people talking to me, tossed sarcastic
remarks into conversations that didn't con-
Germ me, and upset the dignity Of whatever
digntary 1 felt like picking on.
And my fans grew in number. BY my
pecularities I convinced them.
Invited to a luncheon at the apartment
home of woman socialite 1 found 25 other
women guests there, with tidy meal served
up by a caterer
After the meal, my hostess asked me If
would make few remarks about my latest
book.
At which was indignant. informed her
that had thought myself a guest in her
home and not an entertainer.
If she had asked me in a professional
capacity, announced she would have TO paw
my standard lecture fee.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-13

The Strange Case Of Mr..
Donkerf. q Porf-Time Pom
handler. Who Spends the
Rest Of His Time Sitting in
the Seats Of the Mighty,
Until Somebody cofehes On
and Has Him Thrown
in the cIink
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20
wards there were plenty of others.

wards there were plenty of others.
The paradise of Tlaloc was called Tia
LOGAN. 1t was very nice place indeed And
although quite unlike the Sun Gods heaven,
it also looked out for the unlucky.
Here grew fields of fat and luscious ears
of corn, for Tlalocan was the maize field Of
the gods" Anyone entering there was assured
of a blissfu existence of rejoicing and cool
comfort amid a wealth of green corn, pep
pers and beans, melons, tomatoes and flowers.
But the only people who were eligible to
be admitted were the lepers, the palsied those
stricken with the govt dropsy, those who
met death in storms by drowning.
People who were lucky in life do not seem
to have been considered as deserving any
thing in the future. The Aztecs apparently
realized that this is a cruel, hard world and
anybody who was apparently so fortunate as
to go through life enjoying it did not need
any hereafter Quite logical thought.
The dress of Tlaloc sometimes displayed
interesting and appropriate characteristics.
Because the heron is a water-bird, the god
wore a crown of heron feathers. His sandals
were often made to represent the sea-foam,
while his shield would bear the design of a
water-lly. In the old pcture-writings
Tlaloc and his family may be recognized
easily by the circle around the eye the long
tusks and the scroll above the mouth FIRE.
quently his garments will be spotted with
rain-drops and cloud symbols will be near
No god had so many feasts celebrated in
his honor as did Tlaloc. You see, sometimes
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20
%m1

it rained too much, sometimes not enough;
sometimes a flood threatened, a thunder
storm, or snow Therefore, the people must
continually propitiate tickle a god.
If you had been standing near the foot
OF any mountain in Mexico long, long ago,
in February, the beginning Of the Aztec year,
you would probably have heard the sound
of music and much merriment approaching.
line of men bearing on their shoulders
gayly decorated filters would have come in
sight. Around the filters people danced and
sang and played musical instruments.
But in the filters sat little children, their
faces fearful, their voices hoarse with weeping.
Strangely enough the louder the children
cried the more boisterous became the cele-
bration! That was because the children's
tears were to the Aztecs a symbol of plenti-
full rain for the new year Yes, these were
pitiful human sacrifices to the rain god who
demanded the youngest and fairest. The noun
tain rain-gods in fact were most bloodthirsty.
On one such occasion rain was induced not
only by the tears of children but by the women
as well. This was brought about by the men
and the children beating the women with
straw-filled bags till they wept copiously.
Tochtli. the Rabbit, was the god of the
booze-hounds. In the picture you see him
standing in jar of foaming pulque.
In Aztec "tochtli' means not only
rabbit" but is also the expression for in
toXication, drunkenness. Wine was called
"centzontotochtin," /. e.. 400 (20x20) rab-
bits" because it was the cause of countless
kinds of drunkenness; and thus we see the
personification of the maguey plant from
which the Intoxicating puque is made as
patron of the ochtli sign. The Totochtin
were the pulque sods, the 400 rabbits, said
to be sons of 49, ,1uel, the pulque goddess
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20

But who wants
to be kumming-bird flowers or no?
In Ancient Mexico there were certain
fasts which were universal and kept by all.
First in Importance among these was the
fasting in honor Of the Sun God. This &C.
Cured every 2O3 days, on special day dedi-
Gated to the sun For this purpose the king
retired 10 a certain building where he prac-
ticed severe penances. Four chosen prisoners
were killed on this day; then two more who
represented the and the moon; and after.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20

burned tn c m to
death. All these,
they say, w ere
gathered on a plain
and, at the hour of
sunrise, they lifted
their voic G s to
shout, beating on
their shields at the
same time.
After four
years, w h N the
souls Of these men
w Z III I " H. NilCJ
changed into diff
ferent birds of rich
plumage, of fine
hues, and they flew
off to drink honey
from all the flow
ers as w ell in
heaven as on earth,
as do the hum
ming. birds"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20
BY KATHARINE BIRDsEYE LANG
THE ancient Mexicans before the Spa

rHE ancient Mexicans, before the Span
ish conquest, believed in heaven for
y those who have been unlucky on earth.
CIn fact they believed in two heavens for
them.)
It was good idea, but after reading the
list of requirements for entrance into the
Heaven Of Tonatiuh, the Sun God perhaps
you would rather be drowned instead and go
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20

TO the paradise Of T1aloc.
Tlaloc was the Rain God.
OF Tonatiuh's peculiar
realm, the historian relates:
Those who went TO heaven
CTonatiuh's) were those killed
in war and the captives who
had died at the hands Of their
enemies. some Of whom died
CT knife-thrusts. others burned
alive or wounded by sharp
pointed canes or dubbed with
piue-wood clubs, or those who
died fighting with them; also
those who died from having
had torches tied all over their
bodies, which, when lighted,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20

TonofiUh, fhe Sun
God. From the Rore
Coder Loud Thof Once
Belonged 70 William
Loud, Archbishop Of
Canterbury.
The Bird of the Left
Sfon6s For the Wor-
riors Who. After 4
Years in the Heaven Of
the Sun God. Were
Changed Into Hum
ming Birds. This Bird
Is Getting the Honey
from O Flower.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-20

This Beautiful Panel,
From the COdeX ROr-
gia, Shows the Rain
God Tiaioc Holding
i'm His Hand a Grave
Shovel. Above, 10 the
Right of the Snakes,
Il a Small Green
Figure Representing
Lightning. The Re
gion of Tlalocan, Pre-
sided Over by Tlaloc.
Extends Across the
Bottom of the Picture
and Is Signified by
the Wavy Lines Of
the Water symbol,
Arranged in an Tn
usual Manner.
Evening star., 1942-03-24
Calvary Quint Holds
Lead in lis Sector
OF Rec League

The undefeated Calvary Methodist
team continues to lead the Central
church section in Recreation League
basket ball play. 1t kept its second
half slate clean last night by down.
ing Epiphany, 800, for its ninth
straight win.
Mount Vernon kept pace In second
place, one game behind, by defeating
Calvary Baptist, 1928, while In other
games at the same floor, Douglas
tripped United Brethren. 1927;
Chevy Chase nosed out Petworth,
22-2O, and Ninth Street Christian
won over Francis Asbury.
In the lone game at Eastern, B.
and B. Farm moved into a first
place tie in that section by trim
ming the Joe Boyles, 34-15, Both
now have records Of seven victories
against two setbacks.
Two games were played at Roose-
welt. A. g. o. Publications defeated
War Department Reserves. 24-19,
and the Colonials nosed out Wash
ington 8lue Jays, 7S-37.
Evening star., 1942-03-24
P. G. A. Title Event in May Still Hunting Sponsor
o!dout Line Rookie Rowing On Hues Prepared Hudson

tier, which took the title, hasn't
been beaten in two years.
Arky Vaughan, the Dodgers
new sparkplug, tells his ROOM
mate, Johnny Rizzo: "Get out
there and play ball. I won't live
with anybody who isn't = star"
Dogs to dogs-The American
Kennel Gazette suggests that
owners Of certain breeds Of dogs
save the wool combed from their
pets so it can be carded and
knitted into sweaters and mufners
for soldiers. If 1t will do for
socks they'd have a swell slogan
from dogs to dogs"
One-minute sports page-M. g.
(Andy) Anderson set some sort
Of a record in Minnesota basket
ball circles when he coached Buhl
High Of st. Paul to q State title
a year ago, shifted over to Cretin
High and won the Catholic High
School crown this spring. Al
though the possibility Of .
night baseball ban worried South
srn promoters most of ths
Evening star., 1942-03-24
Two Of Four Crowns
Won by No. 4 Boys
Club PaddIers

Paddlers Of No. Police Boys Club
captured two Of the four table tennis
championships at stake yesterday,
winning the senior singles and dou-
bles. Junior individual and team
titles were divided between No. IL
and No. clubs.
Eddie Barrett Of No. 4 won the
senior singles by defeating George
Cannon Of No. S, Alb, 24-22.
Barrett then paired with Irving
Markowitz to beat Stan Pohutsky
and Jack Warder of No. S for the
doubles crown. 21-12, 21-l4.
Billy Meile Of No. II captured the
junior singles when he whipped
No. SIS Billy Kalas, 2l-l8, 1871,
23-21. Meile was on the losing end
Of the doubles final, however, bow
ing with Frank Farr to John Pohut.
sky and Billy Fitzpatrick. 21-lo.
21-l8.
Evening star., 1942-03-24
Tribe Is Sentimental
In Signing Harder
For 18Th Season
N thu Associated Press.

~ the ADsociated Press.
CLEARWATER, Fla, March a.
For old times sake and for the help
he can give their hurling stan this
year, the Cleveland Indians were
glad to have Mel Harder back on
the official roster today.
The 32-year-old right-hander's
comeback was made ofacial with the
signing OF q conditional contract
under which he will be paid accord
ing to the number of games he wins.
Harder's arm failed him last
season, his 14th with Cleveland-the
only major league club he ever
pitched for-and in midseason he
underwent an operation for removal
of bone chips from his elbow. At
the end of the season he was given
his unconditional release.
But neither the club nor Harder
wanted his career to end. He ac-
companied the Tribe to its training
camp this spring, although he was
a free agent and could have at
tempted to make the grade else
where.
His pitching arm has lost its sore
ness, and although Harder himself
has avoided optimistic predictions.
he has confided to teammates that
the arm really feels strong.
Evening star., 1942-03-24
Simon S Dad-in-Law
Would Second Abe
Against Louis
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, March 24.-Abe
Simon's new father -in-law wants to
work in the New York giants corner
when he tangles with Joe Louis Fri
day night in Madison Square Gar
den for the world heavyweight
championship.
Pete Seibel, an athletic instructor
and father of the former Rita Seibel,
whom Anne married last month. ap-
peared in Manager Jimmy john
stons Office today and asked to be
allowed to act as second for Simon
in the fight.
Jimmy didn't figure it could be
worked out, since he, Jimmy, jr., and
Trainer Fred Brown will make up
the seconding squad. And" added
Jimmy, while we'd be glad to have
you, If any more fellows get In that
corner 1t might be 50 crowded we'd
need a traffic cop"
Evening star., 1942-03-24
High School Boxing
On Big Scale 10 Be
Urged by La Fond
c. U. Coach, Due to Heed
Collegiate Body, Takes
Plan to Dixie Meeting

Organized boxing, supervised by
men trained in college ranks and
completely disassociated from the
professional version, in the Nations
high schools will be advocated as
a permanent plank in the National
Boxing Coaches Association plat
form at the annual convention this
week by Eddie La Fond Of Catholic
University.
The Cardinals director Of ath-
letics and veteran boxing coach, now
vice president of the association,
leaves tonight for Baton Rouge, La,
for the three day conference, dur
ing which he is expected to be
elected president. succeeding Bill
Regan of the University of Miami.
La Fond served as treasurer OF the
association during its first two years,
moving up to his present post last
year.
During the past several months
he has been collecting data relative
to schoolboy boxing, conferring
with various members Of the asso-
citation regarding their viewpoints
and carefully studying the setup in
California where high school ring
teams are booming.
It also was disclosed that he has
conferred unofhcially with Hardy
Pearce, co-ordinator Of sports in
Washington public high schools re-
garding the establishment Of boxing
clinics in District schools but no
action has been taken.
La Fond believes such a program
will tie in with the national defense
work being done by Army and Navy
officials and after his return hopes
to secure the help of both branches
Of the service in putting over his
scheme. His biggest problem, he
thinks, will be breaking down paren-
tai prejudices against the sport on
the grounds that it leads to punch
drunkenness and Disagreement
The coaches meeting will be con-
Quoted in conjunction with the ma
tional intercollegiate tournament in
which neither Catholic University
nor Maryland will be represented by
a single fighter. The Cardinals had
no standard bearers deemed out
standing enough to try for title
while most Of the Terps are making
up time lost from their books during
the past heavy season.
Evening star., 1942-03-24

winter, Auburn went ahead and
scheduled four night football
games for 1912. Qabe Genovese,
veteran Syracuse, N. Y, and San
Francisco tight man, will try to
promote boxing In San Jose, Calf.
Paul Dean isn't loaflng In the
shade Of . haystack this spring.
He works out three hours . day
with the Dallas Rebels, gets IN .
round Of golf, goes home to milk
three cows and then keeps his
filling station running for . few
hours.
Congratulations in order
When Mack Tharpe, Georgia
Tech line coach, became a Navy
lieutenant and Frankie Sinkwich,
the Georgia U. footballer, became
q husband on the same day,
Sportcaster Ernie Harwell Of
Atlanta said:
congratulations to the man
who'll give the orders-Tharpe;
and congratulations to the man
who'll take the orders-Sink-
Vich."