The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-10-14

~ NEA Service
Simpson, Mimi, Oct. ll.--"It'I
illst like RichardP' said Mrs. John
30. George about her sons book
which Is selling so fast that she and
Mrs. st. George scarcely know what
10 do with the money, besides re-
shlngling the roof.
Richard was always funny that
way. Never serious, And we were
troubled about him.
Ellis father always said, Don't
worry so, Mr.. Anybody that full
Of life is bound to amount to
something
"But couldn't help worrying,
especially when one OF Richards
pranks finally got him expelled
from college. I don't know what
would have done II he hadn't
been coming up to draft age, any
way"
All the other n people in this
town call him Ozzie. They have
done so ever since Richards high
school age attachment TO monkey,
Oswald, grew so strong 1t was i'm
possible to bulge the boy from the
pet store window where Oswald
lived.
Twice a week, now, they get an
illustrated letter from him some
where in Australia Corp. Thos,
r, st. George, %, a thickset boy
with unruly blond hair, nose still
bumped where 1t was busted In a
hockey game, and sharp grey
eyes.
GETS BRAKELESS BIKE
Dear Folks: You see I've got a
bicycle now" the last one reports,
With Ozzie's sketch cinching the
natter. "Once OF he fellows in Hq
60. 1873 gave 1t to me for practic-
Ally nothing. It hasn't any brakes
whatsoever, but so far I've only
ALLEN d, Fl once. The biggest trou-
Die Is staying within the camp limits
ioWn hill Another kid bought
horse for four pounds, about $l2.'
When st, George arrived at
Camp Roberts after being indicted
late In l94l, he wrote; my uni
form amt custom built but neither
am l." This is all his subsequent
letters have been sprinkled with
casual little sketches.
About that time one Of O22ie's
pals, who had a girl friend on a
San Francisco newspaper, sug-
gested that she might arrange for
the publication Of some of his
observations Of G, I. life. Oz2ie
turned out IA pieces and all that
reached the editor were printed
with alacrity. They also were
noticed by a New York publisher
who asked Ozzie to write him a
book. OzNe did that too.
Last summer Mrs. st, George
received a strange telegram from
he publisher, and. cabled 1t on to
Richard: Book Club selected
your manuscript"
What Book Club2" ozzie ca.
bled back. Mrs. st. George then
had 20 wire he publisher again,
before she could cable her son
that II was the big and famous
Book Of the Month Club - whose
selection of an author is bound to
ret him from $4,000 to $4,000. This
time, It may amount to more, for
already care of Postmaster" has
run up 10 405 900 copies sold,
MOTHER BOUGHT BOOK
Richard advised his parents to
DO anything they wanted with his
fortune. The first thing Mrs. st.
George did was to buy a copy OF
the book. Then she called IN the
roofers. And next she went In to
Rochester, to find bank to
handle Richards checks and con-
vert them into war bonds for
him.
It was in Australia that Rich
ard got his rank Of sergeant, ard
q Job on the camp newspaper.
Somebody is always killing
some sort OF lizard or finding
something In his bed. and It's up
10 us reporters to find out all
about It," he reported, picturing
himself bent over a soldier with
reptile bigger than he was.
Sgt. ST. George always wanted
to be cartoonist, but 1t was
literary activity that got him into
trouble at college. It seems there
we're four fellows who needed a
theme apiece.
81 wrote four Just alike - they
were all just-alike guys" Richard
confessed to the dean, who saw
nothing funny about 1t,