The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-05-20
Liohts Of NewXork
by Il. STEVENSON

tooth paste could be purchased with
out turning in an empty tube. The
reporter came back with the infor-
nation that it just couldn't be done.
He'd even offered to squeeze the
paste into a paper bag and turn IN
the tube. thus einptied. No dice. He
did learn that for the convenience
Of soldiers and sailors, one druggist
keeps empty tubes which ne
loans" But that was all. So
comes into mind a young man
whose ancestors came from Glas-
Cow. When his tooth paste tube was
squeezed as fiat as if a steam roller
had been run over it, he dropped
into a downtown cut rate store and
as he had the empty tube with him,
obtained replacement without diff
fculty. There was one-cent sale
on, however. and for merely penny
more, he could have obtained an
additional tube And OF having
spare with him, he was forced to
pass up the bargain.
Service: A letter from a Kentucky
mother received recently by Major
Bowes stated that her two army
sons had obtained furlough at the
same time and had paid her a sur
prise visit. That was fine indeed.
But when the young soldiers left for
camp, they took with them not only
a lot of homemade delicacies but
the keys to the family car as well.
Furthermore, hardly had they
reached camp than they were sent
somewhere overseas. It's long
walk to town so the mothers prob
lem was how to get the car start
ed. Since she included in her letter
the engine and chassis number, as
well as the car model, the. major
was able to go into action at once.
He communicated with the Chrysler
corporations; the huge cross file
which lists the switch key Of every
auto that has rolled off the assembly
line was consulted and in no time
at all, duplicate keys were on their
way to the mother of two soldiers.
Novelette,: Gene Sheldon is the
funny pantonimist in the. hit, "Pri-
ssorities of 1872" His stage partner
sis lovely Loretta Fischer. Some
years back, Loretta and Gene were
married and were very happy. But
after few years on the stage, Lo-
tretta began to long for little cot
tage where she and Gene could set
tie down to less hectic routine.
Gene decided he could not forsake
his career SO they were divorced.
Loretta went on to Chicago where
she met and married business
man who offered her the quiet exist
r ence she was seeking. Within three
months, she tired of the life and
divorced her husband. Time passed
and she asked Gene if she could
return to the act He welcomed her
back. But here's the twist. Gene is
in love again, this time with an at
tractive chlorine, Peggy Mccain.
Peggy and Loretta are close friends.
Recollection: Chatting with a
group of friends, Oscar Hammer
stein, ibrettist and lyricist of such
hits as Show Boat" New Moon,''
Rose Marie" 1.-The Desert Sohg,''
Sweet Adeline" and other we'll
knowns of the show shops, related
"a number Of anecdotes of the
: famous grandfather whose name he
bears. One fingers in memory. A
newspaper man brought new sing
er to the impressario and introduced
him thus: ''Mr. Hammerstein, you
ought to sign up this man. He's
going to be a great singer some
day Hammerstein. walked away
muttering: Il can wait" 1t might
be anti-climactic to state that this
singer later reached the heights.
His name? Reinald Werrenrath.
Another: Happy Jim Parsons, of
Mutual, broke into radio many years
ago and was once featured vocal
ist with Paul Whiteman. Parsons
recalled in Sardi's the other evening
how all through one performance, a
member of trio, which harmonized
in the background as he sang, con-
tiuually got him off key because his
harmony was false. After the show,
Parsons walked up to the culprit
and without mincing words, advised
him to quit show business because
he was absolutely tone deaf. Dis
regarding the advice, the young
man went on to Hollywood and be-
came one of the most popular sing
ers of songs in America. He's Bing
Crosby of course.
End Piece: After the Harry Hop
kins-Louise Macy wedding in the
White House, one of the larger net.
works approached Meyer Davis,
who played for the wedding and
asked him to talk about the high
lights for five minutes on a news
broadcast. Davis asked Hopkins
permission. The Presidents advis-
er replied: "Okay, Meyer, SO long
Al