LLANO SOCIAL LIFE
REMINISCENCE AND APPRECIATION BY R. K. WILLIAMS.

The years have not dimmed our hope and faith in the colony idea. It is the right way to live. No question about that. While conditions were not ideal, yet we always strived toward the ideal. We had to go through the process of empiricism, the trial and error method. Naturally, we would do foolish things. We would build up dislikes and such, but, in the end, and in the clearer light of understanding, all the annoyances, the foolish animosities and such disappeared and in their places came dear memories and the happiness that attended the associations that go to make up life.

No matter what happened in the field of finance, in the industrial, horticultural and farming end of the colony, nor how poorly all these functions, the outstanding star of colony life was and always had been the Social phase.

I have never met any colonist who did not mention the social life of the colony as one of the most enjoyable episodes of his life. In fact, it seems, that the things best remembered by the colonists has been the enduring friendships, the pleasantness of close association, the mutual understandings, all due to the fact that money or selfish interest did not obtrude in those associations.

Friendships were built out of real goodness of heart. There were no ulterior motives about associations. We did not try to beat one another out of anything. We mutually enjoyed the success of our associates. Take the dances we had. Where in the world could better dances have been held? No price of admission. Just think of that. It was always hard for strangers to understand this. And think, too, of the unselfish services of the musicians, who composed the bands and orchestras we have had. These organizations would play for hours and with sheer delight and with the positive knowledge that not a cent would be paid them at the conclusion of the evening.

And, as regards to the musicians. We have had many, many of them. Beginning with Bert Engle, early in the California days. He organized a 16 piece orchestra. It was a delight each Sunday to hear Bert and his orchestra play every type of music. He furnished music for the entertainments that we put on each week, assisted with the songs, the dances, and altogether kept the morale of people very high.

In Louisiana we have been blessed with great musicians. Among these to be remembered was Petite Lois Will, who as a tot, feet not touching piano pedals, was on hand

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for every orchestra practice as well as public performance. Lois was a real prodigy of the colony. And, at the present writing, I am informed she is happily engaged in her chosen work and making of it a success. I doubt, if anywhere, without endowment, could such an opportunity be given a youngster except in a colony, such as we had.

There was Rhodemeister, now passed to his reward at the Cila, New Mexico holdings.
He was one of the early students in music. Rhody was always on hand with his horn.
In fact, he played a number of instruments and was a harness maker, par excellence.

One of the outstanding leaders in music was Sidney Archer of England, then of Portland, Oregon, and at present in Oregon. Archer was another "phenom". As a mere child he astonished audiences by his performances on the piano. In 1951, he brought this great talent together with his charming and accomplished wife, to the colony. He at once headed the orchestra. And here too, the Young family comes back into the picture. All of this accomplished family were in the orchestra, and at one time under Archer and violinist Bill Singham, another Englishman, by the way, served the best music with an orchestra as many as 15 or 16 members.

When we revamped the theatre, we had to make an extra big "pit". Last but not least in this partial musical line-up was George T. Pickett on the "trape". One can say what he wants about George, but everyone will have to admit that he was, and is a versatile little "cuss" as I often call him.

The musical end of the colony was always considered a part of the social life. And rightly, too. In the early thirties, regular weekly entertainments were given at the theatre, consisting of vaudeville numbers, plays, skits, minstrel shows, etc. The orchestra under Archer assisted at all these weekly offerings. All the schools, from kindergarten up to high, contributed their bits by offering various students who had talent and in getting up skits, pagesants and the like.

In the school end of the social life, the Ware family, consisting of Edward, Mrs. and Wanda Ware, living at the Kid Colony and in charge of the Kid Colony small children's school, and my wife, Dr. Cecil O. Williams of the first, second, etc. grades, made the getting up of programs an easy thing by doing most of the work and securing real talent for presentation across the foot lights.

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In this connection, a "Believe It or Not" suitable for Ripley can be designated to Dr. Cecil. Early in 1952, Mrs. Samuel W. Irwin, wife of Dr. Samuel W. Irwin, had charge of the grade schools at the Kid Kolony. Mrs. Irwin needed a first grade teacher. She asked Dr. Cecil to take over for a week. That week, Believe It or Not, extended over seven years. The remarkable part of it is that Dr. Cecil was never absent a day, never received a work of criticism, to her knowledge, never received one word of commendation, and never received one cent in salary or other remuneration, and only gave up the assignment when it was arranged for most of the children to go to the Leesville schools. So much for the "Believe It or Not".

The performances at the theatre were really entertaining and interesting. Great diversity of talent was displayed, and the theatre was always filled, even standing room on the ramp was always jammed. There was no charge for admission and no collections were taken, quite a commendation for the proposition of cooperation in social life. Practically all of the colonists looked eagerly to the weekly theatre night. There was likewise no age barrier-- young and old participated in the weekly events, and, felt better for so doing. I always maintained that public appearances helped the student, or the person appearing, in the important thing of self-expression and self possession.

We tried to diversify the offerings. Many times we would have speakers from a distance on some interesting topic. Practically every preacher in Leesville appeared for us. New Thought teachers spoke; Christian Science lecturers gave helpful lectures; Spiritualistic mediums appeared for us; magicians came too and entertained. It was not unusual for political speakers to come and speak in behalf of themselves and their causes. Ford Picture Department sent us films of interesting industrial pictures; The International Harvester Co. likewise sent films of farm scenes. The State Forestry Service sent us films showing wild life and the like to an always capacity house.

At this point, it is quite due to the young family that we pay a highly deserved tribute. It seems that this family had had experience in theatrical work in England, so it was quite natural that the idyllic scenery painting be turned over to them. They made a first class movie screen, which would have cost many dollars if bought from a theatrical house. They painted the wings with proper figures and woodland scenes,

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and the back drop was decorated with a typical countryside picture which one could look at for a long, long time. To this day, though smudged and torn, much of the work of the Younger stands in solitary grandeur in a corner of the unused theatre.

Before leaving the theatre and its contribution to the social life of the colony, we must mention Gaylord, who came to us in 1935. Mr. Gaylord had been basse profundo in a Chataqua male quartet, and he WAS GOOD. Years had not taken much toll of his marvelous voice. It was not long before he had started singing lessons and a mixed quartet. The quartet composed of Mrs. Anita Brannon, Mary Roe, myself and Mr. Gaylord. It was so good that we were in great demand. For two years we sang at the Leesville Fair for a week in the Llano booth, and once put on a concert in the stadium of the Fair Grounds. On several occasions this quartet sang in church singing tournaments forty and fifty miles from the colony.

Through Gaylord, indeed was the theatre helped. With the quartet as a base it was never much trouble making up programs consisting of 6 to 10 members-- the usual vaudeville show. As mentioned before, the outstanding thing about the colony was its social life. And when one thinks of the colony, thoughts go without direction to the fine social contacts made and the enjoyment received in attending the social gatherings, the theatre and the weekly and sometimes twice weekly dances.

May day, the Fourth of July. Thanksgiving, Christmas New Years and Easter were always celebrated by the Colonists. The first May Day was held in old Llano Colony, in Antelope Valley, California, May 1st. 1914. The four speakers, who stood on the big porch and returned of the hotel, addressed some 450 members who stood bareheaded in the soft air of the summer, were Bert Engle, Frank P. McMahon, Frank E. Wolfe and Job Harriman the founder. The others being on the Board and Frank Wolfe, the first editor of the colony who monthly produced the Western Comrade, a beautiful pictorial magazine.

Many of the predictions made by these eloquent speakers have come true. It may be said of them that they started the habit of celebrating May Day, that continued to the very time when the Receivership took over the colony in 1936 in the person of young William Pollard, Leesville's leading druggist.

Were a new colony ever to come out of the remnants of that one, while advantageous changes would take place in personnel, organization, records and ownership, there would be little difference in the social end. Man is gregarious and likes company. He must have his relaxations. This can only be found in pleasing contacts with unaffected, unselfish and true friends. This sort of social life cannot be obtained elsewhere as the motivation is entirely different.