Hammond Times, Volume 5, Number 44, Hammond, Lake County, 18 November 1916 — Page 8

VAGE ETGITT

THE TIMES. Xo ember 18. 191 Colonel Heeza Liar Gets Married,' and His Wire Goes on Strike By J. R. Bray t'J business here Thursday. Gforge Stocker who has bepn at the Wesley hospital In Chicago during the week, returned home yesterday. Oeorge Fleck was a Chicago visitor today. ttTlv. H. PL1. Co OUl QM FOR HOUR if A DRY , THftTT ftMi jiff grehT To bs. arr.id RfTlSJ A HARD DAYiT t)RK. H TH DA. SIVHAl DiD YOU COOk-jTrik-s Today ic 111 XOA'G WO UGH FGI. ANY n FOR i FoaJ OFFICE YOU GO HQ AND MPtY OX? To Xdtlk. ill ; HAS FV IMG ?D vAlUXG CROWN POINT Good joesillj County Supt. Frank F. Heighway has returned from the annual meeting of ! the county superintendents of the Eleven t'n. Twelfth and Thirteenth con gressional districts, heid this year at V'fclparaiio, Ind. The principal topit of discussion was the administration and supervision of schools. Miss Fettis. supervisor of the county schools. also attended the meetir-. The Crown Point grocerymen have organized, during a secret meeting, the principal object being to arrange a better working basis for themselves kl - jatf r-' J..- . : . I and their employes. It was decided to close the stores at 9 o'clock regularly witn the exception of Saturday. Other i hanges in the conduct of their con y l cerns was agreed upon, principally to i lessen the delivery situation among . J - i their various customers.

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Son of Denman Thompson, Author of "The Old Homestead" Discusses Question "Yesterday, No," He Says, "But To-day, Yes!"

scarf; Mrs. Hickey. center piece; ond j Miss Kathcrine AVelmer won the bean j

1 guc-ssing contest. , The Itoyal Neighbor lodge will give

, Ian old time maried peoples' dance at J. llilimaii and Iw T.arnes It-ft yes- ' ' -'f'l Fellows' hall this evening, tetday !r West Haden. They expect1 .Mr. and Mrs. Ellis moved yesterlo be gone "for about a week. day int.. the Morton building on Main The following were prize winners at ';strett. the Catholic bazaar which closed hi 1 Mrs. Miller and son Edward of South Thursday evening: Jonn lcnntrtz. rhb ago. visited friends here yesterroi'king chair; A. Wild, curtains; Mrs. lap. Frailcy, bed set: J. Fra'nzen. dresT Mr. i;liki. of Indianapolis. :r.in.act-

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Abc al 1 m BnrirResulb OurA&iiAsBrin aHigber number of Results than any. Try on "to-morrow.

By FRANK THOMPSON

(Eottmi's Nont. rronipfcd tr the rt interest awakened in his lather's immortal play. "The Old Hotrestead." by tlie forthcomina Fa-n-.ous Plairers-l'aranio'irit Ticture which mar!:s us transmission ti the screen, I rank Tuutnpson, son and heir of lcnman Thompson, has written a lew personal reminiscences winch by sj-eciai arrangement, have been secured by tins paper. They contain facts never before pnb-l.-ned. and Mr. Thompson's article should be ei great interest to aii who have heard the i, -me. "The Old Homestead." It is inrerestinK to nnte that, at the time of U e first presrtitiition of rhe play in Newr York tR'.rty years a0, A. C. U heeier. dramat-c critic cf the iiercij prcphetira'iy said: "Denmjn "i aompsoa might have ransacked the world and he couid not have gok a theme that uonM touch so many American hearts as 'The Old Homestead.' No one even of the third or lourtb penrrati'm wi'1 fad to feel its charm and recognize its idyllic trutii."

IT was some time before I could see my way clear to consent to the converting: of "The Old Homestead"' into a motion picture, as it seemed best from sentimental and business reasons to preserve its unique status as a play. It scarcely seem; possible that any play ever written could have quite the same sentiments.1 value to the family of the author as Denman Thompson's has had for his heirs. Particularly is this true in my own case, as T also had the pleasure of appearing in the production with him. The very nature of the subject, its association with the old home in Swanrey and the fact that some of the characters depicted in it were actually prototpyes of my father's own neighbors, makes the play much more than a mere successful theatrical enterprise and pives it a truly hallowed association. The present old home on the New Hampshire farm was granted to the Thompsonfamily as one of the Mxty to whom the township of Swanzey was deeded by the Massachusetts authorities in May. 1733, and though my father was born near Girard, Pa., l.e returned to the old family seat so early in his life that he was essentially s .New Hampshire youth. My prandfather, in whom the love of old New J.rgland was ever alive, despite the fact that the paths of opportunity seemed to point to the then newer country, never failed to inculcate into his boy the sturdy and old-fashioned nobility of mind and heart that were traditional among the people of New r.tigland.

HE statement

t.iat some ot the

the stage, but Mr. Whltcomb lived to see the play become a popular institution. Aunt Matilda was really a sister of Joshua ilolbrook, one of the sweetest and most lovable characters I have ever met, who was known to all Swanzey as "Auct Khody." CV. PRIME had his flesh and blood originaf, but since he was known all over Cheshire County as the bigpest liar "in them parts," as Uncle Josh would say, perhaps his name were best omitted. Though the other characters in the play had no actual individual models as their bases, they were -. composite 'photograph of the types which abounded in the community. They are not all dead yet, after these thirty years. It is more or less common knowledge that the play was written in its original form as . a one-act sketch while my father was suffering from a severe attack of rheumatism. That was in February of the year 185, while he was playing an engagement in Harry Martin's Varieties, in Pittsburgh. The sketch had its first public performance in this theatre. Strangely enough, until he wrote this playlet, the actor-author had specialized in playing Irish comedy parts. And that, by the way, reminds me that Chauncey Olcott, perhaps the best-known Irish comedian on the stage today, appeared in the role of

"The Old Homestead," started upon its celebrated career. "The Old Homestead" in its final version was written while the whole "Joshua Whitcomb" company was on tour through Pennsly vania, in 1885. It was in April, 186 that the second play was presented to Hoston at the Boston Theatre. Strangely enough, though the Hub Citv had not taken kindly to "Josjiua Whitcomb." when that play was hrst presented in its expanded form, it was warm in its praise of the new play, to which it never failed to accord a cordial welcome upon each succeeding visit. In the beginning of this article, I referred to the sentimental and business reasons which at first deterred me from consenting to permit the Famous Players Film Company to adapt the play as a "Paramount Picture." I have perhaps succeeded in at least suggesting some of the sentimental reasons here are just a few business considerations: DURING its existence, tlie play circled the globe three times, and in the old Academy of Music alone it cleared $1,500,000 in four years at popular prices. It is scarcely too much to say that the proceeds of that play built the present Palace Theatre in New York. As for the number of times titat it was presented. I am always reminded of the . rejoinder

the one-reel films many years ago, ! their crudeness rather disgusted me, ' and it was not until very recently ; that 1 again attended a motion picture performance. This was at the ! personal instigation of Adolph Zukor, : the president of the Famous Players ; Company, whose suggestion that I ; tender to him the rights to the play had first seemed, I am frank to say, ; almost an insult to my father's mem- j ory.

nut .Mr. .ukor tnsistefl, and nnally induced me to attend the performance

STRAUBE'S HAVE MOVED GRAND OPENING SOON

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aracters in the piece were realivj

rawn frm life was looked upon, !

when the play was produced, as being a) press yarn, but it is absolutely true. Joshua Whitcomb himself representod

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FRANK LOSEE and LOUISE. HUFF Dream of Son and Lover Far Away in th Famoui Flayers-Paramount Picture "The Old Homeitead."

Frank Hopkins in the first. New York production of the completed play at the old Academy on Aug. 30. 1RSS. 1 remember very well his tenor voice rang out clear and strong in the double quartette that sang "Where Is My Wandering. Coy Tonight?" behind the scenes. It is a rather curious coincidence that an Irish comedian should wrte a rural drama and that one of the actors in that rural drama's first presentation should become one

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ot thf loremost Irish, his time.

comedians of

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UR1XG the r?eral elapsed between the

ear that :rst sketch.

which was called "Ioli Wliit-

I comit." and the comi leted nl.iy, "Old I Hot'ies'e.id." there v f re tnany changes (made i'l the story. I'.e'inni:ig in i I'ebruary a a ts-cnty-mim:te sketch.

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D EN MAN THOMPSON Vho wrote "The Old Homeitfad" and starred in it for thirty year. a composite cltaracter as it d'd the names of Captain Otis Whitccv.nb i.d Joshua Hol'p.ro. ii:. both of whom had the pleasure of knowing as a boy. From tiie former there emanated the comic side of the character, and from the latter ti e serious. Mr. Holbrook never had the unique pleasure of seeing himself depicted on

i cumulated "Koundy" and "Tot." I bootblack and crossing sweeper, rej specttvely. W hilc in Chicago in the season of 1576-7", second and third . a its wen added as the popularity : the. n!:tv increased. In its expanded li'ins, ') !,nn fiitcom!" traveled nil :lke way -ut to Sr:n f:rancisco and ret!trning sw-pt the ct.untry before it. ! In September. P'73. the plav v.m prei rented in the oM Lvceum Theatre in

New York for the first time-

years before the sequel of the story,

.1 list ten

X which my father used to make when asked that question. Interviewers used to get him to reminisce on the early days of the play, when smoking oil-lamps and gas-burners formed the only means of illumination in many an "Opry House" in which he played. Then they would. ask him how many times he had played Uncle Josh. Father used to beam good-naturedly at the questioner and reply: "My bov, how many seeds has a fig:-". Jt is the only possible answer to the question. I""" IRMLY convinced of the fact that

there is in "The Old Homestead" aj

certain universal appeal which will make it just as popular in years to come as it was on the day that it was first played, the. idea presented itself of lidding' the play in abeyance for several years until fhe generation of theatregoers who remember the original Tosh W hitcomb had passed away. Then a good character . comedian could lie starred in the production arid would undoubtedly prove successful in the role. Like everyone interested in the amusement business, my atte'ntion has been culled rather sharply to the tremendous growth of the motion pic

ture. Though I witnessed some of

FRANK THOMPSON Son of Denrasn Thompaon and autho. if of this article. of some of the productions of his own organization and told me of the millions who are readied every day through, the wonderful Paramount plan. As I sat and marveled at the progress which the photoplay has made, and realized the possibility of reaching the whfde world through 'this great htcdium, my former plans dwindled in significance and importance. Why wait for some nebulous future to arrive which would be propitious for the relaunching of the play, when there stood before me the

j opportunity to immortalize it for all

time ny means ot tiie photoplay." 1 hen, having given my consent to the filming of the play, my interest in the production grew rapidly as the enthusiasm of the film men became contagious. Accordingly, I wa only too glad to offer to the producers the facilities of the old home in Swanzey as the setting for the rural part of the drama. Thus, though it will lack the presence of the author whose name is linked with it, "The Old Homestead" in film form wili have the advantage of the stage presentation in the reality of the settings, or. instead of a painted canvas representing th? farm, it will have as a setting the old farm and homestead itself. AN!) in the case of the scenes in the third act which takes place before Grace Church, the same thing holds true. Goatcher painted, a very realistic picture of the old church for the original production, but I understand that the film men have already staged those scenes before the church itself. ,1 have every reason to believe that the film will be invested to the greatest possible extent with the atmosphere of the original production as I have supplied the company -with

all the information possible concerning the traditions which clung to the play, atid h.v. c frrmshed pictures of all tiie stage characters from which the silent interpret :ts were able to ; model their respective make-ups. Of course it would be preposterous for me to say that r am looking for- : ward to tiie presentation of the photo- . play with the same keen anticipation which my father felt before the first night of the staee appearance. But ; I am safe in saying that I never have been and never will be so deeply interested in any photoplay as I am in . "The Old Homestead."

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Mailed By U. P. Men To The

United States

front by :! A n ifln-Frit to tiie l'.riilsh war ch evitaUl.v mean a with'!

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.in '!''! i n: must iu1 of tne

'ierimin lute now linu across Northern Franc ami Fl.in.K-i . Tins- won hi throw the allies' line near a to I across various canals ami rivers ami hriuu a n.w

into play. This new the i n h ml na v t ex eruirs mounting ami ni;i'ii!n! hy ex-

i branch of warfare i bra neh wou hi he i river a mi ca na 1 ! fairiv heavy u'lns

i pcrier.ee. 1 men. j As first 'announced by the I '.tired ', Press eorrespomient on the French ' froc.t, i.enera! Foeh's canal navy has

act i v Xe w on ! Such

a .r'o in (ei-lock so that .separate a: 't lleets nn'y extern; their iiy to many areas, the r ordinary seWiers nor s:i;lnrs 1 operate the la n .I-i oek e.J navies-.

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in : i. tic it . !!!:: n iT. l i.itrtl I'rtvn silnii t'irr-inilent. IAXI.'UN, No. it"i Inland navies may figure Btrontriy soon in the war news from the Western front. Constant pressure on tiie Herman

, a ireauy lii't'inaii i immtin opera te '-a n;i is

been in action dKaitut heavy jiiins mount' cl on Mount St. Tnesf utitt-t. te,n.T! monitors-.

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the !!iver Somme. t'nl it: the extreme noith O'' i'l'tcite nii'l si.ii.th of HeP-ouni. it is- poitited out, rivers and canals are more spacious and afford real opportunities for maneuvering. These water-

Royal Ma

rine r ji ti 1 1 1 Infantry ami Koyal Murine Aitiiiety would serve Thr-.se men are lt;it:tl trained for sncn work, as are their i orresjionj i tig' units in the French service. Tlo' iceent official announcement here that. Sir Archibald Paris and other marine major-rr ncra Is iiave been sent to tiie front lends tlavor to the conjecture resar-.linK' the ititand navies. Thi! t the i , e i' m 1 1 lis may iiave already ercattized their inland na"y is indicated h.v the aypeurn of trreat numbers ef (Tetttati tii-iiio-s cm tile Somme tt';;.;. S.e -u- itf the-.1 have ht l !i Vtip-tu:-e-i. While the real, sea-going navies continue to watch their chance to clash, l: is he'ieved not improbable .that the

Spcrtive Fish. The gamboling of whales is often witnessed by sailors, and I'nley says tluit miy observer of fish must acknowledge that "they tire so happy they know not what to do with themselves. Their attitudes and frolics are simply the effect of an excess of spirits." '

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PHONE 65j

631 HOHTvIAN STREET.

HAMMOND.

TIM ICS' art crtisins will enalle joii, t break nil jour bimincsn rrcord for; the fr ond. mil a TIMICS d man j rlstht nj". i