Evening Star Newspaper, September 20, 1936, Page 56

F—4 THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SEPTEMBER 20, 1936—PART FOUR. HUGE PYTHONS AND BOAS ARE PETS IN HOME HERE. Versatile Max Gordon SNAKES CHARM CAPITAL MAN Richard G. Paine Finds Raising Them Is Profitable and Pleas- ant Pastime—Has Learned Much of Reptiles in 25 Years—Was Attacked But Once. By Frances Shippen. ICHARD Q. PAINE'S idea of relaxation after & hard day’s work at the Smithsonian In- stitution in Washington is to sit at ease in his den with the radio turned on and his pipe aglow while s huge python or boa constrictor crawls up his arms and over his body. Paine has been raising and studying the big serpents as a hobby for the last quarter of a century, keeping them in his “workshop” at home un- til they grow too large for his ac- commodations, or until some dealer or showman or zoologist makes an ec- ceptable offer for his pets. The sclentist is frankly enthusiastic sbout his charges. His loyalty has remained unshaken through at least one distressing experience and & number of lesser misadventures, and he never parts with a snake until assured it will have the proper care in the future. The enthusiast is quite frank to admit, however, that snakes are in- capable of affection, and may turn upon their best friends on occasion. He attributes this to misunderstanding rather than malice, and pleads for a larger tolerance on the part of human beings. Mr. Paine has good evidence to prove t] it is difficult to overcome mankind’s aversion to snakes. For despite “bringing out the best” in his pets over a period of many years, Mrs, Paine remains adamant in her regard to snakes of all sizes and va- riety. The wife of the snake en- thusiast doesn't mind her husband pursuing his hobby in his special “work room,” but she admits that the idea of & snake loose in one of the rooms still gives her an uneasy feeling. However, the snakes do prave quite an attraction with the guests who visit the Pine home. And many a bridge game has been stopped to watch one of the host's favorite pythons perform. Not every home can present an interesting snake display for its guests! In his years of patient observa- tion Paine has been able to dispell many popular legends regarding the serpent and its much-discussed habits. For example, he is inclined to dis- count the story of how snake charm- ers, upon leaving their charges for any considerable time, deposit some personal garment in the cage for the snakes to remember them by. 'WHu.! the snake's strongest sense,” Paine said, “seems to be that of smell, even this sense will not identify an individual for more than a week or s0. One of the most intelligent snakes I ever raised is a rock python I recently loaned to the National Zoological Park. “I visit the reptile house every Sun- day, but the snake forgets me from ‘week to week.” ‘The snake has no ears and no sense of hearing, Paine said, unless the sensitive tongue catches the more obvious sound vibrations. Paine is RICHARD G. PAINE. convinced that the Indian fakirs who are supposed to charm eobras with music accomplish the effect in quite a different manner. “As I understand it,” he said “the charmer is supplied with a fairly long musical reed. Now the cobra has a comparatively short striking distance. When alarmed, this snake raises its body to a considerable height. The cobra swings near before striking.The charmer sways the reed and the cobra’s rhythm is due to this motion rather than to the music. “The snake may take a long while to get set for striking. If he does strike, he hits at the reed, and the chances are his fangs already have been extracted.” Paine approached the subject of his distressing experience with a wry smile. He explained that his wife never cared for snakes, although he nas been raising them, some to a length of 18 feet, in his home “work shop” for years. Thus, upon & recent occasion, he was presented with an embarrassing choice. He found he must either call for aid, with the possible consequence of having to abandon his hobby, or solve his problem alone while a 10- foot boa copstrictor fastened six layers of fangs deeper into his wrist and pinioned his arms with intricate coils. Paine made his own choice and today he is still raising snakes. ‘The incident was merely amusing to the enthusiast, and, since his wife learned of it after his wounds had healed, he was quite frank about the whole thing. ‘On that evening,” he said, “my wife was having two young ladies to dinner. I was to call for them in my car on the way home. But I had another errand. T wanted to get & young rabbit for the boa. At the same time I did not want the girls exclaim- ing, ‘Oh, the poor little rabbit!” “S8o, I concealed the rabbit in a deep box and put it out of sight. We all drove home together and I smug- gled the rabbit into my ‘work shop’ ANTIETAM CLIMAX By O. A. Foster. HE past week has marked the seventy-fourth anniversary of the campaign against Harpers Ferry and the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. The presence of a large and vic- torious Confederate Army in close proximity to Washington in Septem- ‘ber, 1862, aroused great apprehension in the city, and it was believed hy many that the campaisn was being fought for the very possession of the Capital City itself. During the Summer of 1862 Gen. Lee, with the Army of Northern Vir- ginia, had been advancing steadily northward. His army had traveled | w; 200 miles, fought nine major battles, and had collected war supplies in im- mense quantities. Gen. McClellan had been restored to the command of the Union Armies, relieving Gen. Pope. President Lincoln 1s said to have vowed that if Lee was checked in this advance, he would 1ssue a proclamation freeing the slaves. Large Federal forces were ooncen- trated in Washington and vicinity. Lee was at Chantily. On file in the War Department in Washington may be found this (un- official) statement: “There was great excitement and alarm in Washington, and for a time the principal question with the ad- ministration was to save the city from capture by the Confederates.” Lee, however, it is said, did not con- template moving against Washington at this time, but he did believe he could destroy the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, north and west of the Cap- ital, and perhaps swing into Pennsyl- vania and dutroy the Pennsylvania Rallroad there also. Accordingly, while Stuart's Cavalry made a demonstration toward Wash- ington by way of Alexandria and Chain Bridge, drawing the Federals closer within the defenses of Wash- kept in close contact with the Con- federates, marching in a shorter arc, and cautiously keeping between the City of Washington and the Confed- erate Army, but several days behind the fast-marching forces of Lee. T SEEMS a strange turn of fate, but it is, nevertheless, an authentic historical fact, that in the midst of Lee's long, triumphant march very important revealing Con- federate plans fell into Union hands at Prederick. This incident is sald to have completely altered the cam- paign, and possibly may have had an t bearing on the ultimate result of the war. The story of “Barbars PFrietchie” and her flag-waving episode st Fred- ericktown, immortalised 191, 1862,” was found by Union troops. ‘This order disclosed that Lee had de- termined to risk the fortunes of war by dividing his army in a hostile coun- try, in the face of superior forces. He planned to use a portion of his com- mand under Gen. Jackson against Harpers Ferry, while holding the Union Army at bay with the re- mainder. Gen. Mclaws' division was to pass through Cramptons Gap and attack the Union garrison on Maryland Heights and Harpers Ferry, while Jackson, converging from another di- rection, blocked the retreat of the gar- rison. Lee's main force would threaten the Union Army advancing from ‘Washington. It is said McClellan and his Union generals did not at first believe “Spe- cial Orders No. 191" could be authentic, and, fearing & ruse, advanced more cautiously than ever, until it wad learned that the plan, as outlined, was actually being carried out by the Con- federates. Then the usually deliberate McClellan ordered forced marches and poured fresh troops in superior num- bers upon the separated Confederate forces. McLaws was forced to return to the main army hurriedly, bringing battle on South Mountain. McClel- lan, it has been said, falled to take llldnv.:nhn of the topography of the CRAI(PI’ONB GAP offered the most advantageous route to Harpers evening of the 13th he could have gone through the Gap at daybreak on the 14th, and should have relieved |threw it into the Potomac. without any of the ladies being the wiser. The boa was in a glass-fronted cage. I set the rabbit in his box on the floor and opened the case. The snake was suggish and I reached an arm in to jog him as I had done many times before. INBTEAD of sliding through the door the boa threw a cof! about my arm. He held my arm bent at the elbow and sank his teeth into my wrist where the short sleeve showed an opening. The boa has four rows of fangs on the upper and two on the lower jaw. His bite is non-poisonous but rather painful. As I pulled the snake from his cage another coil cir- cled my second arm. He had me pretty tight. I found I couldn’t move my arm. “The wrist was bleeding, but the boa, I'm happy to say, did not try to chew. He contented himself with hanging on. “I had my pipe in my mouth and tried to gas the fellow with tobacco smoke. It had no effect. I'll con- fess that for a moment I was about to drop the pipe from my mouth and shout for my wife. “Then I remembered the rabbit in his box on the floor. I sank down toward the box and after a bit the snake’s colls began to loosen their grip on my right arm. In another second he had opened his jaws and glided off toward the rabbit. I am convinced the snake did not mean to attack me, but merely smelled the rabbit and bit me by mistake when I jostled him. “I was a large order, however, and he was accustomed to small fry. When he sensed the more edible rabbit, he simply turned in that di- rection. I slipped out and doctored my arm at the medicine cabinet, changed shirts and came downstairs to dinner as usual. None of the ladies suspected anything. After din- ner I brought out the boa and showed him off for the company. “The next day I took the blood- stained shirt to work with me and The needle-point wounds healed readily enough, but I never told my wife about the incident until the last scar had vanished.” Paine never treats with poisonous snakes, or with that cannibal of the reptile world, the king snake. He prefers pythons and boa constrictors because they develop rapidly, possess & fair order of intelligence as snakes go, are easily tamed and have beau- tifully marked skins. He obtains the young snakes dur- ing the “Spring market season” from various dealers and through Dr. Ray- mond Ditmars, curator of reptiles at the Bronx Zoo and one of the world's authorities on the subject. Dr. Dit- mars, an old friend of Paine’s, has become so accustomed to his needs that he fills them without specific orders. When Paine first obtains the young Mazx Gordon, ter season on Mon ay evening, September 28. snakes he places them in glass- fronted cages and for a day or so goes about opening the doors to ac- custom them to this necessity. Then, with & stick, he rubs their backs. All snakes, he says, delight in having their backs scratched. THE degree of the snake's ill humor may be determined by its reac- tion to the stroking process. In a week or so Paine is handling the snakes as if they were old pets. He is careful to be gentle with them and never to grasp one behind the head, one of the quickest ways to anger a reptile. Among dealers Paine has a repu- tation of raising prime specimens. He rarely lacks & market when his snakes grow too large for his com- paratively small quarters. Paine feels it is time to find a new home for a snake when the reptile grows so long and heavy it tips over vases in his den or rocks the radio on its legs while slithering about for exercise at night. A large but shallow tank in Paine’s “work shop” provides the reptiles with much-needed moisture. The snakes take to the bath with par- ticular aptitude just before shedding. Paine, in his years of experience, has had no difficulty in confining the snakes to their appointed places. Not one has escaped in 25 years. “Ill admit that some of the pythons and boas could break the glass in their cages,” said Paine, “but they never do. I think they're. too stupid to know their own strength. Just as a horse can be tethered by a string, an 18-foot python will accept the limits of a flimsy confinement he could burst with little effort.” Paine’s fascination for snakes dates from his earliest recollections. He thinks this interest is widely shared in city and in country, largely due to the mystery which attaches to the unknown. The snake is an important part of superstitition and legend. Snake stories are as easily exagger- ated as fish stories. Paine thinks the snakes get the worst of this state of affairs. They have never been able to live down their evil reputation. PAINE attends every circus, carni- val or vaudeville which includes snakes among its attractions. This habit of circus going has extended his interest to most of the features | track oducer of “St. Helana,” the premiere of which reopens the National Thea- under the big top, but he always wanders back to the side show where the lady snake charmer is holding forth. One of the scientist’s earliest recol- lections is a carnival back in the little South Carolina town where he was born. Quite vividly, he recalls the pythons which coiled their sym- metrical bodies about the arm of the lady snake charmer. The impression pointed him toward his future work. Earlier, he had collected worms and kept them in hidden places while his companions dug for them as bait and went off to feed them to the fish. Paine’s mother and father did their best to discourage this habit, but in vain, Crookedest Railroad. Tfl New York, Ontario & Western Railroad holds the distinction of being probably the crookedest railroad in the country. From Cornwall, N. Y., where it leaves the tracks of the West Shore Railroad, it curves and twists to its Northern termini in a sinuous path in which not & single mile of straight occurs. Photoplays in Washington Theaters This Week WEEK OF Sunday Monday Tuesday 20 R Wallace Beery In Academy 8th and G Sts. B.E. “The_ Harvester.” “West Point of the Atr.” Also ‘Wallace Beery In “West, Point of the rves ter."” Jean Harlow in Wednesday Thursday Grace_Moore in 'nmm"m |_Also *Toush Guy.” Jesn Harlow in " Cedric Hardwicke - Ambassador 18th and Columbia Rd. Apollo 624 H St. NE. ine Days Robert Mon Silly Bymnhony Ced and Nova Pilbeam fomery | Robert and Madge Evans i S-picadily Jim" Cedric Hardwicke wick and Nova. Pilbesm S o ibeam and Nov‘l Pilbe and Madge Evans in_“Picadilly Jim" ' g Silly Symphony amy symuhony Arcade lflt Lupino. b Frances Lederer and ou Robert Montgomer: and Madge Evans ‘Picadilly Ji mcke! Mou Robert Monf and Madge ‘Picadilly .mn' louse™ Rll'.hlrdArll in * With the llfln Doo " Also “‘'Wi |_of the Wasteland." ith Chatterton and Her rt Marshall in b ' Dormitory” ' C. Plelds and mmue ‘Hudson Maten o Hin ’nme W. C. Plelds and Roch lle Hudson Maten ‘of Fime “The h&tdmflll | |“Meet Nero wolfe: in jero. “Early to_Bed” 'Phantom Rider No. 3 Frances Lederer and 1da Lupino, “‘One Rainy Afternoon” Glorts ‘Staatt “Crime Dr. For March of Time, Cart. bes Cart., Novelty, News George Mu Gertrude Micl el ““‘Woman Tu& ews| Lionel Barrymore Maureen O'Sullivan Cm .,_Band. New Rainy Afte Hyattsville, Md. March of Tlme. cm Ashton Clarendon. Vs. Dark. “Loretts Young and Robert Taylor _“Private Number” | “Private Number.”_ Loretta Young and Robert Tavlor Cart.. Novelty, Net and Loretts Youn Rol nnm » Michsel | bert Tavlor o nmmo{ Lang.” “Hish Tension" ‘Lawless Ninetie Cartoon_and Flash Gordon Serial No. 11 Lionel Barrymore ureen O'Sullivan | _Cart., Band. ] ]'“l Gtom O'Brien ““The lom Patrolman.” | Avalon 5612 Connecticut Ave. Parmer i on the Range' Mickey Mouse Crosby, Burns and n_“Rhythm|Farmer i Crosby, Bi d | _Orosby, B snd 7 Borg | Crote B s, on the Range” Mickey Ilul’u "~ Lyon 3 !onu\u *“The Ounrmm" Popeye Avenue Grand 645 Pa. Ave. 8E. Brian Donle Claire Trevor u}g “Thirty-8ix Hours to K.lll Oonud.v Claire Trevor and | Jeanette ?tDflnl‘fi ,Brian Donlevy in | “and Clark Gable 'nuny.slx Houn to | fll “San_Francisco™ in “Counterfeit" | Buster Crabbe and co; !flw-m Amold “Meet Nero ‘Wolfe™ Phantom Rider No. § “Human Cargo” an “Grand glorf’ Frances Farmer in “Too Many Parents” Ilnh.:‘ Hunt “Arisons Ralders” Cameo Mount Rainler, Md. B e Ben Cart.._ Novelty. News| mgf Shiriey Temple “Boor 1'.|mc ch | “Poor é}:@, Rich Cart.. Novelty. News!cart.. Novelty. m— Jean Harlow and’ Pranchot, Tone N Susy" Cart.. Navelty. News|Cart.. Hmltr’ News Jean Harlow and Pranchot Tone in “‘Susy” Cart.. Novelty. News 1. Frances Farmer “Too )g-ny 2 Carolina 11th and N.C.Ave.8.2. | Lonesome Sine~~ mu"’"‘h’éfiflfr’i.;‘& ail of the 811'1! Sidney and | Joan Benneti I lnaal’lul CIVIHAI‘I:;)\ Charli ,Joan Bennett in |Edward G. and Joan Blendcfl vanaugh ‘Champagne_Charlie’ | “Bullets or Ballots™ inson | Edward G. Robinson |Di and Joan Blondell “Bullets or Ballots™ 01 Ih‘ Blfldl s, e "iFie Lacky Legs Central 425 9th St. N.W, Dr. Pbrbel" AR 0 !hll T' le. “Jtubmtk" DL Phrbu and Cn!t Reynolds, T “Jatlbreak” with . urchill ' clnm Dodd Gertrude Michael anding in w%@% W. C. Plelds and Circle Rachelle B 2105 Ps. Ave. N.W. Colony Ga. Ave. and Farragut. W. Hudson in | Rochelle Huc 9. . C. Fields and Jnn Berlholt n in w;mv.ry 7 News. Montgome Montgomery e Evans 4 lnfl \hdm Evans in Jim." ccad! vlwnv Robert Madeleine Clrroll Ill “The 39 Steps.” Comedies. Jeanette MacDonald anette MacDonald ‘and cu‘x‘x Gone s | ‘e Clark Gable “San Franci Dumbarton ‘Bobby in “Lat's {m’."'&un » bt Stanwyck in| "Tl:n!rlde ‘Walks . | SHirley_Templs Fairlawn Anacostis, D. O. “Poor Little Rich | “Poor Llnll Rich Girl.” Col'n A Shirley Tembple “Poor Little Rich Girl.” On " Shirley, Temfl. News. coflld! “The Green Pas- tures. rt Donat and | Madeleine Oarroll in “The 39 Steps.” “lip l ome Clark Gable and K near 9th “San Francisco” c.n l!onlly J“ tte IncDonlJfl n_Prancisco’ News!Cart... Noveity. News Clark Olble lna eanette MacDonald X Gable Ik tacnonad T "Ban Franciseo” Cart.. Noveity. News: Clark Gi N Jeanstie Mact fia o arTn e ' in He) " art.. Novelty. "'l Cart., Novelty, News Nevelty, News Home 13th and C Sts. N.E. Shlfle! Ttmnle lllll "lnrch ot 'Hm" ‘Shirley_Temple -'rnox'x.mfl"mzn “‘March o{ Time.” “The Grten Pas- tures.” b Marc Connelly. _| Eleanore Whitney and| Cummings in b “Three Cheers for Marc O:nmlly. " Love: “The Green, Pas- tures,” “Parole.” “MCLiss" Jesse R Shirle; “Boor” utq'- in i GHr] Comedy. _Cartoon. | Comedy. Cartoon. Te! in Shlfll!u'l'el‘nnl. in %’Lfin@uhch rley ple i | “Lionel .| Lee Palls O Little 9th betwoen P a4 G " | Milo Rockville, Md. Va. “The Informer.” Mary With Lo, in | Victor McLaglen in ‘Warner Baxter and | Warner Baxter and in “To Lo » ve.” ‘Wit Oart. Noveity. News.|Cart. Noveity. News. Fred Stone 'rnngr in the vigter g “The Informer.” | ‘The Informer.” Warner Baxter and Myrna To Mary Wit Bve ° ews.|Cart. Novelty. in | Victor McLaglen in “Batan Met & eigt in ““The Informer.” mm'v".s‘ Ah%’firg Srabbe “Desert Gold." juster Crabbe in | Prances Farmer in "Aflnfll Raiders.” “‘Border Hl‘hr‘ 4 Conrad veigt ia | Conzad veigt in &io ’Nnt In in | facing worse Palm Del Ray, Va. Penn Lionel Barrymore “The Devil Db ____|___G Warner Baxter and %muvln He! Simone Simon Lionel Barrymore ‘Herbert 8imone “Girls’ Dormintos Cart., Novelty, Il'l mrmmmm !hlrh'l Tflmfll “Poor th?-ll Rich | “Poor ngtle Rich n n “poor Little Rich | “Poor Little Rich Girl.” Girl.” 'lmr B.!u Baxter and (Ruth m “To wn '“h Cart.. Novelty. News|Cart.. Fn'.l", ind| Gene Raymond and Ann” Sothern Phantom Rider No. 1 | Revives Great Napoleon Bubbling Career Is Behind Production of" Coming ““St. Helena,” Which Will Relight National Theater for the New Season. MONG those enrolled at the College of the City of New York, twenty-odd years ago, was a lad whose favorite author was neither Dickens nor Dumas nor Tolstoy, but a gentleman named Sime Silverman, the late editor of Variety. While his fellow students were presumably attending to the more serious concerns of the class- room, he was avidly devoting his at- tention to such information as that “The Whirl of Pleasure” burlesque show had just grossed $9,400 in ‘Topeka, Kans., and that Broadway's leading two theatrical magnates never spoke when they passed by. ‘That industrious young dramatic enthusiast was Max Gordon, whose production of “St. Helana” will re- light the National Theater on Mon- day evening, September 28, with Maurice Evans in the role of Napoleon. The play has been based by R. C. Sherriff and Jeanne de Casalis on the final days of the exiled monarch. Mr. Gordon has appointed Robert B. Sin- clair and Jo Mielziner, director and | designer, respectively, of “Dodsworth” and “Pride and Prejudice,” to perform in the same capacities for “St. Helena.” None of his classmates were particu- larly surprised when Gordon disap- peared one fine morning from the purlieus of C. C. N. Y. Several days later, he turned up as advance agent for the Behman burlesque troupe, touring the provinces, and from that jaunty eminence bade a none-too- fond adieu to higher education. A letter of recommendation had done the trick; he had been engaged at a salary of $30 a week. He had inci- dentally written the letter himself. Aflm ballyhooing the burlesque thespians for a year, he resigned to become manager of “Whirl of Pleasure,” also, though you might not guess it from the title, a bur- lesque. Gordon had needed no let- ter of introduction to obtain this job. | It happened that the show was owned by Bobby North, a well-known mono- logist of the day, and Cliff Gordon, his older brother. After serving a year or so with “The Whirl of Pleasure” company, Mr. Gordon opened & booking office with Al Lewis, a monologist with manage- rial ambitions. ‘Together they pro- duced a vaudeville act known as “The London Fire Brigade,” which turned out to be what is known in theatrical circles as a false alarm. Lewis went back to vaudeville, while his partner remained in the office to produce a one-act play by the late Aaron Hoff- man, entitled “Straight.” “Straight” turned out to be the first, but not the last of the successful Lewis-Gordon acts. During the hey- day of the variety circuits they pre- sented skits by most of the leading playwrights of the day. At the same time they were silent partners with Sam H. Harris in the production of such famous plays as “Icebound,” “The Jazz Singer,” “Rain,” and “The Nervous Wreck.” During these years, Mr. Gordon likes to look back and recall such in- cidents as: His first work: in the theater as an advance press agent for a burlesque show. His job was to distribute hand- bills, accompany bill posters to see that they weren't skipping any bill- boards, place blotters in hotel rooms, collect tickets and make speeches ex- tolling the coming attractions. The time in Providence, R. I, he convinced a skeptical burlesque troupe that he really knew George Cohan, by procuring a pass signed by the great George M. himself. HLS first and only appearance on the stage as an actor at the age of 18. In an effort to prove that he was better than the Dutch comedian ofs the show, young Gordon replaced him for one performance, and forgot his lines, forgot his songs, lost control of his Dutch accent and of the audience, who rebuked him raucously, but for= tunately had no vegetables, His first meeting with Al Lewis, then a comedian in “Vanity Fair,” Lewis treated Gordon to a 25-cent dinner, so young Max felt obligated not to interrupt when Lewis sang an after-dinner song, a parody about Oscar+ Hammerstein, which had 36 verses. The time Noel Coward came to this country. All the managers went down to the boat to greet him. None of them had enough courage to ask Cow= ard for the privilege of producing his play. At the hotel, the room full of New York’s managers, the phone rang. It was Gordon asking for permission | to produce his show. “Max, you are the first one to ask me, and you shall do it.” The show was “Design for Living,” with Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fone tanne and Noel Coward, and did & The day when Eugene O'Neill en- tered their coffice and asked for a $50 advance on his one-act play, “In the Zone,” which the young producers were preparing for vaudeville. Mr. O'Neill needed the money, as he would like to get married. The night when Gordon, scouting for talent, watched a young English actor deliver a monologue in an obscure vaudeville theater. Gordon decided that he had the makings of a great pantomimist, but thought his monologue wasn’t funny at all. The vaudevillian’s name was, and still is, Charlie Chaplin. He likes to remember, too, the peo- ple that have worked in his shows— Pred and Adele Astaire, Fred Mace Murray, who was in “Roberta”; Helen Broderick, Henry Fonda, who was in “The Farmer Takes A Wife”; Frank Morgan, Pauline Lord, Adrienne Allen and Raymond Massey, Roland Young, Laura Hope Crews, Walter Huston and his wife, Nan Sunderland; Francine Larrimore, Fay Templeton, Bob Hope, Tilly Losch, Libby Holman, Tamara Geva, Hugh Herbert, George Jessel, AP'I‘ER the dissolution of the part- nership, Mr. Gordon made his debut as an independent legitimate producer with the presentation of “Three's A Crowd,” with Fred Allen, Clifton Webb and Libby Holman in the leading roles. Among his recent hits have been such outstanding pro- ductions as “Dodsworth,” “Roberta.” “The Great Waltz” and “Pride and Prejudice.” Today Max Gordon calmly surveys+ the scene from the ninth floor of the New Amsterdam Theater Building, where his offices have been for years. The office is simply furnished. It is, of course, littered with manuscripts. On his wall are pictures of his brother, ClUff Gordon; his mother, of Noel Coward, Solly Ward and George Jessel. In one panel is a picture frame. There is no picture in it, but a piece of paper on which is written: “Since few things stale so quickly as photographs with witty inscriptions here, then, dear Max, is neither wit nor photograph from his sincerely, “JEROME KERN'' FIGURE OF COURAGE By Blanche Kennon Parker. ASHINGTON discovers Rawlins Park. The open- ing of the Eighteenth street and Constitution avenue detour which has vexed traffic so long during the erection of the new Interior Building, makes us again mindful of the Civil War hero, John Asron Rawlins, whose monument, erected at the close of the Civil War in front of the old Center Market at d | Ninth and Pennsylvania avenue, wit- nessed so many stirring scenes for half a century. Now it stands sur- rounded by new shrubbery in the cen- ter of another scene of humming ac- tivity, the new Rawlins Park, sepa- | rating the two vast buildings of the Interior Department. Behind the statue to the left is the classic beauty of the old Octagon House, home of the American Insti- tute of Architects, and on the left the lovely reproduction of the home that inspired John Howard Payne to write “Home, Sweet Home,” now & gift to the Girl Scouts of America. The statue of the Union general looks off beyond the green isle of park toward the Washington Auditorium, spyglass in hand, with eyes that once saw only blue-coated lines moving forward umder raking fire of Con- federate guns. Saw them charge and fall back and charge again. Saw through mist of tears the loved faces of wife and children separated and separation. Not the falling under fire of '.he gallant hus- band who daily defled death on the battlefleld as right-hand man to Gen. Grant, but death of the lovely young wife at home, leaving two small chil- dren to the care of their grandparents Dolores | for the remainder.of the war. [ e As oater [ News|cart.. Novelty, KE l(nnnd n lflmh lenl 0y s = ;4.:"'-*- A SADLY and sternly Rawlins threw would have to take off his unmiform, leave his staff at home and come as a kinsman should, that she was not receiving Yankee gererals.” As his horse slowly turned the yard in leaving, Rawlins saw the empty smoke house with great holes in the black earth where dirt had been taken out and boiled for salt, salt that had been used in curing hams for genera= tions, and was so needed in that pitiful struggle of women and children to maintain life itself against disease and sickness. Salt that he might have given. There were no hams then, only a few sweet potatoes that hadn’t been dug, and sassafras root. Only the earth they stood on, and things under the earth that hadn't been torn and trampled by marching feet—and bit terness. Enough bitterness to fill the whole earth, the general thought, as he rode on with his staff, but, char- acteristic of him, he turned back. “If my kinspeople ever need me, now, or when the war is over; if there is any+ thing I can do for them, I will do it.” Tm was & note of warmth in that, he had done what he could. It was the thing that shone across the breastworks under the heaviest cannon fire. It was, “Yank, here, you take this, damn you,” and to- bacco passed for needle and thread, and & man in blue stooped to lift the dying head in a gray uniform that might have been his own brother. Gen. Grant was like a brother to Rawlins at that time. From the time he first heard him speak at Galena he had been drawn to him, relied on him and had faith in him, and that faith had been answered. All the smoldering fire of genius in Raw- lins flamed like a meteor under the” leadership of Grant. When the great general went too far under the telling strain of endless battlefields and the brand of whisky that Lincoln wanted for the whole Army, it was the younger man who guided him home, covered him with & blanket, to rest until the new day broke with its tremendous responsi- bility. And Grant went, knowing that during the night Rawlins would command, and command well. No . | wonder Grant loved him as & brother, million-dollar business. . the Marx brothers and Mary Boland. ,