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e.asily have become acquainted on that Rogers and Charlie Russell was different. just tell it when I'm leaving, it will pack
train. Charlie was gregarious. He often spoke itself."
But Will said they met in the East of himself as a good mixer. "I had friends He usually wore the same blue serge
when he was in New York "to try to sell when I had nothing else," he said. Al- suit with the shiny seat and the baggy
a few jokes" and Charlie was there "to though Will was enormously popular, he knees, and he packed just what he
try to sell a few paintings." Will said was close to few. It was true that you needed, a shirt, a couple pairs of sox and
that neither had much money. Both put could count his close friends on one hand. a few handkerchiefs. He bought shirts
up in cheap lodging houses, and when Will had been a loner ever since he and sox and discarded them as he went
they could, patronized the free-lunch was a little boy. He talked to himself as along.
counters. he rode his pony to school in Indian Alone, Will traveled to the remote
Whatever year they met, Charlie was Territory, and he talked to himself when reaches of the world, Mongolia, Af-
already farther along on the road to he gre,w up, became a cowboy and worked ghanistan and such places, and one time
fame than Will was. From their first for outfits all over the Southwest. His or another visited all the continents.
meeting, they "hit it off" as only men solitude stayed with him. Alone, he was received by kings and
can do when they understand and respect "I've always been a lone wolf," he princes and heads of state and was
each other. Henceforth they were to be said. "I never ran with the pack." honored wherever he went.
together in New York, London, Montana, He joined little in the social life of the One Christmas in California in the
Southern California, St. Louis and a theatre. He often slipped away to eat by latter years of his life, Betty gave him
hundred other places. himself when almost everyone would have · a yellow slicker. He liked that raincoat.
It was not a Damon and Pythias kind been pleasead to eat with him. One of his He'd put it on, and wearing an old slouch
of friendship but rather a casual, easy- favorite haunts in New York was a beat- hat, saddle up and go riding alone in
going companionship. Both had been up lunch counter where he could sit on the rain. He rode through the canyons
cowboys, both had ridden the range, both a stool and eat chili, alone. and gullies of the Santa Monica Moun-
knew the West and loved it, and both While he was in New York, he had tains around his ranch, up the narrow
made common cause for the Old West horses out on Long Island, and while, he trails, along the steep ridges, ignoring
that was passing. They were, in fact, part sometimes rode with others, he often the downpour. He would ride for hours,
of a group whose kinship was rooted in chose to ride alone. come back, saddle up a different horse,
the West: Ed Borein, Charles F. Lummis, This was his pattern. More often than and ride out into the rain again. Some-
Leo Carrillo, Eugene Manlove Rhodes, not he preferred to be alone. He traveled times he did not return until after dark.
Joe De Yong, and others. over most of the world alone. About 4 o'clock one morning, Will
Yet the relationship between Will "I got one little old red grip that if I Rogers, Jr., returned to the ranch in
Picnic at the Harry Carey Ranch near Saugus. California, spring, 1923. Front row, left to right: Dobie Carey (little boy held by un-
identified cowboy), Charlie Russell, Harry Carey. Fred Stone, and unidentified man. Second row: unidentified girl, Jimmy, Will. Jr .. and
Mary Rogers (children of Will). Directly behind Will, Jr. is Betty Rogers; on her left is Ollie Carey and Nancy Russell. Will Rogers
was at the picnic but was not present for this photograph.

June-July, 1967 7·