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Wirth's Brothers Circus as "The Me.xi- some.times at Charlie's studio. Will was
can Rope Artist." still single, but when he and Betty were
Meantime, Nancy was building Char- married in 1908, one of the first places
lie's studio in Montana and preparing he took her was to Tiffany's in New
to take Charlie and some of his paint- York to see an exhibit of Charlie's
ings to New York for the first time. works. Will was twenty-nine now, and
It was 1903 and Will was on his way Charlie forty-four. Will was just be-
home from New Zealand. ginning to get somewhere with his
But Oologah and the old Dog Iron humor. Charlie was already an accom-
were not the same. Will knew they never plished story-teller and conversationalist.
would be again. Just the same, he flirted Their circle of friends in New York
with the idea of giving up show business was widening. Fred Stone, then a star
and settling down on the ranch. But he of the first magnitude on Broadway, was
couldn't stay or settle down, and he rehearsing for a new show, "The Old
knew it. He drifted to St. Louis and here Town," in which he would do a cowboy
his trail and Charlie's ran together. Will who twirled a rope as he danced. Black
performed in his red velvet Me.xican Chambers, a young Indian from Indian
suit in the "Cummings and Mulhall Wild Territory, had taught Fred to spin the
West Show on the Pike." And almost rope. Will, having known Black in Okla-
within a stone's throw, Charlie's paint- homa, went to see him at the theatre.
ings were on exhibit in the Palace of Black had fallen ill, and had gone back
Fine Arts. home. Will became acquainted with Fred
Everybody in the Wild West show and helped him with his rope-spinning.
heard about them, and Will went to see Fred became one of the group of West-
them. erners. ·
Will was fascinated. He had never That was the year of the roundup of
seen anything like them, anything so the last big herd of buffalo near Coeur Ed Borein. Russell's protege
true to the life he knew. He studied each d'Alene, and Will heard that story first-
one, moved slowly from one to another hand from Charlie. Will was touring in and close friend
and stood a long time before one that vaudeville, and he looked forward to
Charlie had titled, "A Bad Hoss." Will getting back to New York to chin with His biggest break was just a whisker
went back again and again. Charlie. He was still in vaudeville the away and it came before the e.nd of the
"He's the only painter that a cowboy next year, 1911, the year that Nancy year. Florenz Ziegfeld put him in his
can't criticize," Will said. "Every little and Charlie sold the, ranch up on Kick- "Midnight Frolics" on the Ziegfeld Roof.
piece of leather or rope is just where it ing Horse Creek, and staged their spec-
should be." tacular exhibit, titled "The West That "THE MIDNIGHT FROLICS" marked
And Charlie, being there at the fair Has Passed," in the Folsom Galleries in the turning point in Will's career.
and sensitive to everything that was New York. This was the. turning. point The Ziegfeld Roof was a restaurant, a
western, could hardly have failed to see in Charlie's career. He had won world- gathering place for the late supper crowd,
the Wild West Show on the Pike, and wide recognition. _ · and the Frolics started on the stroke of
.see Will Rogers twirling that rope. Will saw that exhibit,_ and no one was twelve. It was a new idea and it drew
At this point, neither Charlie nor Will happier than he. And the next year, he an exclusive clientele. Many came back
had yet won recognition but this was got into his first Broadway show, "The night after night. Will knew he could
Charlie's second exhibit in his hometown Wall Street Girl," with Blanche Ring, not keep telling the same jokes to the
and, at least here in St. Louis, the town the brilliant Broadway star. same people so he. started commenting on
of his birth, he was important while Will Now Will was on his way. His big the news and changing his material for
was only an obscure cowboy performer. break was still to come. In 1914 Charlie every show. The innovation caught on
and Will were to be together again, this and people flocked to see him.
AT THE CLOSE of the St. Louis Fair, time in London. Charlie and Will had come a long
Will again was at loose ends. He Charlie and Nancy exhibited a collec- way from the lonely ranges of Montana
drifted up to Chicago, looking for a tion at the Dore Galle.ries. And Will was and Indian Territory. Both had come to
booking. Charlie and Nancy headed for appearing in "The Merry-Go-Round" "the big camp" in search of success.
New York, and by the time Will got with Nora Bayes at the Empire Theatre. Now both were in the big time and on
there, they had been back to Montana. When Charlie's exhibit at the Dore their way to fame.
When they returned to New York with Galleries closed, he went back to Mon- Charlie followed Will's progress in
more paintings, Will was playing in tana, up to Lake MacDonald. And when "Town Topics" at the Winter Garden, in
Madison Square Garden with the Zack Will's show closed in London, he came "The Passing Show" of 1917 at the New
Mulhall Riders and Ropers-and mak- back to New York and -got the part of Amsterdam, and in the "Ziegfeld Fol-
ing headlines. Every New York paper Cowboy Will in the show "Hands Up." (Continued on page 47)
carried stories on how "Willie Rogers, an
Indian boy" roped a steer that had Charlie Russell's "Trail's End" house in Pasadena. California
leapt the barrier and charged up into
the audience. There were pictures of Will,
interviews, and descriptions of his cour-
ageous act.
At some point during this time, Will
and Charlie became acquainted, and they
were to keep track of each other from
the.re on. Will got into vaudeville and
the next year toured Europe. And while
he was playing the Winter Garden in
Berlin and the Palace in London, Charlie
was establishing himself in New York.
Charlie had his studio near 40th and
Broadway, and that same year bought
the ranch on Kicking Horse Creek and
spent some time in Mexico.
There was a growing group of West-
erners in New York at that time. Charlie
and Nancy came there every year. Will
was based there. Leo Carrillo was there
on the stage. Ed Borein was there doing
western illustrations for magazines. All
were climbing toward success. They un-
derstood e.ach other, talked each other's
language, and shared each other's feel-
ings about being in the "big camp," far
from the country they loved.
They often met at Will's flat, and
June-July, 1967 9