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and those others who knew and under- Bill Rogers quite. often met Dug Fair- One BEAUTIFUL spring day in 1923,
stood the West. banks, Neal Hart, Buck Connors and Charlie and Nancy and the whole
When he went back to Montana, he several other moovie folks." Rogers family · and Fred Stone and his
wrote to Ed Borein, "... is Rogers still Many of their mutual friends were in family spent the. day with Harry and
heeling fillyes at the follies-does he California; Fred Stone and his family, Olhe Carey at the 3,700-acre Carey ranch
still leap up to your camp quirting him- William S. Hart, Harry Carey, Joe De near Saugus, California. Charlie Al-
self down the hind leg with a paper if Yong, Irvin S. Cobb, Eugene Manlove drich was there, and so was Theda Blake,
he keeps that up he! get to be a ring tail." Rhodes, Charlie Lummis and others. Betty's sister, who was called Aunt Dick.
And he also wrote to Will in New When Charlie went back to Montana,
Will wore Le.vis, a rough shirt and
York: he kept in touch. He wrote to Charlie that old crushed hat; Charlie, as al-
"Friend Bill: Lummis, "I suppose by this time, Chew- ways, was dressed with his rings, tight
I am sending you the long promised ing Gum Rodgers is back among the pants, bright sash and that broad, flat-
ske.tch. It represents an old time moovies." rimmed, low-crowned hat; but Fred Stone
cow dog mounted on a bronk. Will was, indeed, but he said, "I'm wore a suit, a tweed city suit. He took
In this day of fancy roaping the not a real m_ovie star. I still got the wife off his coat but, wearing collar, tie, vest
trick hes turning aint so much. but I started with." and a bloke, cap, spun a rope as he had in
I remember when a hand that could Will and Betty bought a house in the Broadway show. That started Will,
do this from the top of a stiff Beverly Hills, the. first they had ever and they both stood there spinning ropes
necked bronk was not classed with owned. Will liked to have his friends and shooting the breeze with Charlie.
punkin rollers. around. Charlie and Nancy were often Will suggested they go for a ride.
My wife got a letter from your there. Will always had ropes lying about,
best half asking us to come. and and often he got up and did fancy rope Nancy was not sure Charlie, was up to
camp with you all we both thank tricks or roped the stuffed calf that was it. He had been under the weather. But
you verry much but we wont worke always there, mounted on casters. But they went up to the stable and Harry
your range this year wev got a when Charlie was talking, Will sat quiet. Carey saddled some of his ponies. Will
six months old boy at our camp and Wherever they were together, whethe.r mounte.d, but Charlie could not quite
make it. It would be a while yet. Dorothy
we think hes a little young for trail it was at Charlie Lummis' Saturday
work so we are going to close herd Nights, or out at William S. Hart's Stone, Fred's talented daughter who had
already made a name for herself on
him for a while The. stork dident ranch at Newhall, the important thing to Broadway, wanted to go.
bring him he had been on earth Will was that Charlie Russell was there.
about three moons when he was And once. a month, Charlie and Will got So they rode. out, and those left behind
thrown in my cut but hes waring together at the University Club in Los gathered around to listen to Charlie. He
my Iron now and I hope nobody ever Angeles with a couple of their mutual held them enchanted-Betty Rogers, the
vents it friends. three Rogers children (Will, Jr., Jimmy
now Bill if you ore your folks ever and Mary), little Dobie Carey and all
drift this way dont forgit my camp Will Rogers, as he appeared when in the the others.
theres grub and blankets for you Ziegfeld Follies When Will and Dorothy got back, the
and yors aney time with best barbecue. was ready and everyone was
wishes to you all from us both hungry. Laughing and eating, they
your friend listened to Charlie Russell's stories of
C M Russell" Montana and the time he went to Canada
and lived with the Bloods. And when all
WILL had his hands full in New York. had settle.d into that mood of satisfaction
Now that he was a star in the and well-being that comes of good food
"Follies," publishers were pursuing him and good comp,any, Charlie gave them
to write books; newspapers were after an experience they never forgot. He
him for features, charities, for benefits. "told" them a story in Indian sign
Political and society bigwigs clamored language..
for his services as a banquet speaker, and Charlie's deft and beautiful hands
Sam Goldwyn was romancing him for played out the story and Nancy related
motion pictures: it. Charlie's face was impassive.
Yet Will remained unchanged, and Will sat there watching, completely
often yearned for some of the solitude absorbed, a faint expression of JOY on
he had known in the West. his face. That picnic was to remain a
"I am just an old country boy in a delight to Will to his last day.
big town, trying to get along. I have, been In the next couple of years Will was
eating purty regular and the reason I to be swallowed up again in the "Fol-
have is that I have stayed an old coun- lies," in traveling the world over, writing
try boy." books and ne.wspaper features, in speak-
Whenever he could, he slipped away ing tours. Yet Will always kept in touch
to look up old friends. He like.d to mosey with Charlie.
in on Jimmy Swinnerton's studio up near
Times Square. Of Charlie, Will said, "I never met a
Jimmy, a cartoonist for a newspaper person yet that ever heard him that
syndicate, was an admirer of both Will didn't say he was the greatest story
Rogers and Charlie Russell, and was one te.ller they ever listened to. If he could
of that widening circle of western buffs have just sat on the stage and told his
who understood and loved the Old West. stories, most of his own experiences up
Jimmy knew Will Rogers well and when in Montana in the days gone by, he would
Will showed up, required no explanation have been as big a success as he was an
on why he had come. He. had a couch artist. Charlie. would have been a great
there in his studio, and he did little more man if he couldn't paint a fence post."
than greet Will before Will lay down Will's last year in the "Follies" was
and snoozed. 1925. The next year he went to Europe
The' pressure was on Will and, while to write a series of magazine articles,
still playing in the. "Follies," he made "Letters of a Self-Made Diplomat to His
his first motion picture, "Laughing Bill President" for the Saturday Evening
Hyde.," in the studios at Fort Lee, New Post.
Jersey. The picture was another turning It was 1926-Charlie's twilight year.
point in his life. Will was off in a ne.w Charlie said, "The old pump's about to
direction. At the close of that Broadway quit." That Octobe.r, it did.
season, Will moved to Hollywood, bag Many say that Will's foreword to
and baggage. He made pictures, one after
another, silent films, when ironically he Charlie's book, Trails Plowed Under, is
the finest writing Will ever did. But this
had won his fame. by talking. much is sure, it reflected the love of
With Will and his family in Holly- one man for anothe.r that can scarcely
wood, Charlie and Nancy started coming be expressed in any words.
to Southern California for their winters.
Charlie wrote to Ed Borein, "I have seen
48 Frontier Times