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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1945)
Wednesday, October 10, 1945 Page Four f MI LA GBANDE EVENING OBSERVER, LA GRANDE, OREGON . R. Williams Our Boarding House With Major Hoople Out Our Way 1 IF I wasn't born precisely In the it was the next best thing, for I spent the first years of my life in theater and circus dressing rooms in many lands, playing between wardrobe trunks and slumbering in an atmosphere of greasepaint with the distant throb of the or chestra as my lullaby. Grandmother often told me that I had been inconsiderate enough to arrive in the world feet first. But perhaps I should begin at the beginning. . , . . I was born on January 18, 1900, in Wheeling, West Virginia, dur ing one of the wildest storms and coldest winters ever known in that region. Mother was visiting my grandmother, who was assembling her company for the southern tour - of the Hells-Floto Circus, Wheel log being in those days a sort of taking-off point for acts going south for the winter circus dates. My father was in 'Canada, and mother had intended joining him for the "blessed event," but I was bom three weeks prematurely, the result of an accident mother ex perienced while out driving with grandmama, in which she broke her wrist. The shock not only pre cipitated my birth but caused complications which nearly cost mother-her life. My mother, Sofia Ouwaldo, was an exceedingly beautiful woman, with a dead-white skin and copper-colored hair that enntrnsted strangely with her vividly green eyes. She was very tiny, with ex quisite little feet but ujjly hunds of which she was morbidly ashamed, .especially when this de fect was reproduced In me. Grandmama used to say that mother was a seventh child of a seventh child and as a result had second sight. I don't know just how true this is, but mother In sisted that she encountered ghosts almost everywhere we went, oflcn announcing she had just seen "Tio Enrique, a favorite uncle, or some other defunct relative who sent his regards to everybody. Tills happened so frequently w. even tually took it us n matter of course. In addition to her beauty, mother had a magnificent soprano voice and was a finished musician. She played botli piano and guitur perfectly and had a vast knowl edge of music. She hod made a considerable reputation for herself as a concert and grand opera singer, under the stage name of Maria de Lisle, both in Europe and In the Americas. She had a child ish dlsregnrd for the practical things in life, living only for music, yet she was devoted to me, and looking back, I have a feeling of intense odmlrulion for her and the tilings for which she stood. - In appearance she was totally different from my grandmother, who was also very tiny but with a dark, almost oriental beauty fre quently seen in the Andalusiun gypsies, lovely feet and hands, und jet-black hair so long she could almost stand on it. She smuked black Cuban cigars Incessantly, loved to gamble, and, liko all gyp lies, preferred to "borrow" rather than buy anything she wanted. GRANDMOTHER married very (llluHtrattiil by doorKft Bcgrbo) In Spain a woman in her early thirties is considered too old to dance professionally,. so Grandmama decided to turn her uncanny gift 0 nuke-ci(inniti0 to account. With this talent and her great beauty, she created her famous act, "A Night in India' out Spain as "La Maravilla" (the , playing specially written music on young, In the Spanish custom, and couldn't have been moro than 16 when she was alreudy a fumous I flamenco dancer known through Colorful Buys Marvel). Her diminutive green satin slippers are still prcrfrved in a glass ease in the Posada de la Sangre, an ancient hangout of bullfighters In the gypsy quarter of Seville, where the autographed dancing slippers of many great dancers of Spain aro reverently kept, together with tho glowering black heuds of famous buUs. Grnndmnma's maiden name was Lolita IJn7.il de Dclgado, and her husband, my grandfather, was Guillcrmo Oswnldo. lie must hove been very handsome, to judge from the little faded photograph grandmama always curried. His fumily had been owners for three or four generations of n fleet of small freighters that plied in and out of the Port of Cadiz with cargoes of fruit. Grandfather was also an "abogndo, ' as lawyers are called in Spain, and ho died rather young to have had .such a large family, for grandmama managed to have 14 children and keep her figure. She was very slender as I first knew her, and as she got older, she seemed to shrink till there was nothing left but her great black eyes. After grandfather's death she found herself obliged to return to tho stage, for he had left very little money. As far ns her own people were concerned sho could look for no assistance whatsoever, having married out of tho gypsy race, and thus, in their eyes, auto matically forfeited her right to mnko any call on them. In Spain n woman In her early thirties is considered almost de crepit and far too old to dance professionally, so after months of struggling to make a "come back," grandmama conceived the idcu of turning to account her gift of snake-charming which she had learned from hor infancy and for which sho had an uncanny talent. WITH this talent and her great " beauty, grandmama created her famous act, "A Night in India," which rapidly became a star, at traction throughout Europe and tho United Stales. She hud her own orchestra of Indian musicians native instruments, with marvel ous drum effects, and woro vividly colored Indian costume. All this, together with her ability as a dancer, produced a sensational artistic triumph. Her power over snakes was funlustic: she bought them wild and trained them herself and could handle any poisonous rep tile without getting bitten, often demonstrating this ability to direc tors of zoological societies and scientists. She said it was because snake-charming was done not by force but through the eyes and with tho mind. Snakes have to be washed daily, and this was ono of my duties. I would put them in a bathtub of trepid water, stir them around for a while, then take them out and dry them carefully, after which I rubbed them with warm olive oil. Snakes love to be oiled because it helps them to slide. Some big ones (liko the boa I later kept for years In my apartment in Paris) lubricate themselves by spitting out something that looks like whipped cream. This has an awful effect on servants, especially if they happen to suspect where it came from. The business of "milking" poi sonous snakes was a more serious proceeding. Grandmama used to put a piece of absorbent cotton in a wine glass and cover it with antiseptic gauze; then sho took the glass In her left hand and tho snake in her right, and with a gentle pressure of her fingers forced its mouth open and pushed the fangs Into tho soft gauze. The infuriated reptile would eject his venom where it would drop harm lessly on to the cotton. She took the greatest caro of her snakes, holding them in deep re spect, and I can still recall her when some momentous decision was to bo made, consulting with them in tho middle of the night, by the light of a small lamp. The greatest benefit I ever derived from them was their usefulness In getting unwanted guests out of the house in a hurry and in negotiat ing the customs when traveling. (To Bo Continued) 5376 Behind the Scenes In Wasliincloii (Continued From Page 2 W5380; nrd from San Anlnnio to Mex ico, taking In many mure remote, colorful villages than would he Sim traveling by train. Another 14-day trip will lake tourists through Virginia, the (.'aruhnas and I ho Smoky Mountain Na tional park. To the ninth. thei"s in right day trip planned from Yw York In Montreal by t 1 a i n. then a steiiiner to Quebec and a motor trip through the Claspe Peninsula. And now that "Is This Trip Neeessiuv'.'" signs are coming ilown, you tan c.o ahead ami plan that pleasure tup with mi enn--eieliee (alie,s. By MMS. ANNE CABOT The "spiral" rug is one you'll r..'ver tire of eiurhel it in two attractive contrasting enluis It takes 4 balls of cotton nut y.un in a dark shade, 4 ol lirjil color Hug measures ;i;t inches in ili.un eter. The rug in lower illus:ia tion is imp uf those oM fasluoni .i. colorful, hand-made braided beauties! To obtain complete instructions for the lugs Crocheted K u v. (I'atliun No. 5;i7(ll and the Miaul ed Hug (Pattern No. .YIIMi send 15 cents in COIN (or KAi'll, plus 1. cent postage To reach pattern. YOUR NAMI-", AI'DHHSS and the PATTEHN NUMUKK tg A 11 11 e Cabot, l.a Grande Evening Ob- Official Records Wuler turned off, October 9: A. A Pulier. HU7 J fterson .'Venue; Mis Paul tiersiel. iV.lar stieet: Mrs. Ilelnur .lnl.n mih. 2oii Y avenue. Water turned on: K. C. Willcnhurg. 407 M ave 11:.'. Mrs l.ulu IV Chlarson. 2711' Thiitt stivet; A. O. Davenport, llillli . avenue; Xena V. Ilullt, l;lli Oak stieet. .. .- 9 Iluilriirifj Permits W. Y.d.ler. alter and lepa"' one story brick business, lltllti1. Adams .iv-.iuie, SHUHI. More than :ii.tHI,0(l(l.l00 ctr.s are consumed ill tile I' n i t f d States in a normtil year. ,'ivcr, 7i'i Mission street. San l-'i anclsco. Calif, You'll unci gitt.; to knit and Clocllet --tp.tlls to piece home decorating ideas lovely sweaters heiilooin doilies sevel al pages of flee ilistluctlolis for quick gifts in the newest .Anno Cabot Al.- liL'.M. I'l lie 1 j eell'.s. 8928- 34-48 By SUE BURNETT Here is a simple homo frock with side buttoning, figurc-slmt-ming lines ami a neat anil etti eient air. 1 think you'll like it. Pattern No. HtlLVS is designed for si.es 114. ;ti. Hit. 4ll, 52. 44, 4ti and 4 Sie ;ui renuues -I', yards of ;t.ri or nil inch niateiial. For this pattern, send 20 cents, in COINS, your name, address, sie desired, and the PATTERN Nl'MHEU and Sue Burnett, l.a Grande Evening Observer, "tin Mission s'le't, San Francisco. Calif. Send for your copy ot the new spring issue of Fashion just oft the pi ess. Book full of smait, uvi-lo-the minule styles. 15 cents. MJtoJ'AFXMU ?P MJL mmML IETTLEHEA'OS REALIZE- CLOTCH, MK3Cra if THWS MOT F B.Jfr' mLtk eEn.. D.vb m.u, I IHWASUDDE . WHATS.DESWIPedI GRAY- IT ex4& Hi "Xff DET-lCIENiCY IN P6MENT ME WAS MHEU ff LOOKS LIKE J JO' mm w QDikAnc Do-en K--. r--r- I vim v ckrTi MtroniH Tl1t -m 1 Jy, . A GRAV HAIR. TO A MAN f CAUSED IT- PMARMACV Y r fTgr I . - ; , - IN HIS PRIME ? BUT, $ YOO'EE ABOOT FROST. J? .,. nf ;Sfe- I-'"'.' .."' BAH,- WHV SUOUL'D I J AS vOORRtED AS TO ME. y MCrm py l"PU I funs kernels of- J- a grizzly tucked . .ViltA cs?L A$i I :sfrWs: a wisdom, imto th& f in fog. thb r r S MY WIFE AIN'T , J HOME AMD I'M ) BUSY GETTIM' C r' III " " "7o-ii JRwiluv-S 1 S BORSJ IHIRTy VEAR5 TOO SOOM M;. . . Boots and Her Buddies By Edgar Martin 0Wf"AK5O A HUSBAND OR VaJIKW fOV2 f r-D, 1. Vki ; . J i w r LOrrtTwBV WE3EH?ICE, INC. T."M.' REG lJ PAT. OFF. Freckles and His Friends Merrill Blouse) PTAIN COO, we NEED ) ME? A MAM LIKE YOU IM Trir IN THE SKITT CLUB SKITT WHATWOULP lYOURRRSr I DO IN A ASSIGNMENT KIDS' CLUB? would be iv lent, ur ALL THESE AWF0L PICTURES OF YOURSELF WMV DO YOU IAA KT M P N YOUR CLUB ? TO ACT AS .) YOU SEE, IF WE GET INTO LEGAL ADVISER.' ANY DIFFICULTIES WITH THc I rif 11fTit , tA or r-s, len. ,P- ON OUR SIDE WHO HAS inn 1 leKirc I 1 s li T Red Ryder Fred Harman JOSE, WHV M&? vf 1 HIDE , PAPA-' 1 (V 5! V 1 DO rtoT (' 5ELIE.VE' " (Tpat, rton.,u -t-, UMP- " YOU fsVDT J JB(&KM ACCU5 F0R RPEIt-' Vf S. V JlJ SH.OOT-' 50r W ELSE. YOU -' feoU f Sv Ej 1?-m-?c rr f.cPl CCTNE- GlrZfl EET HAPPEN WHEK 1 JtftiM -JJm HEE, SHOOT FiRsrj VOHERE EEsJ XMl X Wash Tubbs EASY.' THERE'S SOMB00Y 7 ARE ' N THAT BRUSH SPVINfi C?M I I'LL TAKE A LOOK-" US." 1 SAW THE BRANCHES rAOVEJ By Leslie Turner ( f ) a. .1lia ynm self im formal subeemdeu 1 Alley Oop By V. T. Hamlin I Sure hope your hair CUTS EASIER THAM OUR VVHISKERS...WOW Ti,r nr. rnfrrii ov; hXTHINii LIKE "EM! f IE 'A you're the pastes rj THING IM WATER ,T I EVER SAW... OM. IT V 6EE.' WHERE P i.f ) VO0 LEARN TO AXrA-L.V' J W SWIM LIKE A I 6UESb.' J T j:..-'! V fEH, WE SAW HER VOOOLA, THESE THINGS V" anv ic. uC V I 'Av.e VOU , BUTCH... ) ARE JOE. SAM, RED, ( HI, BOYSM THE AWSWER. 1 KI0C US DOWN, Si:OOP.,.ANPL.AL'&H-ri CM ) TO OUR J WILL YUH r V ing gov THERE IS J ABOARD.' po AVERS' v- . oavE' , ) A 4 1 -
