Lucille Ball Dud When It Comes
To Door-to-Door Salesmanship
By BOB THOMAS
Hollywood, Feb. 15 W) What happens when a movie star poses
" as a door-to-door eller? In Lucille Ball's case, she flopped flatter
than a doormat.
The carrot-topped actress will play the. title role in "The Fuller
Brush Girl." Since realism is the keynote in Hollywood now,
she got in training for her parte
by being a residence, retailer of
cosmetics. Not only did she meet
buyer resistance she had trou
ble giving her wares away.
She picked out the area of
North Arden street in Los An
geles for her research. I tagged
along. Also three studio em
ployes, a photographer, Miss
Ball's hairdresser and a studio
chauffeur,
Lucille slung hfr cosmetic
kit over her shoulder and strode
up to the first house. She rang
the doorbell and tapped her foot
impatiently. A housewife stuck
her head around the door.
"How do you do," said the ac
tress, "I'd like to show the new
line of cos ".
"Sorry, I've got some friends
I'm entertaining. I don't have
time." Tiwt ended the interview.
We tried the next house. This
time the saleswoman identified
herself as a face appeared at a
peep hole in the door.
"How do you do, I'm Lucille
Ball and I'd like to show you the
new line of ."
"Can't see it now," was the
answer and the peep hole clos
ed. "She was stark naked," re
ported Lucille.
The next three residents fail
ed to answer the doorbell. Lu
cille decided to try her luck ac
ross the street. Still no answers.
She went back to the original
side.
She finally had some luck
with a little old lady, with a
barking dog. The lady admitted
being a sucker for salesmen,
adding that had "boxes full of
brushes in the basement." She
accepted a box of cosmetics and
tried to pay for it. "It's free,"
said Lucille.
The next old lady wasn't as
cordial. She looked bored as
Lucille made her spiel. "Would
you accept this sachet as a gift?"
said the actress.
The lady looked at it suspi
ciously. "This don't obligate me
to buy anything, does it?" she
asked. Lucille assured her it did
n't. A young housewife appeared
at the next door. She apparently
recognized the actress and ac
cepted the gift, but had to re
turn to her two young children.
When we finished the doorbell-ringing,
Lucille admitted
she was rusty.
.'
v. "I haven't done this since . I
was a kid," she said. "I used to
lead around a blind man who
sold toiletries. I was a girl scout
Spud Scandal
Blame Placed
Washington, Feb. 15 () Ev
erybody except the farmer, says
Rep. Horan (R., Wash.), can be
blamed for "the high cost and
maladministration of the federal
orice support program for potatoes."
"Why," he said today, "the po
tato growers have done every
thing the government asked, and
more."
"If you want scapegoats," he
told a reporter, "there are plen
ty. Blame science for ridding po
tatoes of insects and rotting, for
fertilizers which resulted in
fabulous yields per acre.
"Blame the reciprocal trade
program, through which 12,500,
000 bushels from Canada are
aded to our domestic supply.
"Blame the department of ag
riculture for delaying a full year
before reducing supports after
the growers suggested it.
"Blame dieticians, for scaring
millions of women out of eat
ing wholesome and nutritious
food.
"Blame all the people who
pack, store, haul and sell pota
toes for the rising costs of every
part of the marketing process,
"Blame the folks who refused
to add observance of soil con
servation practices as a require
ment for price support qualification."
"But," he concluded, "don't
blame the farmers."
Ronald Wood Quits
Silverton Mortuary
Silverton Ronald Wood, as
sistant mortician to Ernest R.
Ekman for two years at the Ek-
man Funeral home, is announc
ing his resignation from the firm
effective on the return of Ek
man from San Francisco. Wood
has not revealed his future plans,
though he has had several offers
to consider.
and that was my good deed."
She also added that the north
Arden area wasn't the best for
selling things. "It's better to
get out in the housing projects
where the women listen to soap
operas and have four kids run
ning around," she said. "There
you can really sell.'
Anyway, I hope she does bet
ter in the picture than she did
in real life.
Einstein Sounds Warning Note Dr. .Albert Einstein
(above), warned that building the hydrogen bomb makes
possible "the radioactive poisoning of the atmosphere and
hence annihilation of any life on tarth." The noted scien
tist made his statement in New York, on Mrs. Franklin D.
Roosevelt's first television show. (Acme Telephoto)
Mishap Results in Blindness;
Stayton Woman Courageous
Stayton A courageous story of how she has overcome great
handicaps has been compiled into a little booklet, "Hoppy's Story,"
by Mrs. Hettie Hopkins, copies of which are being offered for
sale in Stayton at the Baldwin and Stangeby dry goods store.
Mrs. Hopkins was severely burned in a fuel oil explosion while
DreDarine supper at her tarm
home near Stayton, uctoDer zi,
1945. Although able to see wnen
the bandages were removed
from her head at Christmas time
following the accident, severe
pains and blurring soon lelt her
in complete darkness as a re
sult of destroyed nerves.
A student at the Oregon Serv
ice Center for the Blind In Port
land, Mrs. Hapkins has met
courageously the handicap of her
GOP Likened
To Bashful Chap
Washington, Feb. 15 W) Rep.
Ellsworth (R., Ore.) says the re
publican party has been a good
deal like the bashful chap who
winks at his girl in the dark.
"He knows what he is doing,"
Ellsworth said, "but no one else
does."
"It seems to me the only seri
ous failure of the republican
party is its inability to get its ac
tions and its philosophy prop
erly and acurately publicized,'
Ellsworth told a reporter.
Society Will Meet
Falls City The Free Me
thodist Missionary society will
be held at the home of Mrs,
Phoebe Ward Thursday after
noon at 2 o'clock.
blindness and limited use of her
hands which were so badly
burned in the accident-
Braille and typing have been
taught Mrs. Hopkins who did
all of the typing for her book
let. The booklet sells at $1 each
and there are many people in
the area who will be interested
in learning her story and what
she is doing to rehabilitate her
self.
Proceds from sale of the book
lets are to be used toward es
tablishment of a gift shop which
Mrs. Hopkins will conduct. If
enough money is raised from
the booklets, the shop will be
hers entirely, and she will not
have to pay a percentage to the
Blind Center.
SORRY FOLKS!
Please accept our apologies
The above "picture tells the story better than a thousand words," there must
have been a Decker sale when the famous Chinese gentleman wrote that pro
verb, there certainly was nothing more spectacular.
Hundreds, yes thousands, of people poured thru our doors and packed the
store to a point where we were unable to serve everyone. Hundreds were
turned away.
For those of you who "lost out" the first day we have arranged a treat, yes
sir down in the basement is case after case of brand new merchandise
never unpacked. We are going to work all night if necessary and put this
mountain of goods on the display tables. First come, first served. It's yours
for just a fraction of it's true worth. Bring your shopping bags, shopping
carts and wheelbarrows, you'll want to carry home the whole store, we warn
you.
DECKERS
237 N. LIBERTY ST.
Stephen Foster Actually Visited
Suwanee River, Natives Claim
Tallahassee, Fla., Feb. 15 U. Inhabitants of the picturesque
Suwannee river country In north Florida dispute the denial that
Stephen Foster ever saw the river which his immortal song made
famous.
Rather, all up and down the fabled stream, people will tell
you where he stayed in 1852, f-
when, according to the state li
brarian. W. T. Cash, he is sup
posed to have stopped at a small
hotel run by the Hardee family
in the now extinct cotton town
of Columbus. That's where the
Withlacoochee empties into the
Suwanee.
Some will point at other plac
es where he stopped overnight
during a two-week tour of the
river.
People along the river would
rather accept the findings of
their state librarian than the de
nial of the Foster family. Cash is
more cautious in his claim than
are the folk of the Suwanee
country.
He concedes he hasn't proved
Foster ever was on the river but
declares "there's a 50 per cent
chance he was there."
His files contain a letter from
Mrs. Albion W. Knight, the wi
dow of an Episcopal bishop,
who lives at White Springs on
the upper reaches of the river,
an antebellum resort of consid
erable swank. Bishop Knight of
ten spoke of his mother seeing
Foster at the Springs, his widow
relates.
Another story out of the
fabled past leads to the very
willow by the stream where
Foster is supposed to have med
itated. Like Cash, Mrs. W. A. Sand
ers of White Springs, a member
of Florida's Stephen Foster Me
morial commission, has been an
indefatigable seeker after the
elusive document needed to
prove definitely that Foster saw
the river. And she tells a story
of a trunk full of Foster letters
that burned. It might have con
tained the authentic document.
Considering all the circum
stances, she feels it is "perfectly
natural that he would have
wanted to see the river." She
points to a period of wandering
in Foster's life which easily
could have been the time when
so many people on the river say
they saw him.
Cash has been told that there
Capital Journal, Salem, Ore., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1950 3
is an item in an old New Orleans
newspaper reporting that Fos
ter and his wife travelled by
ship from that city to Cedar
Keys, Fla., in 1852.
The Columbus hotel story has
been corroborated by various
people in the Suwannee coun
try. Old timers in the valley re
late that the legend of Foster's
visit was commonly accepted on
the river in their childhood.
There it is, fact or fable, as
you wish. But in the Suwannee
valley, it is fact.
Newspapers
War on Rackets
Chicago, Feb. 15 The big
business of organized crime and
the leaders in the various rackets
were the targets for the opening
blasts Tuesday by newspapers in
many of the nation's major
cities.
The expose of the shadowy op
erations of rackets in the United
States by newspapers in 14 cities
was planned at a three-day meet
ing here last week by their crime
reporters. They exchanged in
formation on the various rackets
and organized crime leaders and
planned a series of pooled arti
cles. The stories appeared as feder
al and local crime law enforce
ment agents from across the
country planned a crime confer
ence in Washington. The meet
ing today follows the annual
closed-door session of the na
tion's federal district attorneys.
Other newspapers which did
not take part in the conference
currently are developing and
printing searching articles and
series on the country's organized
crime.
One series is being published
by the Hearst newspapers. The
Chicago Sun-Times is printing a
series based upon investigation
by five of its staff members.
Dragna Held
For Cohen Bomb
Los Angeles, Feb. 15 W) Po
lice early Tuesday rounded up
five gang associates of Jack
Dragna, named by Gov. Earl
Warren's crime commission as
Mickey Cohen's top rival for
control of the rich southern Cal
ifornia rackets.
Dragna, named in the report
as a chieftain of the Mafia, se
cret Sicilian underworld socie
ty, also was sought but eight
officers of the police intelligence
squad had not found him.
Four of the five picked up
today were relatives of Dragna,
including his son, Frank Paul,
26. The others were Tom Drag
na, 61, a brother; Frank, 28, son
of Tom; Louis, 29, another son
of Tom, and Guilermo Adamo,
54.
All listed themselves as in the
banana and grocery business.
They were booked on suspi
cion of conspiracy to commit
murder in the recent bombing
of Cohen's horfie.
Capt. Lynn White, in charge
of the intelligence section, said:
"The Dragnas are the top Ital
ian mobsters on the west coast
and are in close contact with the
Mafia. The entire mob has been
under police scrutiny for the
past nine months."
Look for it
on the cover
of February CHARM!
CRARJV1
for spring, the
many-purpose suit
CP
Never before such versatility in a
suit! Your accessories change
its personality from office chic to
dateline charm! Jeweled
buttons glitter on the
gorgeous fabric. Juilliard's worsted
Juillateen ... a trio of triangles
act as pockets! Tailored to
curve as you curve, to flatter as
you've never been flattered before!
Sizes 10 to 18. $59.95
Exclusively at
REMEMBER . .
FEBRUARY 1-2
Court at Liberty
ms -Mm
OPEN FRIDAY NITE 'TILL 9 O'CLOCK
YOUR LAST CHANCE
TO SAVE
$1750 to $3750
At The J. J. CLOTHES SHOP
2 sudt
SALE
Of 1 & 2 TROUSER SUITS
SALE ENDS SAT., FEB. 25TH AT 5:30 P.M.
BUY ONE SUIT
At the regular
price. Then
select any
other suit
for Vi
regular price.
OR SELECT
JUST (1) SUIT
AT
20
OFF
The Regular
Price
Following It a list of Our
REGULAR 1 AND 2 TROUSER SUITS
$35-$39.50-$45.50-$47.50
$50-$55-$60-$65&$75
Buy (1) at these regular prices, then select another suit at
Vi these regular prices, or select any single suit in the store
at 20 off the regular price. For the remaining days of
this sale we have included a large selection of new Spring
Suits just arrived. Sizes to fit all, Regular, Short, Stout and
Tall. Every suit made of finest quality 100 wool, hard
finished worsteds, expertly tailored by highest paid union
craftsmen, every wanted pattern, color, weave and slyle.
SALE ENDS SAT., FEB. 25TH AT 5 30 P.M.
EXTRA SPECIAL
100 WOOL GENUINE
GABARDINE TOPCOATS
Genuine Cravcnctte'Rain Repellent All Weather Long Life
Dress Topcoat . . . Just Received a Delayed Shipment
YOUR
CHOICE
NOW
2950
Regular
Price
$45.00 I
f
You'll Find It Pays AH Ways to Buy Tour Clothes at J.J.'s
Salem's Quality Clothiers for Men and Young Men
Open Friday Nite Till 9 O'Clock
J. J, siIophes 387
2 DOORS WEST OF LIBERTY ST.
Next Door to Harrmans Jewelry Store
State
Street