FINAL LETTERS BY WILL ROGERS
"Well, Wiley's Got
Her Warmed Up;
Let's Go."
HE LAUDS BEACH
Noted Author and Wife
"Were Responsible for
Me in the Movies."
The following article, mailed by
Will Rogers from Juneau, Alaska,
August 10, was believed to be the
last ever penned by the beloved
humorist, who was killed a few days
later. Subsequently the New York
syndicate handling his letters received three more articles in one
envelope from Fairbanks, Alaska.
These were sent the day before the
fatal crash and were undoubtedly
prepared in anticipation of a flight
across Asia. The Spokesman-Review will publish these articles on
the regular weekly schedule—September 1, September 8 and September 15.
By Will Rogers Well, all I know is just what I hear when I talk to somebody and as I
generally do all the talking, why I
dont hear much, but I started out on
this trip with the idea that I was
going to do some listening.
As I told you in a daily dispatch
awhile back, Rex Beach hit Juneau
just before we took off. Rex seemed
to know everybody there, and all
over Alaska. That "Spoilers" I expect is one of the finest novels ever
written about this or any country.
Rex Fishes and Hunts.
He hasent been up here in years.
He has always maintained some mining claims up around Nome, but it's
fishing and hunting where his heart
lies. He had no more than hit Juneau there a few weeks ago when the
very next day he was out in what they
call 'strip' fishing for what I think they call "Jack salmon." Then a little later he will start bear hunting
and he sure knows this country.
He came to Nome in about 1901,
that was when she was really "hot."
You see the "'98ers" were for Dawson
and the Klondike district, a thousand
and more miles from Nome. Then
the Nome strike took it away from
the old Klondike district.
Put Will in the Movies.
Rex and his wife Greta (that's Mrs. Fred Stone's sister), they were responsible for me in the movies. They was
making a great Alaskan picture, and
his character was "Laughing Bill
Hyde." It was one of his famous
short stories, by that same name.
I was playing that summer in the
Follies, and they got the "nut" idea
that I could play the part. We made
it while I was working in the show.
It was made at the old Fort Lee studios, in New Jersey just across the
river from New York city. They used
to make an awful lot of pictures there.
It was made for Mr. Sam Goldwyn
who has all these years remained the
famous producer. With producers
coming and going and changing, he
has held his own right at the top. He
was my first picture boss and we
have remained friends all these years,
a rare combination.
Mining and a Haircut.
I learned what little I know about
mining, which is practically nothing,
from that picture we made. Rex
supervised the picture, and he made
'em make all the details as to the
actual mining scenes, exactly correct, "sluice boxes" and "panning" the
gold. Then Rex wrote all the subtitles, and they were 'wows.'
I went to the barber and got a
haircut right in the middle of the
picture and like to spoiled it, I
dident know what I was doing, (and
here I was in one door with long hair,
and coming out with a haircut). They
all like to had a fit. I think yet it
was the best picture I ever made, for
I hadent learned to try to act. There
ain't nothing worse than an actor
when we act.
I have always had a great respect
and friendship for Rex and Mr.
Beach. Rex is an unusual man, outside all this writing. He is an authority on a lot of things. He has a
lovely home near Sebring, Florida,
and went to work and cleared a lot
of swamp lake land and started raising celery on a real scientific principle. He ships it to New York and its
a real bona fide going concern.
Beach and Florida Dirt.
Now he has got some Florida dirt,
or something that is the very mineral
that every person or plant needs to
make it grow. Who ever heard of
feeding people "fertilizer," but that's
what it is.
It makes grass grow, people grow,
chickens lay, cows give milk. It' "
developed under some great land
chemist, and Rex says it's a great
thing. I am going to get him to ship
me a carload of it to California, feed
some of it to my horses and make 'em
run faster, some on the alfalfa to
make it grow and another few spoons
full on my chili con carne.
Quotes Bill Fields.
It's good as dear old Bill Fields
(who has been sick and I hope he is
well—he is next to Chaplin, the
screen's greatest comedian), well, as
Bill Fields would say, it's "Good
man or beast" or plant or fowl.
Rex was a-telling me about a famous man that is mayor of Vancouver, that he predicts great things
for. As he says, this fellow is
attracting attention all over Canada and
even to England, that he is really smart and has the solution of the
"way out." He must have something,
he couldent fool Rex.
Well, Alaska was certainly glad to
see him. They remember up here,
none of this one-day sensation like
down in Cuckooland.
Well, Wiley's got her warmed up.
Let's go. (Copyright, 1935.)