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The Seaforth News, 1944-10-05, Page 6opera philanthropist Onto Kahn, de- cided StarMaker tided to:' organize a band which in eluded . such then unkowd names as Dissecting human -beings, tearing Tommy Dorsey; Gleint\Miller, Benny them apart, and putting them to- Goodman, and Jimmy Dorsey Kahn gether again — with glamour —is the Hired Evans as manager and publicity intense preoccupation of George 13. director, Evans, known in Manhattan as "the From that time ou, the path was star maker." plain. George disceyered than he Frank Sinatra is the best contenip- i could remain close to music and still orary• example of the Evans art of make it pay ebracadebra.n But those who Sky In 1933 he opened a small office of rocketed Sinat•a to fame are not the his own, with one assistant and seven first Evans -inspired -Sighing Division. unspectacular clients. One was a His lamp of Aladdin magic put the housewife, with two children, who entire United States under the spell , yearned to become an author. An - of Rudy Vallee, And who has forgot -'other was a farm boy from Iowa who ten Russ Colombo, who flashed across wanted to be a band leader. There the horizon like a comet, . • and Glen was a young tenor just out of Yale Miller, the great, who, under Evans's with ambitions to become a popular tutelage, rivalled even Sinatra with vocalist, . females who swooned. What the psychologists call "envir- E]vans adopts the commonplace, onmental handicaps were unknown and makes of it a mystic rite. He's quantities to George Evans. The a press agent, which means that he housewife, Gertrude Berg, became makes his way in the world by ac- author, director, producer, • and act - muting money from aspirants to gess in a script called The Goldbergs. fame with a guarantee that he will Her present salary is five thousand get their names in newspapers and dollars a week. That's right — five magazines until they become stars, thousand, She's still an Evans's el/ - Human flesh — plus whatever talent out The Iowa farm boy -became baud and charm it may possess — is his leader Glenn Miller. The ambitious only commodity. A warrior with no young vocalist became Rudy Vallee, conception of defeat, Evans creates Under George Evans all became nat- the personality iu his client he knows Tonal American institutions, he can sell to the public, flow does he do it ? "A press As a press agent, Evans's first job agent," says George, "must be the is to make you—the great public—as firstenthusiastic fan of his client. If much aware of what Frank Sinatra he can't be that he'd better not take eats for breakfast as you are of your the client," George has turned many own ration coupons. He surrounds away from his door, and there are u every detail of a client's life with an certain few he wishes had gone with aura of glamour. He doesn't neglect them. 'I have often found I was coin - the other side of his job -seeping out pletely alone with my enthusiasm of the papers what he doesn't want and soon after that completely alone you to know. j with my client," he sadly laments, His methods are considered tut- "But I can truthfully say I have orthodox by the envious. But they al- ways work for George. He has been building stars for seventeen years, He knows all the angles. He probably knows more about commercial glam- our than Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein combined. At thirty-nine, the publicity fraternity acknowledge him as their dean. George was born in 1904 in Latvia, the son of a moderately well-to-do farmer. When he was two years old the family came to the United States to escape Jewish persecution. They settled in Washington, D.C., with no resources. Later, they migrated to New York, but their situation did not improve. At fourteen, George had to learn to make his own way in the world and help support the family. His first job was loading magazines for McCall's. He wore an enormous halter about his slender young shoulders and carried as many magazines from press to truck as his strength would permit. He earned five dollars a week. Ambitious, eager, his heart com- pletely smitten with a passion for music and an education—George was a very unhappy boy. Each day, in his lunch hour, he would haunt places where he could hear music or see re- cordings made, in the hope of getting a job. At night he attended Cooper Union high school, but usually he was so tired that he fell asleep at his desk. His hopes for an education gradually faded. One day , when passing Landay Brothers, distributors for the Victor Recording Company, George saw a sign painter coming out. He had paid Victor twenty visits in an effort to get a job, but with no success. Sud- denly, armed with the wisp of an idea, he followed the sign .painter to his shop and begged to be apprentic- ed, He didn't want to be a painter, he wanted to be near music. They took him on at seven dollars a week. George was completely happy. He cauldn't play .a single musical instru- ment, he couldn't even carry a tune, but the love of music permeated his whole body. Now he actually met the world's musical giants when they came to discuss thew' Victor record- ings. He sat at their feet in adoration and absorbed an education in music. Heaven came when Enrico Caruso in - never `vented' to be alone." Today, George Evans directs his star making operations from a large office in the General Motors Building on Broadway, along with seven as- sistants. He himself occupies a cub - by ]tole in the back, the walls clutter- ed with flatteringly autographed pho- tographs of his clients, Iris desk lit- tered with contracts, publicity sheets, and stacks of fan nail for his rising proteges. Over the door is a sign which says, "Silence! Genius at work." The genius is always at ten o'clock in the morning and usually ends at three or four the next morn- ing. He attends the performances of his clients in night clubs, theatres, and broadcasting studios. He is al- ways hovering in the background, advising, suggesting plotting, and scheming — always en the alert for a column item. The clients regard him as a trusted ally, close at hand,. eager to advise, ever dependable. In somewhat startling ways he always bears them out. For George is never one to hesitate when he sees his duty clearly. He has been known to keep one of his rising female clients in a beauty parlor for ten days experimenting with types of hair styling. If he doesn't like the cut of a vocalist's trousers, he sends him to a tailor. He wears responsibility like a small knot between his shoulder blades, grabbing a few hours' sleep in a mid- town hotel, and allowing no time for any recreation. Sincerity is the secret of George Evans's success. George could sell dimes for twenty-five cents apiece if he really made up his mind to do it. No one could doubt that Glenn Miller was a Metropolitan threat to Law- rence Tibbet if George were spread- ing the rumor. When he speaks about a client he compele your attention. He brings tears to your eyes or rocks you with laughter depending upon which mood he is trying to establish. He wrestles constantly with city desks and will carry on indefinitely with a columnist until the scribe is completely swayed to his viewpoint. He has been disturbed lately because the entire male columnist population was riot completely cold on the mer- its of Frank Sinatra, But George is THE SEAFORTH NEWS They need him hi the beginning to exploit their talent properly. They need hint even more when they are 115 there on top. It's a strange para- dox.of the public that they tear down. whatever they build, and they can certainly teal' clown faster than they can lay bricks." Milk baths as a means of arresting public attention are "out" now, but, says Mr. Evans, you still can and must use your imagination. Such as auctioning Frank Sinatra's clothes right off his body at a Bond Rally! Mr. Evans was really enthusi- astic: "Why, by the time We got that kid into a taxi he had sold his watch for $250,000, his shirt for $10,000, his shoe laces for. $50, and his under- wear went for five thousand dollars!" "Yon can get away with almost anything," says George, "if you get away quick enough." Occasionally he throws a boomerang, and, when he sloes it's a honey. Elis continued encouragement of- fee-fo-futn publicity on Frank Sinatra brought the accusation that the whole business was fancied up and paid for by a publicity agent. That hurt! Fighting proud of Sinatr'a's proved virtuosity, Evans says: "I have a standing offer of one thousand dollars which I will pay to the Iced Cross' if anyone can prove that any person was ever paid, either by gifts, cash, or free tickets, to yell, scream, or shriek about Sinatra," George Evans will never be a Bob Hope, or a Frank Sinatra, himhelf; he may never be invited to appear on Information Please; he has no Cross- ley rating; and Winchell neither praises nor condemns him. But he is first in the hearts of his gratefiil clients. vited him to go with him and have correcting this. "They're all coming some spaghetti. Caruso took him to a round," he says, happily, "to see the Tenth Avenue dive with sawduston laid has what I said he hada" the floor, and mountains of spaghetti Slender, dark -eyed, dark-haired, not - on the plates. They discussed music, tily dressed, George is one of the pop - man to man, and they 'went again ular wits in New York. Although his and again, education is limited, his knowledge is Evans went on to other jobs. He monumental. Even intellects who are sold records at Wanamaker's he be- not clients covet his company. He is came a floor manager at McKessin's; Perfectly at home in a discussion of he sold furs at several of New York's politics, classical music, jazz, or best stores. In 1026 friends talked Phonetics. He can become, in a mat-• him into embracing the fur business. ter of seconds, the foremost authority He did, and in a few years had ac- on the life cycle of a buzzard's egg if cumulated $75,000. The same helpful it will help sell a client. He can quote friends told him that 1f Im could now the Bible as easily as he can forecast corner the ermine market he would next year's corn crop. He can and be the most important manin the will. George talks a great deal, and world. He tried, and ended tip with he caps every topic with a vigorous seventy-five cents. I client reference. • His financial cupboard bare, George Someone asks Mr, Evans, "Surely began thinking again about music,' there are some entertainers who do That is where his heart had always not need a publicity agent? Aren't been. He decided once and for all there many people who have suffici- that he would never enter, another .eat talent to be discovered and pr0- business venture that wasn't , con- nected in some way withthis field. His opportunity came when Roger Wolfe Kahn, son of the millionaire metedon their own merits?" wrong, says the Star. Maker — a snare and delusion, "Everyone needs a. press agent, TREATMENT OF WHEAT SMUTS brooding in the early clays of its existence it will be a losing prop- osition' in the encl. Tn suitable environment with modern, reliable .equipment and scientifically prepared "starter" feeds the rearing of healthy strong' chickens is a simple process. 13ti.t if the ]here essential requirements are disregarded and make -shift appli- ances and feeds of doubtful value' are used in an effort to cut downy post, the risk of failure is increased. A good, weather-proof building that provides for plenty of sun- light and fresh air and a reliable beating unit supplied with the 'best fuel that can be obtained insures the comfort of the baby chick with ct minimum of attention and labour for the operator. Once chilled-' the chick stay never recover sufficiently, to be profitable. Deaths constitute e loss more serious than generally, recognized, as late replacement Will never equal : the earlier hatched chick. There is no economy in feeding cheap and inferior rations. Until it; gets out on range the chick depends THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1944 entirely on the feed' that is provided in the broocleI' so that it essential that the feed consists of all the el-` eluents necessary to promote more growth and energy. In a brooding program that in- cludes good 'chicks from a reliable source, dependable equipment, san- itary surroundings, fresh, water and plenty of suitable feed, for no chick dies of overeating - nature will take care of the rest, There are two common smuts;. namely, stinking smut or Bunt, and Loose smut, which cause many thou- sands of dollars loss a year. Stinking Smut or Bunt -This smut cannot be detected in the fields until the ears begin to fill, The smutted ears are darker green and remain green longer than the healthy ones, The grains only are directly affected. They are short, plump, light i in weight, somewhat discoloured and , filled with a brownish black, some- what oily powder which has an odour • like- decaying fish, When a bunted grain "snort ball" is broken the dis- agreeable isagreeable odour of the powder with- in is very pronounced. These smut balls are broken and the powder. scattered in threshing and handling , the grain. Hence this imparts to the . wheat. Prevention—This smut can be prevented by treating the seed with ethyh mecuric phosphate (ceresanl, dust, copper carbonate dust or with, formalin. Experiments show that both ethyl mecuric phosphate and copper carbonate dust control stink- ing' smut' of wheat without lessening germination and are at the same time quickly and easily applied. Sprinkling with formalin solution has also been found effective but in some seasons has reduced the ger- mination of the seed to a notable extent, Loose Smut of Wheat—This smut is more common and does more damage to wheat in Ontario than is generally realized by the grain grow- er. This is owing to the fact that most of this smut is blown away long before harvest time and thus may be overlooked by the grower unless he happens to be inspecting his fields about the time wheat is coming to ear. It is not an uncommon thing to find a wheat field with 12 to 15 per cent of the ears destroyed by smut. Symptoms—Loose smut is seen in the field just as soon as the wheat begins to ear out. It destroys both the grains and the chaff, changing them to a black powder. The whole head thus becomes a black smut mass. These smut masses are broken up and blown away by the wind, the only remaining evidence at harvest time being the naked central axis of the ear. Treatment -Loose smut of wheal' cannot be preventers by treating the seed with ethyl mercuric phosphate dust, copper carbonate dust or for malin. The best way is to secure seed froma known area or from a clean source. Brooding And Care of Baby Chicks The poultry farmer is usually faced with the prospect of re- placing half, if not more of his flock each year, because the prof- itable rofitable laying dire of the domestic hen is ishort. To provide for this replacement large numbers of baby chicks are hatched each year but far too many never reach a profitable age, states W, T. Scott, Dominion Experimental Station,Harrow, Ont, With the vapid expansion that has taken place in the industry in re- cent years there has been an in- creasing mortality that seems to be out of normal proportion. Too often this loss is the consequence of con- ditions that can be avoided. In their own interests, reputable hatcheries have exercised consid- erable effort to safeguard their customers, but no matter how vig- orous and healthy the newly hatched chick may be, if it is stunted and weakened by errors in feeding or Setsd its the mune$ of your visitors. New C.P.R. Locomotive Class to be Post -War Model Engine No. 1200, the first loco - motive to be built by the Angus Shops of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in Montreal to the company's own design since 1981, is pictured above on the trial tracks before being taken over by W. M. Neal, C.B.E., the vice-president, from H. B. Bowen, chief of motive power and rolling stock, under whose direction the engine was built and who worked at Angus Shops as an apprentice in 1905, on the classes of locomotives it will replace. An entirely new class, designed for that part of the company's program for post-war power re- placement dealing with more than 600 of the older locomotives, Engine No. 1200 will go to west- ern Canada eventually, while Engine No, 1201 of the same class, due from Angus Shops in June, will stay in the East. Responsible for the design of the 1200's was F. A. Banger, chief ::; mechanical engineer (locomotive) and his staff, while the work at Angus Shops was under the con- trol of H. R. Naylor, works man- ager there, and the supervision of D. L. Thornton, assistant works manager (locomotive). In the pic- ture with Mr. Neal during his inspection, left to right, are Mr. Thornton, Mr. Naylor, Mr. Ben - ger, Mr. Bowen and Mr. Neal. Mr. Neal was particularly in- terested in the cab, in which he is pictured in the inset, for it was here that 1,600 pounds was loped off the total weight of the engine by reducing the portion of the cab overhanging the boiler at the back, and by using aluminum instead of steel in the upper structure. The overall weight re- duction was from 8,000 to 10,000 pounds on the 1200's compared to the next nearest , class in the C.P.R. power lineup, thereby en- suring the widest running rights over bridges and other restricted trackage. Material for the construction of the locomotives at .Angus Shops was arranged for and work com- menced before restrictions upon such material were put into effect. The actual work of build- ing these engines was made to fit in with the general maintenance and munitions program, so as not to interfere in any way with the war effort. Where Allied Leaders Planned Axis Defeat w Historic Cha- teau Frontenac, Quebec, nerve centre of Con- ference where Prime Minister Churchill aur d President Roosevelt ap- proved final ar- rangements for destruction of Germany and Japan. Inset sllows artist's drawing of liv- ing room of Royal Suite,