HOUR OF LAUGHTER

Evening Star, Issue 19775, 27 January 1928, Page 10

HOUR OF LAUGHTER

MARK TWAIN’S SENSE OF FUN MAKING MILLIONS CHORTLE. An -elflike little man with a kindly, humorous face, wbo began life as a mill hand at Arbroath, Forfarshire, had the freedom of Edinburgh conferred upon him. Ho is Sir Harry Lauder, whose rich and raev humor has endeared him to the audiences of two continents. Mill hand lo knight and freeman ot Edinburgh—what an achievement. And it is all duo to one big sccrct—lhc secret of making the world laugh! The world keeps her biggest prizes for the men who make her laugh. Her quest has ever been happiness, and she is ready to shower honor and rewards upon those who can find it for her. It is his secret of provoking mirth and dispelling gloom that has put Sir Harry Lauder upon his pinnacle of fame to-day. It is his ridiculous hat, his grotesque walk, and his supreme artistry as comedian that have made Charlie Chaplin’s name known and loved tho world over. Mark Twain will never be forgotten because he mad© the world titter. And Crock, the clown, will be remembered longer than most Prime Ministers for the same reason. All spin the loom of laughter, and the world cannot do enough to show its gratitude. , , , , AVhon Harry Lauder discovered he had the priceless secret he made the most momentous discovery of his life. It has brought him fame, fortune, honor—and the freedom of his native town. As a boy in the mill Lauder Lad a good voice, hut he didn’t know what to do with it. Going to his work one day ho stopped to read a poster advertising a concert at the local Oddfellows’ Hall. There was to be a song competition to amateurs and a waten as the first prize. Lauder determined that the watch should be hk. “It would just have served me ri"ht if I hadna’ won it, having itado so sure o’t,” he says; “but as it turned out I loft the concert hall with tho watch in m} pocket and a terrible lot o’ pride in my song he sang and that won Ihc first prize had this chorus: Though poverty daily looks in at my door, Though I’m hungry and footsore and ill, I can look the whole world in the face and can say: .... „ “Though poor, Ira a gentleman still.

Lauder had discovered his talent as a sin°er, but had vet to discover the secret ot laughter. He left the concert room dreamin" D wild dreams of riches and fame. A few years later found him working in a Lancashire pit, still dreaming dreams, but still without the key to unlock tho golden door. ~ . Then a friend advised him to go tor the Glasgow harmonic competition. “ Ye’re dead sure lo win a prize,” ho was told. He was an instantaneous success, and com® away with a medal. He sang a song called ‘ Tooralladdio ’: Twig auld Tooralladdio, Don’t he look immense ? His watch an’ chain arc no’ his ain, His claes cost eighteenpencc. With cuff an’ collar shabby, O’ mashers he’s tho daddy. Hats off, stand aside, an’ let Past Tooralladdie 1

Lauder had discovered the secret. When he came on the audience began to laugh; they were still laughing minutes after ho had finished his turn. , Soon afterwards he left the pit for the stage. Every laugh he got brought him a little nearer his ultimate ambition and swung open the door to success a little wider. Then came his big chance in London. Bessie Bouehill, a star at the old Tivoli, was suddenly taken ill, and the management was at its wits’ end to discover n deputy. Someone had heard of a new Scottish comedian at Gatti’s Theatre of Varieties, Westminster Bridge road. ’lt proved to be Lauder, and he was asked lo deputise. Bub his name was not announced, and the time of his turn clashed with tho time he was due on at Gaiti’s, It was then that Bransby Williams camo to the rescue. “ Poor Harry was in a bit of a quandary,” says Bransby Williams. “He was wandering about the landings outside the dressing rooms, props in an old carpet bag, a curious mixture of hope and depression on his face. I had been through tho mill myself, and I volunteered to stand down for a turn so that he could get on and off the sooner. „ “ Very gladly he accepted my oner. He went on, and his first song was ‘Lass o Tobermory.’ The audience positively went frantic about him.” - , As Lauder was leaving the hall he met two costers coming out. “Wot d’ye think o’ that Scotch bloke? one of them asked. “ Blow me if I know.ed alt e said! the other replied. “ But, lor’ lummy, ain t e Lauder had begun to make the world laugh. And he has been making it laugh ever since. . Mark Twain, (he great humorist, is still setting the world in roars with his hooks, though he has been dead eighteen years. No °one bad a keener sense of _ fun. ‘Huckleberry Finn’ has made millions chortle, and it has ranked its writer among the immortals. Humor brought him fame and fortune during his lifetime; it ensures that bis name will never he forgotten after his death

Mark Twain was associated with a variety of enterprises. During his busy life he owned a newspaper, capitalised a publishing concern to produce his own works, worked in almost every branch of journalism, and did almost, every kind of job. Sometimes ho was rich, sometimes:.he was poor, but whatever adversity overtook him ho never forgot to. laugh. ■ , , ■Wien bis friends wanted work he thought of'the. original method of suggesting that they should start by working for nothing. A man named Higbie was the first, to benefit by' His- sohemo for. finding work for the unemployed. “Higbie asked me if I could get him a job. I said go to the foreman and say you will work for no wages at all, not even board. Higbie went, and returned and said the foreman was very astonished and engaged him. “Higbie,” said Mark Twain, “you'll lie foreman of a mine or a mill inside of three weeks/ and’ at the best wages going.” And Higbie was.