A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > District of Columbia http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=323 Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=34266 Submitted by: barbara-dave Article Title: Washington Post Article Date: February 5 1924 Article Description: Post Biography Page 8 Article Text: Washington Post February 5, 1924 Post Biography Page 8 POST BIOGRAPHIES In this series of biographical sketches The Washington Post takes its readers behind the scenes for a glimpse into the lives of those who contribute the feature articles, stories and cartoons in both the daily and Sunday Post. WILL ROGERS Who Contributes "THE WEEKLY EXPOSURE" In The Washington Post Every Sunday. Will Rogers, the famous cowboy humorist, now writes a series of weekly articles commenting upon contemporary affairs for The Washington Post Sunday Magazine section, was born on a ranch in Oklahoma 43 years ago. He takes pride in the fact that he is a. genuine American, as both of his parents, descended from early settlers, have an admixture of Cherokee blood in their veins. His father, one-eighth Cherokee, was once a senator of the tribe in Oklahoma. Brought up as he was on a large ranch with many cattle, young Rogers soon became an expert cowpuncher, a good horseman, skilled with the lariat. He became possessed of a desire to see the world when he reached the age of young manhood and went further into the Southwest to get cowpunching jobs on ranges there. Presently there came an opportunity to join a show in his native country, which led to at proposal that he go to New York to the annual horse show and entertain society with his riding and roping. This was about fifteen years ago. He made such a hit in New York, the city of great opportunities for those who have something really good to offer, that it was easy to take the next step into vaudeville. Fortune continued to smile upon Rogers' efforts. His early vaudeville act was made up mostly of fancy roping, with a little bit of talk thrown in. He kept his horse with him on the stage and he had a man to help him get his stuff across. Gradually he made more of his monologue, turning it into a running: fire of witty comment upon current politics and other topics of the moment. Seven years ago he joined the Ziegfeld Follies show and has supplied comic relief for that organization ever since. During the campaign last fall Rogers was asked to make a political speech in New York in favor of Ogden Mills, a bluestocking candidate for Congress. His talk in behalf of the "only candidate who owned his own silk hat," extremely jocular in nature, was reported in the New York papers and it delighted the city. He was immediately invited to make after-dinner speeches and public addresses everywhere and all of his talks were reported at length in the papers. The high tide of his popularity suggested the possibility of his putting his entertaining views on paper and the present series is the result. Mr. Rogers has a large home in Los Angeles, with ample grounds, a large stable and a tan-bark arena for riding practice. He has a charming wife and three children, two boys of 11 and 7, and a girl of 9. All of the youngsters are skilled horseback riders and their dad is immensely proud of their ability with the lariat. NOTE - Milared Holland is the next subject for our biographical sketch - don't miss it - you'll find it in tomorrow's Post. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DC-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com