USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Los Angeles from the mountains to the sea : with selected biography of actors and witnesses to the period of growth and achievement, Volume III > Part 60
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Mr. Shawn gave up his art temporarily and his newly established school to join the colors and serve his country. On February 4, 1918, he enlisted in the 158th Ambulance Company, 115th Sanitary Train, and received his commission as lieutenant in the 32d Infantry. Since his return from the army Mr. Shawn has divided his time between the school and producing, his most recent success being an Oriental fantasy, "Julnar of the Sea." Mr. Shawn is at present at work upon his own personal production and will appear in New York in the early winter.
Ruth St. Denis and Teď Shawn have for the past three summers given the main performances in the Berkeley Greek Theatre, including the first pageant, Life and After Life of Egypt, Greece and India. Miss St. Denis created later two dances for the performance of Orpheus, given by Mr. Steindorf, and last season the Biblical Play "Miriam." This play, written by Max and Constance Armfield, and directed by Sam Hume, gave Miss St. Denis her first appearance in the spoken drama, and was a remarkable success. Miss St. Denis also created several dances for this play and combined the dance with voice and music, giving the synthetic expression in which she has recently been so interested.
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Ted Shawn played the part of Moses, creating and directing all choreography.
The Shawns upon first coming to California were impressed with the tremendous artistic future of the state, and have enthusiastically added their part to what they believe will be America's greatest art center.
J. A. DALEY, who has been a resident of Los Angeles since 1908, is president of The Federal Grocery Company. The Federal Grocery Company and its main offices at the Los Angeles Terminal Market are by no means so widely known and appreciated as are the local units of its service, widely distributed over Southern California and patronized by hundreds of thousands of people. These local units are known every- where as "Rock Bottom Stores."
The Federal Grocery Company, a distinctly Californian institution, was organized in November, 1917, and started in Los Angeles with only two Rock Bottom Stores. In less than three years its service has been extended so that practically every neighborhood district in the city and county of Los Angeles and Orange County now has a Rock Bottom Store as one of the most popular features of its grocery service. Com- prehending and serving all these stores is the wholesale warehouse at 732 Terminal Street, a splendid example of a central institution with every facility for the economical and swift handling of merchandise. In conjunction with the warehouse is operated a modern bakery with a daily capacity of ten thousand loaves of bread, while a coffee roasting and spice packing plant are soon to be installed. While a single unit grocery store seldom does business on an impressive scale, the record of the aggregate business of the Rock Bottom Stores makes interesting reading. During 1917 a total of eighteen stores sold goods to the value of four hundred and sixty thousand dollars; the twenty-six stores in- stalled or in operation during 1918 gave a business total of seven hundred and nineteen thousand dollars, and sixty-one stores of 1919 sold goods to the total of one million four hundred and eighty-seven thousand dollars. The total for the entire year 1919 was a little more than equalled by the operation of sixty-three stores in the first six months of 1920. By May 1, 1920, this remarkable corporation had in surplus and undivided profits more than thirty-seven thousand dollars.
The business itself is a remarkable index of the vital business energy and character of the president, J. A. Daley. Mr. Daley was born at Dubois, Pennsylvania, March 10, 1880, a son of Lawrence V. and Sarah Jane (Burgoon) Daley. His great-grandfather, Patrick Daley, was one of the builders of the Erie Canal, and a pioneer settler of central Penn- sylvania. The grandfather, also named Patrick Daley, married Ann Packer, a niece of the old Governor Packer of Pennsylvania and a direct descendant of William Penn. When they were married they had to ride sixty miles from their home in central Pennsylvania to secure the services of the nearest priest, Father Gallitzin, at Bellemont, Pennsyl- vania.
J. A. Daley has been an intense worker ever since boyhood and has the faculty of the successful business administrator of making prompt decisions, and executing them rapidly, even at the expense of an occa- sional mistake. He acquired his education in the grammar and high schools of his native town in Pennsylvania and later attended a business college at Dallas, Texas. At the age of eighteen he owned an interest
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in a bakery, at twenty a half interest in a steam laundry, and at twenty- one became identified with newspaper work at Wichita, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri. For several years he was editor of sports on the Kansas City Journal. When twenty-six he was managing a general merchandise business for L. Daley & Company at Burns, Kansas, and Strong City, Kansas.
On coming to Los Angeles in 1908 Mr. Daley resumed newspaper work for some time and edited a magazine for the Salt Lake Railway Company. He was assistant industrial agent of that railroad until 1911, and during a portion of that year was reporter on the Evening Express, and continued newspaper work with the Express until November, 1912. In the meantime he was diligently studying law and was admitted to the bar July 22, 1912.
One of his first important cases at law was the means of turning him aside from his profession into business. In October, 1912, as an attorney he made an investigation of the Pacific Coast Mail Order House, with the result that the management was turned over to other parties and a hundred and twenty thousand shares of stock and property, in the neighborhood of fourteen thousand dollars, were recovered from the former officers and directors. Then, in July,. 1914, Mr. Daley was given full and complete charge of the corporation both in its legal and commercial management, and he rescued the enterprise from impending bankruptcy and placed it upon a sound financial basis.
During the World war he was one of the four-minute speakers in Los Angeles, his efforts being directed principally to food conservation in Southern California. He was also a member of the Fair Price Com- mittee during the Food Administration. He is an old-line republican in politics, is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, Elks Lodge No. 99 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles Athletic Club, and he and his family are members of the Cathedral Chapel of the Catholic Church at Los Angeles.
At Wichita, Kansas, April 4, 1907, he married Miss Clara Bell. She was born and educated at Wichita and is a member of the Catholic Women's Club of Los Angeles. To their marriage were born two children, Joseph A. Jr., a native of Burns, Kansas, and Lawrence Doug- las, a native son of Los Angeles.
SAMUEL M. CONSTANTIAN. The largest oriental rug business on the Pacific Coast is conducted by the Constantian Brothers, at 919 South Broadway, Los Angeles.
Samuel M. Constantian, of this partnership, has had a varied and interesting career, is a cosmopolitan by experience and residence. He was born in Constantinople December 15, 1876. His father, Rev. Aredis Constantian, was a native of Turkey, and for many years was connected with the British Bible Society at Constantinople and finished his theologi- cal course in England. He translated the Bible into the Turkish language and also assisted in revising the Armenian Bible. Samuel M. Constantian was six years of age when his father took his family to England. After a residence of three years they returned to Constantinople. Samuel M. Constantian finished his education in Roberts College, a historic and noted institution of Constantinople, founded by Americans. At the age of nine- teen he went to Manchester, England, and took up the study of optics. He was there three years, part of the time following his business as an optician. He became a member of the British Optical Association.
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On leaving England Mr. Constantian came to the United States alone, and while working as an optician two years also engaged in the oriental rug business at New York. In the meantime a sister had married in New York and had come to Los Angeles, and he came west to join her at the age of twenty-four. In 1896 his parents had been driven from Turkey during the massacre of that year, and all of them came to this country and sixteen years ago the parents joined Samuel M. Constantian at Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles Mr. Constantian was displaying his oriental rugs in the furniture store of Nills Pease Company. Later he was associated with his brother and about seven years ago engaged in business for himself. His brother Augustine spent about four years in China import- ing Chinese rugs for a very large New York house. At the declaration of war he returned from China and has since been actively associated with his brother Samuel.
Samuel M. Constantian married Miss Elizabeth Stone, of Bakers- field, California. Mrs. Constantian is of Armenian birth. They have two children: Aredis Constantian, born in 1910, and Marguerite, born in 1913. Mrs. Constantian is a vocal artist of rare ability. She has assisted in innumerable benefits, singing some of the numbers on the program for the Armenian benefit, and was very active in Red Cross and other war auxiliary movements. She is a member of the Shakes- peare Club of Pasadena.
Mr. Constantian is a member of the Rotary Club and City Club. Recently he gave a series of lectures before the Rotary Club describing the manufacture and bringing out many other interesting pieces of information concerning oriental rugs. Mr. Constantian's business axiom is "Integrity is the best business asset." That has helped him build the success he now enjoys. While in the oriental rug business he believes in conducting it on the "occidental" plan of business procedure. j
WANDA HAWLEY, one of California's youngest and most popular screen stars, is to be admired not only for the versatility of her genius but her courage. When physical impairment of voice balked her am- bition to become a vocal artist she redirected her patient efforts to a new field, and for several years has been one of the most prominent of the Los Angeles colony of artists.
She was born at Scranton, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1897, and at the age of six years her family moved to Seattle, where she acquired her early education. After graduating from high school she spent two years in the University of Washington, followed by a two years post graduate course in Latin and German, during which time she was an assistant teacher of Latin. However her absorbing passion as a school girl was music, and from University, where she assisted Moritz Rosen, teacher of harmony and music at the University of Washington, she went at the age of eighteen to Brooklyn to study voice at the Master School of Music. She also perfected her knowledge of modern languages. For six or eight months prior to going east she had been accompanist for the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle. Her teachers and friends recog- nized her as naturally gifted with a very rare and beautiful voice. For three years she worked to develop it, and was then compelled to give up on account of severe attacks of laryngitis. With a wonderful per- severance and indomitable spirit which refused discouragement at a point
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when it would have been natural for her to yield to misfortune, she at once turned to the picture world, toward which she had already had special ambitions. Through acquaintance with some of the influential managers she met Mr. Fox of the Fox Film Corporation who immediately put her into a lead with Stewart Holmes. She was with the Fox Corporation through four pictures and then went with the Paramount Artcraft, with which organization she has remained to the present time. They are now starring her under the Real Art Programme.
Probably her wonderful success in pictures, as in everything else she undertakes, is due to her untiring earnestness. She believes that each opportunity grasped is an open door to something higher. Miss Hawley at one time posed for Harrison Fisher. She was very much interested in the Red Cross work during the war and also assisted in the sale of Liberty Bonds.
She was married to A. Burton Hawley three years ago at Brooklyn. They are now very happily located at Hollywood. Mr. Hawley for eight months before the signing of the armistice was with the Aeroplane Spruce Squadron at Vancouver. Mrs. Hawley is possessed of a charm- ing personality and is devoted to her art, her home, and is a very popular member of the younger social set.
VICTOR LEWIS SCHERTZINGER, whose genius brought about the first successful adaptation of the art of music to the movie screen, and who became a resident of Los Angeles at the age of seventeen, was born at Philadelphia April 8, 1888. Music was a gift and inheritance to him, all his people being musical, one sister having achieved recognition as a harpist. He acquired his early education in private schools in Philadel- phia. His musical talent was first expressed on the violin. At the age of twelve years he made his first public appearance with Sousa's Band, and afterwards played in concert. He finished his education in Brussels, where for three years he was a student under Caesar Thompson. At the age of sixteen he played with the great California singer, Ellen Beach Yaw, and later with Schuman-Heink. On his return from Brussels he entered the preparatory school of the University of Pennsylvania, but did not graduate.
He came to Los Angeles with his parents, who had been attracted to this western country by the influence of relatives and friends. His father, for years a jewelry merchant of Los Angeles, would never go back to the East even on a visit for fear he would die before returning to California.
In Los Angeles, though only seventeen years of age Victor Schertz- inger conducted the Belasco Orchestra for three years. Later he returned to New York and did solo work in concert. On March 8, 1914, after his return to Los Angeles, he married Julia Nicklin.
About that time he had begun to compose music. His first big score was in "The Tick Tock Man of Oz" and, as noted above, he was first to compose an original score to the accompaniment of pictures, setting the music to the scene. He wrote part of the music for "Pretty Miss Smith" starred by Kitty Gordon. His greatest work was on the picture, "Civiliza- tion," writing the score for Peggy. He composed the musical scores for about thirty-three plays in all, some of them for William Hart, Frank Keenan, H. B. Warner, Billie Burke, Charles Ray and others. Score writing for pictures was finally discontinued for commercial reasons. A large part of the picture houses were unable to contract for reels with musical settings because they maintained no competent orchestra.
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About that time Mr. Schertzinger began directing and was with Charles Ray three years, at a time when Ray was doing his best work. The credit for this was readily conceded to the able director, Later he was directing Dorothy Dalton. He also was director for Mabel Normand and directed a picture with Pauline Frederick in the stellar role. His quick intelligence, his enthusiasm, imparted much of the success to several of these ventures. While directing he wrote most of his own stories, a very successful number being "Pinto" for Miss Normand, who has ac- corded him full credit for her best work and the responsibility for her "comeback" in the picture world. While directing pictures Mr. Schertz- inger found some time for musical composition, some of the best known recent titles being "If I Had You," a ballad, and popular songs "My Daddy Knows," and "Oriental Magic." Mr. Schertzinger is a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club and Brentwood Country Club.
WALTER E. BROWN is one of the most prominent real estate men of Los Angeles, has been in that line of business in Southern California for over thirty years, and at Los Angeles for more than a quarter of a century. He is active head of Walter E. Brown & Company, in the Bradbury Building.
His father was the late Luke E. Brown. He was a New Englander and lived at Winchendon, Massachusetts, for a number of years. In that old Massachusetts town Walter E. Brown was born April 2, 1867. His mother was Jennie P. Gage, who died in Massachusetts in 1880. Luke E. Brown was a contractor and builder. In 1881 he moved to San Diego, California. He became prominently identified with the develop- ment of National City, a suburb of San Diego, and was the leading con- tractor in that locality for a number of years. He constructed more than three hundred homes at National City. He died there in February, 1893, at the age of fifty-six. His oldest child is Fred W. Brown, now one of the leading business.men of Tucson, Arizona. He owns a planing mill, is a merchant and is interested in a number of local enterprises. The second child was Lula B., who married Nelson Giles and died in 1899 at her home in Topeka, Kansas.
Walter E. Brown, the youngest of the three children, was about fourteen years old when he came to California, and he completed his education in the public schools of National City. Soon after leaving school in 1887 he began handling real estate, both city and country property at National City. In 1892 he moved to Los Angeles, where his name is not only associated with those of the oldest and most substantial real estate operators, but also with much important development in the city. He has subdivided and put on the market twelve or more high- class tracts and was especially prominent in developing the Wilshire section.
Mr. Brown has always been an outdoor man, fond of wholesome outdoor sports. He is a republican and is affiliated with all the Masonic bodies at Los Angeles, including the Knight Templar Commandery and Al Malaikah Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the National Federation of Realty Dealers, the Los Angeles Realty Board. Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, City Club, Automobile Club of Southern California, and the First Congregational Church.
November 10, 1892, at National City, he married Miss Ada L. Mc- Cartney. She was born at Vinton, Iowa, and was educated there and came with her parents to National City in the fall of 1888. She is a
Walter & Brown
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daughter of Judge John and Anna B. (Burrell) McCartney. Her mother lives with Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Her father, who died at National City January 26, 1899, was a prominent citizen of National City, a lawyer by profession and at one time a member of the Iowa Legislature. He was buried in San Diego. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Ebell Club of Los Angeles.
They have one son, John McCartney Brown, who was a radio operator during the war and is now connected with the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company of Los Angeles. April 16, 1919, soon after returning from the service, he married Miss Grace Lane West, of Los Angeles.
FRANK A. KELLY. Los Angeles was honored by a residence of eighteen years of the late Frank A. Kelly. Judge Kelly came to Los Angeles in 1901. Owing to uncertain health he took no active part in public affairs, and gave his time chiefly to oil investments. He died April 9, 1918.
While he was known and held in the highest esteem among many friends in Los Angeles, his distinctive services and achievements were laid in his home State of Ohio. He was born at New Lexington in that state September 2, 1855, a son of John Henry and Anna (Pound- stone) Kelly. His grandfather, Henry Kelly, was a pioneer land owner, a magistrate and a teacher in Muskingum County, Ohio, and in the early days exercised great influence in the development of that part of Ohio.
John Henry Kelly was a lawyer by profession and was long promi- nent in the public and religious life of his community. He served through- out the Civil War in the Union Army and retired with the rank of colonel. Always a leader in civic affairs, it was the confidence felt in his judgment and integrity that brought him election to the post of Probate Judge in 1877, an unusual distinction in the fact that he was the first republican ever elected to office in Perry County, Ohio ..
The late Frank A. Kelly was liberally educated, graduating in June, 1875, from the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and began practice at New Lexington, Ohio. He was appointed Probate Judge by the Governor of Ohio to succeed his father, who died in 1881. At that time he was twenty-six years old and was the youngest judge in the state. He was elected to that office for two succeeding terms, and was also a member of the Ohio Legislature for two terms beginning in 1890.
While a lawyer with a large practice much of his time was given to industrial and business affairs. He was interested in an iron foundry at Lexington, also in the Clay Lumber Company at Charleston, West Virginia, and he developed oil in Perry County. He was an officer and director in many companies and at one time owned and published the New Lexington Tribune.
For fifteen years or more he was one of the distinct influences in political affairs in Ohio. He served for fifteen years as a member of the State Republican Committee, and was unwavering in his allegiance to the Grand Old Party. He had as political and personal friends such distinguished men as William McKinley, Mark Hanna and James A. Garfield, and did much to carry his state when Mckinley was a candidate for governor and president.
Judge Kelly was a member of the University Club of Los Angeles
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and was affiliated with the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was especial- ly well known in Masonic circles in that city, being a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Knight Templar and Shriner, and was a charter member of Westlake Masonic Lodge No. 92. This order had charge of his funeral ceremony and the pall bearers were selected from the charter members.
Judge Kelly married at New Lexington, Ohio, April 27, 1880, Miss Laura Taylor, who with four children survives him and lives in Los Angeles. Mrs. Kelly a daughter of James C. and Amanda H. Taylor, was at one time editor of the New Lexington Tribune, was active in Ohio State charity, church and club work, and represents a distinguished lineage. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution through the paternal line, but on both sides had five great-great-grand- fathers in the Revolutionary army. Her original American ancestor was Thomas Cuthbert Taylor, who was a young officer in the British army anq member of a well known family of the landed gentry of County Cork, Ireland. Stationed in the colonies when the Revolution occurred, he threw off his red coat and cast his lot with the colonists. His family ordered him never to return, and he accepted them at their word, and despite subsequent overtures toward reconciliation never went back to the old home. He was a member of the staff of General Monroe, and at the close of the war was awarded a large tract of Virginia land. His son fought in the War of 1812, his grandson in the Mexican war, and his great-grandson, James Cuthbert Taylor, in the Civil war, going in as lieutenant and coming out as a colonel. Mrs. Kelly's father was State Journal with A. W. Francisco, who later with General Otis estab- lished the. Los Angeles Times. Colonel Taylor also discovered and helped lished the Los Angeles Times. Colonel Taylor also discovered and helped to develop the vast bodies of coal and iron now known as the Sunday Creek and Hocking Valley fields in Ohio. He was a personal friend of John Sherman, Mckinley and Garfield.
The four children of Judge and Mrs. Kelly, all residents of Cali- fornia, are: Donald Kenton, who married Agnes McMillen; Walter Poundstone, who died January 5, 1919; Elsie Taylor, who married Frank S. Thorpe, and Jean Frances wife of George A. Thorpe.
BRYANT WASHBURN. For several years Bryant Washburn has been a star in the motion picture industry and is well known and conspicuous for the quality of his work and by the splendid following he has acquired among admirers of wholesome and clean productions on the movie screen.
Mr. Washburn's baptismal name is Franklin Bryant Washburn and is the third in as many successive generations to bear the name. His mother was Metha Catherine Johnson, a native of Denmark, brought to this country when very young. She and her husband were married in Chicago in 1888. Bryant Washburn III was born in Chicago April 28, 1889. When he was three years old the family moved to Racine, Wisconsin, and remained in that city for a period of seven years. The family then returned to Chicago, where Mr. and Mrs. Washburn II still reside. Bryant III completed his early education at the Lake View High School of that city. He started to support himself at the early age of thirteen, and as a youth was very ambitious to have and achieve. Foregoing many of the pleasures of youth to achieve his ambitions, he exerted himself as a farm hand at a dollar a day in order to earn the
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