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MICHIGAN DAILY
Dreams And A SCenario ExistanCe.
Brought Roumanian To Atichigan
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If you, gentle reader, were a 13-
year-old native of a small Europear
country, enroute to the United States
without a word of English or a frien
at your command would not youi
dreams of success be vague indeed
To Oscar Brown dreams were but vis-
ualized reaiies.
Oscar Brown, '21, was born in Rou-
mania 22 years ago. His family were
of very moderate means, and he was
forced to contribute to the family
support, until he was ,13years old, re-
ceiving at the same time the scanty
four years education that his coun-
try's schools afforded. Soon letters
came from his brther in Cleveland
telling of the high wages and abun-
dant comforts of the "great United
States" and shortly after his thir-
teenth birthday Brown set out for the
land of his dreams.
After Education
He arrived in Cleveland in midwin-
ter of 1912. Unable to speak a word
of any tongue but his own, surround-
ed by foreigners he tried one trade
after another, and finally obtained
steady employment as a garment
presser. He gave this up after thre"
months, in spite of the fact that it
paid three dollars per week, three
times as much as he had received in
Roumania. The people in his neigh-
borhood told him that the "big boss-
es" as the superintendents of the shop
were called had their training in the
great public schools of the land.
Brown now realized that success
could, not be attained by the strength
and skill of his hands alone, and soon
he was attending grammar school
with boys of half his age, selling pa-
pers morning and night for his living.
He covered the grammar school
work in three and one-half years, and
entered Center High School of Cleve-
land. He not only completed his
courses there in record time, three
and one-half years, but played foot-
ball and by dint of practice 4nd drill-
ing and more drilling, he placed on
the debating team and had the lead
in two dramatic productions. In his
senior year he was elected president
of his class. During this time, and
since he was not only self-supporting,
but sent money regularly to his par-
ents back in Roumania.
When requested to explain why he
chose Michigan for his college career,
Brown said, "I came to Michigan be-
cause I had heard of its spirit of de-
mocracy and equality. It seemed
marvelous to me that the gates of a
university would be open to all races
regardless of citizenship. In my na-
tive country it would be necessary to
be the son of a noble to be eligible
for a university education.
"I have worked my way through
the University," he continued in re-
ply to a question regarding his means
of support, "doing everything from
mowing lawns to selling vacuum
cleaners. I believe that getting hard
knocks, during college, prepares a
fellow for the harder ones later on."
Mastered Language
Brown attributes his success in the
complete mastery of English to two
things: his constant mixing with the
English speaking element and his or-
atorical activities, which persever-
ance have led to his winning a place
on the Varsity debating team for the
past two years.
"I consider it remarkable," said
this country, should win out over
Americans in competitive oratorical
contests. Brown has a virile person-
ality, and the fine sense of repartee,
which go to make up a successful
speaker."
Brown, the only representative of
his country in the University, hasf
been made a member of Delta Sigma
Rho, honorary debating fraternity,
and is also a member of the Adelphic
House of Representatives, and the
Acolytes, honorary debating society.
He will finish his literary course in
June and either return to Roumania
to represent a department of the
Standard Oil Co. there or remain in
schools and complete a course in the
Law school.
Vacation Jveans
Study For these
Ambitious Youths ;
You can't teach an old dog new
tricks.
Maybe not.v
But over in the first grade room
of Perry School, Ann Arbor, you will
find among its six- and seven-yearj
olders a group of men old enough to;
be their fathers studying the same,
"I love my doll," and "See the pretty
bird in the tree."
Five young foreigners, thrown out
of work in Ann Arbor, are spending
their time this way. They are not ig-
norant; each has attended school in
Italy or Greece, one having reached
the twelfth grade; all are attending
night school in Ann Arbor. Their
big idea is to learn English during,
their "vacation."
Their teacher states that the men:
are without exception polite and con-
siderate. They appreciate her efforts!
to assist them. Their earnestness is
shown by fact that several have bor-
rowed primers to study at home. They
will return to their jobs as soon as
possible. But they will have started
in the right direction.
Style Fails To
Hurt Realism
(By G. D. E.)
Among the books published during
the past few months are few as wor-
thy as Sherwood Anderson's "Poor
White" (Huebsch). From a technical
viewpoint it is almost as bad as Drei-
ser's works; the style is often un-
couth, the diction is often faulty, and
there are several anachronisms. But
literary Puritans to the contrary not-
withstanding, Sherwood Anderson,
like Dreiser, is helping to establish a
sane standard for American letters.
As the title suggests, the story is
built from the lowest stratum
Southern society; the central char
ter of the book is, in fact, a "px
white." But the scene shifts from
Missouri mud flats to an Ohio to
which is on the verge of losing
typical American character before
inevitable onrush of commercial
and the incidental factory systE
The "poor white" becomes an inv
tor and works to relieve and to fi
men from the grip of the factory s
tem only to find that in the end
labor-saving devices have made we
the lot of the laborer.
The love element enters, skillfi
uncertain, but the biological force
it is not draped in imbecility, as
common in most novels and in
moving picture plots. Sherwood
derson, in this book, has achieved t
notable things; first, in divesting
of buncombe idealism, and second,
giving a wonderfully vivid picture
the metamorphosis of mid-west
cities and towns following the
vance of the factory system.
!I'
OSCAR BROWN, '21
Prof. Thomas C. Trueblood of the Or-.
atorical department,- in commenting
upon Brown's complete mastery of
English, "that a man nine years in
War Vets Tol
Present Show
(Continued from Page One)
somewhere in France, and this is
bound to even have an edge on that
when it comes to extras. I know it
for a dead sure thing that there never
were more original things done, more
cleverness shown, and more general
conviviality seen than in just such
places.
Not a Comedy-Not a Revue-
In fact, it is rather interesting to
see just how original some of these
boys,-and madamoiselles-and their
sayings and doings are-under such
circumstances. If you haven't been
there, but have heard about them,
here's your chance to see all there is
of interest. As one of the boys says,
"It isn't a musical comedy, a revue,
nor a vaudeville show, but a clever
combination of all whereby one may
gain an insight into a unique phase
of the American doughboys' life be-
hind the lines in France during those
momentous days in 1918."
Now, I couldn't say the thing half as
pretty as that but he's right. But, don't
get the notion that this is a Brotd-
wayfeature-why, one wouldn't want
to take Broadway's time for such a
personal thing as this little French
Cafe in Amiens-then it has hunderds
of its own-but, here we are in Ann
Arbor-and it's different.
And I predict that if the boys can
get half the pep they used to into the
lines-when they weren't saying them
for any but their own entertainment,
-that they will put over one of the
cleverest, most original things that
has ever been heard,-in Hill Audi-
torium, on the 15th of March.
According to that infallible crite-
rion, the ground-hog, that winter
weather which we have long been ex-
pecting will have to hurry up if it
wants to have any sort .of a fling.
Spring is due in 10 days.
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Full Orchestra all day
MATINEE
1:30 3:00 4:30
EVENING
7:90 and 8:30
THE AMUSEMENT CENTRE OF ANN ARBOR
r. ,
TODAY TOMORROW and TUESDAY
HERE'S CONNIE'S WEDDING PRESENT TO EVERYONE. THE RECENT MATRIMONIAL
TRIP OF OUR STAR. 'CONSIDERABLE REALISM IS MANIFESTED IN THIS PICTURE
C O N S T A N C E
1tr
- ' -
v~F1.. ....-
The sort of story in which you've
never seen Connie before!
ADAPTED BY
4,4 } wJOHN EMERSON
and ANITA LOSS
PJesent dh M.Pr'
-- Jqph,.'"A4 f chiencko
- .q
1 ;e
-i
"Go Away!
I won't marry you!"
Ma had wished a ready-made romance on to her
"precious little Eve"-but bythe time she was
through with Ma's nerves and the boob-suitor
there was "precious little"'left of Eve. Then she
made a wonderful dicovery; a good looking
doctor helped her;' and Mamma's affair wasn't a
circumstances to what thesweet little child put
over.
6LAUGHING REELS OF FITS
AND STARTS A First National Attraction
*
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SCHUBERT
ETROIT
Nights - 50c to $2.00
Sat. Mat. 50O to $1.50
Wed. Mat. 50c to $1.50
Return of A merica 's Faborite Star
WILLIAM
IN HIS GREATEST SUCCESS
"The Guest o Hnor"
DISTINGUISHED CAST INCLUDES
SPECIAL SUPER SPECIAL CHRISTIE COMEDY
That was made toiharmonize with this feature and with considerable interest to Connie
William H. Thompson
Frederic de Belleville
Ann Davis
Jennie Lamont
"Wedding Blues" starring Neal Burns
MUSICAIJSCORE - BRIGHT EYES - JEROME - KINOGRAM NEWS
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