LETTERS

The Official Word

The subject of the Barbary Coast Orchestra has been batted around a good deal, and while the MAGAZINE letters may be correct about some of the players involved, the origin of the name of the Act was as follows:

For the spring Musical Club show in 1920, I put together an Act. It was a song-and-dance routine with a five-piece jazz band on the stage, including Pab and Din Sample on saxophones, Homer Cleary on piano, Al Curtis with his trumpet and Bill Terry on the drums.

I had a terrible time thinking of a name for the Act, but finally it came to me. Booth Sherman '22 used to call me "Underworld Embree" because I frequently visited the lowdown spots to pick up new and unusual songs. The two that stand out principally in my mind are Reisenwebers in New York, to hear the original Dixie Land jazz band, and the Pekin Inn on South State Street in Chicago to pick up pieces such as "The Owl Blues" and "Am I A Butterfly" by Clarence Jones.

As a suitable name for the band, I tried to think of something wicked, and hit upon "Barbary Coast" as being such, whether it was related to the buccaneers off the African coast or the section of San Francisco which used that name. So the name of the Act was submitted to the Program Committee as "Underworld Embree and his Barbary Coast Five." Professor Lambuth of the English Department was the Faculty Adviser, and when he read the name submitted he immediately summoned me to his office, where I had to assure him that there was nothing off-color in any of the numbers, but merely a song-and-dance act with jazz band accompaniment.

After the first appearance it was built up to eight, with Cap Palmer on the trombone, Had Pinney playing clarinet and Jim Plumb as additional saxophone player.

I have a photo of the first act, taken for The Bema (see cut), and a program with the original name given out at the concert in Webster Hall.

Chicago, Ill.

Smith Letters Wanted

To THE EDITOR:

Dr. John F. Fulton, Professor of the History of Medicine at Yale, is collaborating with me in writing a biography of Dr. Nathan Smith. We plan to devote considerable attention to his early years and especially to his work at Dartmouth. As you know, there is excellent material in the Baker Library, but there must be many other letters by him, to him, or dealing with his friends and associates. Would you be good enough to insert a notice in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE stating that we would be most grateful to learn of any such letters and would be happy to photograph them and return them with all due care.

New London, N.H

We Are Glad To

To THE EDITOR:

I have been gratified by the number of alumni who have contacted me for the address of Kenneth W. Turner '28 who was invalided by polio and is now running a successful Magazine Subscription Agency at his home on Free Hill Road, Tompkins Cove, New York. The fact that they had forgotten his address leads me to believe there must be many others who intended to favor Ken with their business but who neglected to do so because they too have forgotten how to contact him:

While I am more than happy to forward Ken's address on to anyone who asks for it, I believe it would be more productive if you would publish this note in the MAGAZINE.

New York, N.Y.

The original Barbary Coast debut in theProm Show, spring of 1920. L to r: Paul Sample '20, Bill Terry '21, Homer Cleary '21,Bill Embree '21, Dinny Sample '21 and AlCurtis '22.