W. C. Fields : his follies and fortunes (1949)

W. C. Fields people. The risky benefaction proved to be reciprocal. Because of his connection with Fields, the agent got to be a big man in his town, the confidant of celebrities. Citizens of Kent having trips to make or freight to transport gave the railroad preferential treatment, mainly to catch up on the theater news. The town became a key point along the line, and the railroad raised the agent's salary. Irwin's unit played to big business all through the Middle West. The troupe was a good one, with several skilled performers, some good material, and even two or three pretty girls. Irwin knew that he was rarely blessed ; he had, besides these assets, a star without star billing — a youngster who was destined for greatness. As a boon of this kind, Fields gave mixed satisfaction. He was a restless boon, unconvinced that it was better to give than to receive. After a performance in Denver, when his act had been especially telling, a man for the Post wrote, "Fields was a knockout last night, a comic who reaches the heights of juggling perfection ... it is said that the engagement of three days will be all too short for everybody to see this consummate artist." "Fellow in the newspaper here was talking about the show," said Fields, when he reached Irwin. "Says 'Fields was a knockout last night, a comic who ' " "No," said Irwin. "I need some new equipment," said Fields. "I was thinking maybe if I had a hundred a week I could " "No," said Irwin. "We settled this thing in Cincinnati. You're not going to get another damned dime out of me!" Fields found that, with a salary of a hundred dollars a week, his standard of living greatly improved and his outlook freshened. But he fell victim to the law of compensation. Though he could now afford many things previously denied him, he had a new set of worries. It was the old story of the uneasy head with the 62