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October, 1923
THE ROTARIAN
21
Unusual Stories of Unusual Men
The Fascinating Story of
A Man With a Many-Sided Career
-and still young enough to enjoy a circus!
By CHARLES O. SMITH
Secretary, Rotary Club of Calgary, Alber:a
Editor's Note-During the absence of
Come on out and meet the trains
Jim Davidson from his home, Charlie Smith
made a raid on his library and personal rec-
and see them unload."
ords with the result that we now have a
So out we went and saw the long
story dealing with several phases of Jim's
trains pass by. Jim explained just
very interesting life. Furthermore, Jim was
not given the opportunity of seeing the
what would be in each section.
manuscript, as Charlie did not want to run
Then we rushed back to see the
the risk of Jim's modesty resulting in any
unloading. Then over to the ex-
eliminations.
hibition grounds to see the tents
put up, and the animals placed, and
J
AMES W. Davidson is governor
of the Fourth District of Rotary
the whole great organization set
International. He is an unusual
ready for the day's two shows. Jim
man. He has had an unusual career. A
was at both, with a troupe of
brief story of his life should come
friends, and after the lights went
within the category defined by the title
out he saw them load again. Then
of this department of THE ROTARIAN.
home, tired but happy; and I can
Let us invert the usual procedure. Let
imagine him saying as he snuggled
us start at an incident in the "now" of
into bed that night, "Well, was it
Jim's life, instead of at the "then."
a day? Oh Boy!
Ringling Brothers' and Barnum and
Because, whatever else he is-
Bailey's Circus came to Calgary a few
Rotarian, explorer, author, colon-
James W. Davidson, of Calgary, Alberta, familiarly
days ago. Very early in the morning
izer, diplomat-Jin Davidson was
known as "Jim," is governor of the Fourth District
of Rotary International. His varied career has in-
my telephone bell rang. It was Jim.
first, and is now, a showman. His
cluded many eventful things, including an explora-
"I thought you were in Yellowstone
mother kept a scrapbook dealing
tion trip with Peary on one of the latter's at-
Park," I exclaimed.
with his boyhood adventures, and
tempts to reach the North Pole. His greatest
"I was in Yellowstone," he replied,
the first thing in it is a poster,
contribution to Rotary was the organization, with
"but don't you know the circus is here
Layton Ralston, of Halifax, of Rotary clubs in
?
printed by Jim himself, which ad-
Australia and New Zealand.
vertises "Jim's Show," and the second
thing in it is a formal article of incor-
poration of a partnership with another
ambitious youngster - "Scene, Sign and
House Painters."
Today, he owns theaters, and, being
a showman, when the circus comes to
town, he is as joyous as any boy in the
place. And that is a sign. That is
why I started this story at the wrong
end. I wanted you, to know that Jim
Davidson loves people, and loves other
living things as well, animals, and flow-
ers, and music. And because he is so
genuinely interested in others, and in
events, and in things that are worth
while, others are, interested in him.
N
OW for the other sides to his un-
usual life.
This time we go away from Austin,
the little Minnesota town where Jim
was born. American readers of THE
ROTARIAN will remember Major Pond.
Pond was easily the greatest impres-
sario and lyceum man of his time. Let
anyone in the world achieve fame in
Pictured here are Jim Davidson's family and his two chief hobbies: Mrs. "Jim," whom
any direction and Pond was after him
he first met in Japan; his little girl, Marjory, shown with a real live lion cub in her
arms: the pipe organ in his beautiful home in Calgary; and the cruiser "Attagirl" which
to lecture on the American platform.
he and three other Calgary Rotarians maintain on Kootenay Lake and River, which
Nearly everybody of any account who
provide 235 miles of navigable water in the midst of the Canadian Rockies.
toured the (Continued on page 54.)
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"ocrText": "October, 1923\nTHE ROTARIAN\n21\nUnusual Stories of Unusual Men\nThe Fascinating Story of\nA Man With a Many-Sided Career\n-and still young enough to enjoy a circus!\nBy CHARLES O. SMITH\nSecretary, Rotary Club of Calgary, Alber:a\nEditor's Note-During the absence of\nCome on out and meet the trains\nJim Davidson from his home, Charlie Smith\nmade a raid on his library and personal rec-\nand see them unload.\"\nords with the result that we now have a\nSo out we went and saw the long\nstory dealing with several phases of Jim's\ntrains pass by. Jim explained just\nvery interesting life. Furthermore, Jim was\nnot given the opportunity of seeing the\nwhat would be in each section.\nmanuscript, as Charlie did not want to run\nThen we rushed back to see the\nthe risk of Jim's modesty resulting in any\nunloading. Then over to the ex-\neliminations.\nhibition grounds to see the tents\nput up, and the animals placed, and\nJ\nAMES W. Davidson is governor\nof the Fourth District of Rotary\nthe whole great organization set\nInternational. He is an unusual\nready for the day's two shows. Jim\nman. He has had an unusual career. A\nwas at both, with a troupe of\nbrief story of his life should come\nfriends, and after the lights went\nwithin the category defined by the title\nout he saw them load again. Then\nof this department of THE ROTARIAN.\nhome, tired but happy; and I can\nLet us invert the usual procedure. Let\nimagine him saying as he snuggled\nus start at an incident in the \"now\" of\ninto bed that night, \"Well, was it\nJim's life, instead of at the \"then.\"\na day? Oh Boy!\nRingling Brothers' and Barnum and\nBecause, whatever else he is-\nBailey's Circus came to Calgary a few\nRotarian, explorer, author, colon-\nJames W. Davidson, of Calgary, Alberta, familiarly\ndays ago. Very early in the morning\nizer, diplomat-Jin Davidson was\nknown as \"Jim,\" is governor of the Fourth District\nof Rotary International. His varied career has in-\nmy telephone bell rang. It was Jim.\nfirst, and is now, a showman. His\ncluded many eventful things, including an explora-\n\"I thought you were in Yellowstone\nmother kept a scrapbook dealing\ntion trip with Peary on one of the latter's at-\nPark,\" I exclaimed.\nwith his boyhood adventures, and\ntempts to reach the North Pole. His greatest\n\"I was in Yellowstone,\" he replied,\nthe first thing in it is a poster,\ncontribution to Rotary was the organization, with\n\"but don't you know the circus is here\nLayton Ralston, of Halifax, of Rotary clubs in\n?\nprinted by Jim himself, which ad-\nAustralia and New Zealand.\nvertises \"Jim's Show,\" and the second\nthing in it is a formal article of incor-\nporation of a partnership with another\nambitious youngster - \"Scene, Sign and\nHouse Painters.\"\nToday, he owns theaters, and, being\na showman, when the circus comes to\ntown, he is as joyous as any boy in the\nplace. And that is a sign. That is\nwhy I started this story at the wrong\nend. I wanted you, to know that Jim\nDavidson loves people, and loves other\nliving things as well, animals, and flow-\ners, and music. And because he is so\ngenuinely interested in others, and in\nevents, and in things that are worth\nwhile, others are, interested in him.\nN\nOW for the other sides to his un-\nusual life.\nThis time we go away from Austin,\nthe little Minnesota town where Jim\nwas born. American readers of THE\nROTARIAN will remember Major Pond.\nPond was easily the greatest impres-\nsario and lyceum man of his time. Let\nanyone in the world achieve fame in\nPictured here are Jim Davidson's family and his two chief hobbies: Mrs. \"Jim,\" whom\nany direction and Pond was after him\nhe first met in Japan; his little girl, Marjory, shown with a real live lion cub in her\narms: the pipe organ in his beautiful home in Calgary; and the cruiser \"Attagirl\" which\nto lecture on the American platform.\nhe and three other Calgary Rotarians maintain on Kootenay Lake and River, which\nNearly everybody of any account who\nprovide 235 miles of navigable water in the midst of the Canadian Rockies.\ntoured the (Continued on page 54.)"
}