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To The Fair Woodblock in Red King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints
1920

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Yet no other word than "luck" would describe what happened to me at Rouleau, Saskatchewan in the year 1912. ...

An advance agent of a theatrical company arrived in town to book the public hall and post advertising matter announcing its appearance.

His coming, along with his immediate troubles, created the beginning of a unique business with a continent-wide scope and reputation. That business became more than a lusty partner to the little weekly newspaper I was then publishing.

I had never seen the man before, or even heard of his company which was an excellent one out of Chicago.

Why did such a fine company decide to fill an open date at Rouleau, on its way to Regina to begin a tour of the C.P. Walker chain of theatres in the three prairie provinces?

Why did the American printer fail to ship the required posters in good time?

Why did the railway company fall down on its usually prompt transportation service? (Excerpt from Paper, Pen and Ink by Andrew King, Pg 68-69)

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Roaring Tiger Drawing and Notes King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints
1920

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The agent's posters were three days late in arriving. During that time, he was in and out of my office several times a day, trying cool off his impatience and no doubt appreciating the little bit of show talk I could carry on.

He wondered why there was not a poster printing plant somewhere in that part of Canada from which a prompt and convenient service could be obtained.

Jestingly, I said: "What about starting one here?"

He thought for a moment and said, "why not."

I suddenly had a lot of ideas in opposition to my own suggestion, the main one being that Rouleau was but a small town sitting out on the wide-open prairie. He retaliated with reasons sound enough to nullify my objections and finished up by pointing out that so long as a poster plant was located at a place which had a good train service, that was the main consideration. Anyway, most showmen never visited the plants which produced their posters. (Excerpt from Paper, Pen and Ink by Andrew King, Pg 68-69)

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Roaring Tiger Head Poster King Show Prints and Enterprise Show Prints
1920