No. 1 Santa

Last week roly-poly (200 lb., 5 ft. 8 in.) Harry Gokey, 71,. retired vaudeville trouper, made his bid for No. 1 U. S. professional Santa by booking a round of Clausing (at $5 to $25 an appearance) in Portland, Ore. private homes and clubs. It was his 51st consecutive season in the business. Since his first appearance in a window of The Fair (Chicago department store) in the bitter winter of 1890, Claus Gokey has earned $15,000 at his jocular sideline. He has also acquired a high scorn for the thousands of street-corner and department-store Santas who have followed in his footsteps. Said he: "They scare children."

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