Entertaining the Crowds

A few of McLean County residents used their creative energies to provide entertainment to a broad audience.

Featuring:

Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker, (1914 – 2006), writer
Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, (1854 – 1897), Baseball player

Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker (1914-2006) quit school at the age of 15. Enthralled by the pulp fiction stories he read in Dime Detective, Weird Tales, and Amazing Stories magazines, Bob convinced himself that he could write stories just as good as those he was reading.

Bob began churning out his own 5,000-word stories while working as an apprentice projectionist at the old Front Street Theater.

His job was to set up the reels of film on the theater’s projector. When the film broke, as it often did, he had to repair it quickly. He also replaced burned out projection bulbs and switched reels when needed.

When things were running smoothly, he could work on his writing.

Bob (using the name Wilson Tucker) tried for many years, but didn’t sell his first story, Interstellar Way-Station, until 1941. By then he was working as a projectionist at Bloomington’s Ewing Theater.

Light-skinned man with flowy light colored hair parted to the side. He is looking at the camera with a pleasant demeanor on his face. He is wearing a collard shirt with pinstripes. — Bob Tucker

There are cars parked in the foreground. They are parked in front of a building that has an archway entrance. There are two supports holding up the archway. Is a walk-up window to purchase tickents. A sandwich board leans on that window, presumably that board would be set on the sidewalk when they are open. — The Front Street Theater was a little store front located on the 100 block of West Front Street.

Black and white photo of the front of a theater, with a marquee sign that projects in a large triangle shape over the sidewalk. The sign has removable lettering, announcing what movies are playing. — The Ewing Theater, located at 108 N. Madison Street, was renamed the Esquire in 1943.

green and black book cover. In one of the black sections a porcelain face appears, heavily shadowed, a little spooky looking. — Bob’s first novel, *The Chinese Doll*, sold in record time, and was published in 1946. It featured a detective named Charlie Horne and was set in Bloomington. Its success led to a series of Horne detective thrillers.

Brown and light blue cover, a human figure appears to be coming out of the sea — In 1951 Bob published his first science fiction novel, *City in the Sea*, followed by *The Long Loud Silence* the next year. This post-doomsday survival tale included cannibalism and was considered too strong for early-1950s sensibilities. At the request of his editor, Bob toned down the narrative. In 1970 the book was republished with its original ending.

Book cover is mostly blue but a mushroom cloud is red and purple in the center. In front of the mushroom cloud are two profiles of faces, one facing the left and the other facing the right. In the center is a mostly naked chiseled male figure. In the foreground there is rubble and human skuls stacked on poles. — His 1970 *Year of the Quiet Sun* won Bob the prestigious John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1976.

Bob continued to work as a movie projectionist until 1972, and published his last book, Ice and Iron, in 1974.

Considered by many to be the founder of science fiction writing, Bob was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2003.

beige and maroon book cover, there is a wrinkled looking newspaper, in front of the paper are the maroon silhouettes of 4 people. — The Lincoln Hunters, 1958

This book cover features a male light-skinned face that is mostly transparent showing beads or something like that beneath. A few people are smaller on the cover, one man and womwn are hugging, one man is on the phone and showing a woman a piece of paper. Another man appears to be a uniformed soldier holding a gun. — The Warlock, 1967

Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn

America’s favorite pastime once featured a local pitcher who helped his team win the first “world series” in baseball.

Born in New York, Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn (1854-1897) arrived in Bloomington as an infant. He grew up playing baseball, and worked in his father’s butcher shop and on the railroad, before his first game with the Bloomington Juniors in 1869. Hoss was recruited into the National League in 1880.

From 1880 to 1891 Hoss played for five different major league teams, his longest stint being with the Providence (Rhode Island) Grays. When the Grays’ only other pitcher suddenly walked off the field in the middle of an 1884 game, Hoss (at the time suspended for inappropriate behavior) agreed to pitch the year’s remaining games on the condition that he receive the other pitcher’s pay on top of his own.

light-skinned portrait of a man with dark hair and a dark mustache. He is wearing his baseball uniform, which is cut off along the bottom of the photo, but the word — Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn

Two baseball cards. One on the left shows the full length of a man wearing a baseball uniform, and cap. A bat leans against the wall behind him. His hands are on his hip. His left hand has the middle finger extended casually, it wouldn't be noticed by all who look at the image. The baseball card on the right shows two baseball players, one pretending to slide into home base, and the other bending down and touching his head. — Hoss played for the Boston Beaneaters in 1887, when these baseball cards featuring him were released.

Despite his arm being so weakened by overuse that he could barely comb his hair, Hoss pitched 73 games, winning 59, tying two, and losing only 12. This included winning the first World Championship Series against the New York Metropolitans.

One hundred and thirty-two years later, in 2017, this winning record for a single season still held.

Hoss was one of the first players to effectively utilize the curveball, which he mastered by practicing against the family barn on West Washington Street.

He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Baseball that looks well-worn. Word are written on it with black ink but they are so faded it's not legible. — Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn used this baseball when he pitched three straight victories for the Providence Grays over the New York Metropolitans to win the first World Championship Series in 1884.

Donated by: Ralph Clouse
2002.17

It is hard to tell what is carved into this pole, possibly corn, leaves, and some geometric designs. — View this object in Matterport

In his free time, Hoss liked to go fishing. A fan made this elaborately carved cane for him. Inside is a telescoping bamboo fishing pole.

Courtesy of: John Addison Van Ness
727.136

Hoss finished his baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1891.

He returned to Bloomington where he opened a saloon and billiards parlor at 215 W. Washington Street.

Saloon token, circa 1890

Hoss referred to his saloon as “Baseball Headquarters.” He had this embossed on his saloon token.

Donated by: Clarendon Kinsey
828.277

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