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PAUL HORN INTERVIEW PART 2
Paul
Horn Interview- Part 1
THE
CHENEY MANSION, HILLBILLIES AND THE MOVIES
I
was lucky enough to be invited back the Horn house a few weeks
after my initial visit, to talk more about those old Jersey
football days. However much to my surprise, there was very
little football discussed. Today would instead be filled with
stories about the Cheney mansion and those who inhabited it.
Prentiss Dana Cheney for one or better known to his friends as
simply P.D. There was also talks of selling insurance and
running movie houses and even playing "Taps" for
memorial services.
For my second interview, I was once again escorted by my
friend Tom Goetten, who was gracious enough to set it up. When
we arrived at the Horns, we were taken to the back of the
house where Paul and his wife Ginny waited eagerly for us on
their sun porch. I couldn't help but notice that they were
both dressed as sunny and vibrant as the sky that surrounded
us.
Horn, who turned 94 in October was ready to talk about
football and a lot more. For every question that I fired at
him concerning his days as a member of the Black and Orange
Jersey Township High School football team, he would respond
quickly and then move onto another story. We talked about old
teammates, Ivan Heiderscheid who was really his one good
friend after his football days were over, to his cousins
Harold "Chick" Ballard and Carl Ballard. Carl later
met and married a former Miss Maryland who went on to
become the first runner-up in the Miss America pageant. We
also talked about Harvey "the Ripper" Woods who was
the first African-American football player for Jersey in 1924.
Paul stated "I remember there were racial problems, but
it didn't seem to bother us because we were kids".
Paul was an award winning member of the city band and played
for the Lions and the VFW. "I always played
"Taps" for Memorial Day services", Paul said
proudly. "I would play Taps at the location of the
service and would have Cheney (P.D.) play on the other side of
the grounds as my echo. I remember one time when I slurred a
note I walked over to him and yelled Why in the heck did you
slur that note? , to which P.D. responded "Paaaul, it was
an echo" .
The Horns were also very involved in the movie theatre
business. "We owned 3 movie houses at one time",
Paul reminded me. Other than the one in Jerseyville, which was
located in the building now occupied by Fran&Marilyn's,
they also had one in Girard and in Edwardsville. Paul's wife
Ginny was also very important and involved with the business.
"We were in the theatre business for nearly twenty years
until 1965". At one point after a fire destroyed their
movie house, they had to rebuild it.
"Back in those days you had to be hillbilly minded to
succeed in running a movie house", exclaimed Paul.
"We had Skeets and Frankie Hillbilly show, and back in
those days everyone had to yodel. We ran 3 shows on Sunday to
a full house". The entertainment line-up also included
the likes of Grandpappy Jones and Shucks Austin.
Ginny described how their success was copied by the local
competition. " We gave away cowboy hats and had Saturday
serials, we also had Buffalo nickel matinee's and milk top
shows and midnight shows". Paul then interrupted "
We were almost too successful with the milk top
promotion". The Horn's had worked out a deal with Medal
Gold Milk to supply anyone a free movie pass who purchased a
bottle of milk. Back in those days, a movie ticket sold for 10
cents and Medal Gold paid a nickel for every bottle sold.
Needless to say the place sold out on milk top day.
One day Paul met Roy Rogers at Republic Studios in St. Louis
on Olive St. and bought him lunch. "Roy was a great
guy" Paul included with a smile. Eventually with the
stress of running the theatres and also working in the
insurance field, the Horns had to give up the movie chain.
"But it was a very good business for us because we used
our head" Ginny ended with.
Later on that night as I sat and listened to my tapes of the
interviews I suddenly remembered that I forgot to ask all
those questions that I had written down. What about the car
accident that Paul was in when he was headed out of town to a
football game with 4 of his teammates? And, what about the
time when Paul got a knock on his door from a frantic child
with a gun in his hand, and as it turned out the boy
accidentally shot and killed his friend while on a hunting
trip not to far from the Horn house. Paul would follow the boy
to the location to discover the lifeless boy's body on the
ground.
All of these unanswered questions I have for Mr. Horn the
oldest living football player in Jersey history. Well I am
betting Paul will be around for another interview.... that is,
if he will have me!
by
Mike McInerney
(The
1929 Jersey Football team photo. Horn is second from the left
on bottom row).
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