DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Le Zombie, v. 4, issue 1, whole no. 36, January 1941

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Le Zombie, v. 4, issue 1, whole no. 36, January 1941

Page 8

P. G. TELLS Of A Remarkable Occurance in Old L.A.

I should like to recount for you here the story of an outre' happening the other day in that paradise-for-fans ... utopian Shangri-La. The land of sunshine and Ackerman. Not only the occurance itself, but the important, lightning events which followed.

It happened one rainy night on northern New Hampshire Blvd in Hollywood. A lively, chattering group of fans were walking Ackerman home after a usual weekly Thursday-night meeting. When suddenly -- out of the rog and rain and darkness before them, a few paces away, a bent old man appeared! Shuffling along the center of the walk in an oncoming direction, it became instantly obvious that someone would have to give way to avoid a nasty collision. 

And which had the right-of-way . . . . age or brains?

And then-- at the last moment --when collision seemed inevitable , Ackerman sneezed! The fog had tickled his tonsils and produced a major volcanis eruption. Closing his eyes momentarily as he sneezed, 4Sj had the further misfortune to twist his foot on a pebble and stumble . The bent old man paused, stared at him in a queer, considering manner, pronounced distinctly:

"Geesundhite!" --- And silently slipped around the stricken group of fans clustered about Number One, to vanish behind them in the rapidly swirling fog and mist.

The Number One face registered startled awe. Many persons near him were visibly trembling. "Did'ja hear that?" 4e asked. "Did you hear the word, and di you note he said it at the precise moment I turned my foot on yon pebble? And sneezed? Sacred Science! That I lived to have this happen to me!

All the others were shaken over the outre' encounter. No one spoke....the power of speech had not yet returned to their strangely parched throats. And then at last, after gathering himself together, Weaver began to speak in a new, rich, inspired voice; began to calmly issue orders. Quickly the members of the band broke up and sped away on their appointed tasks: (as follows)
Yerke and Hodgkins about-faced and hurried into the misty fog, and the trail of the mysterious old man. They were to obtain from him an interview. 

Bradbury dashed off at a tangent across the street, searching for the nearest telegraph office. Upon finding it, he then telegraphed complete, word-for-word descriptions of the entire encounter to Fantasy Fiction Field, Fantasy News, Cometeer Press, Calif. Mercury, Midwest FAN NEWS, The Fa Record, Science Fiction Weekley, and LeZ., with instructions to print same in their very next issues.

Armed with Ackerman's office pass, Morojo and Pogo sped to the office of the Mo. Pic. Academy to type, on the VaRiAbLe typewriter, two copies of the night's news direct onto a stencil, and then mail them to the Austrailian Observer, and Futurian War Digest, in England, via China Clipper and Atlantic Clipper, respectfully.

Virginia Laney and Elanor OBrien rush Ackerman home in a taxi; there Laney brews a pot of strong tea for him, while OBrien types, as he dictates, his own personal version of the affair. He instructed OBrien to make six carbon copies of the account, and mail them at once to Centaur, Fantasite, Sun  Spots, Alchemist, Fan-Atic, Frontier, and Fanfare.

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P. G. TELLS Of A Remarkable Occurance in Old L.A. I should like to recount for you here the story of an outre' happening the other day in that paradise-for-fans ... utopian Shangri-La. The land of sunshine and Ackerman. Not only the occurance itself, but the important, lightning events which followed. It happened one rainy night on northern New Hampshire Blvd in Hollywood. A lively, chattering group of fans were walking Ackerman home after a usual weekly Thursday-night meeting. When suddenly -- out of the rog and rain and darkness before them, a few paces away, a bent old man appeared! Shuffling along the center of the walk in an oncoming direction, it became instantly obvious that someone would have to give way to avoid a nasty collision. And which had the right-of-way . . . . age or brains? And then-- at the last moment --when collision seemed inevitable , Ackerman sneezed! The fog had tickled his tonsils and produced a major volcanis eruption. Closing his eyes momentarily as he sneezed, 4Sj had the further misfortune to twist his foot on a pebble and stumble . The bent old man paused, stared at him in a queer, considering manner, pronounced distinctly: "Geesundhite!" --- And silently slipped around the stricken group of fans clustered about Number One, to vanish behind them in the rapidly swirling fog and mist. The Number One face registered startled awe. Many persons near him were visibly trembling. "Did'ja hear that?" 4e asked. "Did you hear the word, and di you note he said it at the precise moment I turned my foot on yon pebble? And sneezed? Sacred Science! That I lived to have this happen to me! All the others were shaken over the outre' encounter. No one spoke....the power of speech had not yet returned to their strangely parched throats. And then at last, after gathering himself together, Weaver began to speak in a new, rich, inspired voice; began to calmly issue orders. Quickly the members of the band broke up and sped away on their appointed tasks: (as follows) Yerke and Hodgkins about-faced and hurried into the misty fog, and the trail of the mysterious old man. They were to obtain from him an interview. Bradbury dashed off at a tangent across the street, searching for the nearest telegraph office. Upon finding it, he then telegraphed complete, word-for-word descriptions of the entire encounter to Fantasy Fiction Field, Fantasy News, Cometeer Press, Calif. Mercury, Midwest FAN NEWS, The Fa Record, Science Fiction Weekley, and LeZ., with instructions to print same in their very next issues. Armed with Ackerman's office pass, Morojo and Pogo sped to the office of the Mo. Pic. Academy to type, on the VaRiAbLe typewriter, two copies of the night's news direct onto a stencil, and then mail them to the Austrailian Observer, and Futurian War Digest, in England, via China Clipper and Atlantic Clipper, respectfully. Virginia Laney and Elanor OBrien rush Ackerman home in a taxi; there Laney brews a pot of strong tea for him, while OBrien types, as he dictates, his own personal version of the affair. He instructed OBrien to make six carbon copies of the account, and mail them at once to Centaur, Fantasite, Sun Spots, Alchemist, Fan-Atic, Frontier, and Fanfare.