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Fantasite, v. 1, issue 5, September 1941

Page 13

13   THE FANTASITE

The Third Convention
By Rustebar

     This is the impression that the Third World Science Fiction Convention gave a new fan. It started officially on July Fourth, but to me, it started much earlier. As early as Wednesday, the Second, I had already, met Lew Martin, Olon Wiggins, Al McKeel, D. B. Thompson, and Adam Lang,
We discussed you-know-what and played cards. Martin, McKeel, and I had even gone out to the army field where
Charles Schneemon lives since being drafted by our big uncle. We were unable to get in touch with him as he was off on leave at the time. 
     Wednesday night, we ascended to the fourth floor of the Shirley-Savoy Hotel and invaded the temporary home-
stead of the Heinleins. The Futurians and others arrived later to make quite a roomful of fans, Mr. and Mrs.Heinlein proved to be real fans. Smokes and cokes were liberally provided, and so many things were discussed at such length tha! before we
knew it, the new day had arrived. The invading horde slowly ebbed from the room to allow the hosts a short time
for sleep and rest.
     More fans began arriving the next morning, and before the day was through, old friendships had been renewed and many new ones formed. On the eve of the convention, nearly thirty fans were already assuming command of the hotel and wandering about the lobby collecting autographs
in "Stephan the Stfan", given by Morojo in exchange for an autograph. 
      As the evening wore on, small groups began leaving the lobby and drifting innocently into the streets
of Denver. As they wandered along, they watched for signs which would tell them they had  found what they sought. Finding them they would
slink into the dive of their choice, and partake joyously, amid many Jokes and much laughter, of what came to be known (via Widner) as "beep". As a result of too much application of joy tonic, one group became belligerent and almost caused a pre-convention brawl, Happily, a
little diplomacy prevented this mishap. Thereafter, a joke session was held in Widner's room. This little meeting became a nightly occurrence,
Widner hardly let anyone else-get in a joke edgewise.
     The official convention got
started the next afternoon after a morning of waiting. Once it got started, it kept up a rapid pace all the way through. Almost 70 fans registered, and many interested persons in Denver dropped in at various
times. Among the best-known fans present were 4e Ackerman, Don Thompson, "Poll-Cat" Widner, the Futurians, Korshak, Unger, the Galactic Roamers, Damon Knight, T. Bruce Yerke, Schwartz, Madle, Fortier, Freehafer, Morojo, Phil Bronson, and Rothman. The fast rising "Doc" Daugherty and his Eleanor honeymooned at the Denvention. The Heinleins, Edmond Hamilton, and Willard E. Hawkins proved
themselves real fans as well as pros.
     As late as the opening evening, fans were still arriving. This was a real fan convention, introducing
several new fans as well as the old. Several total unknowns :appeared, among them Elmer Meukel and Dave
Dawson (from Washington), Charles Massion (Salt Lake City), William Deutsch (NYC), and Rustebar ( Calif-

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13 THE FANTASITE The Third Convention By Rustebar This is the impression that the Third World Science Fiction Convention gave a new fan. It started officially on July Fourth, but to me, it started much earlier. As early as Wednesday, the Second, I had already, met Lew Martin, Olon Wiggins, Al McKeel, D. B. Thompson, and Adam Lang, We discussed you-know-what and played cards. Martin, McKeel, and I had even gone out to the army field where Charles Schneemon lives since being drafted by our big uncle. We were unable to get in touch with him as he was off on leave at the time. Wednesday night, we ascended to the fourth floor of the Shirley-Savoy Hotel and invaded the temporary home- stead of the Heinleins. The Futurians and others arrived later to make quite a roomful of fans, Mr. and Mrs.Heinlein proved to be real fans. Smokes and cokes were liberally provided, and so many things were discussed at such length tha! before we knew it, the new day had arrived. The invading horde slowly ebbed from the room to allow the hosts a short time for sleep and rest. More fans began arriving the next morning, and before the day was through, old friendships had been renewed and many new ones formed. On the eve of the convention, nearly thirty fans were already assuming command of the hotel and wandering about the lobby collecting autographs in "Stephan the Stfan", given by Morojo in exchange for an autograph. As the evening wore on, small groups began leaving the lobby and drifting innocently into the streets of Denver. As they wandered along, they watched for signs which would tell them they had found what they sought. Finding them they would slink into the dive of their choice, and partake joyously, amid many Jokes and much laughter, of what came to be known (via Widner) as "beep". As a result of too much application of joy tonic, one group became belligerent and almost caused a pre-convention brawl, Happily, a little diplomacy prevented this mishap. Thereafter, a joke session was held in Widner's room. This little meeting became a nightly occurrence, Widner hardly let anyone else-get in a joke edgewise. The official convention got started the next afternoon after a morning of waiting. Once it got started, it kept up a rapid pace all the way through. Almost 70 fans registered, and many interested persons in Denver dropped in at various times. Among the best-known fans present were 4e Ackerman, Don Thompson, "Poll-Cat" Widner, the Futurians, Korshak, Unger, the Galactic Roamers, Damon Knight, T. Bruce Yerke, Schwartz, Madle, Fortier, Freehafer, Morojo, Phil Bronson, and Rothman. The fast rising "Doc" Daugherty and his Eleanor honeymooned at the Denvention. The Heinleins, Edmond Hamilton, and Willard E. Hawkins proved themselves real fans as well as pros. As late as the opening evening, fans were still arriving. This was a real fan convention, introducing several new fans as well as the old. Several total unknowns :appeared, among them Elmer Meukel and Dave Dawson (from Washington), Charles Massion (Salt Lake City), William Deutsch (NYC), and Rustebar ( Calif-