[silence] don sample

[Thomas Moore]

I doubt this is "new" news (and sheds no light on Don Sample or Arts and
Crafts), but I can offer some gleanings of Cage's early from public records,
mostly census records:

In 1910, prior to John's birth, his parents were living in Denver.
1910 U.S. Census, Denver, Colorado, Enumeration District 112, Sheet 6B
1530 Grant Street, Apartment A-3
Cage, John M., head of household, male, white, 24, married for 2 years, born
in California, father born in Tennessee, mother's place of birth unknown,
speaks English, occupation mechanic for what appears to say "aerial
navigation" industry, works on own account (meaning not a wage worker), not
out of work, and not unemployed during the previous year, can read and write
Cage, Lucretia, wife, female, white, 25, married for 2 years, born in Iowa,
father's place of birth unknown, mother born in New York, speaks English, no
occupation, can read and write

Living in in the same building in Apartment A-4 is L. Harding Twyman, age
30, with his wife and daughter, and his occupation is listed as promoter for
the Cage Aviation Co.

On 12 (or maybe the 17 -- the clerk's handwriting is unclear) September
1918, John Milton Cage answered questions for a draft registration card, as
was required for most American men of the time because of the Great War. He
gave his full name as John Milton Cage of 907 Second Avenue, Detroit, Wayne
County, Michigan, age 32, born 11 March 1886, occupation Chief Engineer for
what appears to say (in the cramped space) Cage Engine Co. Sindicate (sic --
this is the clerk's spelling, not Cage's) of 62 Cedar St., N.Y, N.Y.,
closest relative is wife Lucretia Cage of 907 Second Avenue. His height was
5'10", medium build, blue hair, brown eyes, no disabilities.

By the time of the 1920 census the family was enumerated in Detroit,
Michigan in a boarding house. (This must be the Stevenson Hotel mentioned in
David Revill's book.)
1920 U.S. Census, Detroit, Michigan, Enumeration District 73, Sheet 8A
20 Davenport
There are many lodgers listed, among them:
Cage, John M., lodger, male, white, 33, married, can read and write, born in
California, both parents born in Tennessee, speaks English, occupation
"experimental engineer" for Engineering Co., works on own account
Cage, Lucretia, wife, female, white, 31, married, can read and write, born
in Iowa, father born in Massachusetts, mother born in Connecticut, speaks
English, no occupation
Cage, John Jr., son, male, white, 7, single, attends school, can read and
write, born in California, father born in California, mother born in Iowa,
speaks English, no occupation

There are two other children who live at the boarding house -- Hanna H.
Hornbrook, age 10, and a sixteen year old girl whose first name for some
reason was not recorded. Altogether 29 people live at the boarding house,
including one Bertha Starr, whose occupation is Christian Science Healer.

In 1930 the Cages are back in California:
1930 U.S. Census, Los Angeles, California, Enumeration District 19-649,
Sheet 14-B
2708 Moss Avenue
Cage, John M., head, owns home valued at $10,000, male, white, 42, married,
age at first marriage 21, not in school, can read and write, born in
California, both parents born in Tennessee, speaks English, engineer in
"research" industry, works on own account, not a veteran
Cage, Crete, wife, female, white, 40, married, age at first marriage 19, not
in school, can read and write, born in Iowa, both parents born in New York,
speaks English, no occupation
Cage, John M., son, male, white, 17, single, in school, can read and write,
born in California, father born in California, mother born in Iowa, speaks
English, no occupation

Best regards,
Tom Moore
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~tmoore/music.html


On 11/22/07 10:38 AM, "Christopher L Shultis" <cshultis@unm.edu> wrote:

> Frans van Rossum, with whom I've lost contact, met with
> Don Sample in France in the early 90s and discussed that
> meeting at a Cage conference in 1995 at Mills College. The
> Mills talk may have been taped and if so perhaps could be
> found at Mills. It could also be that other biographers
> have now gathered information on the subject in the time
> since. At present there is little published about Sample
> and Cage other than what he himself mentions in the Hines
> article. That is, unless someone else knows of other
> published information that hasn't yet crossed my desk.
> Cage's early years are among his least documented and a
> detailed biography (some are in the works) will hopefully
> in part rectify that. That is, depending upon how open
> (and available) those with information that could flesh
> out that history are. A good and interesting topic but one
> that presents some problems unless you have access to
> information that Cage himself rarely discussed.




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