As a young man he worked as a conductor for the Southern Pacific Rail Road. On one trip a truck broke on one of the cars and Taylor's quick use of the emergency brake stopped the train and avoided disaster. Two of the passengers on that train were the Governor of California and Senator Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst.
Briefly worked as a newspaper reporter for Hearst's San Francisco Examiner before the paper's city editor (after recognizing his talent as a dramatist) suggested he write for the stage.