Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-07-09
BRET HARTE'S PLAY.
History Of the New Play Written by Dir.
Harte-HOW Mr.. Barrett and
Nr. Robson Got Him TO
YT-it~ II.
An Insight Into the Story of the Drama
Seine Of the Principal ChaTac-
tiers Described,

Chicago ttit'uRs, IuIy 4th.I
"Csn Bret Harte wife play?D is the
question Mr.. Stuart ROb50-, snse put
abruptly to Mr.. Dion BOucic8uit.
The rasPcrss was ready. "Write q
play? or course he CAM
| "Whyap
Rather asK Why nOt?' He has un5
dramatic ,Dstinct-his short sketches
show that; his WORKS ere tilled with sug-
Restions OF strong dramatic 'itustiOns,
and nobody doubts his ability to TTite
isDrightly dialogue. II is not uDress0ns-
Sic 20 suppose that he can use his lite
rary sEill, fertile imagination, and cor
rect taste in The Construction Of play
that will live. The only Question con-
Germs his acquaintance with stage Meth
DDS and tn. limitations OF the drama
lists tunctioM, The final test must be
conflict with an audience. 1 believe he
can write 8 play, but no man can tell
surely TIL he has tried"
Mr.. Robson was not waiting for en-
enlargement. He, in common with
most Intelligent actors, hsd long before
determined that Bret Hsrte wsg
|
CAN STAGE.
He had resolved, moreover, to have q
play from Bret Harte at any price.
It is one thing to resolve snd another
thing to realize. Mr.. Harte listened
readily to the suggestion and fell IN with
it. He accepted liberal part Of the
contract price i'll advance. Then be
thought about ii; Mr.. Robson waited.
/ 70 % III a T.
Robson continued to wait, Not unnatu.
, rally, Mr.. Robson tired first. Efe gently
! urged Mr.. H9rte forward. MIR. Harte,
with the mildness and susvity OF de-
mesnor for which he is famous, said he
would begin at once, and straigbtway
began-tO think about it again. There
seemed to be no hope of getting him 8
step further toward the contamination
Of the work. One day, Lawrence Bar.
rett, who had become interested in the
matter, was talking it over with J. r.
Osgood, the publisher. Mr.. OsgoOd
listened while the terms of the contract
were being recited. Then hesaid simply,
"Of course, Robson has paid Hsrte
nothing"
''Yes, but he has" replied Barrett,
she has paid two thousand dollars to
bind the bargain
'Good heaveus!'' calculated the pub.
Usher, who had enjoyed ample expert
ence Of Mr.. Harte's procrastinating
haste, "if that is the case, the play viii
never be written"
l BRET HARTE IN PRISON.
But the play vas written. Barrett
and Robson beguiIed Mr.. Hatte TO the
seaside, and told him, with the rodgh
frankuess of intimate friendship, that
he had fallen into their trap and should
never be permitted to leave until the
play was finished. He sUccunbed, The
first act was written in e few days and
submitted to the csptOrs for criticism.
They tore it IN pieces. The prisoner be-
came respondent. He could never
write play; he was sure of it; he would
give up the attempt from that moment.
Barrett was pertinacious. He always is.
He was more than psrtinsciOus; he YVES
full Of strategical devices. He arranged
with Robson to admire YehementIy
every line that should ia future fall from
the pen of the sweating dramatist. They
gave him niche, and made 8 god OF
him. He was Shakespeare; ne was
MOlierej Tkalia and EaipoIneu5 were
smiling upon him; Sophocles, EuripiGes,
and Eschylus where mis- great proto
types. Under the influence of this be,
nign mixture OF sunshine and showers
!. the buds of Mr.. HaFte's genius devel,
oped rapidly. He wrote like man in.
spired. The old favorite characters, HhC
are to MIR. Harte real persons Of ftesF
and blood, were summoned forth from
their retreats and placed in new rela
tons, with new surroundings. The play
was at last tinished, and the pri5one1
released.
THE PLAY IN COURT.
1t is this play which is soon to b;
brought out st HoOley's theater, for the
first time on any stage, by the Union
Square company. 1t is entitled TiOC
Men Of Sd1os Bar. The conditions
under which it was written were not en-.
tirely favorable, and yet it contains the
hopes OF many excellent and judieious
actors who have seen it and passed
Judgment upon its merits. No man can
tell whether it will succeed or not. II
reads marvelously well. The interest Of
the story is unquestiOnabie; one is I'M
patient to get at the end and discover
what becomes of every body. Not less
unequivoesI is the dramatic character OF
the whole composition, go far as any
one can judge from a reading. But il
would be idle to predict anything on. this
score. The best judges confess their
weakness when they stand in the pres.
cree Of an Enacted drama possessing
good literary qualities. Only the public
can tell whether play deserves final
pecuniary success. The critics them
selves cannot determine from the read
ing whether they shall be called upon t.
nv
| ion. The dramatic merits Of 2iOO Men
Of Sandy Bar will be ascertained by 2
Chicago audience two weeks from TO-
night. Meanwhile, d glance at the
story and the chief characters may not
be uninteresiing.
THE SCENE OPENS
at the home of "Don Jose Castro,U a
Mexican gentlemen in California. There
is an abundance Of luxuriant vegetation
visible through the open window, anu
| the summer air is laden with the pei
fume Of flowers. The owner of the vast
estate Of which this is the manor-house,
hes one fair daughter whom he loves
passing well. Her name is "Jovita."
She has Spanish beauty, and Spanish
passion. To reach one she loves sine will
break through every barrier, and when
she has reached him she will make any
sacrifice for his sake. She loves, with
out the consent or knowledge OF her
father, an adventurer in the neighbor-
hood, "John Oakhurst." They have
held clandestine meetings, aud have ar.
ranged for sesret marriage. In carry
ing on their correspondence, "J0vite''
has made use of an idle, drunken va
querO about the rancho, one "SaUGy,"
who formerly rendered her q service,
and has on this account been given en-
ployment by her father. He is the only
American about the place.
'tsANDY"
has a tragedy in his life. He ran away
from home when quite young to escape
the brutality OF his father. After lead
ing strOllipg life for many years, ne
married. Tnen he formed s partner
ship with "JOhn OAkhurst.n "Sandyn
loved his wife well too well, SIS it
turned out. Women Of her class, as she
quantity observed afterwsTd. never for
give man for loving them too we'll. So
1t happened that "Sandy's" wife de-
spised him and his love, and ran away
with "JOhn Oakhurst." Hesank rapid
ly into drunkenness as the only refuge
he could find from his maddeniDg
thoughts. His vagsbOnd habits came
back to him. Half drunk, half crazy,
he stroiled from rancho to ranche;anditl
was while on enc Of these pilgrimages,
that ne rendered the servics to ''JOvita'I
before alluded to and obtained employ
ment of her father.
"JOHN OAKHURST,n
the gay sdventurer, who is n5w, at the
beglnning.of the play, making love to
'JoVita" clandesti1ely, is "Sandy's'J
betrayer. "Ssndy'sn wife deceived him
as she did Sandy" and eloped with
husband whom she had married even
before she knew "Ssndy." "Oakhurst," |
now settled in the neignborhOod Of this
rancho, is ignorant Of "Sandy's" pres
ence there, as "Ssndyr is Of his. He
M of and admiral tlInvita y Che I,r.I