The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-24
JOAQUIN MILLER'S DANITES.
4 LIGfL EJGHT ron TIiE rROTi CTT0N
or TfIE POEI"S IIELODRiNL
How the Play WINS Made that would Have
Occupied Eisht Hours In Hcpresentn
t,on-A Wn.herw oman for Heroine.

The history of Mr. joaquin Miller's play
" The Danitos" H. worth writing. aside from
the fact that fight has been begun in thrcourls
over the right 10 present It on the stage. MI.
Mckee Rankin. the actor. owns the piece Ov
purchase from the author and il on q tour
with IT, The success that IT achieves every
where is cnriching Rankin. and putting large
nmount " money into the poets pocket.
Recently rival dramatic company was formed
in this city to play it. and ON Jan. 80 they made
their first appearance In st. james lltll.
Buffalo. Tho managers arc Jamos X. Waite
and W. II. Brent. The play WIS advertised AZ
The Danilrs. or the Destroying Angels.
Rankin had hrcn informed that such I'm enter
prise was in preparation. and he srnt an agent
TO soc the performance. II proved to be the
same play in every respect. Tho agent ohtrincI
temporary inIun 'liun against Waite Brent.
and the ease H. on th' calendar.
II 1t turns out that Rankin Is not able to pre-
went the u-o Of The Dnniirs by otlrrc ompn-
mics Than his own. il VIII hc lcrnu-r the play
was Put together in y u"ulinr way. II" wa.
COW Iany ol the Chestnut Street Theatre. ~ ilp-
dolihn. lir had ,uei h".orr starred in "Thr
TwY Orphans. and nHd h''u vigorously rru-r-
rui'l for u~.n ttuut 'ntrth. mon ; lunr'
phrltin Version ui that play II" WIS ON Tive
look ont tur m"i"l iuh1 ~ sinlWrv r"iu-
lar sind. IN which his vie. ih'n IA temporary
retirement from th' stage. iilLht Zoe ilti"ti " IN
20 lrHNiug part. Her .ad Joaquin Millrr'~ story.
The Fi-t Fanilie. IT the S'rrra-.' in wluHh
ihe adventures o. poor Bil'N Piper ARE told. aud
hr Thought "a play las IT ON that narraiiv,.
backed iv the rlpt'- nnt1e might h. Su,sns. iul.
lie wrote to NJ Her. tics riding tlt" idea. nul
mHtiug an olfer ~ To cumpVusution. At,rs"V-
rrni weeks he received reply a',cltng "a"
proposition. Miller ST tn work induetriuusly.
ana th" result WIS a hug" pile ul manuscript ia
his almost ilesibi" han Iwrting. Rnnkin's first
stop wis To- hireH copv,st To- make rrndul'
copy. iin men ivund mat "a" b"N which WIS
entitled. Bily Pirrr took fully two hours ia
uipii I,uliug. which Wrnut not lees tlHn
"cht rouf- for stage r"ures .niniion. sllr-.
the nuihor had written - Tor publ aiipu,
and without much regard for tie nrc"ssi-
il"- 1i pra tioiu 'If NJ. f.l example me hero
in, WAS -hrrWoinnn. While nwa@htuh may
/ ID" invested with romance in - hpuk. the attrWIt
would b.. crrtninl, disastrous on the stag. Ran
kin WIS 40 first ti-'Ournl. ed. but hs bon li'-
cnue convinced TINT ont OF the mass of dunVur.
cunructrrs. aud situations good play could hf
cDu~tru t"l. lie knew an ntur unmpl IiI{nr-
aid. who had the rrlu site In 'rarv and dramatic
ability Tor tho rob. and who was inrupa"tai"d 10y
aud he and Rankin srrni a great deal ot time
and work. The play that they thus produced WAS
! IN" dh!o-ue retained rom hiS nihiuS'rip was
generally unaltrr~i, The wnsl.rwomnn WIS
turned INTO = r. s.h9,mistr"sSs' Inc d,lr Wno
! Mt was introduced from one OF John ilahhcr-
| tons short stories, tn" language hing taken
bodily. This includes the arrival 81 tho school
| mistress at the saloon called Tia" flowing W IL
dornrss. and constitutes ia" humorous element
! Of the drnmn. Miller permitted nun IipD to
| be- Killed 10y the Danii,s hut IT was decided To-
wrnN"n the climax an! lit him live. - ~ to
send the audience home hnppy. In recent
! lawsuit. in Chicago. Rankin testified that he
] paid VI llirr sj.2uU for the play. ana has since
| been offered s2OuoO Tor IT,
! Thus put together. in the main of the poet >
! material hut in "A form thA' he could hardly have
recognized ON witnessing lis performance, The,
! Danites" was pronounced ready to BE- submitted
Tor the verdict Of the public. Rankin had de-
| cided to bring It ont IN Mwaukr" rnthcr than
! risk n more conspicuous failure IN the Eust.
! But nnuNy lie mate an engagement Tor
| the Brondway Theatre in this city. There,
| and subsequently IN the Grand Opera House. II
WAS highly successful. in spite Of adverse criti-
cism. and II II very valuable piece Of dramati,
| property.
Fitzgerald died last summer. and among his
effects WIS "A copy of The Danites. viii I'll fell
into the hands ri his brother The claim II nov
made that he was ~ mu ,h the author as Miller
that at least oncil'lh of the play is Iiabberton =
and that Rankin has no proprietary right tina
can be- projected ia law. Az 10 the moral aspcc
OF the case Wait" and Brent hold that Rank
should not complain Of conduct that is of
pii''r with his own in using The Two Or
phgnS in defiance Of the owners. The play
has not been published. nor has the copyrigh
hrru pert ted 10y the deposit OF "A printed COPY
With the Librarian OF Congress, and therefore
| the question j. one Of ownership for the stat
| courts to determine Rankin holds Fitzgerald
receipt Tor the nay for his work.