National Republican., 1883-11-05
MAN ON THE AVENUE.

caught on tho fly" by the man on the ave-
nuo last evening. Mr.. Arthur has just re-
turned from his third trip to England, his
trip TO London last summer having been un-
dcrtaken to introduce u series of now Ameri
can plays into that country. In answer to
a question as to tho success of his return, he
made reply:
"Wo succeeded as we'll as any American
stars in London. Any engagement there is
without emolument No matter how great
the artistic success may be, or how potent the
drawing power, there is not enough profit in
it to buy mouse a pair of mittcns.'
"What were your profits "
1.-TWO shillings won from John r. Ray
mond matching on the "Strand" 1t is said
by piqued English correspondent that l
have but superficial knowledge of the coun-
try and its people"
"That's cheerful"
"Yes, as we have taken three attractions
over and lived for three years in continuity
| in London"
"I am told there is prejudice against
American stars in London"
"Don't know if it be prejudice or not.
Certain it is, none of them succeed Except by
cablo) and an allusion to America as the
| land of the free and tho homo of the brave
in Rowe's play Freedom at Drury Lane,
this summer elected a storm of hisses."
"What American stars have you seen play
! in London?"
"Our greatest actor Booth failed, and
bankrupted Walter Gooch, of the Prncesses
thcater. The mental trouble ho afterward
had was to that attributed. Booth never had
recognition as the great artist he is until
Henry Irving took him into his stock company.
Our best comedian, j. r. Raymond, failed.
They wouldn't laugh at Col. Sellers; thought
tho candle in the stove" and "turnip scene"
stupid. Frank Mayo and his stuffed wolves
was jeered and guyed, or 'chafled," as they
term it. Cyrilo searle's realism was too much
for the audience when, as bloody Bill Sykes,
he slew unhappy Nancy (Rose Eytinge). The
audience exclaimed, "Oh !" "Oh!" when
Baker and Farron up peared, and many held
newspapers before their fucos and read while
Stuart Robson was con" L was informed
that bonires were lighted all over the country
when John Stevens left for home, his life only
being spared ON promise not to come again.
Fanny Davenport was outlawed by an
aristocratic bill poster whom CPrice) her
altar upon which the hopes ofpoor John McCul-
Tough were sacrificed. Lillian Russell failed,
and the vast, Her Majesty's theater," swal-
lowed the Haverly and his American profits.
! Also the cunning maze of American wit,
which was too good for English audiences.
Yes sir, they exalt their dislike of American
stars to the Lowell of dogmatism. 1t extends
from tho aristocratic patron to the lowest
dttdche of tho theater and the lord chamber
lain, who, when he heard an American play
was to be produced at first refused a license,
not because the conditions were not fulfilled,
but because it was American trash"
"a certain editor, after witnessing an
American play, characterized it as vulgar,
irreverent Americansm,' and advised his
friends not to sec it, Yet one week later
he asked to be given box for his wife and
daughters"
''What does all this imply?"
"I leave it to You to guess. We know what
we think, and we go on swallowing bad stuff
called dramas and actors sent over by them,
and persistontly wallow in toadyism. In this
toadyism Minister Lowell leads the van. He
is the first American minister in twenty-five
years to set aside tho honored American din.
|
Americans in London"
"Did he"
"Yes. In order to attend tho dinner given
on that day to Henry Irving, That dinner
was n consummate advertising dodge, cum
ningly devised by Irving, and patronized by
Lord Chief Justice Coleridge, and eaten by
our Lowell at an hour when he should have
been tackling American beef."
rs he fond of good dinners?"
"'He never misses meal Cf invited)
They have dubbed him there Yorkshire
pudding He is positive dude in manner
and appearance, wears his hair parted CEN
trally and fried and affects preference fol
English snobs and dudes"
"How do you like Irving"
"An ideal, melo dramatic actor, at times
ridiculous, but oftener sublime. A mys
tcrious man. He is regarded by the British
public as little less than demigod. 1t cannot
be denied that there is much that is great
and good in England. But it cannot be dc
MED that insular pride and prejudice prevails
there against American stars"
a"a
The measures of the dog catchcrs are thu,
described by volunteer small talker:
: "The dog catching outfit consists of hYC
persons the contractor, policeman, {
; driver, and two dog catchers The con
2 tractor and the policeman lead the process
, sion, riding in light road wagon. TheI
follows the dog prison on wheels, and right be
hind it are two colored boys with nets. TIL,
boys spy dog unadorued by a license tai
a and they go for the brute. They surrounC
the victim. throw their net owe
him, and drag him over tn
Q ground, rolling him up in th
a meshes as they go, the dog bowling terribly al
l the time. When he is secure one of the cap
, tors reaches in and seizes him behind tho ear
: The other catcher also takes grip on th
prisoners neck, and they jerk the yelling
snarling quadruped from his feet One thel
7 surrenders his hold on the neck and trans
!. fers it to the hind legs, and in that way tn
find is carried to the wagon, the wire doc
in tho rear is opened, and the dog thrown il
among from one to twenty other unfortunate'
to say nothing of stray geese, ducks, an
Il cats Tho inmates of the cage on wheel
3 make noise enough TO raise the seven sleeperi
u and the startled inhabitants Of neighborhood
: through which the procession passes turn on
in force. Men, women, and children, who's
unlicensed cars have fallen a prey to tn
i heartless dog catchers, fill the dir with curse
l. md lamentations Wherever YOU can fin