The Dickinson press., 1889-03-16
HOW A PLAY WAS BORN.
"A NOBLE SON" SEES THE LIGHT
IN a LUDLOW STREET CELL.

"Old Fol" lncarcsrated on Complaint of
Ills Wife Genius. Aided by Sol Berlin.
er's Wine and Woodcock. Scars Within
the Walls of q Dungeon.
A little fellow named Sol Berliner. who has
a l@iM'liant for theatrical management, has
long cherished the twin belief that the author
OF Our Boarding House" is the greatest liv-
III. American playwright and that John A.
MarHay is the greatest living American come
dan He felt that If he could ever bring
tn'sr two luminaries in conjunction and nave
t:"' 'lrtoi appear i'll a part created for him by
I s'tralliatist his fortune would he made. Der.
ih"r got Mackay and Grover together, ex.
'>sel his admiration of them, unfoldcd his
CARING project, and invited their joint co
operation on n partially cash basis There
were hens and ''haws,'' but finally his
plan was acceied to. and Grover, having re-
cr,ved q financial spur. promised to make
haste in sriting the proposed play
Old Eel in later life took to himself q wife.
Yes. and he is sorry for it. too No one has
asked him if marriage is a failure. His nm
swer is too apparent. Without going into
the story Of his conjugal troubles suffice it to
say that it is impossible for him to live with
this rather recent spouse. but she having in.
Nohcu LIE ulu VI luo law Llle EWluCSS OF IQO
scales, who, in this instance at least. should
not have been blindfolded. decided that if
Mrs. Grover ann DO the partner of
Ieonards bosom she shall be the partner of
his purse, which. more's the pity, is lean
enough for one. Whenever the dramatist
has mildly suggested the fact to the woman
who the law says shall ever be his burden
until death relieves him-the death of
either, of course-she Immediately claps him
IN Jail for noncompliance with tho laws
mandate, and not until Mrs Grover gets her
back dues is he released. Some time after
making the agreement with Berliner to write
q play for Mackay, the drnmatist was incar.
cerated in Ludlow street Jail on complaint of
his wife, that he had not obeyed the order of
the court commanding him to support her.
Berliner is said to be a rather kind hearted
fellow. but when hc read these lines bis eyes
glis,ened with the inspiration of q glorious
idea and he rubbed his hands gleefuly In a
few minutes he was in a coupe, and before
long he stood before Grover in his dungeon
cell
Tears of gratitude were in ''Old Fel's'' eyes
as he vigorously shook tho would be man.
ayers extende hand Il Know you would
be the first one here. Old Fell said poor
Grover BLESS your dear heNrt. I'll never
forget this-never, absolutely never. ahso.
lutely Settled the claim. too. ] know.
Nov. Old Eel, we'll hurry out of this cussed
hnI" and go somewhere to talk of that play
I'LL write it now at once, absolutely"
"Meester Grover" said Berliner. respect
fully but decisively. I've wait n little. | havca
proposition to make. Yoost for fun, We nave
brought in here a nice leetle lunch and a cold
Re wort of Mumm." Grover was in a hurry
L" get uway. but the a%llurements of the pro.
posed rcpast stillcd his impatience Tho
lunch. which was ordered at a swell resta,,-
rant ncar 10y. was charming and the wine de-
liriotiS Another tnttle kept the prosecuted
husband in his seat fol a while longer, and
finally when he arose to don his ovcrcoat,
Berliner quietly said 'Alccstcr Grover, dis
seems like u NICE, Eeviet place. Wy don't you
write dat play here ware no vun would dis
turb yout"
Grover stood aghast. Sol, my deah boy,
that is going too far even in a joke. too far,
absolutely
u vas not yoking." began T%crliner, calmly,
and then he proceeded to give uttcrarce to
his newly born idea He had not paid tho
claim against the prisoner. nor did lie, just
yet, propose doing so He wanted the dis.
tinSuished dramatist to remain in his cell
until lie had finished the play for which both
Brlliner and Mackay were waiting In re.
turn, he agreed to make u contract with tho
warden of the Jail to pay for any eliblcs and
any wine Grover might consume willie en-.
gagged III his confined literary labor, and fur
ttelmorc, to give him at its conclusion an
extra $3.50 III addition to tho p]rearranged
royalty
Old Eel" was SPECIFICS with Indignation.
Sir" he said, when he had found his voice,
/ Sd, gan, ,,,un. ,,,,,,, nm, h., .,I H.,
the -four walls OF Il dungconE DO you
lin.. .;ile tor an instant that my intellect could
sr.r Wien Ii has the cuiti:l. of u jail above it,
Sven the Prisoner of Cillilun, although he
was written of. could not have written with
surroundings such as these No. sir, | spuin
y"ur prolfcr Write a play in Jail, indeed
..rvci. sir. never absolutely" 1t took quito
ii time to coui his rage. but Bcrllner's iinper.
turi'able rcsoii.teness and another bottle Of
wine finally won the day Tho warden was
called in to witness the contract which was
then delivered to him, and when Berliner left
the prison Grover had a plentiful supply of
pens, ink and paper, and was beaming with
satisfaction and promises.
After waiting one week, fearing to earlier
disturb tho playwrights literary struggles,
Berliner called upon Grover in his Ludlow
street quarters. Through tho blue wrcaths
which curled from u Perfecto cigar he saw
him dinly On a table beside him was all
emptied champagne bottle and the skeleton
of a woodcock. Without taking his right
leg from its position above the mahogany,
the imprisoned dramatist sloutel jovially
Glad to SEQ you, old fel Come IL and Ill
send for another bottle 1t is delicious, | as
sure you, absolutely" After the bottle had
been brought and there had been some triv
lal conversation, Berliner tilmllly suggested
''lluw vas dat blay coming alongt"
"Oh, my deah boy. said Grover with al
airy wave of one hand, we mustn't tall
about that yet. You know this is an I'm.
precedented thing ! am doing This will liv.
giving life to the drama! 1t was never done
before. My genius. my deah boy. is unac
customcd to it. 1t refuses to he tramlnelco
in this way But argue with it, | chidt
it, | will, in time, subject ii. But not yet
not yet, absolutely"
How mooch have you wreeten, Mecstel
GroverF inquired Berliner, anxiously.
Not q line. my deah boy. uot a line, abso
lutely Don't you understand, old fel, IN,
genius is not yet accustomed to these environ
ments, but it will be in time."
Berliner FASTENED to see the warden. TIL
bill for wines and viands appalled, hin. "
withdraw from the contract. he said. ''Ther
is no limitation to it, said tho warden
calmly. ~ will provide MIR Grover witt
everything he wishes, in accordance wit
your written request, and will hold you re
sponsible for the bill"
"He viii stay hero forever mcaned Bel
liner, and | will be a ruined man. He wen
up o w and besought Mackay to plead wit
f his old friend. The comedian did SO, and nc
] In vain. | met him on his way to the jai
and, knowing Growers peculiarities, he wa
rather amused at Berliner's prcdicament
But Grover took his genius in hand, and soor
o in the gloom of the Ludlow street prison, y.
, Noble Som was born and its parent was n