Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-15
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
How n Modern Nfelodrama Was Born-The
New Terrors OF the Cable-Weaiher
Bad for Sleighing and Good for lee

Bad for Sleighing and Good for lee
men.
IT is seldom that you run across a man who
stands success as well as Joseph Arthur does
The author Of 1.-THE Still Alarm" has already
made a reasonably large fortune out of the
play, and he certainly can look for many more
thousands of dollars from it before its potency
is gone, but he wears a hat of the same size he
wore when be was still knocking at the door of
fortune few years ago.
Just now you may see good deal Of Mr..
Arthur if you will by dropping into the Bijou
Theater any evening. A man rather above the
middle height, dressed handsomely and inva-
riably plug-hatted, with perhaps flower in
his buttonhole, but nevertheless an approach.
able, atfable fellow, with lots of good sense and
good humor. is Joseph Arthur.
THE way Mr.. Arthur came to write 1.-THE
Still Alarm" has often been discussed, and l
myself remember being told some months ago
by very sharp young man that this stirring
fire engine scene was not Joseph Arthur's at
all, but a theft from an older melodrama. But
on this point now have certain knowledge.
1.-THE Still Alarm" is indigenous to Ohio. 1t is
Cincinnattian from its very inception. Two
years ago Joseph Arthur was a guest of the
Palace Hotel in that city, and occupied room
just over the word hotel in the big gilded
sign on the Sixth street side. He spent three
weeks therein, most of the time closely con-
fined to it by illness. Reflection and sick ped
homilies were his principal diet. He often
wondered what the unseen future had in store
for him, the weather being hot. The big alarm
bell on the Gift Engine House." opposite,
doomed in his ear regularly four times within
A1,N e 49, 49,
turnout and hitchup' practice. Then he
would jump from his bed to watch the ami
mated picture of trained horses dashing out of
their stalls, the automatic dropping of the har-
ness, the men sliding down brass poles, and
then the rush and roar of the departure.
One night, the idea struck him like shot.
What scene for a play! 1t fairly hypnotized
him. 1t became his constant companion. He
began next day to write First he made his
own drawing of the scene. Then he prepared
models and sent them to Mum & Co., of the
Scientific american, who applied to the Patent
office for confirmation of Mr.. Arthur's sole
right thereto as an invention. It took a year to
do it; but the patent was granted in full, there
by establishing precedent, as it is the only
stage scene that has ever been granted patent
In its entirety. He next formulated his plot,
studied out his situations, created his charac-
These are the lines upon which-in Mr.. Ar
thurs opinion-all successful plays are written.
He also looked well after the very essential at
tributes suspense" and surprise" two of the
most valuable agents In dramatic construction
But he did not attempt fine writing.
DURING the progress of the work he often
ran across to the fire engine house to get
points from the boys on watch and they all
Rnar 4o1I
haunted the place day and night. He con-
ceived Jack Manley' with a view to SYM
bolize in him all the dignity, nobleness and ro-
manticism of the character of the modern fire.
laddie. At first he named his play "The
Plebeian" and had progressed as far as Cor
mon, the villain of the piece, who, for obvious
reasons, he 'caused to segregate the wires"
But before he took this license he visited the
"Gifts'' again and asked them if that interest
ing act could be performed without inter-
ruption.
"Oh, yes, many times the room is deserted"
was the reply. But, said Mr.. Arthur, Suppose
your wires got out of order, how could you get
an alarm?' Why then, we might get "Still
Alarm" was the answer.
"What is a still alarm?" inquired the author.
"a verbal or telephone call to fire."
"Then," said Arthur, "'The Still Alarm
shall be the title to my play" and straightway
went forth and copyrighted that title and
affixed it to his manuscript with the produc-
tion of the play.
THERE is peculiar fact in connection with
1.-THE Still Alarm" that has not yet been told,
and which would seem to smash once more the
traditional IL superstition. There are Just 13
letters in the title THE Still Alarm, l3 letters
in the authors name, Joseph A. Arthur, 13
people exactly in the caste, 1t ran 13 weeks in
New York City and just 13 weeks at the Prin-
cess Theater London, and closed there on
October 13 and reopened in this country No
vember l3.
PERHAPS you've noticed how few accidents
when first the cable cars began to
run in this city. and how frequent they are be-
coming now. The reason for this is probably
to be found in the fact that people have become
used to seeing the cars on the streets and do
not feel the same wholesome dread of them
they inspired at first. Familiarity has bred
carelessness, if not exactly contempt. in this
case. At the same time, with the multiplica-
tion of cable lines, it certainly will become
for slower speed than is now the rule
with the cars at crowded crossings down town.
On several occasions lately have noticed
cars on the Citizens line arriving at the inter-
section of Liberty and Sixth and Market streets
at dangerously rapid gait. Pedestrians who
cross on the lower street have to keep their
eyes open for the Allegheny horse cars, the
cable cars, ordinary vehicle traffic and an occa-
sonal locomotive and the spot is full of perils
even to the most careful.
ONE of the greatest aggravations in the win.
ter weather we have been having lately is that,
with dry and only moderately cold days and
nights, with a splendid moon and tolerably
clear Skies there has Only been enough snow tn Il