Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-14
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
Strange Faces Before the Foetlirb,.-A
Queer Cause for Adiposity-Tha, Rob,n,.
Death-The Evil Effects of wri,,,1 ,o

Strange Faces Before the Foe,n,h,.-A
Queer Cause for Adiposity-Tha, Rob,,,.
Death-The Evil Effects of wr,,,,1 ,o
Order-Mr. Pitou's Stock COMPANY.
| WHEN "The Old Homestead" is on the bills
| you will find people in the theater who
are never to be found there at any other time
This is not an advance agents story, but fact
that you may observe for yourself If you will.
On Monday night Mr.. Phelps, who is inter.
ested in the Grand Opera House, was sitting in
the foyer at the back of the parquet as he very
often does. watching the audience come in
Presently venerable looking gray haired man
accompanied by his family, approached Mr..
Phelps. They saluted each other, and the old
man said to Mr.. Phelps: This is the second
time in my life have been in theater."
This the truth no doubt, for the speaker was
man who is a Presbyterian of the strictest
old.fashioned sort, to whom the theater as an
institution is little better than an ante-chamber
to still warmer place. In the audience on
Monday night 1 saw several men, with their
wives and children, who certainly had reason
to feel the strangeness Of their surroundings.
Mild as THE Old Homestead" is, the sensations
produced by IL upon the non-theater-g goers in
the audience must be very lively. The man
who has to go to the theater constantly is in
clined to envy these regenerate persons.
A RoHIE BOYD, who plays Joshua, looks as il
he had been living the wholesome life of
New Hampshire farmer. instead of careering
around the country with troop of players. As
matter of fact, the part or the migratory
existence agrees with Mr.. Boyd to a remarkable
degree. He weighs some Is pounds more than
he did when he played Josh Whitcon,b here last
fall.
Strange to say the whole company, with a few
exceptions, has grown fatter and heavier dur
ing the season. Considering the friction, un-
rest and other adverse features of q theatrical
life on the road, this is curious TO say the least
Now that adiposity has come to be political
question and a national issue, as IL were, per-
haps some specialist will examine this phe-
nomenon and report.
A CORRESPONDENT suggests that the death
of the robin, mentioned in this column
several days ago, could not have been caused
by the electric Light wire. because the bird was
in the air and q circuit could not have been
formed. But It is quite possible that the bird
collided with two electric light wires, or with
one of them and a telephone wire, in either of
which case circuit would have been COM
pleted with fatal results. The electric light
wires are supposed to be insulated in sewickley,
but everyone who has used a telephone there
is worth.
No inquest was held upon the robin, so that
1t may be that the poor bird died from other
than electric causes. It is quite likely that
the bird few with great force against the wires
and Knocked the life out of itself as my CORE
spondent suggests. However it happened there
is a widowed bird sitting on a nest full of eggs
in an apple tree nearby, and it is q grievous
thing to hear her call for her mate early and
late in vain.
MR. HowELLs cannot keep up the pace he
A'A set himself in "A Hazard of New For
tunes" The conclusion of the story 1.-THE
Shadow of a Dream" in the May Harper is
painfully suggestive Of pot-boiling necessities
in the Howells household. 1t is the constant
danger Of writing by contract that such forced
efforts as "The Shadow Of a Dream" have to
be made. The supply of apparent equivalents
for cash have to be kept up. So it comes about
that an interesting and super-sensitive clergy
man is smashed against wall as if he were
cockroach. Mr. Howells shows not the least
compunction in solving delicate problem
with an old-fashioned crow-bar.
IT is Mr.. Augustus Pitou's idea to organize
stock company, so-called, which shall travel
through the land for the whole season. He has
begun already to engage actors, and he means
to get the best material from England as well
as America. With this select band Of artists
none of whom will be stars-a repertoire OF four
plays will be performed in each week stand.
The plays are to be new, three high legitimate
comedies and one farcical comedy.
The company is to be engaged for a three
year term, and will start upon the road at the
opening of the season of 1912 Mr.. Pitou in
60 IN, hoo