Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-28
IRISH PLAYS.
With Few Exceptions They Are the
 Best.Paying of Dramas.

With Few Exceptions They Are the
 Best-Paying Of Dramas.
 New York Letter to Philadelphia Inquirer.l
 One of the most striking features of the oontemporaneous drama is the enormous money making powers of Irish plays.
 They always possess @ certain amount of popularity, but it is only within recent years that they have transformed very humble actors into wealthy men and in some cases into millionaires. It Is less than two years since Barry and Fay were sgged in tho Broad street theatre in Philadelphia for producing "Irish Aristocraoy," and yet now, with that play and "McKennas Filtration" and "Mul- doon's Picnic" in their repertoire, they have requests for engagements fox three years to come. Although they played almost the entire season in Harrigan's old home, the New Park theatre, they have already been summoned back to Now York and will ap- pear next week in the Windsor theatre. They are absolutely coining money and their manager, William Dunlevy, who has an in" terest in their plays, and who little mora than year ago was struggling newspaper man, Is already rolling in wealth. It is odd how the auildriver takes kindly to stage management, of which we have numerous
 
 down. Dunlevy, besides managing Barry and Fay, has also been made the resi- dent manager of the New Park theatre, which is nightly filled with roaring crowd laughing at the wondrously clever comedy work of Frank Daniels in "Little Puck" !" There, by the way, in a box one night this week, saw Joe Emmes, who furnishes ono of the strongest Illustrations of what have said about the boom in the Irish drama. While Ina Eref rainad farna Fritz (3ar- man character, of course, he soon recognized the wisdom ot catering to that large portion of the amusement going public who were born in Ireland or are descendants of Irish people, and 50 it was through the play of ''Fritz in Ireland"that he amassed @ fortune. What career his has beeni His public life began as player on snare drum in old first dancing in public which he did was in St. Louis gin mill, where he was paid $10 week. To-day, notwithstanding his periodic sprees, he is unquestionably the richest actor in America, his wealth being estimated at not less than $2,0o0,000. His home In Albany, which is hnSwn as Elm nets castle, is said to have cost him $25o,- 900, and there he has @ collection of dogs for which he paid s20, ,00O. The reason why him the faith of theatre managers is be- cause when he does not appear to make rule to not only turn into the theatre treasury the expenses of the house, whether it be for 6 day or week, but, in addition, every penny of the largest possible prospective profits. When he was taken to Bleomingaale asylum on the occasion of his latest and most pro- tracted debauch, and his life probably saved by the care and attention of his wife, he gave that good woman. who is thoroughly devoted to him, peace offering in the shape of $750,000 in United States bonds. His popularity has not yet begun to wane. His last engagement in Boston, in the aesthetic Hub. which ended, think week before last, was the second largest theatrical engage ment, in point of financial return, which was ever had in that city. And as he sat in the box at the New Park theatre and witnessed tho comicalities of Daniels, he laughed and doubled up and ciapped his hands like boy l at his first play. After two years' absti- 1 hence he is now again on the rampage, and havc-s sen closed.
 Then there is young William J. Soanlon. From singing Irish songs in variety show he has become star of great refulgenoe and, with the aid of his business-like wife, many purses are required to hold the coin which be calls his own.
 And Joseph Murphy, too, with his peren- nial ''Kerry Cow" He is getting along in years. but by the aid of an Irish play and @ close -fstedness which is not usual in the Irish character, he is gently sliding doyn the hill of life with nearly cool million bulging in his pockets.