The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28
" ALABAMA'S" AUTHOR.
AUGUSTUS THOMAS TELLS THE
SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS.

A0Ss OASusAS AtS Own heWdrO-Th9
Mind Picture Around Which the
Beautiful Romance of Alabama"
Wes Built Up.
From the Ne1 York Advertiser.
There must be few of the many thou
sands who have witnessed the beautiful
play Of Alabama" who do not feel Curl
osity TO know something Of the man whose
clever brain evolved it, and the following
chat with Augustus Thomas is therefore
calculated to be Of interest. Although
"Alabama" is the first great
success which Augustus Thomas
has scored as a playwright, it does
not mean that it is simply lucky hit, or
that its success is due to any sudden freak Of
fortune or any adventitious circumstances.
1t is the result of conscientious hard work
on the part OF a man who has for many
years studied the making of plays as a pro-
fession, and who, before the production Of
this notable work. had acquired thorough
technical and praceica knowledge of his
chosen calling. He wrote this play in three
weeks, finishing IL about the first of last
March, and little over a month later, short
enough time for the rehearsals and staging, it
was produced at Palmer's thsater. This
shows that it must have been accepted "on
sight" as one may say. Also, Mr.. Thomas
secured one of the largest royalties ever
paid for any American play, a circumstance
which proves that the veteran manager
MIR. Palmer, regarded the author as a
thoroughly equipped member of his pro-
fession, and not as an amateur In the maxi
ing Of plays. Some idea Of the real success
OF the play from a mere financial stand
point may be gathered from the fact that
Mr. Thomas royalties from the two COM
panies now playing it average $1,000 q
month.
Before being able, however, to produce a
play which could command immediate con-
sheraton and acceptance on such liberal
terms Mr. Thomas made many attempts and
as many failures. In 1888 he offered one Of
bis plays to she Madison Square manage
ment, and received in reply curt note from
Wesley Sisson that they ''had no time to
consider mere amateur efforts" Mr.. Thomas
would not be discouraged, however; in fact,
the rebuff administered by Mr.. Sisson only
simulated him to more earnest effort, aud
after a few years, as we see, Mr.. Palmer
has been glad to accept Mr.. Thomas as q
past master Of his profession, and to permit
him, practically, to fix his own terms For his
work.
Since the production OF alabama" Mr.
Thomas has written and has had accepted
L
liberal terms, 30 that one may fairly say
that bis struggles are ovor. and that be now
takes rank among the NEST successful play
wrights Of his time. Ii is gratifying to
note, too, that comparatively sudden good
fortune made no change Ia the man himself
He is just az simple In his ways, as unpre-
tentious in his manner, and puts on no
more style than he did years ago. he lie
staying at the Oriental, where he aud Mrs.
- -
the fifth floor. Their Surroundings, too,
have quiet air of unpretentlous comfort
There was only visible one evidence Of the
handsome return Mr.. Thomas industry Is
now bringing, and this was an architects
plan, pinned on the wall. of a summer home
at New Rochelle. which is to be finished for
thspby next spring.
Mr.. Thomas was writing at small desk,
grinding away, be oheerily said, at the
decentralization Of "Col Carter Of Carriers
Vile" What would the play be hke2
He eonld scarcely say YET In the story
there was only one woman, and this, Of
course, had to be rsmedied. He was simply
taking the central figure OF the story, and
weaving AROUND Il other figures and incl
dents which were suggested by it. That Of
Col. Carter was a magnificent character,
he said, enthusiastically. as he laid down
his pen and stood up 60 give himself
stretch.
The playwright is a ciean-faced, fair
skinned, young looking man, with frank
blue eyes and a ready smile, who stands
nearly feet, and is deep chested and we'll
proportional. he was born In st. Louis
some thirty-three years ago, al which
period bis father was a member of one of
the theatrical stock companies and was
playing leading business During the war
his father ran the st. Charles theeter, New
Orleans, with tom" Davy the father Of
Minnie Maddern; SO that the boy grew up
Ia the theatrical business. and by the time
he was is he had a little company OF bis
own, with which he played a small circuit
of towns near by. He was then a railroad
clerk, but after a year or SO at desk he
Joined the box office of Fope's theater in his
native town. In 1888, when he wss in his
25th year, he headed a company called
Dixor's Sketch Club, and was ON the road
for nearly a year. During that time he
played some of his own pisces, with varying
success
The following year he became newsps-
per reporter. Two years before this he had
suggested to the managing editor of the
Globe Democrat the feasibility of illus
trating current events in daily papers.
When he entered journalism pictures had
already begun to appear in tho daily papers,
and SO Mr.. Thomas pencil, as we'll as his
pen was turned to account in illustrating
his own stories He did some excellent
work as special correspondent in vario US
parts of the country, and the little sketches
which accompanied his articles attracted
some attention.
when did begin TO make skstches~ he
repeated when reminded of this part of his
past; ''well, don't remember when didn't
make sketches. My father was something
OF an artist, and is still proficient with his
pencil. l made the sketches of the scenes in
Alabama which were given with the pro-
gramme when it was first produced"
"Can you say the same about writing
plays, Mr.. Thomas"
Not exactly" he replied with smile I;
"but begun pretty early. When I was II
or 1s wrote Alone" aud played it with an
amateur company. don't know where it
Is now. / outgrew It, Then wrote The
Big Rise" which had romance growing
out of the usual June rise Of the Mississippi.
The night produced that the leading man
came on drunk, sat down on a rustic bench
and went to sleep. That settled It, never
put it on again. 1t is somewhere In my
trunk; way down at the bottom, l suppose
"'Edlthas Burglar an adaptation of
Mrs. Burne5t's little story, wrote in 1888.
sent it to the Madison Square Company.
stating that had played 1t with an ANA
teur company and it had been well re-
ceived. It was returned with a note fro N
Wesley Sisson, saying that they had no
time to consider such amateur efforts. Four