Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-01-17
DRAMATIC REPORTER.
PECULIAR BRANCH or NEWSPAPER
SERVICE m VOGUE M NEW YORK.
Not Critic but Gossip Gatherer-Col.
Maple 0on as Press Agent-An
Amusing story Of Edwin Booth.

AOubH men went 70 El4uLtEu tNeALGr-
in one evening aud saw something d
the play at each one. II tpse young
men bad been in the newspaper busi-
ness they would scarcely have thought
of their performance as feat to boast
Of, for the same thing is done every
evening by the representative Of each
OF our large newspapers. and the re-
porter who makes the round OF the
theaters not only looks 10 at the house.
but often interviews the manager and
sometimes one or two Of the players.
The critics, both musical and dra-
matte, have nothing to DO with the
news Of the amusement world II an
actor falls dead on the stage. the critic
may mention the fact, bat it is the
duty Of the dramatic reporter. it the
accident happens in tbeater or the
musical reporter if it is in opera house
or a concert hall, to find out all about
II and treat il accordingly.
believe that Mr. Leauder Richard
son, now the editor Of one Of our dya-
matte journals, was originally respon-
sible for extending the field Of dra-
matte journalism so that it might take
in everything, from the details of the
stars private life, down to the color OF
the chorus girls stockings. Richard
son was employed as a reporter on the
3iHgS, when, ten or fifteen wears ago,
he began to make daily notes Of what
this or that actor or actress had told
him. He was acquainted with many
professional people who we're only too
glad to see their names iu print. Rich
ardson did his work so well that the
place If theatrical reporter was created
for hi ~ on the Times, and for several
years his duties consisted ia visiting as
many theaters as lac could every even
ing, and following up every bit Of Cos
sip about theatrical people If Miss
Lillian Russell had made up her mind
to elopo, he knew il before She did.and
told the readers of his paper all about
1t. Managers nave told me that they
often looked among Richardson's notes
to fnd out what was going on in their
own companies
One night last winter | was told by
clever and pleasant young fellow
who had for two years held the place
Of dramatic reporter for one of Our im-
pOrtaut papers, that in his rounds that
evening he had received no less than
three offers to join theatrical com
panies as their press agent. One of
the offers came from "a New York man
ager who would require no travelling
from his agent and would pay him so
a week. with "a vacation of "a month in
I'm summer His duty would be TO ret
all the free advertising for his employ
er that he could manage, 1t may seem
strange that manager and his clerks
can not write what are known as press
notices so that they will suit the ed
itorial eve and tnd their way into
print ut it is n well-kuown fact
that a lent writer with a kuack for
dressing up little bits of news or Cos
sip for print is as rare rs he is iudis-
pensable in every large theater. IL is
the duty Of this man To know that the
chorus girls stockings were changed
to match the prima donnas ham and
10 put this fact In such shape that it
win find its way into print as an anus
ing item.
The famous Col. Mapleson. once
commander of Her Majcsty's operate
forces, who made a great deal OF mon
ey by giving Italian opera ia this couu-
try, was his own press agent, and q
most efficient one. Mapleson used tc
say that he rot more free advertising
in a week than other managers got IN
month, simply because the reporters
knew that he was always ready for
them with some tale worth printing,
lie kept a special notebook devoted
TO such stories or anecdotes rs might
look we'll in print II there was a
squabhlc in his company, be was the
first TO send word down to the news
paper offices. with request that the
reporter should call upon him. He
reveed i'm squabbles, and | have more
than half an idea that some OF the
furious feuds between members OF his
company were organized by the gall
liant Colonel ia order that the newspa-
pers might lind a preteNt for devotlng
few columns 10 his affairs. lie used
to tell the critics that he liked abuse,
provided that there were columns OF IT;
he could stand anything but silence
upon the part of the press. When his
prima donna had her diamonds stolen,
which happened every season, he had
no end Of "reminiscences about such
mislortuues. aud he was always more
than willing to tell the reporters all
about the affair incidentally mention
inc the fact that the opera house was
always crowded, aud the performances
under Col, Maploson's direction the
best that America had ever seen.
Maplesou was remarkable press
agent, but tie was too sxtravagant 70
succeed rs a manager He made a
clear profit of about $4,000 a year
during the six or eight years OF his
prosperity here. but he spent So. 600.
As man. he never knew what it was
TO be doNn-heayted. No matter how
desperate were his straits he found
means to drink champagne az dinner
every day aud - wear January rose
in his buttou.hole.
For instance. that story that old
Ben Baker used to tell about Edwin
Booth being billed all over Rochester
AS Simple Edwin Booth, | drew out Of
Baker, aud IL made capital anecdote
for ever paper in the towns where
Edwin Booth j. to play this season.
Booth t0o& It into his head ia Rocaes-
ten one lay that he would drop the
Mr.. before his name on the blay-Gilis.