Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-12
SAVING CHILDREN.
A PASSING GLIMPSE At GeRRy'S
GREAT SOCIETY.
How the Child Rcscuers Get Gallons 10
Scenes Of Suffering Ballard Smith and
the "Bsa t"-Dixey.

the "Bset"-Dixey.
fCorrespondence OF tho Richmond Dlspatch.l
New YORK, July 1l.-Assistant- Secretary
Knoll, OF the Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Children, has been engaged in
its work for more than dozen years. be-
ginning as agent in some of the toughest
quarters OF the city. Looking at hs
kindly face the other day WIS impelled
to ask if he did not get overweight some
times by scenes of suffering and cruelty.
No" he replied promptly, 1--WE get
used to it, After a little experience in this
life we become mercifully calloused. No
thing that could happen now in my sight
could bring the tears to my eyes. lshould
have seen so many things sinilSr. There
is q great sameness about the work of the
agents-a monotonv. little as you would
think it. The work runs in ruts and
grooves. audit isn't often that an agent had
so thrilling an experience as Mr.. - lad
yesterday"
Tell me about it," said.
It's q brief enough story. A poor
woman who has been seven years married
has six children and is soon 10 become the
mother OF another. was bundled out of
doors with all her brood by her husband,
young fellow of twenty-seven. The agents
went to put her back; the husband
wouldn't open the door and they broke 1t
H."
Mr.. Knoll stopped as If this were the end
Of the story. but | couldn't help wonder
ing what became of the woman and SIX
children after the protecting agents had
gone away.
We investigate six or seven hundred
cases every month";" SAID Mr.. Knoll, and
they are OF all imaginable kinds. starving.
beating, freezing, neglect. We have the
fullest appreciation of the public except
when we interfere in behalf OF little chill
dren employed on the stage. Then the
newspapers are apt to pound US. But
we're used to that.
II is curious fact. The New York pa
pers do make life burden for the socicty
when it interieres with the employment
of children on the stage, yet 1t would be
easy to prove that II does too little in this
respect rather than too much. i have never
yet seen child acting" who did not sug
gest the inevitable reflection that dramatic
art, as well "a the child's future, would be
the gamer by sending the young performer
to bed and to school next day.
One of the foremost actresses in America
was once discussing with ms this very
question with relation especially TO the in
FAINT phenomenon of that year. It's all
very we'll III appearance now" said she,
the child is well treated and taken care
of. But she ought to be going to school.
In few years she will be a woman, and an
ignorant one, less likely to become a great
actress than than if she had been kept off
the stage until maturity"
More power to Gerry's elbow!
BOHEMIAN DAYS.
was holding not long ago three mi
nutes business conversation with Ballard
smith tba aHItnr "a fha II o,I whom ms N
VINO sits in the outer Office TO sort the
sheep from the goats came IN, bearing "A
little folded note which he handed to tho
editor.
When / saw Mr.. Smith. while still read
ing the note, begin fumbling in his vest
pocket | knew the whole story az well as a
clairvoyant. The note was a piteous APP
peal for a loan " from an ex-JournalIst,
one who had been able and envied IN his
day. perhaps. Outside somewhere he was
standing, more than a little shabby, run
DOM Mt the heel. and dissipated in APP
pearance. his hand trembling. his eye cast
down. He was not old, this man on the
outside OF the door, and certainly not
Young; prematurely aged at forty-fve.
probably. All this | knew before Mr..
Smith spoke.
Il don't believe I have much change
with me to-day" he said after brIof OK
animation.
That's very lucky tor you, sir" said
Cerberqs with knowing little smile.
You'll never see it again"
"Oh. of course" said Mr. Smith. hastily
thrusting some bills in an envelope.
Here, tell him this il all | can spare"
and dismissing tho incident from his
mind he plunged into business again.
DO these things happen oiteni Yes and
no. More often than they ought, less Of
then than one might expect from the Bo-
hemianism that cursed the newspaper pro-
fession in the extravagant DAYS of its sud
den expansion during and after the war.
when all sorts OF people Were pressed into
sudden service. There are a few of the old
Bohemians floating about unable 10 work
much, selling STORY" once in awhile,
but living mostly on charity. They are
short lived. They drop off rapidly. and
over the grave of each might be written:
Drink Killed Him"
The successful newspapor-man of to-day
il almost invariably as 8bstemIous, as gen
tlemanly III bearing, rs correct III his per-
sonal bearing, as little erratic IN his habits
of mind or action as the average bank
clerk. He is In no sense q bohemian as
that word Is understood. If there is any
popular mlscOnceptlon on this point il
must date back to the old days when
things were very different.
pIxEY's NEW DEPARTURE.
No subject Is more busily talked about
in New York than Henry +. Dixey's new
departure. AS shown in his determination
to appear next season in legitimate comedy.
Mr. Frohman has undoubtedly secured q
valuable actor for his stock company and
for The Solicitor and an equally valua-
BILE amount of advertising. Doubtless we
shall all be reminded presently that Oscar
Wilde wished Dixey to be - wave of the
sea so that he might always be dancing"
that his "Adonis" ran so and so many
nights without stopping, and all that, TO
give us proper idea of the magnitude
of NJ. Dixey's sacrifice III giving up star
ring.
Yet il is a shrewd move. The business
for travelling stars isn't what II was before
the interstate commerce law made travel
ling expenses so heavy. and that law bears
especially heavy upon companies carrying
a considerable amount of scenery and en-
ploying q large number or people. The
past season witnessed tho death on the
road of more travelling companies than
in any previous season of disaster.
Dixeys "Seven Ages" has not been
as great financial success as
"Adonls," and on the whole he is probably
wise in becoming n stock actor. Many a
star whose name is in big type on the play
bills. but who finds it not easy TO induce
the ghost to walk regularly envies the
quieter or more solid success OF the men,
bers of Days or Frohman's or Palmer's
company of clever actors.
And no one needs to be told that q return
to the old stock company system will be a
great thing for dramatic art. There are a
good many people in New York who
mourn for Wallack's vanished clories still.
The DECLINE OF WOOD ENGRAVING.
Have you ever noticed that the ilustra-
tons in tie great magazines are falling off
in point of quality! I'm sure | haven't.
and yet couple of artists whom | heard
discussing the subject were quite sure
of IT.
Eight or nine years ago. one OF them
SAID, the other asserting, when the maya
zines were struggling to gain the enor-
nous circulations they now enjoy. they
spared no expense of money. pains, or
ingenuity to get the very best talent
enlisted in the service and to Sc
cure as much variety as possible. The
result was q marvellous awakening in
the illustrative art. Now, the magazines
have attained their object and are making
money fast. In the matter of pictures
they have fallen into rut. Their pictures
are sometimes as fine but lack variety.
being done by staff artists for greater case