Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-02-13
DRAMATIC REPORTER.
PECULIAR BRANCH or NEWSPAPER
SERVICE IN VOGUE m NEW YORK.
Not n Critic but a Gossip Gatherer--Coi.
Mapleson ns n Press Agent-An
AmuSinG story or Edwin Booth.

young men went to eighteen theaterS
in one evening and saw something of
the play at each one. If these young
men had been in the newspaper BUSH
ness they would scarcely have thought
of their performance rs 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 in 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 If an
actor falls dead on the stage. the critic
may mention the fact, hut it is he
duty of the dramatic reporter. if the
accident happens in thcater. or the
musical reporter. if it is in opera house
or n concert hall, to find out all about
it aud treat it accordingly.
believe that Mr.. Leander Richard
sou. now the editor of one of our dra-
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 reporter on the
Times, when, ten or fifteen years ago,
be began to make daily notes of what
this or that actor or actress had told
him. He was acquainted with many
professional people who were only too
glad TO see their names in print. Rich
ardson did his work so well that the
place OF theatrical reporter was created
for him on tho Times. and for several
years his duties consisted in visiting as
many theaters as he 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 elope. he knew it before she did and
told the readers of his paper all about
It. Managers have told me that they
often looked among Richardson's notes
to find out what was going on in their
own companies.
One night last winter l was told by
clever and pleasant young fellow
who had for two years held the place
Of dramatic reporter for one of our inn
portant 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 New York man
ager who would require no travelling
from his agent and would pay him $50
week, with "A vacation of month in
In summer. His duty would be TO get
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 eye aud lind their way into
print but it is well-known fact
that fluent writer with knack for
dressing mp little bits of news or Cos
sip for print Is as rare as he is indis-
pensable In every large theater. 1t is
the duty OF this man to know that the
chorus girls stockings were changed
10 match tho prima donna's hair aud
tn put this fact in such shape that it
will lind its way into print as an anus
ing item.
The famous Col. Mapleson. once
commander of Her Majestys operate
forces. who made great deal of mon
ey by giving Italian OPP a in this coun-
try, was his own press agent. and
most efficient one. Mapleson used TO
say that he got more free advertising
Ia week than other managers got in
month, simply because the reporters
knew that he was always ready for
them with some tale worth printing.
He kept special notebook devoted
10 such stories or anecdotes as might
look we'll in print. If there was y
squabble in his company, he was the
first to send word down to the news
paper offices. with request than the
reporter should call upon him. He
reveled In squabbles, and have more
than half an idea that some of the
furious feuhs between members OF his
company were organized by the gall
liant Colonel in order that the newspa-
pers might find pretext for devoting
u few columns to his affairs. He used
to tell the critics that he liked abuse.
provided that there we're columns of it;
he could stand anything but silence
upon tho part Of the press. When his
prima donna had her diamonds stolen.
which happened every season, he had
no end of "reminiscences about such
misfortunes, and he was always more
than willing TO tell the reporters all
about the affair. incidentally mention-
Ing the fact that the opera house was
always crowded, and the performa Noes
under Col. Mapleson's direction the
best tbat America had ever seen.
Mapleson was remarkable press
agent. but be was too extravagant to
succeed as a manager. He made
clear profit OF about $4,000 a year
during the six or eight years Of his
prosperity here. but he spent $25 0O0
As man, he never knew what it was
10 no down-hearted. No matter how
desperate were his straits. he found
means to drink champagne at dinner
every day and to wear January rose
in his button-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 ont OF
Baker. aud it made capital nnecdote
for ever paper ia the towns where
Edwin Booth Is to play this season.
Booth took It into his head in Roches-
ter one day that he would drop the
Mr. before his name on the blay-bllls,
and sent Baker to the printers to make
IA ssip,r,la Edwin Booth vherever his