The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-26

ences then were not of the refined classes.
He gathered them from low life on the east
side of New York city Yet in his very
first sketch-that in which he depicted a
well known living character engaged in a
target shoot parade-Mr Harrigan proba-
bly, touched as high degree of art as ne
has in any of his subsequent plays. He
has since then written some twenty five or
thirty plays, and every one of those which
dealt with life in New York city has en-
a success, whereas when he ventured into
melodrama, or took his scenes and charac-
tiers from life in other parts, he has, with
one exception, failed.
Mr.. Harrigan is native of New York,
and passed his boyhoOd amid the quaint
end picturesque scenes to be found on the
river front on the east side of the city. He
had the gift of humOr and the power Of
mimicry, but he had no thought of becom-
ing an actor, much less playwright, until
long after. In the early seventies when be
was twenty-four or twenty five years of age
be wrote the little sketch called THE Null
hgan Guards" The literary work amount
ed to nothing, but the stage picture was
perfect, and there were good many who
came down from Murray Hill, almost on
the sly, TO witness the performance in the
rather obscure theater where it was given.
That success suggested to Mr.. Harrigan
his vocation. He became student Of life
in New York city. He was to be met
prowling around queer corners late at
night. He did not hesitate to 60 into al
most disreputable places to study life as he
saw it there. he would catch and corner
odd characters and chat with them, and
fran11aDflv he bac hpnuhr fHa Ciot bSC
persons wore, and gave them in exchange
a nice outfit from the clothing shops.
Armed with material of this sort. Mr. Har-
rigan would spend the greater part of the
day in writing his plays He followed no
model; he studied 40 plays Of those dram
atists who had won success; he was his
own master and teacher He had a sort
Of glass covered room added to bis house,
and there be was always TO be found dur
ing the daytime, puZ1ling over his plots,
fitting his characters 70 the situations and
the story, and using vast quantities Of
foolscap paper iu the work. His theory
was that a successful play, at least OF the
sort he had TO write, appealed more 70 the
eye than to the ear.
The com position Of play, or as he calls
it, the manufacture of enc, was most Ia
bOrious underta Eing for him. His expert
ence as an actor and stage manager was
great help TO him. and he is inchaed 70
think that he owes much OF his success
20 his knowledge OF stage craft. That,
however, does not explain bis talent. mol
the unconscious art with which be seized
upon salient and familiar features OF low
life in New York and presented them 70
public view II Is this art which Dir How
els sdmires. and be has sncs before be.
slowed upon il very high praise.
Before Mr. Eowells, however, made pao
lie his admiration, and bestowed uDon Mr.
Harrizaa the great homer and dignity Of
ais Communication, a public n New YsEk
had given 20 nina this tribute. From q
little aud hardly rsspectaols thester-shst
is, respectable IN its sErro2EdirE s-faI
down town, Mr.. H2rrigsa was gradually
forced farther snd farther up town. anti
new ns has suils ard owns . shsatsr iu /
TIE heart Of sEsstosTstta New York His
Ausiescss contain pesSle Of zee higasst So /
cial res pests5ilIty. S1eh men as CGauacsy
NJ Depew, Cornelius Vanderbilt ex- Mayor 1
Grace, William Waldorf AssoT and eshsn 1
whose names are frsausHtly mentioned f. 1
social chronicles are 20 be found thsrs 4
With tksir families. Psrseas Of ealtiva- 4
tlon- learned Een, 20 % Sc hAEEgAz sD1 .
his plays. and they aEe n the pictzEss I
which &c puts nefoFe them re&liAf1e sp@o 1
tAcle Of quantity humorous ard dskciooslJ 4
picturesque BIS q ior its IN View fsrk
Thus Mr.. EGTfg2n, 81 being true 20 Eis
talent kks wen a tare vhIeh nsa Wis 4
have lad far greater early Advantages
,Esz &c have soaEht for IN vain Aud. As
BE = ssiN a yaEug MAJ ne Is hk.ly -
become ere ~ tie richest q Ansricxa
Acssrs xzo dramatic s1sheEA TINS SUD
ner he u IL The Assrs=aackE, and, shils
lie 6sRs. Hrtis for re-rcAsisz. ne /. Ur5s-
zsEg ire vast amount - notes Which bs
sSok iRss w4Es@r "a rs wAzdsr7Rgs zroznd
ths c1Ey, :SF \ new realistic pgsy * Neg
Yo-k afE - y kzgAszsA a