Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-25
OUR MAIL POUCH.
A Reform Temporarily Checked.

To the Editor OF The Dispatch;
At little wayside station have pur-
chased a copy of your generous sunday
edition of THE PIrrsBURG DISPATCH ana
read in it with much interest and some sud-
den wonder that the impression is swelling
in Pittsburg that 1 am "humouy-" am
sorry for this Is the impression general
and shared by all the cultivated citizens OF
Pittsburg or is it merely the expression OF an
individual opinion? When l was recently
with you and enjoyed the honor of appear
ing to overfiowing houses, before audiences
which seemed to me as cultured, as we'll
hammered and certainly as generous as those
of any English city, their very presence and
their applause led me TO believe that hao
succeeded in winning their approval ana
perhaps some tiny place in their aHectons.
And now that my back is turned ''the i'm
preston is swelling in Pittsburg that am
humbug." should like to have this swell
ing stopped and at once, for 1 do not believe
there is any cause for it. | understand that
it is the result of n paragraph in puohca-
tion called the Dramatic NelOs, which accuses
me of announcing the intention OF doing
away entirely with wall advertisements
and then not carrying out my scheme.
If we in this world could at once carry out
all our good intentions it would be very
beautiful place to live in. and even Pitts
burg would be greatly improved. You, Sir,
in your distinguished career, have no doubt
made many good resolutions and done your
best and your hardest to stick to tfem, and
also, no doubt, you have run headlong
against obstacles and the brickwalls OF
ignorance and bigntry, which have switched
you off or knocked your ideal schemes into
the pulverized impossible
The work of radically changing the meth
DDS of theatrical advertising cannot be
effected in day. The contracts 1 have
made for the present tour were signed II
months ago, and they contain very definite
directions and demands on the part of the
managers in whose theaters l have to ap-
pear. As yet, in no single instance have
these managers agreed to do without the
large amount of colored posters and flaming
advertisements their contracts call for, and
am not wealthy enough to go to lay with
them all. l must carry out my present con-
tracts, and these contracts are based upon
the old principles of theatrical advertise
ment- 1 think every sensible person Will
understand my explanation.
In am none tine less determined to adhere
to my resolution as soon as it can be practi-
cably carried into effect, and / am as GER
tain as ever that no theatrical venture lin
which q circus is snotincluded) benefits by the
money that is plastered upon the walls and
boardings of city. The people of this coun-
ple-probaDly the best educated people in
the world-the journals of this country are
the largest and the most enterprisfng Of the
world, there is, (no direct contrast to an
English audience, probably not one creature
visiting theater who cannot read and who
does not read these journals, and these
journals are therefore fhe only proper and
poses and plans of the serious actor.
have, sir, the honor to remain, yours very
obedient servant, RICHARD MANsFIELD.
EN- ROUTE, January "a.