New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-29
THE GASMEN ARE ARTISTS.
HENRY IRvING'S ASSISTANTS ALLOWED ~
LAND
local GASFITTERS AND CALCIUM MEN "iNH
EXPERT TESTIMONY or TIE DRAMA
AND MR.. IRVING'S ACTING.

AND Mr.. IRNING'S ACTING.
Let no one make light of the calcium men. Inc
manipulation of the cylinders and lime cahuie pe-
came artists yesterday. They are now on a P",,'
with those who ply the brush with bristhhs P''u'
and with those who carve shape out OF maioie '''i
marble out OF shape. They ought 70 nav 90
TO make a living Yesterday the gas enShiee' an
the calcium-ight Of the 1rvingTerry co'''l'"'
who had been detained at Ellis Island as contract
,torors ,ore released on the ground that they were
artists The company arrived here SATURDAY ""
the American Line steamer New ofN go
Bggs. the head Gasman and Nhli'h
ton james Alexander and George Powell nv "a,
cum-licht operators. were not permitted 20 '"' -
the immigration authorities, who alleged th't ','c
four men we're brought here In violation Va ''''
Contrac. Labor law. so the aesthetic gas eis'r,vu ,
and the calcum-light tenders were taken !" i
Island and put in the detention pen WIFI HMM
grants who knew naueht Of art.
Chief Contract Labor Inspector QuhFh '',' W.
mon taken away when ne saw them WIN ue
Vandals Huns and Poles. and gave I" u''" Wv
use Of a separate room. The men woud no' "a,
food such as il given to detained immigrants anu
Mr. Quinlan permitted them to 30 to IN" r'H.'"
rant They also had the liberty OF the islAh'.
terday the immigration authorities dec'd'u ''''
the men must be back as contract 'apor'i"'
Rram Stokcr Mr.. Irvings manager. server h"''
upon Acting Commissioner Sweeney that h" wo"'n
anpeal che case to Washington. 'hiei 'oH''i''
Labor Inspector Quinlan In view OF inc I"'' .'''
the Irving-Tcrry company had mae pi'P"'
TO leave town in the evening offered TO fe"l'" INV
case The appoal was withdrawn and a publc r.
hearing held.
rho Immigration authorities were represented ny
rio Ruebensanlen 4 cochran. and the counsel Tor
Mr. Irving was I. VI. Dittenh"efer iheh 'h' '
of inquiry listened to dissertation upon "'' w
prominent gasiittcrs and calcium-liGh' mon
| There was the gentleman Of artistic temp''"'''"
/ I.Op
| ,bore was the man who once played the calcium
lrht 10 the Matthias Of Henry Irving. ana inc
/ eminent artist who designed the bunch lights lor
/ Harrigan's Theatre.
Now" asked Inspector Hays Of John Mc'iowan
| the gasdtter ''do YOU think that calciim-hgh'
man is skilled a person that he Is An INNS
| pensablc adjunct to a company oi artiSts+
.No cir " answered the gasAtter Il don; think
nothing Of the sort 80 need to bring those chaps
from England tell YOU that American cal
ciun man can give cards and spades TO all OF
! them"
"pcrhnns YOU think that the whole company
with the exception Of Mr.. Irving should BE- kept
| out" said the nspccto".
Course" responded the gashtter. Lots Of good
actors walking up and down broadway on their
uppers this summer. Good Americans too. spend
/ their dough here too when they have IT.
Then do you think that Mr.. Irving is such an
artist that he should he admitted?'
why, have had men who wcr" better ACTOR"
than he ever dared Le. There WIZ Booth ana Bar
rctt."
"You saw Mr. Irving act. you said Now, do
you think that his success was largely due to the
artistic use OF calcium lights? To what do YOU
attribute his success as an actor
"Oh. Irving struck luck He Is felow Win
| the eif, of CAB. That goes "A long way with man
| as is actor.
After the calcium symphonies and IN" COM
! posers q gasghi sonHtas had testified. Iran
Stoker explained the position Of Mr. Irving In the
| matter. He. said that the fou- men w'r" not
| ordinary cacIum-ligh operators such as are ON
! ployed In this country for dollar or 50 a per
1 formancc but that they were artists VINO had
been carefully trained In the scenic art by Mr. lrv-
| ing himself. He said that tho mcr had been with
/ Mr. Irving for fifteen years. and that
n. y understand ever. dog-o- of HIGHT and SHADE"
Mr. Stoker told of the long scenic r"hearsals con-
/ Quoted by these under NJ. lfNings personal
direction. ard when thcr" was not single actor
on the stage He spoke OF how wei th"s" men
Understood how 10 ADAPT every Hight 80 the move
mcnts Of the actor. OF how we'll they could cal
culatc his stride and Of how closely thcy followed
his lines. The manager said that ~ would De- i'm
rossibe TO give "A thoroughly artistic IeTfOrInant"
and one which would bc satisfactory TO Mr. Irving
without the aid Of these trained men lie SAID that
the ala not themselves perform the labor ~ ma
work OF theatrical mechanics who w'uid De ON
plovcd here. He said that Mr. Biggs received q
! salary Of 50 Il week and the other men from 5"
The calcium mon testified that any man could
learn how To- handle calcium light IN an hour,
and that there nothing artistic about "a" work
Mr Irving's men. The lryng-Terry company -
now on It's way to San Francisco.