The sun., 1894-10-14
HERMAN'S METEORIC LIFE.
TINE DEAD PLAYWRIGHT MAD TWo
YEARS OF GREAT PROSPERITY.
Money Wa. ssowered Upon H,~ n. So.

Money was showered Upon His Hs Sps-,
lt EStrsvaEantIy, and Died In Co-psrs-
! tive Poverty snd Obscurity.
! Henry Herman. part author OF The Silver
| King who died the other day in London passed
lis last Gays in obscurity and poverty.
Ten years ago any dramatist in England
! would have esteemed II an honor 20 col
laborate with him. Henry. Arthur Jones
| would have been longer finding his way 10 the
| London stage had he not been associated with
the dead playwright; w. q. Willss poetic
measures were never better appreciated than In
connection with Hcrman's work. the first and
most notable melodrama written by George II.
Sims. 1.-THE Lights o. London" was pulled to-
gether" by Herman. and other less disting guIshed
writer's for the stage found collaboration with
him the road to success. Herman's literary
style was good, but in playwriting his ability
was most marked in devisinE plots and
making them workable " on the stage He
was especially clever In inventlng situations
and arranging them in such sequence as TO make
the interest OF a play cumulative. Like more
famous predecessor, no believed that success on
the stage lies in action. action, and again sc-
tom" and his co-workers found him merciless
with the blue pencil whenever he discovered
that an especially treasured bit OF fine writing
threatened TO hamper the onward march of the
story OF q drama. As consequence he quar-
relied with nearly every man associated with
him in authorship. His acrimonious oontro-
vcrsy with Henry Arthur Jones over "The SUI
YER King" sent them both into print.
Probably no one living except Jones and
Wilson Barrest knows all the facts in that case.
but this is as they are generally so-
copied: Jones, who was young com.
mcrcial traveller-he passed his forty-thlrd
birthday only last week k-somewhere about 1STa
brought little piece he had written, called "A
Clerical Error" to Herman, who was at thai
time Barrett's right-hand man at the Princeso's
Theatre. Herman put the manuscript into act
ing form and introduced II to the notice OF Bar.
rett, who Immediately accepted It. subsequently
Jones took TO Barrett the idea OF the play
which developed into THE Silver King"
Barrett liked II; hut as Jones was a novice in
dramatic work he recommended Herman asa
collaboration. Jones accepted him. Herman put
the play into practicable shape, and :" The Silver
King" as produced at the Princess's. was the
result Of their joint labors, aided by suggestions
from Barrett. There seems doubt that the
main story and characterization OF the play arc
Jones's; but Herman dramatized his work-that
Ia, he arranged the situations in the most effec-
tive form, brought out and strengthened the
dramatic incidents, and hastened the action.
Furthermore there Is good reason TO believe
that he suggested the choroforming scene,
which ia the pivot of the plot
Herman born OF Hebrew parentage in
Alsare, ana retained n marked accent. more
German than French He spent some time in
military college, and also studied medicine in
his native country: but his education was COM
pleted in the United States At the outbreak of
the war he was part proprietor of a newspaper
in New Orleans. He was one of the first voluns
teers to enter the Confederate army from tho
Crescent City, and as q commissioned officer
fought gallantly through the war, los
ing an eye and suffering several other
found himself penniless. He went to Europe
and settled in London, where he earned scarcelv
more than bare living by literary work until
he met Barrett.
With the tremendous success OF "The Silver
King" came food Of prosperity. The play had
a long run in London: half q dozen companies
New York and Boston. where e It held thesis the stage
for months, and then was sent to other cities;
tas Of E9rops and even now s" aeS years sn after p.
hsss 1s # incaSs. RsSe 4 IN IN tRS h. ro saS Bat
has Yielded PEoSSsSy more than $4,000 in
could have produced another play equal to The
solved question. ,, After they. quarrefled. Her
and turned out "Claudian," which was another
great success at the Princess's and elsewhere.
ceived $4,000 for rights and royalties. During
receipts from the Ss two 1 pays were ~ MS
He evidently believed that this golden shower
took s resSsnce wth mean am
Regents Park big estab ablishment with mann
servants 10 keeP.up though he had no family.
and he also hired a country house near Broad
he probably did not know himself. but it is said
The country.residence cost him $1e500 year
he aS in
the savoy, and complained TO friend Of the
distance nas e, he had 70 travel to ges home yhsrs
have Turkish bath OF your ownr" by love.
will!,' he exclaimed, and as soon as q big force
vited parties OF friends.
nishing the houses. Both contained some eI-
cellent pictures; but Herman delighted moro In
tanned many, rare editions, He spent nearly
~ 900 for old prints. plsybills. and autographs
works, which, when adyersity came. was sold
at auction TO Henry Irving for a tithe
He spent a small fortune in
stocking his cellars with rare vintages. and was
Of some " unusually ' precious old wine Was
opened, he sent his butler around 10 show his
Ills literary S o partnership r a with Wills began
so auspiclously that Herman took him into his
@S nrn 10 live Win the sSpes!atSn That
go on realizing 800, 600 year. They began to
write VIII another play. but Il was never produced.
quarrel. Herman tried single handed TO write
poetic play after the style OF "ClAudian," but
failed, BY this time his lavish ex penditures had
brought him into pecuniary difficulties and 80
sorely pressed was he that he sold his interest In
" The Silver King" TO Samuel French for less
than 81, 600. This amount was but a drop In
the bucket Ct his debts. and all his luxurious be-
longings went 10 the auction rooms for the bene-
nj OF his creditors.
From living like a prince Herman came
down TO existing like pauper. a fellow mem
ber OF his in the Savage Club told OF an incl
dent which shows how low in pocket the play
wright was at that time. This gentleman was
very early one morning by Hermans
entrance into his lodgings.
VIII you give me some break kfAst 2" was
Hermans blunt salutation.
With pleasure" was the response. but you
are wet 10 the skin. my dear fellow. Get out OF
your clothes and into some of mine"
Never mind the clothes" said the drama
list, give me some breakfast"
But how did you become 40 thoroughly
It's splendid fair morning
/" But IL rained in the park last night" was
hermRn's Significant explanation.
Herman wrote and tried To place several
plays after this but succeeded in having only
Jne produced. That was a melodrama called
- Eagle JOe.n which proved failure at tho