The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-24
BRYAN's APPLICATION

NlHN y III IyLlOhllUN
To be a Theatrical Pres. Agent = Com
hrmed by Managers-k Failure as a
sournaiist and lawyer, He Applied for
tho Job. = n
1t IL the little things that shape our
lives, and but for borrowed phrase
William Jennings Bryan instead Of be-
Ing a three times nominee for President
OF these United States. would be an hum
bic press agent for the aurora haired
Mrs. Leslie Carter. Mr.. Bloch, OF tho
Herald Square theatre, said last week:
Yes, II ~ true. that Mr.. Bryan applied
70 mo Tor the position OF press agent I
received the letter from him last June.
l cannot show YOU the letter, because 1
DO not believe that would be acting In
good faith to Mr.. Bryan, who was an old
school chum of mine at Jacksonville, Ill.
nut 4 Know where Icould put my. hands
on IL 1t a moments notice. 5fl55
y could not acceie. 10 Mr.. Bryan's re-
guest. because ut tho time we were not
IN need Ola press agent, Teddy Piper,
our agent" .f5I ~ 80
Three kilograms received since this in
teryiew substantlate the statements then
made. They are as follows: "
HOTEL. WALTON, pHILhDEI,-
LILA. Oct. 16.-In Omaha last spring
william Jennings Bryan, whom | knew
wen, talked OF coming 10 New York to
uo newspaper work, and especially the
atricai work. Asked what the chance
there was, said Max Blelman, mana
ger OF the Herald Square theatre, might
give him a job. He seemed anxious to
get 1t. When got back to New York, |
mentioned the subject to Blclman, but
nothing was ever done about It, and I
never thought Of 1t again until Bryan
got nominated for the Presidency.
'.W.tJ. BLOCK"
HOTEL WALTON, PHILADEL.-
pHlA, Oct. 16.-I ca,n corroborate every
thing said In Blocks telegram OF this
eVenig. Ifcmember distinctly his speak
ING OF Bryan to me, and telling me he
was anxious to get u place on my stan,
But ! had no special use for him, and
never thought OF 1t again until he was
nominated for the presidency.
''MAN BLEIAtAN,"
BUFFALO, Oct. 1G.-The time Bryan
was nominated the story was told me of
an application made by him to w. j.
BLOCK, now OF the Heart Of Maryland
company. who was then representing Mr..
evans, the owner OF the 'Pudl'nhead
wilson company. II will be remem-
bered chat Frank Mayo died on June s,
while on his way to Omaha to play a re-
turn engagement there, which was to be-
gin the following Monday. AS recall
the story, Mr.. Bryan witnessed the per-
formance OF. .Pudd'nhead wilson at the
iirst Omaha engagement. about six
weeks before Mayo's death. He wrote
the criticism OF the play for the Omaha
World-Herald, and In a conversation had
ut that time with Mr.. Block, asked him
II Their would be an opportunity for him
as press agent OF the show. That posi-
ton was we'll filled at the time, so the
story ended there.
civilian D. MANN.
Charles Evans, OF Evans and Hocy,
said: Il distinctly remember the appll-
cation made by Mr.. Bryan 10 Block.
because 1t was common talk about the
theater after Mr.. Bryan became more
prominent out west. A regular sensa-
ton was created when his nomination
followed, and we knew that We might
have had a presidential aspirant writ
Ing out press notices."
Arthur Hornblow. of Leslie's, corrob-
crates this statement with an affidavit.
Bryan n Failure.
Mr.. Bryan had not made success as
lawyer. He had lost his position as
a newspaper writer Cor the Omaha
World Herald In the absence of clients
and in his failure In western journal
ism no personal rcproach can attach
Itself to Mr.. Bryan for trying to find
other work.
But this story further illustrates the
histrionic tendencies of the Democratic
nominee for the presidency, who has
been starring" the country In this
campaign ut, the. expense OF the silver
mine owners who, in this case. are act
Ing as what, In the vernaculari OF the
theatrical world, are termed angels
1t was about a year ago when the
drama entitled "Pudd' nhead Wilson,"
then ION the road" after Its New York
success, reached Lincoln, Nebraska. W.
]. Bryan, of the Omaha World Herald,
went to the Lincoln theatre TO write
"notice" OF the play. When he reached
the theatre he learned to his surprise
that the manager OF the show was w.
J. Block. who had been az classmate
and chum Of his at the Illinois State
College, at Jacksonville. Ills. Manager
Block greeted Correspondent Bryan
cordially.
Mr. Bryan told Mr.. Block OF how he
was no longer in Congress. owing to a
decided lack of appreciation of his
windy services In Washington by his
constituents. He also talked of tie
failure OF the Nebraska ltigants to APP
praise properly his presence at the
bar. And finally he exclaimed In effect,
this citizen who had failed as law
yer aHd-as u congressman, in an out
burst OF confidence TO his former college
chum: 'Ill tell YOU what 1t Is, Block,
ought to have been an actor instead
OF n lawyer or a politician"
The. months rolled by. Mr.. Bryan's
law practice did not improve. His
connection with the Omaha World
Herald was severed. He recalled his
ambition to so on the stage. II he could
not start at once as an actor, why
should he not begin, rs 4 start to-
ward treading the boards himself, by
exploiting the talents of those who did?
s Inspired by this idea, Mr. Bryan
wrote to his friend, Manager Block, In
January. explaining his ambition to
become theatrical press agent This
first letter not proving satisfactory in
its results, Mr. Bryan, still th'rstns
for histrioaic glory, wrote to Mr..
Block second lett1r, renewing MS
application for q job as press agent.
This second letter was written and
mailed N juno. Mr.. Bryan was then
delegate tcontesting) to the conven-
tion which was to nominate him for
the highest position within the Gift Of
free people. When he wrote his ap-
plicatlon 10 be n theatrical press
agent, and when he prepared his
aDnech tn the Chicago convention, Mr.
Bryan did not know what might be the
result of either.
Possibly after November Mr.. Bry-