The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-27
Salt Lake. June 2s.
Dear Hal:

Dear Hal:
The net loss sustained by Jay ISogers
on the four weeks of the Wright
Huntington engagement is now said to
be an even $4,000. Jay paid for MS
experience like a little man and Mr..
Huntington has moved on TO the Gext
town, while the house has been handed
over to the new lessee. Mr. McGarvie
of carnival fame. who will at once
renovate and rechristen it with appro-
pirate ceremonies designed to exercise
the hoodooing influences which have so
long hung about it.
Prior to shaking the dust of Zion
from their feet, Mr.. Huntington and
one of his players, a very esumable
gentleman, MIR. King by name, made
The Herald a friendly call and reg
iStered vigorous kick" at the man
ner IN which the paper conducted its
dramatic department. Mr.. King was
specially vicious in his remarks, which
he transmitted TO paper and which
the editor in turn transmitted to the
critic. Mr.. ki-g, in his communica-
ton, took the ground that the financial
failure of the Huntington season was
almost entirely due TO The Herald, and
that If different reports of the Hunting
The Herald critic, Messrs. Rogers and
Hatch would not now be mourning the
loss of their $1,000. That, of course, is
the veriest nonsense. While willing to
concede that The Herald is able to do
good deal towards making or marring
the success of a dramatic venture, ii
Is too much to say that il could have
saved the Huntington season, even if
1t had piled praises mountain high on
plays and players. Actors of the grade
OF Mr.. King have a totally erroneous
idea Of the duties and functions of a
dramatic critic. They think his sole
duty is to attend the Monday night
openings, write something pleasant in
milk and watery fashion and go
home. To be told that a critic should
carry about with him Sucn things as
opinions and have the courage TO ex-
press them, would come to them with
all the force Of q shock. To be 'told
that critics are paid to do their best
just as actors are. would sound in
credible TO their ears. To learn that
the honest critic, even while tempering
justice with mercy, holds that the
truth is the first and foremost of all
considerations, regardless OF whom or
what il affects. would st~SEa >fr. King
and his class as being stuff and non
sense. They dc not possess the art of
putting themselves in his place. If
they did, they would know that honesty
and impartiality are the prime essen
tails in the critics trade, and that
without them he could not hold his
position moment. The modern jour
nal, the one Mr.. King has not the
pleasure of knowing, is looked to by the
public to give the facts about the
events it reviews, whether they be
queens jubilees or the performances
of play actors. and a sorry day it is
for any journal when the public gets
to doubling the reliability of those
facts. The Herald dramatic writer
seeks to serve the public by telling the
simple truth about plays, players and
dramatic events. regardless of the
theatrical roof thai, Nselters them, of
whose pocket is affected, or of what
histrionic cornS are trod on. Being
only human, he doubtless has his falli-
bic moments, but whether he does his