The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-05-12

NV Friend from India is the work of
a New York newspaper man, and is
one of the best money making attrac-
lions on the road, no less than five
companies now playing it. Yet this
same play was rejected by every
prominent manager in New York. Ii
was offered to the men who assume
TO set In judgment on things theatri-
cal and one after another of them pro
nounced il bad; knowing all about
such things, they said it was rot and
rubbish, and they would have none of
It, Now that their ruling is dlsap-
proved, these same mighty minds say
the public don't know enough to dis
eliminate, and they cling blindly 10
the egotistical idea that they know it
all. This calls to mind the fact that
when John Habberton sent "Helen's
Babies" to the publishers 1t was re
Jected, and was finally actually thrown
into a barrel of waste paper. Some,
body fished out the manuscript and be.
came interested. and eventually tho
most popular book of its time WAS
printed. Then Jack" Habberton,
who had never done II lick of newspa-
per work, was offered 500 a week by
one of the New York papers. Hoyt,
the famous farce maker, had n SINH
lar experience. He wrote play after
play that managers wouldn't even
read. Finally he got a hearing, and
then he couldn't grind them out fast
enough. The men who had assumed
the judgment seat would have none of
him until he broke into the sacred pre-
cincts of the drama in spite of them;
then all the things they had scorned
became marketable. and he grew pros
porous and married Caroline Miskel
A New York theatre manager has de
clared war on the theatre hat-not in
the old-fashioned method of issuing
pronunciamento on the theatre pro
gramme, but by adopting a persuasive
method worthy of imitation by his fel-
low managers.
A portion of the great lobby of the
Harlem Opera House has been set
aside as theatre-hat safe deposit
vault. 1t has been fitted up with tiers
of plush-llned boxes, big enough for
the reception Of the most exaggerated
Gainsborough, and fitted with locks to
insure safety. The woman patron of
the house will hereafter be expected
to deposit her hat in one of these
boxes, which will then be locked and
the key given to the owner of the hat.
When the play is over she will not
only get back her hat. but will have
the assistance of an obliging maid,
full-length mirrors, and an unlimited
number of free hairplns in getting the
hat back in its proper place.
May Irwin says during u recent con
yersation: II treat each houseful of
people just as | would an individual
| can size up its particular kind in five
minutes. Then l play to it according
ly, for | never stick to the me line
of work night by night. | IS better
for the company; they don't get to
playing their parts like II lot of ten
pins, and then the audience likes It,"
The report comes from the West that
Francis Wilson has revolted from his
allegiance to the theatrical syndicate
commonly known as the Hayman &
Frohman Syndicate. The syndicate
includes managers and controls thea
tres in various cities. and is formed
chiefly for booking purposes. Mr.
Wilson's booking was done by the syn
dictate, but he rebelled when he was
asked to appear in certain theatres in
Baltimore and Washington, while he
preferred certain others. He intends,
1t is said, to be independent of the syn.
dcate, even though he will have to
keep out OF all the theatres which II
controls. including some of the princl
pal ones in some of the principal
cities.-Rose Fanchon.
ROSE FANcHoN.