The times., 1898-10-09
PRESS AGENTS ROUND TABLE

For some reason or other not known 10
philosophers and other students of hu-
man nature. no body OF people can re-
main together for a long space of time
without one member OF the group being
selected as a butt for the wit of all the
rest. This unfortunate is generally either
unusually bright or so stupid that he Is
nablc to reply 10 the quips and Jests
thrown at him. Sometimes he is merely
50 good natured that he is inclined TO let
the others enjoy themselves a. his ex-
pense without protest, and such char
acter is Error Dunbar. who viii be here
this week with "A War Correspondent"
Mr.. Dunbar is extremely absent-minded,
and this gives his fellCw-wOrkers an OPP
p0rtunity that could not have been better
had il been made to order. Within the
last three weeks they have laid all sorts
of things 10 his door, and, either through
his desire TO please or because his mem
ory has really refused to call up the IN
cidents. the former exponent of Mephisto
has borne their gibes in silence. Burr Nc
1ntOsh has claimed that he was coming
down Broadway one afternoon in a pelt
ing rain, and beheld his leading man on
the opposite side of the street with a
cane held in the position usually given an
umbrella; George Staley declares that the
heavy man once informed some one else
that he had forgotten his watch al home
and then took that article out Of his pock
ct and glanced a Il to see If he had time
enough to go back. and Grace Filkins
details the incidents Of a rehearsal at
which Mr.. Dunbar read all his love scenes
10 the star instead OF herself because he
happened TO be thinking of that individual
st the time.
But the best tale comes from the au-
thoress of the play and relates that one
day last summer she was taking her
manuscript down town to have it copied
on the typewriter when she met Mr..
Dunbar and informed him of what she
was about 10 do. The actor stopped her
Immediately and suggested that he be
given the STUFF as he was just learning
the mechanism of the machine and would
be as much helped as sne py q days
work with IL. Mrs. Parker assented and
together the pair walked TO an office
nearby at which Mr.. Dunbar said an in
strument could be procured. Once there
and in possession of a typewriter, the
amateur operator spread the pages of the
play before him and began lahoriously
picking out the words of the first act
Seeing that the job was likely TO be very
tedious the authoress left after 4 line or
50 had been done, promising 10 return
later
When she did come back nearly two
hours after Mr Dunbar was still bending
over the machine hard at work I've
been at IL ever since you left he ex-
planned jubilantly, and the first scene
IS nearly done" Both seated themselves
and the actor had returned to his manu-
script when Mrs. Parker noticed that the
results of his labor We're conspicuous by
their absence. and inquired after them.
Immediately the work was stopped and
the volunteer stared around him blankly.
His IA skmistress noted the look Of alb
solute hopelessness in his face and felt
tempted to laugh. MIR. Dunbar looked all
about the room and then came back and
fixed his gaze on the inoheuding instru-
ment OF his woes. After q moment IA
glance of understanding came over him
and he turned to the authoress with a
smile. DO you know. he said mildly.
u forgot TO put any paper in the tyre
writer All that first act is on the rubber
roll Wei have TO begin again.
But after Mrs. Parker had finished her
St of laughter and examined the type
writer with sufficient clOseness to dis
cover that the absent-minded fellow had
really smashed away for hours at moth
fng she remarked that Mr. Dunbar had
better resign in favor of a professional!
operator And the player accepted her
suggestion.