Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-11-13

ton of the works of the Shakespeare
of Music" So much money has al
ready been subscribed that the gentle
men having charge of the enterprise
are now looking for a suitable site
upon which to erect the building. 1t is
not expected that the enterprise Will
prove bowling success in pecunlary
sense, and the money contributed mas
been accepted with the distinct I'M
derstanding, as l hear it, that there is
little probability of aeZ return save IN
the satisfaction Of having done COM
mendahle act.
William Terriss, whose cowardly
murder in London by crank shocked
the English and American theatrical
worlds, was always noted for his horse
sense. He never aimed at ideals of the
attainment of which the slightest doubt
could be entertained, and the condition
of his bank account at the time OF MS
death indicated that he was man VINO
was opposed to the theory OF wasting
money on hobbies. He left a son and
namesake, who seems to have Inherited
much of his excellent judgment. The
young man, who has fine stage pres
ence and might easily be led into sup
posing that he was fitted by nature
and association for leading roles, has
come to this country and, instead OF
standing out indefinitely for an i'm
portant position at large salary, has
very sensibly taken the comparatively
unimportant Juvenile role in THE Tel
ephone Girl" 1t is his purpose to work
his way up legitimately, and ii one
may form an opinion with so little of
accomplishment as basis is certainly
looks as though he ought to succeed in
his chosen profession.
And, speaking Of 1.-The Telephone
Girl" this not wholly pure extrava-
ganza will probably always be cited as
a shining example of how little harm
newspapers are able to inflict upon a
piece which catches the popular fancy.
When THE Telephone Grip was pro-
duced at the Casino in this city, it was
numerically slated by nearly all Of the
papers. Even the persons connected
with the management were confident
that Louis Mann and Clara Lippman's
invasion of the stellar armament was
doomed to dire and speedy failure, But
somehow or other the receipts persisted
in refusing to fall off and by the end
of the first fortnight one of the Cas-
mos marked successes had been de-
yelOped. The same experience has
fallen to the lot of this play in several
of the very large cities of the country.
The first nights receipts would be
heavy, the next mornings papers
would roast the piece, the second
nights receipts would be fair and from
that time on would begin to increase
until practically the capacity point
would be reached.
AS is we'll known, when Rostand wrote
"Cyrano de Bergerac' for Couuelin. he
took precautions to protect it in France
England and several other European
countries but he paid no attention to the
United States. 1t is not quite clear
whether Mr.. Mansfield was or was not
fully aware of this lapse, but the fact re-
mains that he made an offer to Rostand
for the American rights to his great play
and was granted them. A little later Mr.
Augustin DAILY. who did know all about
the little lapse. announced that he would
also produce "Cyrano de Bergerac" The
startling success of one production and
the placid failure of the other are now
well known. A number of stock compan-
les have advertised the piece for produc-
ton and several of them have already
done it with a result which in many in
stances has demonstrated that after all
'Cyrano de Bergerac' Is not a drama,
but farce pure and simple This may be
news to Mr.. Rostand, but an investigation
will convince him of the truth of the as
sertion. Mr.. Mansfield is said to be pay
ing the French author an average of $500
week for the use of his play. Mr. DAILY
and the little stock companies are, of
course, paying nothing. That would APP
pear to be hard enough from Rostand's
standpoint, but when to this is added mi
suit, because the gentleman was not as
tute enough to protect the creature of
his brain in this country, it would seem
that the limit had been reached.
Without going into the ethics of the
matter, it will suffice to dispel popular
fallacy as to cases of this sort 1t has
been repeatedly stated in this city in ex-
tenuation of the conduct of Mr. DAILY and
others. which. bear in mind, / do not
VI,
that American plays unprotected abroad.
have heen similarly used without permits
sion for decades. Futher. it is alleged
that no case can be cited in which the
American author has ever been voluntar-
lily paid for his work. Any one who is
under this impression may have II dis
PEELED very promptly by communicating
with Mr. II. A. Du Souchet, the author of
My Friend from India" which was pro-
duced in this country by Smyth & Rice
and was not copyrighted in England. 1t
will be remembered that there was quite
race of the manuscripts to London, as
the English rights would belong TO the
person first producing the play there In
the struggle the manuscript representing
the author came out second best; but, ov-
ing to some hitch, the American, whose
copy of the play had won the right of
way forfeited his interest to the English
promoter. To my knowledge the latter
gentleman has forwarded TO Mr.. Du Sou
chet for the use of his play a good many
thousands OF dollars. all Of which he
might have saved had he been so inclined
Furthermore, Mr.. Du Souchet has been
informed by the London manager that he
will receive his percentage on the ap-
preaching productions Of My Friend from
India in several countries where it has
not yet been tried. One swallow does not
make a summer, and this one case does
not prove the rule, but It does demon
strate the falsity of a statement which