Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-26

1.-THE Idols Eye has done, at the Column
bia Theater, the biggest business of any
theatrical attraction in the city this week.
In fact the receipts have been greater than
Mr.. Daniels has ever drawn in this city
before, and Mr.. Kirke La Schelle, his
manager. who came on Wednesday night.
was highly satisfied with the engagement
and warmly complimented the young man
ayers Of the theater for the manner in
which his sta and company have been
treated. Next to Mr.. Daniels in point of
business were the Octoroons at the
Academy and then came Digby Bell in his
"Hoosier Doctor" 1.-THE Girl From Paris
wasn't SO eagerly sought for, as at her
first visit, which is good sign of popular
taste.
Next week comes THE French Maid."
who is said to be not so very naughty, but
awfully nice; Dixey in the role of ma
Fair Virginia" "A Southern Romance
and Hi Henry's Minstrels. That is variety
enough to satisfy every phase of theatre
cal taste.
Mark Klaw was in the city Thursday on
a flying visit and he said that Washington
would soon have an opportunity of hear
ing John Sousa's latest comic opera, THE
Bride Elect" The success of this opera
In Boston, where 1t was first produced,
was greater than "El CAPTAIN" and 1t is
now playing in Philadelphia to enormous
business. The friends of Sousa in this
city will eagerly look for this latest pro-
ductfon of his genius. and will undoubt-
edly pay that tribute which Is customary.
II Sousa could only come on and direct
the first night, 1t would give the opera the
greatest kind of a send of.
Masicians are not often Thrown down."
80 to speak, on their own games, but Henry
F. Dixey, who will be at the Lafayette
Square this week, had an experience of this
kind in Chicago lately over which some of
his friends are still laughing. 1t was while
Dlxey was playing at the Great Northern
Theater in the windy city. and he and three
friends were seated at a table In the Great
Northern cafe sfter the performance talk
Ing over the incidents of the season. While
paper man entered. He he'd at one time
been ore of the brightest reporters on the
Herald stan, but he had acquired the opium
nabit, and Is now merely a human wreck,
living on such small assignments as pity-
Ing editors give him and whatever he can
borrow from friends. Dixey had known
MIN In his better days, as had several of
tne others present, and they of course
asked HIM TO Join them. Dixey had Just
been performing e few tricks for his friends
amusement and was about to change a half
dollar into twenty-dollar gold piece The
feat WIS accomplished and applauded and
Dixey then changed 1t back into The half
dollar again. The newspaper man seemed
very much interested In the experiment.
and asked Dixey II he could change a quar-
Ter into ten-dollar gold piece as easily
Certainly: hand over the quarter" said
Dixey. The man did so, and after a few
passes II was chan ged into q ten-dollar gold
piece and handed over for inspection. The
man looked at 1t carefully and then nut IT
In his pocket. Hand IT back and / will
chanFe 1t into i quarter again" said the
Wizaru- Oh, you needn't mird" said the
n, H man, as he walked away. leav-
mg Dixey TO the merciless guying of his
friends and nine dollars and seyenty-five
cents out Of pocket.
Saharet the sinuous a nd se1uc.,v. da,o.r
mas mad u peculiarly lively and checkered
career Tor young woman not vet nine
teen Her father was an extensive ranch
owner IL australia, and the nimble dancer
nrst saw the light at Ballarat. She began
10 lance In public in a Christmas panto-
mime, when only five years old. Like the
french sardines. Saharet seems to have
oeen created without bones, and developed
wonderful proficiency as an acrobat and
cohtortonist, as well as danseuse. Before
the was fourteen she had Travelled all over
Acstraha and New Zealand as a circus
performer Three years ago she landed In
San Francisco, with her widowed mother
and In vain sought stage employment No
body knew her and nobody would listen to
ner. But she IS an energetic little body
with plenty of pluck and a willingness to
adapt herself to the necessities of the hour
Inc wolf was clawing at the door, so Sa-
haret. under an assumed name, and dec
as a fortune teller in a dime museum
When the profits of palmistry fell Off Sa-
haret made q lightning change and bios
somed out as living mermaid, a skillful
property man supplying what was lacking
In her natural makeup The mermaid was
nine days wonder, but just about this
. time travelling burlesque company, THE
Spider and the Fly" happened along Its
land trip. ard the management was in de-
spair Here was Saharet's golden oppor
tunity. and she seized it quickly. Her i'm
portunities were needed and she was given
a trial performance. San Francisco had
never seen such bending and high kicking
and human bOw-knots the slim little
Australian girl presented to Its astonished
gaze. Next day she was written up in
great style Coming east with the COM
pany she danced in Chicago, Boston and
New York, and then brancned out in the
all-absorbing and well-paying field of
vaudeville. She fell in with a shrewd man
ager. who took her to London last spring,
vbere she scored an instant hit at the Pal
zee Music Hall. 1t was there that E. E.
Rice saw her and engaged her. Next May
she returns to Londo n, and goes thence to
the Follies Bergere. Paris, and Ronachers.
Vienna. Her time Is booked for solid
year In the leading music nails Of Europe,
and before she returns she will have shown
the warlike German Wilhelm, the indolent
Egyptian khedive, the stern Russian car.
and all the other crowned heads what
acrobatic dancing really Is. The far-seeing
Mr.. Rice has taken the precaution to OBJ
tain her signature to cast-iron contract
TOR the season of 1S99-l9OO.
Mr. Russ whytal was seen by Star re-
porter and asked to say something about
his experiences as a dramatist.
Am dramatist?' he returned in that
sort Of half-doubtful tone that Frank Dam
iels used TO employ when he asked Am l
wiZard?'
"You write playsr
Zone swallow does not make a summer.
even IL summer makes US swallow more;
nor does one play make a dramatist-"
What about Agatha Dene. the one-act
comedy that Miss Ellen Terry bought from
your
"a one-act play doesn't count"
How many plays have you written that
have not been producedT'
''Do you mean .fnishedr
'well-yes."
About twelve"
"And unfinishedr'
about twelve hundred" And he never
smiled.
DO you expect to finish them all. Mr.
whytal?'
mot in this lifs."
How do they compare with For Fair
Virginia."
They are all better That was my first