The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-30

New York, Oct. 26.-The literary
event of the moment is the "Cyrano de
Bergerac" BOOM France, where it
has its fountain head, is some distance
off, and the boom" has had TO have a
little time to get across the Atlantic;
but it is here in full tide at last. There
were those who said it would never
reach US, arguing that Partisan enthu-
siasm remained for the most part eX-
clusively Partisan and died about
where they were born. But these are
now disproved prophets. Richard Mans
field played the play to a crowded
house the first night-about three weeks
ago-and has been playing it to
crowded houses ever since. And the
dramatic critics, While writing IN many
instances from a manifest predisposi-
ton to look coldly on a play that Paris
had gone wild over, have been forced,
one and all, to say that Mr.. Mansfield
presentation marked an epoch, and
that the play, as we'll as the playing,
was extraordinary. Meanwhile-and
this is still more of a wonder, for as a
thing for private reading a, play, as a
rule, sells but meagerly-the American
publishers of the play are finding ii a
rare commodity. There are two English
versions on the market; one in verse
by Gladys Thomas, who is Rostand,
the authors sister-in-law, assisted by
Mary T. Guillemard; and one in prose,
by Miss Gertrude Hall. The former is
made in England, and the American
publisher of it found his first importa-
ton taken up almost before it landed
and before a second could be obtained
he had a shop full of orders. The pub
fishers of Miss Halls version have had
a similar felicity of distress-orders and
orders. far ahead of the goods where
with to fill them.
SO far as the publishers and book
sellers are concerned, the whole bust
ness is a surprise. They foresaw moth
ing like it. In the natural conservatism
of their temperaments they argued:
It's only a play. and a French play a.
that, and there has been so much talk
about it that people over here are SICK
of the very name" The first order of
one of the largest book jObberS in the
country was for but five copies. Short
ly, however. he telegraphed for $50
copies, and the next day for $50 more.
All this is good, solid inspiration for
the author-for he has his share even
in the American publications and pre-
sentation-and we are not surprised to
learn that he is now deep in the COM
position of two new plays.
Whoever knows Cy Warman, wheth-
er in person or by his writings, will
wish we'll to the new book, THE Story
of the Railroad" which he has just
published through the Appletons. 1t is
his third book, two collections of rail-
road stories having been published
previously by the Scribners. Though to
make the record strict there IS still an
earlier book of Warman'S-a curiously
chaotic but vivid and interesting Life
of Creole. Jim" Creole, the Indian
hunter, adventurer and prospector, just
the hero to appeal to iWarman. This
book was printed Cat the authors ex-
penSe) and in some measure circulated,
but it was never really published Two
or three of the better chapters after
wards found separate publication in
periodicals. The element of interest
in them was the same as in Warman's
later work-namely, the manifestation
of a writer whom even the feeling of a
pen in the hand could not distract
from being perfectly himself. 1t is
often clear that q pen isn't the easiest
of implements to Warman, but with
all its occasional unwieldiness. it can
never cutie throw him out from still
being Warman; and Warman, whether
in his writings or out of them, is al
ways a man you like. Just now he is
a little out of the line of meeting, for
he is living up at London, Ontario. He
finds it friendly to work I'D there. and
inexpensive, and he is not above either
Of these considerations. Four or five
years ago the second was, perhaps, less
important to him than it is now, for
he was then receiving a royalty of SO
a day on his song. Sweet Marie" But
popular songs are good only while they
last. and Sweet Marie is now less
fruitful to either Warman (who sup
piled the words only, or the man who