The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-12
u
David Higgins ia sspIney Ridges at
the Acadmy OF Mnsfc.

A charming bit OF dramatic realism IS
David Higgins beautiful romance OF the
South. entitled "At Piney Ridge which
was presented last evening at the Acad-
envy of Music. The plot is laid in the
mountains of Tennessee. The story Is a
powerful one of love and hate. and out
of very simple material, the author, Mr..
David Higgins, has built up a very abb
sorbing play, full of deep interest. Mr..
Higgins, in his play, appears as one of
the principal characters. that of a young
mountaineer, and as an actor ne dupli-
Gated his success as a play writer.
The first act shows the porch and gar
den of General behring's plantations, late
in summer, Deering Il the president OF
q bank and 4 very influential man.
The Democratic Convention which is to
nominate 3 man for Governor IS being
held in Chattanooga. Marx BrlaTs0n, the
and plots to ruin him. because the Gen
erals daughter has refused 70 marry
him. she having promised to be the wife
OF Jack Rose, 2 mountaineer. Rose is a
millionaire, having acquired his money
by hard work on his vast Plantations.
In the second act, when the General Is
about TO announce the engagement of his
daughter TO Jack Rose. Rriarson steps up
and says that the wedding cannot take
place and further says that Rose Is, a
white niggar." OF course, he is called
a fabricator, but he has carefully pro-
vided himself with sa-calied proof OF his
assertion in a woman called Dagmar,
who was formerly a slave on Major
Briarson's plantations She is asked to
tell the story and she says that when a
battle was being fought on that planta-
son and another boy, Jack Rose, to the
mountains, to escape from the scene OF
the battle. Major Briarson was. killed IN
the battle and Dagmar was left with
both boys on her hands, one of whom was
a mulatto. Dagmar tells the company
that Jack Rose is the white niggarg
throughout the mountains and many
threats are made against Rose. One Ze5
Lane has threatened to kill him on
Rose has ruined his daughter Cindy.
The plot at this point is apparently hope
lessly tangled, Rose tries to clear him
self of the charge Briarson has made
against him, but cannot because the
woman Dagmar refuses to speak. The
third act shows the Tennessee noun
tains and the home of Zeb Lane, Gem
eral Deering and his daughter Azalie are
walking in the mountains when they are
met by Major Jartee. who is teller IN
that he csnnot run for Governor. be-
cause his bank is on the verge of coll
lapse. He says that he has examined
the books and fnds them full of false
entries and that there Is not $4,000 in
cash in the bank. Briarson comes upon
the scene and the Major accuses him OF
robbing the bank. He admits it and the
General lays a whit across his Shout
ders. Briarson is then told TO leave the
State. Rose comes in at this junetufe,
and, hearing of the trouble. offers to
help the General out and prevent the
bank from failing by depositing $500, 600.
In the last act Briarson comes back to
the State with the woman Dagmar and
both go to the old Briarson homestead,
where Rriarson had buried the money
he stole from the bank While there
they are confronted by Rose and the
General and Dagmar tells them that
Rose is the rightful son of Major Brlar-
son. and that Briarson is the white
niggar.' Briarson tries to escape through
a window, but is shot by Zeb Lane, who
revenges his daughters ruin. Thus the
curtain is rung down on a very happy
scene.
Fred Julian as the General was excel
lent, and Elizabeth Field as his 'daugh-
Ter filled her part admirably. as did
Georgia Waldron as Cindy Lane. The
part of Mark Briarson, the villain, was
well taken by w. Garfield. and Henry
Hlllard as Major Jartee was most anus