The times., 1899-06-18

last week was not as lengthy as those be-
fore furnished. but was more pleasing and
better arranged.
There are not many actresses upon the
American stage who can truthfully say
that they were made by the camera, yet
Minnie Ashley who is to be seen in the
Columbia stock company the coming week
may be said to be a product OF the photog-
raphers art. Three years ago Minnie
was unheard of, and not until she met Ell
mer Chickering one balmy spring morning
and accepted his proposition to sit and
crafty his photographer instinct did she
think that her name would ever be known
outside Of Boston and the back bay. The
day after Chickering discovered Miss Ash
ley. a new American beauty was sprung
upon the unsuspecting and susceptible pub
lie, and her loveliness was of such fresh
character as to make her accepted at once.
Soon she wearied of seeing only the Chick
ering imprint on her photos, and took 1t
into her curly little head to HE herself 10
New York where she entered into an
agreement with Falk, the metropolitan
plate developer. The conquest of Gotham
after the capture of cultured Boston was
an easy matter. Miss Ashley's fame as a
sitter chief Immediately led her into the
illustrated weeklies and magazines, and
then came the report of her marriage with
Will Sheldon. known to fame as the
brother of Walter Jones.
Up to this point of her career Minnie
Ashley-or Mrs. Will Sheldon, take your
choice-had not oollided with the stage
microbe. However, the DeWoif Hopper
company was at Manhattan Beach for a
summer engagement in ''El Captain" and
Miss Ashley became installed as a member
of the merry merry and the confidential
friend and companion of the shapely Mrs
Hopper. When the Hopper family went on
the road Minnie was installed as under
study for the diminutive Edna Wallace,
but the youthful Bostonian received so
many flattering notices for her work in
the chorus and so much attention from
the Johnnies that the stars wife grew
jealous of the brightest of the galaxy Of
front row stage beauties and got the idea
into her little head that if she was ever
unable TO appear and Miss Ashley were TO
replace her for a single night, it would
be all up with her. The result of this lone
some idea roaming around all alone in the
top piece of Edna, was that she remained
the healthiest member of the entire COM
pany- Minnie never got the desired
chance TO shine as Estrelda. Give the
little beauty a chance to make good? Nay,
nay, sweet Minnie" thought Edna to her
self and until the termination of the sea-
son, Mrs. Hopper never responded to the
sick call. So the first season found Min
ME chorus girl with no other record 10
break the mGlotony of Johnnies, bonbons,
and biilets-doux. The little beautys first
chance at a speaking part was given her
by Louis Cook, whose Chorus Girr' was
about the worst alleged musical comedy
that was ever inflicted upon the residents
CT Waterbury, Conn, in which tcky town
it first saw the light of the calcium. Yet
the failure served to introduce Miss Ash
ley as a real actress with a speaking part
and to use a choice Bostonese expression,
she hogged the whole show" While the
morning papers assaulted the comedy it
was found that their gunners had pinked
everything in sight except Minnie. Then
Manager Truss was on the lookout for
someone to take up Virginia Earles place
in The Geisha' and The Circus Girl
and selected Miss Ashley Washingtonians
had an opportunity to see her last spring
and she attracted more cash into Treasu-
rer STEMS safe than even Miss Earle
would have done. For the present engage
ment Miss Minnie comes on with the laud-
able intention OF learning dramatic work
to strengthen her abilities in a musical
line. The management are glad she is
coming, as they place much reliance upon
the baby blue eyes of the 1.-THE lady to lisp
'goo-goo" in such a seductive manner as
to attract all the aged and youthful men liz
town into the front rows of the Columbia.
After twenty two years touring the loua-
try in three-day and one-night stands,
Robert Downing has concluded that it is
time to take rest. With view of COM
bining financial profit with ease and luxury,
he is looking around for suitable build
ing to devote to a dramatic school. Mr..
Downing has a rather pretentious plan in
view. embracing the establishment of an
institution devoted to art in its phases
dramatic, including dancing, reading and
singing. Others prominent in the profess
sion are also Interested in the work and
considerable pains will be taken to make
the scheme success.
J. H Gilmore, who resigns his position
with the Empire Company to come to ti2e
Columbia as leading man for the local
stock. is the man who. inadvertently. cau=-
cd the police to be called out in Boston
some time ago. He had seen with tbe
Castle Square Comedy Company ana had
announced his retirement. On his final
evening the crowd was immense. but the
management declined 10 allow MIN . re-
spond to the curtain ,all AZ ;ha cui OF his
last strong scene in the final act. The peo-
pie wanted Gilmore and determined to stay
until their wants We're gratifie'.. The man
agement then grew muleish and finally
sought the aid of the officers OF tde law
TO clear the theatre. devoted admirer
has written a very good song entitled
Gone. But Not Forgotten, and dedicated
it to Mr.. Gilmore.
Some of these times an opponent will b.
gin legal action against Otis Skinner for
coducting a matrimonial exchange witho [
sufficient statutory compensation to the
State. In the five seasons in which the
name of Skinner has adorned the dezd
walls as a star no less than six couples of
his supporting actors have taken upon
themselves the promises of wed,Ock. Mt
Skinner and Maud Durbin first set the
commeGdable example. and were speedily
followed by John Bradshaw and Pamela
Keith. Then the leading woman of the
company, Sarah Truax, looked with loving
eyes upon Guy Post and received the theo-
logical sanction at the altar, the members
of the company attending en- masse. f.
Peyton Carter and Ruth Holt were the
next to defy the commendable interest of
the company, and were socn followed by
Ashley Miller and Ethel Browning Then
a few weeks ago in Chicago Frank Sy!-
yester and Clara Everett quietly slipped
away and were married, returning to an
nounce their dual happiness to the as
sembled Rosemaryites. All of this has
aroused the ire of the matrimonial bu-
reaus. and only under promise of future
abstinence from Hymenial encouragement.
is Mr.. Skinner permitted to continue his
even way toward fame and prosperity
1t is Z little remarkable that one i'm
Dortant star now doing pretty close to SI0,-
600 per week in his working season should
have escaped the statsticians who have