The times., 1899-04-09

tne TACT that every member OF the troupe
now at the Columbia knew always what
he had to DO and when to do IT. The
Washington-San Francisco manager is a
strict disciplinarian. and without strict
discipline no body of players will give It's
best. Most of the summer aggregations
that have appeared locally have looked
upon their visits here as pleasure trips.
While conditions at the Columbia remain
as they are now, nothing but success may
be anticipated. Mr.. Frawley has created
standard with his production of ''Trilby'
and he must keep up to 1t. This done
there can be no doubt that local theatre
goers will speedily come TO appreciate the
fact that they have been given a remark
able opportunity of seeing a series of good
plays well played. There is no reason why
Mr.. Frawley and his company should 90
to Milwaukee at the end Of the thirteen
weeks originally mapped out for the
Washington season
A metropolitan journal of questionable
veracity, but one which generally gets
an inkling of truth upon striving after II
earnestly, has Just printed a story on a
Washington newspaper that is calculated
to contribute greatly TO the gayety Of ma
tions Since accidents may happen in
the best regulated offices. the tale does
not reflect more than ordinarily on the
sheet lampooned but nothing more amusing
or better worth the telling has been pub
lished since the day OF the famous we
Pilfer the News" trap that was sprung on
the New York World
Accordingly: One of the local daiiies
which has been justly and frequently COM
commended for its entertaining publica-
tions on things theatrical lost its dra-
rox Va lam n n
who is very we'll known in professional
circles both here and elsewhere. did not
die but he was seriously Ill and during
his absence from the desk" the man
ayers of the paper in question we're with
out q specialist in the line of criticism.
Since the general opinion among laymen.
however, is that reviews may be written
by anyone whose chirography is iegibie
to compositors, the proprietors OF TINS
esteemed contemporary did not see mt
to employ an expert during the period
in which their regular man was away and
so intrusted their dramatic work TO a sym
dicate composed Of a sporting editor and
sundry political reporters. The ]ournai
has no theatrical opinions that are not
paid for, and consequently matters IN the
department might have run smoothly had
not a tremendous obstacle come TO town
i
Mr.. Emmett is the representative OF Sc
cret Service" and he is said to be good
press agent-the adjective applying not TO
his morals. but to the amount by which
he increases the receipts Of his employers.
Advance men are not usually especially
conscientious, and so il was that Mr.. EN-
NETT had not been in Washington many
hours before he began searching for whom
he might deceive. Learning of the strange
combination on the aforesaid esteemed
contemporary" he hied him there and in
terviewed the composite editor The result
Of this talk was that on the Sunday prior
to the day on which Secret Service
opened at the National the theatrical page
of the sheet under consideration heavily
featured reproduction of criticism said
TO have been written in praise OF William
Gillette by WI Ting-fang, the Chinese
Minister. The matter was printed as it had
supposedly been composed and looked more
or less like bit of paper on which fly
recently rescued from an ink bottle had be-
gun six-day walking match Following
was a translation of the strange affair and
it was about as weird and awful as the
original. The article brought forth some
comment and was then generally forgot
ten.
Meanwhile by scme mischanee the issue
reached the eyes of the intellectual Mon
golian, who was alleged to have been the
author of the criticism, and the New York
publication says that he was very angry.
Whether the review was cOuched in i'm
proper Chinese or whether the diplomat
was merely unused to the liberties taken
by American newspapers and resented be-
ing pressed into service as the author OF
an Egyptian puzzle cannot be said, but the
informers attest that he was very wroth
4 lot f.a-ra ffr1h hod To h,
piled with a new consignment OF croc1ery
on the day following. For it appears that
the supposed review had never come
from the hand or mind CT WI Ting fang
at all, and the syndicate dramatic editor
had merely been gulled by the erudite Bur
ton Emmett.
Just what the reproduction really said
be learned. Some authorities remark
that 1t was taken from the
sign OF a tea house
obtained by Mr. Emmett in San
Francisco. Others proclaim that it is
the password Of highbinders association
and lynx-eyed Mongolian who breaches
the doctrine that cleanliness is next TO
godliness" from a little shop in Pennsyl-
vania Avenue declares that the article is
really an order for six collars, three pairs
of cuffs. three shirts, and a dozen handker-
chiefs. At any rate, the real dramatic ed
itor Of the newspaper In question defied his
physicians shortly after the publication of
the Chinese criticism and hied himself to
his Office. What passed between him and
his successors is not known, but the dire
ful syndicate is now on the war path and
If Mr.. Emmett has any family life In
policy would not be bad invest
ment for him.
A number of answers to the review of
Richard Mansfield's work written by GER
tain Miss Richards and printed in a local
have been received at this
office One from the pen of Maria PEN