The times., 1899-02-05

there. Some day they'll all come handy.
Together we have written and composed
everything in which we have appeared
'ihis has not been because of fondness
Sor labor or through conceit at our abili-
ties as playwrights. but We have been una
Die to get anyone else TO fit us. Even in
the old variety days we turned out our
own material and by virtue of the same
reason. Some time ago We bought the
theme OF AT Gay Coney Island from n
newspaper man. but he has been unable
10 do anything for us since and. indeed.
we made so many changes in his original
idea tPat he didn't know the work when
he saw it."
Our next years venture" quoth Mr..
Matthews, will be either from the pen of
Augustus Thomas OF from that Of George
Broadhurst. We aspire to better things
than We are doing now and expect TO Sc
cure our vehicles from the gentlemen
named. Both are wonderfully clever and
we think that both would welcome the
recreation of doing a little light work"
Net that writing musical farce is easy"
put in Mr. Bulger.
Il should say not" remarked his part
ner We have done all sorts of toings
and found nothing harder" And then
ruminatiyely: 'Ali sorts OF things-I
should say So We began our careers near
iy twenty-five years ago with 4 circus
Harry and did everything and Little OF
the cooking. We had a cheap o-ganiza-
tion and a river scow and with 10th we
would float down the Mississippi until we
saw likely-looking town and then We
would row for it. Sometimes we would
get as much a dollar and a ha-f a ckst
for admission and we always played to full
tents. Then we went into minstrel work
and did songs and dances together. Finally
came the varieties and then We starred in
a piece called Rush City Then We had
AT Gay Coney Island and now By the Sal
Sea Waves Isn't that rather busy rec
ord for two young men?'
1t is.
My first public appearance was made in
Washington when my sister and l Played
a duet in church one morning." qu0th
Josie De Witt. 1T was just after Pfesi-
dent Cleveland was married and the FIRST
Lady was an apparently appreciative lis
tener. Since then l probably have wo. ked
before half million people-certainy
none of them more noble than she whose
approval has neryed me for every trial OF
my professional career
Says Joe OFT: 1T is a great pity that
some law cannot be made to protect theat-
rical property outside of plays. In this
of business or cultiyates a unique person.
ality it is stolen at once. Often | enter
different theatres and see people following
work which l had introduced only a month
before The whole thing is shameful, and
the worst part of the affair is that there
seems TO be no way OF stopping it.
Tim FrawIey dropped into The Times Of
fee the other day for 4 chat concerning his
forthcoming engagement at the Columbia
Theatre. Mr.. Frawley is very enthusias
tic regarding his prospect for a successful
stock season here. and spoke of the sub
iect warmly. Il have been told he said,
that the difficulty of difficulties with my
predecessors has been in securing good
plays. During my career as a manager l
have ncysr had any such trouble because l
have always found it a profitable invest
ment 10 pay for such vehicles, and pay well
for them. / have made more money out of
pieces on which gave a royalty Of 10 per
cent than on those that have cost me
quarter OF a dollar. Already ! have pre-
pared list of works in which my organi-
zation will be seen. and there is not
name amcng them that will not attract
The offerings for which / have arranged
are 'Trilby,' Alabama The Wife Chris
topher. Jr..' The Charity Ball. a Social
Highwayman.' The Railroad of Love and
The Two Escutcheons.' Besides these
there will be big production from one of
the New York theatres and a new presen-
tation with which We will open here
You may notice that all the efforts
mentioned are society plays. The first
thing necessary TO the success Of a stock
company is the patronage of the matinee
girls, and SO ! mean 10 make point Of
presenting works in which the women Will
have chance to wear handsome gowns
and the men 10 appear 10 advantage.
None Of the members Of my organization
have been engaged as yet, but all Will be
new 10 Washington. / should ike 10 bring
William Ingersoll back here as a leading
man, but the probability is that he will be
with Goodwin in London about that time
and so j have given him up. The COM
pany will be big one thought promise
you that.
The local season will close in June as
/ shall not attempt to combat the hot
weather. ! have a deal on with Manager
Albaugh, however, by which We intend to
return in the fall and establish combina
tions here. in Baltimore. and Philadelphia
BY shifting these troupes about each can
have three weeks or more in which to re-
hearse and so Will appear with better re-
suits than could be obtained in shorter
time. But j will tell you about that plan
later on. Just now it is enough to say
that ! shall return to Washington in March
and open at the Columbia early in April.
And / hope that our season here will be