The times., 1899-05-28

4
IL bears the rather unconventional titis.
What VIII Tompkins Dor and the story
contained Is as yet a secret known only
70 MIR. Clarke and the author. While rest
ing, the mind OF the popular comedian IL
at work and he promises some new ideas
IN the ways of three sheets. stands and
printing for the Western country What
viii Tompkins Dor" is not a New York
success, and does not need to be, for Mr..
Ciarke's purpose. Recently he said: When
wlie or Denver millionaire looked out
OF her drawing room window and saw John
Drew S stands going up on the dead wall
opposite and asked, Who in the world is
John Drew lost faith in the idea that
Gotham reputation availed one greatly
through the West. People out there want
some one they like, no matter what the
East thinks OF him."
Last year Harry made a small fortune
| with What Happened to Jones" and the
new comedy should be a still greater
money maker as II requires only a half
dozen people. Where railroad fares are
cents mile. the economy of a small cast
can be fully appreciated. Clarke deserves
| the success he will doubtless receive and
his stellar course will be observed with
| interest and pleasure by all who saw his
Work or met him personally while in Wash
ington.
10 tne average auditor there is more
real enjoyment in hearing a selection of
ripe age well rendered than In listening
| TO grand opera at S. per seat. To the
greater number of this class OF auditors,
the voice which strikes the high note OF
| Annie Laurie is more applaudable than
| Melba. Nordica, or the remainder Of the
| high -salaried stars This remark Is called
forth by the appearance last week of Miss
Caro- Gordon Leigh, the soprano OF the
/ nj rtasxt,-
| voice is deliciously sweet and as clear a5
bell in her upper register. Admirable
taste is shown in selecting the songs for
| the choir and the music was no small por-
ton Of the enjoyment in a visit to the
| National last week.
| Lee Arthur, the young playwright who
risked his melodramatic existence by en-
deavoring to make curtain speech at the
Columbia Monday night, at the conclusion
OF the third act of his pay, is one OF
the most unique characters that has ever
| appeared along the local Rialto. Arthur
! has contracted the Il done it, habit and
it crops out every once in while during
| his conversation. He prides himself with
having been an actor at one period OF
| his career. which, according to his state
ment, has been as checkered as pair OF
swell golf trousers. Some OF his expe-
| riences have been remarkable, and his
| tales of hardship and suffering prior to
| the eventful evening that marked the pro-
duction of Victims of Tennessee in New
York are enough to wiring PITY from a
board of charities agent.
! One of Arthur's earliest offences was
THE Globe Trotter.'' which lost $4,000
for "0id Boss" Hoey of "Parlor Match
fame in one season. Arthur was assisted
in writing THE Globe Trotter'' by Louis
De Lange- The two young authors struck
| New York one very cold morning with
nothing but couple OF dollars and the
manuscript of the farce comedy. The
snowballs along Broadway were of
J lovely pink hue and looked almost good
| enough to eat. Everything else appeared
| bright and rosy until they attempted TO
| dispose OF ''The Globe Trotter." One night
when the supply of funds was exhausted
and the aspirants for the mantle OF Charles
Hoyt had eaten nothing for twenty-four
hours, De Lange came in the hall bedroom
both were sharing and made the startling
| announcement that Bill Hoey had con-
sented to hear the comedy and wanted
his partner. Charlie Evans, to be present
at the reading.
Il am something OF a good reader, /
think" remarked Mr. Arthur, in recount
ing the experience the other evening. ''but
knew 1 wasn't good enough to fool Evans
with The Globe Trotter,' which was one
of the worst ever, and 1 told my partner
as much.
I'VE borrowed a dollar and went over
to the Gilsey House and rented room for
the night and then placed all of our Pho
tographs on the mantle and around the
room to give HOey the idea that we were
living there as a regular thing. and were
not merely playing a one-night engage
ment.
''Hoey came around without his partner.
our good speeches would bring guffaw
from De Lange and pretty soon Hoey
thought it must be funny to make my
partner laugh so much. and before he went
out OF the room we had a signed contract
and check for thousand dollars. Then
our really hard work of the evening
started, for We couldn't find anyone who
would advance us fifteen dollars on that
check and had to starve until We could
get money from the bank on the piece OF
paper the next morning. No one but Hoey
thought The Globe Trotter' was sunny,
and 1 only saw the first performance
Another piece 1 was interested in writ
ing was The Gay Mr.. Lightfoot,' which
Henry Sire purchased from De Lange and
me and produced at the Biiou, New York.
saw only the first act, and then went out
to drown my joy in the long black bottle.
When | came to a week afterward the
piece had been taken of by Sire. / guess
am the only author who ever got a
Broadway production and never witnessed
the entire performance. Up to date |
have been unable to find anyone else who
saw the three acts of The Gay Mr.. Light
foot
There. hear the applause and cries for
the author, l guess l Will go in front of
the curtain and make a little spsech,' AMI
Mr. Arthur spent the next ten minuts
shOv-inn how a writer nj m fOfid
add further torture - his audience.
With feminine stars fairly outshining
their masculine competitors and new ones
emerging from space to still further crowd
the sky it is interesting to note the sue
cess of each in their several efforts. With
out exception. the season has been finan-
cially profitable. Probably the newer lum-
mary outshone her competitors for pat
ronage This is Viola Allen. whom Wash
irgton enriched to the amount of some
thousand dollars early in the season. Sum
ming up the various engagements, Miss
Aliens managers announce their total re-
ceipts as S3SS, GOO. Her weeks averaged
nearly 81, 900. and il is claimed this record
has never been equaled by a woman star
in America.
There are good wishes in store for every
venture hut more than the usual amount
are aroused by the announcement that ].
]. RosenthaI will exploit a new comedy.
Dear Old Charley next season. Jake is
one of the men whose individual labor en-
dears him TO all with whom he comes in
contact. The theme of his new piece is
as yet unannounced, but he has made
notable beginning by engaging George
Boniface, jr.; George Ober. and Katharine
Osterman for his leading parts Another