The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-16
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.


Edna Aug. one Of the prominent perform
ers at Hashims Academy Of Music last
week. is possessed of a wealth Of ambition.
and but for the death of Augustin Daily,
the young Cincinnati comedienne would
not now be entertaing the patrons Of
vaudeville. few months before his
demise Mr. DAILY engaged Miss Aug as
leading soubrette for his musical COM
pany. to replace Virginia Earle. This is
how the position was secured. The telling
is Miss Aug's:
II had made a hit in the soubrette role
/ in a Dangerous Maid at the Casino, but
was not contented. l never am satisfied
it seems, always wanting to get farther
| up the ladder of fame. 1 decided that
/ Days theatre was where l belonged. 1
| longed for the atmosphere OF the Daily
stage. with its associations and traditions.
Everybody told me was insane; that is,
everyone but Julius Steger, the Casino
| tenor. who was good enough to tell ME
| that 1t was just the place for me, and ad-
vised me to ask for a high salary about
| twice what | expected, for Mr.. Steger ex-
| planned Mr.. DAILY always cut salaries in
half in the case of applicants.
II succeeded in getting an interview
with the famous manager. and after he had
| spoken tome for fully fifteen minutes,
during which time he looked at me as
| many as three times. he sent me to his
business manager, Richard Dorney. to dis
cuss the question Of salary All the time
was speaking with Mr. DAILY the matter
of monetary consideration was never
preached. Mr.. Dorney asked me what my
salary was.
Zone hundred dollars" l replied, re-
calling Mr. Steger's advice.
The asking of such a stupendous sum
| did not seem TO astonish him. All he did
was to take a slip of paper and write.
| Edna Aug. one hundred dollars !
thought II was all arranged and l was an
CRY with myself for not asking b.ndred
and fifty. For a minute Mr.. Dorney did
not say a word and l sat there speech
| less also. The ridiculous side of the stu
| alton suddenly struck me and I burst
out laughing. After series of ha-ha's
| l had to confess; it was too good joke
to keep.
= Mr.. Dorney. I'm only blufing: my sal.
airy isn't a hundred dollars; never earned
so much money in one week in all my life
was told to ask for larger salary thar
! expected to get and the first sum thai
came into my head was $780,
Mr.. Dorney was quick to appreciate
the humorous side Of the affair and aftel
we both had a good laugh over it, tolC
him that / was getting $75. Once NOR,
a memorandum was made. Edna Aug
sings and dances, S75. / was asked t
coTue around on the following day ant
hear Mr.. Days decision.
The answer on the morrow was dis.
couraging. Mr. DAILY liked me and though
| would do To-. his company but he didn
think l was worth SO each Tuesday Mind
| was discouraged, but not defeated.
went home and composed a letter to Mr.
DAILY that was a marvel in its way. Il
reeited the fact that ! was the sole sup
port of quite a large family-my fathers
that l was ambitious and thought l wa.
good enough for Days Theatre and con
Guided by Offering to accept position a
$40. l received : special delivery answer
within two hours requesting me to cal
the next day.
When I was ushered into Mr.. DAYS.
office he merely turned around and said
/ got your letter yesterday Miss Aug ant
| liked il. You want $40 a week, you say.
Will split the difference and your salary
Will be $50 week Is that satisfactory?
Il didn't utter word but just tool
hold Of his hand and gave it a squeeze thai
made him vince, forgetting that he was
the great manager. Augustin DAILY to who;s
shown. He only laughed a little AM
smoothed out his fingers to see if they
were all there.
MI DAILY died soon after that, and, o.
course. | didn't appear in The Greeh
Slave as was his intention. But dom
you ever forget that he was a kind mar
and a generous manager to anyone who
possessed real ambition"
Miss Aug predicts with every evidence
of assurance that some day she will be ar
important factor in large Broadway prv
duction. This she certainly deserves. fo
she is bright and intelligent, and has
wonderful amount of ambition.
| Ermnie Earle, who plays Myr le MAJ
in THE Belle of New York. ". ces the
opinion that Beulah Dodge. the successor
to Edna May, is dear, sweet girl " an(
yet nothing would please Miss Earle bet
ter than to have Miss Dodge become tired
of sage life and return TO her Syracus,
home, or miss the train or anything tina
would prevent her from playing the role
I of the Salvation lassie. Not that thu
famed chorus beauty does not admire th'
young woman who announces in song tina
the youth of the town never proceed t,
follow the light" but always follow her
Nothing of the sort. Miss Earle is merely
the underst udy for Miss Dodge and simpl!
yearns for an opportunity TO so on ant
prove now well she can play the part.
IT'S Gwfully discoura ging," quoth Mis-
Earle the other night, mot to be able L
play Violet Gray once in Washington.
have ever so many friends in New Yorl
and Philadelphia who would come owe
and applaud me if but had the chance
Last week, in Philadelphia, Miss Dodg'
| consented to let me have the part at thu
Wednesday matinee and | circulated thu
news among my friends, with the result
that OF the afternoon / was supposed t
make my debut as a principal the lobb.