The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-04
PRESS AGENTS ROUND TABLE.

Joseph Buckley, who has been spending
the past week in Washington advertising
the coming to the Columbia this week of
his star, Otis Skinner, in Prince Otto,
is rare story teller and has many good
one to tell regarding Mr.. Skinner. He
visited The Times Office in company with
Manager Luckett of the Columbia the other
afternoon and stated he had modest con-
tribution to make to the columns OF this
paper, which has been SO generously turned
over to the bright young men of the the
atrical profession who herald the coming
of attractions to local theatres. Mr.. Buck
ley is a gentleman whose integrity has
never been called into question, and hence
when he announced that Mr.. Skinner had
spent the last summer in Paris doing the
Exposition the statement was not even
questioned, albeit there was a very gen.
cral idea that the star OF Prince Otto
put in the heated term in the vicinity
of Chicago.
According to the veracious Mr.. Buckley
who was in Paris with the player-Mr.
Skinner is the proud possessor of the ap-
paratus of a joke that cost him 500. 1t
was purchased in the Swiss section Of the
1nvalides and is one of the most valued
OF Mr.. SINNERS numerous reminders of
the Exposition.
Among the Swiss clocks was one whence
every hour little wooden soldier emerged
and fired gun-for o'clock, two; for 3
O'Clock, three, and on.
I'm going to buy that exclaimed Mr.
Skinner enthusiastically as he heard the
soldier announce the hour of twelve.
That foolish little toy? Why?" queried
Mr.. Buckley.
'oh, just to kill time" Mr.. Skinner
lightly replied.
Once more attention is called to Mr..
Buckleys excellent reputation for veracity
James Morrissey, the alert business rep
resentative of THE Sprightly Romance of
Marsac,' in which Joseph Brooks will pre-
sent Maclyn Arbucile at the National
Theatre this week, AYERS that MIR. Arbuckle
had an experience during the summer va
cation which is worth repetition in these
columns. 1t concerns the visit of Mr.. Ar
buckle to New York for the purpose of
consulting with Manager Brooks. who, it
should be remarked, lives at that famous
tavern. the Waldorf-Astoria. Mr.. Arbuckle
had been spending some time at his former
home at Texarkana, Tex. when he re-
ceiyed telegram from Mr.. Brooks re-
questing him to come to New York imme-
diately to discuss certain points of The
Sprightly Romance of Marsac." The actor
knew that his manager lived at the Boldt
hotel and thought it would be the right
thing TO register at the same hostelry ar
gulEg mat 1t would be great convenience
and at the same time impress Mr.. Brooks.
He had no sooner inscribed his name and
added neat flourish than the clerk sum-
moned bell boy and ordered that the
actor should be showed to suite of rooms
on the parlor floor. This is how Mr.. Ar
buckle continues the incident:
when the hellhov diSonpnara5 NJ
Ar5uckle says. Il looked around and it
struck me at first that l had bumped up
against pretty good thing. Why. do you
Know, the carpets on the floors must have
been OF real velvet and somewhere about
SIX inches thick. They had silver mounted
hair brushes and combs and fancy fixings
Till you couldn't dress, and the size of that
room WAS about the same as the corner
lot that we used TO play one old cat
on when / was boy in Texarkana Nor.
I'm not particularly rich man ard when
i commenced to look around me more. /
started TO think that there had been some
mistake made by the clerk and that the
rooms l was occupying had been ordered
by some other man.
=" Maclyn, old man. / said to myself
you had better investigate this thing be-
lore you go any further SO / went down
TO the bar room and laying fifteen cents
the regulation Texarkana price-on the
marble counter in front of the gentleman
with the white apron asked for drink of
whisky. The bartender gave me the Wills
ky all right but said the price was 30
cents 1 paid 1t. and going over to the ci-
gar counter, / hauled out a nickel and
asked for cigar. The bright young man
told me that he didn't keep anything less
than 2o-cent ones. Then / went back to
my rooms and rang for a belIboy. When
he came up, / gave him half dollar and
said: Son, don't say anything to anyone,
but Just go down and quietly find out how
much they charge a day for these rooms
You see l was getting uneasy because /
did not have all the wealth in the world
with me. The youth came back in about
ten minutes and told me that the rooms
were only $40 a day.
That being pretty nearly all the money
had wi.h me. saw had to do something
and that mighty quickly too / lust
grabbed my grip and headed for the Office
When / got there. l looked very serious
and told the clerk that l had just discov-
cred that it was absolutely necessary for
me TO run over to Washington on some
very important business and that / wouio
not be back for a couple of days. Just
make out my bill for the time have been
here. / said, and / will pay it and catch
the Congressional Limited.
The clerk said: Really, Mr. Arbucklc.
We cannot let you go SO soon. We had
expected that you would stay with us a
week, at least. Just let me send your grip
back to your room and you telegraph to
your friends in Washington that you won't
be there
Il told him that he was very kind. but
Just had TO go. and for him to make out
the bill right away.
Well, if you must co. he replied, I
suppose you must, but there isn't any bill
Mr.. Brooks made arrangements for you to
stay here during your stay in New York.
and for the bill to be charged to his regu-
lar account
Now wouldn't that make you sad7"
concludes the star of THE Sprightly Ro-
nance OF Marsac." And the very worst |
part Of ii all is that / had to tell Mr..
Brooks that it was imperative that run |
over 10 Washington for a couple of days |
before ] transacted the business he wan,- |
ed to see me about and I had to keep in |
hiding for torty-eight hours before 1 could
face him and announce that i had Just
come back from the Capital.