The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-14

man who began her career as a star
last year did actually play to bust
ness averaging this amount. Her for
tune was made in a year, and 1t only
remains to be seen whether or not she
holds on to it or let's it go, as most of
her colleagues do. Such sums as actors
make If earned in any other walk OF
life would keep their owners rich, but
the earnings of actors soon take wings.
Il could name three or four women,
continued the man, whose discouragins'
views had surprised his friend, who
have come to the end Of a long career,
and ought, in accordance with every
rule of business and common-sense, TO
be wealthy, if it were not that the peo-
pie of the stage are never known to act
very much in accordance with the prln-
ciples of the one or the other. Last
week I was sitting in a vaudeville the
alter of the second class when what Is
known as an extra turn was put on.
This means that sketch not on the
programme is acted in order that the
manager may see how it takes with the
audience, and then decide whether or
not it deserves a place in his regular
sine llOW dolOilSlCA L
was to see that the woman In the piece
was an actress at one time famous in
New York for her beauty If not for her
talents, at one time heading a New
York theater company, and at another
starring with more or less success in
the country. She was conspicuous, too
at one time for the gorgeousness of her
dresses and the number Of her jewels.
But now she was trying her very best
to get this engagement in the vaude-
vile theater because nowhere else could
she find employment in the summer
"She had been acting small parts
with a dramatic company throughout
the regular season. but had not saved
enough to bridge her over the interval
when work began again. Her name is
almost unknown to the present genera
ton of theatergoers so most of the
people who see her in her present in
conspicuous position never knew ber as
anything else. Another woman on a
much higher artistic plane was consid-
cred at one time the representative
American actress of her day. Her
earnings must have been large, for at
certain time her visits to the various
cident Of the theatrical season. and she
always played to enormous houses.
She did that for some years and there
10 no reason why she should not be
rich woman to-day But, as matter
of fact, she is quite the reverse. She
acts whenever she gets a chance in the
vaudeville theater that wants her SER
vices, and occasionally organizes a
company to play in the cheap-priced
theaters Yet at one time she was the
leader of her profession here. Improve
dence and extravaganza seem to have
made away with her wealth altogether,
and persons who talk about her ava
rice and her lack of dignity in accept
ing engagements such as she does now
have no knowledge of her needs. 1t is
in that way only that she is able to
live.
Another contemporary of hers who
must have made a fortune as star in
her time has been brought up in the
bankruptcy courts and is known now
to have literally nothing. Her appear
ance in public is painfully shabby, and
1t seems incredible that this woman
should have been at one time one of the
most successful stars in a business
sense that the American theaters ever
knew. Her savings-for she did save
went in Improbable specuations in
her own profession. and not in eXtrava-
gance. AS matter of fact very few of
the people of the stage live extrava-
gantly They are not often seen in ex-
pensve places in New York. The high
er-priced restaurants and hotels shelter
only a very few of them. They usually
take inexpensive lodgings and seem to
be living without any great outlay. al
though their money nevertheless mana
ges to disappear. New York Sun.