Evening star., 1901-02-09

| The company was strong and the play has
| but few minor flaws, If the concensus OF
| New York critics opinions are to be con-
sidered. A clever story is told and the
| situations are original and well worked
| out
An incident occurred at the matinee per-
| formance of Hodge. Podge & Co.. at the
| Columbia last Saturday which reflects con-
| siderable credit upon Alexandria and its in
| habitants, who from time immemorable
| have been made the butt of many jokes,
| both on and off the stage, because of their
| alleged slowness.
At the end of the second act Mr.. Peter
| Daley was called upon for a speech Re-
| spending, he greeted his audience with
Ladies and gentlemen and some people
| from Alexandria. Four young ladies and
! a gentleman from the ancient Virginia city
| occupied an upper stage box, and during
| the first two acts had divided their atten-
| ton between the play and three-pound
| box of Huyler's bonbons. At the conclu-
| sion of Mr.. Dailey's speech but two small
pieces of chocolate remained. These the
| young ladies carefully wrapped in the large
| box and with some ribbon from one ladys
dress tied the package with a streaming
| bow. On card from ron. the gentleman's card card
| ladies from Alexandria" This was attached
| to the large box containing the two small
| pieces of candy and sent back to Mr.. Dali
| ley.
! Those who attended the Saturday even
| ing's performance wondered why Mr.. Dali
| ley, when again called upon for a speech.
! Joined so heartily in the laugh which fol-
| lowed his greeting Of Ladies' and gentle
| men and some people from Alexandria"
| and requested the gentlemen in the audience
| to take up a collection and present him
with three-pound box of candy as sur
| prise. =. y!
| Speaking Of curtain speeches, Mr.. Daley
| has, by accident or design, adopted a lit
| tie piece of business which always succeeds
| in bringing hiD before the curtain for
| speech. A cake walk concludes the second
act of Hodge, Podge & Co.." and the first
| curtain call shows the cake walk still in
pl ogress. The second call discloses Mr..
| Daley and Miss Mcdonald, and when the
| curtain ascends for the third time Mr..
| Daley occupies the center OF the stage.
| He takes a swift glance aloft and starts
boldly forward, as If to make speech, but
| is forced to dodge quickly back to escape
| the rapidly descending curtain, the speed
| of which he has apparently carefully esti-
| mated. The audience is led to believe that
| the comedian fully intended making few
remarks. but was baked by the man above
| who operates the curtain. This invariably
| brings renewed applause and calls for
| speech, and Mr.. Daley grasps the oppor-
] tunity.
The white Rats are claiming pro-
| nounced victory over the Vaudeville Mana
| gers Association in show of force which
| occurred on the Keith circuit last Thursday
| evening, and today there will be a meeting
| in New York between representatives of
the two organizations. The white Rats"
| are vaudeville players who have combined
| together to counterbalance the association
| of vaudeville managers. They claim to
| number more than 100, with about 1000
| waiting for initiation. The Rats declare
that after June next all bookings shall be
made through the "White Rats Vaudeville
Agency This was understood to be d.
recty aimed at the system fnaugurated by
| the managers association of charging all
performers booked for the theaters under
| its control a 5 per cent commission on
| their salaries. The managers said they
would not submit to the new order of
| things and then a quiet little strike was
arranged, just for moral effect. At
| Keiths Union Square the "walk-out" in
cluded Lydia Yeamans Titus, Grapewin and
| Chance. Williams and Tucker, the Juggling
| Johnsons. Davis and Macauley and the Kel-
| ceys. At Keith's Philadelphia house there
was no real strike, but each "Ratter''
| on the bill suddenly became 'flr' and the
| local manager was deluged with notes from
Mcintyre and Heath, Matthews and Har-
| ris, Kolb and Dill, Techow, Smith and
| Campbell and such folks. The vaudeville
| managers Of the cities affected got together
| in hurry and discussed the situation and
| word was sent to the Rats" that If their
members were ordered back to work the
| managers association would take heed of
| any grievances they might have at the
| meeting called for today.
The movement in the vaudeville mar
ket was not felt here Mr. Chase. the To-
! cal member Of the managers association,
| Is still in the city and Will probably not
attend the conference
To Ripley Hitchcock is given the dis
| tinction of being the first one to discover
| any merit in Edward Noyes Wescott's capi-
| tai description Of men, women and man.
ners In central New York Westcotts book
went through many ahan1s before it was
ever given to the public and for a long
time its author. who was in precar1ous
health, he suffering with consumption, de-
SPARED of ever living to see it published.
| In Syracuse WestcoH worked In one of the
banks and was exceedingly well known He
| was a man of many graces Of manner and
of an engaging personality. When he had
completed his book II paaefd around among
his friends in it's manuscript form and the
question was debated as II the advisability
| Of having it published as series Of char
| acter sketches or as a continued narrative.
| It was finally decided to have it printed
| as continued story. IHe urSt publisher
| to whom 1t was entrustedt$ent it back rath-
er hurriedly. He could see nothing in it.
| and neither could the NEXT nor the next to
| whom 1t was submitted. But Westcott was
buoyed up with hole and the manuscript
the mails. The thirteenth publisher to
| whom the manuscript had been sent hav-
/ ing rejected 1t, the work fell into the hands
| of Mr. Hitchcock who was then one Of the
! readers for a big New York publishing
house He saw lots that was good in it
and was confident Of its merit. However.
| to him. 1t seemed to lack something. He
studied 1t out and came to the conclusion
| that the dominant feature Of the book was
| not the love affair between John Lenox and
| Mary Blake, but the Characterization of
/ the shrewd old country man, David
Harum" What the work wanted, in his
opinion, was more Of Harum. He COM
/ municated these conclusions to Westcott
and the result was that another chapter
| was added to the book. On Mr.. Hitchcock's
recommendation the book was accepted
and published and every one knows with
what success. This added chapter Is the
| one describing the horse trade with Deacon
] Perkins. and is the one with which the