Evening star., 1901-03-02

| by the soldiery. Some of the bold cadets
| began to improvise business with bread
and bottles, and with so much comedy erect
| that they distracted the attention OF the
| audience from the leading lady. There were
| scowls from the actor who shared the scene
| with her, but they had no effect on the ca
| dets who, like schoolboys who once surren-
der themselves to the spirit of mischief rap.
| idly become incorrigible. The business
| which was winning laughs at sacrifice OF
| Rostand's exquisitely expressed sentiment
| was entirely appropriate to the characters IN
| which the actors appeared and In proper
| place would have won artistic appreciation.
| But it claimed the interest of the audience
| at time when that interest ought to have
| been directed elsewhere. Miss Haswell gave
no sign of dspleasure during the scene,
| but she passed the cadets on her exit
| she gently protested.
| You very naughty boys!
| One of them looked at the bunch of vto-
I lets which she wore and suggested:
| Perhaps we might be bribed with violets
| to be better next time.
| mo" she answered firmly, mo violets
for you
| AT the next performance the cadets re-
| Trained from improvising. The scene was
] allowed to proceed without low comedy in
i terpolations As she passed them this time
| Miss Haswell said in the same gentle tones:
| You have been very good boys.
| She divided the bunch of vioets Into
! enough little bouquets to go around, and 1t
| is safe to say that none of the cadets
| failed to value his apportionment as
| souvenir of an incident which proved that
life behind the scenes is not as coldly self
ish and egotistical as it has often been de-
| picted.
| Regular patrons of burlesque, who go to
! witness the performances of the City Club,
| will miss at the front of the house the IA
| miliar face and figure of Tom E. Miaco,
| with his snow white hair, his profuse dis
| play of diamonds and his typical outburts
| of managerial egotism Miaco was for
| years recognized as veteran and became
! one of the leaders in the field of burlesque,
| and his death was a bereavement to many
| members of the profession. He played
| Washington and all the principal cities re-
| peatedly. achieved degree of success that
left no doubt Of his shrewdness, and was
| probably as well known as any buresque
manager has ever been, If not better His
| repeated visits extended his large circle of
acQuaintances, and in the cities in which
he played he numbered friends both in and
out of the profession who were always glad
to meet him. A typical Snowman. claim
| ing to know nothing but the show business,
! he possessed all the characteristics which
lcng experience around the sawdust ring
and the theater develops. and both in his
tastes and his conversation he invariably
betrayed himself. Though he roughed it
and enjoyed no luxuries in early life he
became quite fastidious soon he could
afford to indulge himself, and usually lived
we'll, and the road patronized the best
hotels. On one occasion he could find no
hotel in Washington to please him, although
he tried all, a different one every day, and
finally left the best and went to a profess
sional boarding house. where the rate was
| but dollar a day. In warm weather he
sat at the door with the ticket-taker, in his
| shirt. sleeves, displaying, besides wide ex-
| panse of coored bosom, suspenders with
\ a liam dist w
| on his shirt bosom one of the largest dia-
monds, and his fingers were frequently like
wise adorned. He was superstitious, and If
| he found thirteen cents in his pocket would
throw one away: would neither open nor
| close his season on the 18th of the month,
and would never allow thirteen to appear
on the box office statements or in any fig
| ureS affecting the receipts, either discard
| Ing or adding to accomplish the result. He
was considered a kind-hearted manager, but
| his word was law in his own organization
| and he would brook no insGbordlnation. He
was always considerate with his people,
| especially when route, and on his last
visit to Washington, when he had the week
| of the inauguration in view, he took stand
| against letting his company work more than
one midnight performance. He had taken the
same stand before during the worlds fair
when. Chicago day, he refused to repeat
| a midnight show, though hundreds were
| camoring for admission. His whole heart
and soul were wrapped up in his only child
| Edna Chimes Miaco, who inherited all when
he died last May. She has just turned sew
enteen, has little, if any, knowledge of the
| theatrical business, and. in fact, aspres to
literary honors. but is sole owner of the
! ] City Club. third owner Of the Trocadero
| Philadelphia; the Trocadero. Chicago. and
the Trocadero. Omaha, and enjoys the in
| come of large cash inheritance which he
! saved for her. She was christened Edna
Chimes because, according to her father
| just she first saw the light Of day the
| chimes of ST. PauIs, New Yorw, pealeo
| wi Har afrto int a~1.
. | fully guarded by Harry w. Williams OF
Pittsburg. her fathers lifelong friend. CLARK
| G. Ball, his favorite nephew, and Robert
, | Fulton, for years his trusted lieutenant and
| now general manager for the estate
The idea of an endowed theater is always
} alluring to the idealistic temperament OF
the actor. Perhaps no worse time thar
just before Inauguration could be selected te
: hint to the national authorities that this
government IS reaching an age and dignity
which calls upon 1t to take some interes
in the fine arts outside the sta,uary in tn,
parks. In a recent interview in Philadel
| phia John Hare said:
What has always struck me as incom
prehensibe in this country is that with tn.
millions of dollars given away every month
| by the moneyed men of this country no
) one cent is given to the founding OF a ma
tional theater. 1t is needed in America
believe me, very badly. Possibly a munich
| pal theater would be better than a nationa
one: municipal theater in every larg,
| city and modelled on one plan and with bu
one object-artistic betterment.
''The director Of such theater woul,
. gather a class Of competent players ant
: | " oud abolish, SO far as he was able, tn
| star system. Depending on city supper
| and not on the vagaries Of his patrons. tn
director need not cater to the popular taste
In fact his mission would not be to cate
: | but to educate. and II one person Of LOO
> | came to this theater it should cause tn
: | director no gray hairs. for the maintenance
( | of his theater Is assured. The best play
Z | Of every nation should be given; the onl,
Y | American portion OF it would be In tn
| players.
Each actor should receive salary and
after a certain lapse OF years. a pension
d That would insure players Of reputatio,
: abiding In the municipal theater. The fac
a | Of the promised pension would keep then
| from the monetary impulse Of trying t
! better themselves financially by leaving
Now, these municipal theaters are no
nary affairs. They have them In Ger