Evening star., 1902-01-18


Very well, doctor. will you be good
enough to let me know the decision by
phone?'
Half an hour later word came from Dr.
Baker that Superintendent Blackburn,
who is in charge of the animals and knows
them thoroughly, was strenuously opposed
to granting of the permission, and re-
quested that Adgie not attempt to enter the
cage, as he fears, from his knowledge of
the eco lions, that they would harm her.
But Adgie has telegraphed that she will
visit the zoo on Sunday and personally Sc
cure the desired authority, and enter the
cage.
In the closing pages OF his history of
Florence. Mach.aveln. speaking of Lorenzo
the Magnificent, says: He cause Clio
vanni. his second son, to be raised to the
dignity of cardinal. This was the more
remarkable for its being unprecedented,
for he was only fourteen years old whea
admitted TO the college, and became tie
medium by which his family attained to
the highest earthly glory" 1t is this re-
markable figure of Giovanni de Medici,
cardinal at fourteen, pope at thirty y-seven,
the last sovereign of the church to reign
over the whole of the western civilization.
whom Mr.. Louis N. Parker has chosen as
the central figure of his drama, The Car
dinal." in which Mr.. Willard appears. 1t
Il ~.
launched his thunderbolts. that Mr. Parker
deals. but with the cardinal at the age OF
'thirtyfour, while his predecessor, the Della
Rovere Julius I'D was still In the papai
chair. A great deal is known of Leo y,
and Mr. Parkers view of him as gentle,
kindly man, devoted to literature and the
arts and not incapable of something like
treachery to attain his end against al
enemy, is justified by history. That he was
a chaste man in an age when chastity was
quality not easily discoverable In tn
courts is generally allowed; that he was an
abstemfous man, given to imposing fasls
on himself. but not upon others. is known
to be the case. But he was also mighty
hunter, who delighted in the pleasures OF
the chase, even after his elevation. lover
of shows and gageants, and a practical
joker who dearly loved his laugh. Though
no glutton himself. he kept gluttons at his
table for the humor of seeing them gorge
themselves. one writer of the time says:
THE good pontif has In his palace mon
strous glutton, named Father Martin, who
makes but one swallow of roast
pigeon" who eats. as l am told by persons
who have witnessed it, four hundred eggs
at sitting, and makes but one meal OF
twenty capons." Such fellows the pope de-
lighted to fool by having dishes of the
flesh of animals not ordinarily used as food
prepared in appetizing style, and fed to the
gluttons. 1t was said in reproach against
Leo that any buffoon who could prov'ee
him with hearty laugh could gain his
favor, but it would appear that he was a
man whose nature was severe toward no
body. ...-,-.
X *
Few theatrical managers have had the
varied experience that has been the lot OF
Mr.. Frederick G. Berger of the Lafayette
successful. The story of his long connec-
tion with Sol Smith Russell, and the man
agericai ability ne displayed from the time
that actor was an unknown performer I'M
til he became one of the foremost stars of
the present day would read more like
bit of romantic fiction that the every day
story of one mans success
Ihose who enjoy Mr.. Berger's intimate
acquaintance know him to be quiet, un-
assuming gentleman who secured recog-
milton for his star through quiet business
methods, and not through the usual bIare
or trumpets which marks the efforts of
even the most successful managers
An incident occurred at the Lafayette
one night this week which throws a strong
side light on the mans character Several
youths seated in the rear of the theater
were guying, to the annoyance of everyone
else within hearing distance. Suddenly a
gentleman said to them, very politely:
That lady on the stage Is making so
much noise that We cannot hear what YOU
are saying, but We hope We shall have the
pieasure OF listening to your criticisms
later between the acts"
There was an audible litter from a dozen
persons, but the youths subsided. They
WIN doubtless be surprised, when they
read this, to learn that the quiet gentle-
man was Mr.. Berger, the manager OF the
theater.
Whfie ArIzona was at the Academy of
Music In New York the superstitious MEM
pers OF the company, particularly big
slim Carr, who has charge of the SUPER
numerarfes, became convinced that the un-
derSround dressing room allotted to the
caValrymen and cowboys was haunted by
the spook Of some dead and gone hero of
meiodrama Weird and uncanny noises
were heard in the dressing room gusts Of
cold air swept through it on the hottest
evenings of early September, when doors
and windows were all Theoretically closed
At times muffied voices could be heard in
excited defamation. sometimes in English.
sometimes in italian. Experts on spooks
of such standing as Grace Thorne and Jane
Taylor held to the belief that the Italian
voices were those Of the astral bodies Of
members Of Colonel Mapieson's first
chorus j. w. Cope pointed out the mani
Test impossibility Of that theory on the
hypothesis that italian opera chorus girls
are known to be immortal 80 the mys
terry deepened until one matinee day when
the paper on the wall of the dressing room
was burst In a circular orihce six inches in
oiaiieeSI, ana a olaSt or air came through
that knocked half dozen soldiers galley
west crushing detonation was fol-
lowed by very babel of Italian jabberine
through which ran a dominant thread Of
Mtiesian. That furnished the key to the
mystery An old six-inch electric wire
conduit which had been vacated by the
telephone company ran under the Acad-
emy OF Music's basement and had been cut
when the stage dressing rooms were built
The upper end Of it opened into the new
subway tunnel at the southeast corner of
Union Square, where q big crew of Ital-
ian laborers. under an Irish gang boss.
were digging in the deep trench A blast
had blown out the covering of the pipe
and torn out the wall paper. thus resolving
the mysterious echoes and occasional cold
zephyrs into noisy pipe line" through
which blew a steady gale of wind
Frederick Mosley, the actor who appear
ed here last week as the brave young
miner, Joe Mayfeld, in "At Cripple Creek"
is playing his first season in the popular.
price houses, having served long term
with such players as the late Lawrence
Barrett. Louis James. Otis Skinner and
many other well-known stars. This is also
Mr.. Mosley's first season ''out Of tights"
which Is but another way OF saying that
he has deserted the classic for the modern
drama. Not that he likes the latter hest