Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-19

ne the most spectacular yet seen III
vaudeville farce, especially in the
costuming, which will far surpass any
previous effort in this direction in
novelty, brilliancy of colOrs and
richness of fabrics. Each season
Klaw & Erlanger have said that their
Rogers Brothers production would
eclipse anything they had formerly
done for these entertainers, and
they make the same promise this
year.
Onoto Watanna, author of "A Jap
anese Nightingale" the dramatic
rights to which have been secured by
Klaw d Erlanger, was bonn in Naga-
saki, Japan, 23 years ago. She is,
perhaps, the youngest novelist in the
world, her third book having just
been purchased prior to its writing
by the Harpers. Miss Watanna is of
IAnglo-Japanese origin. Her father
was an English consul who married
"A Japanese woman. The marriage
was not, however, of that variety
which furnishes the main motive in
"A Japanese Nightingale" for while
Jack Bigelow married Euki in Japan
csc fashion, Miss Watanna's father
married his native wife after the
christian ceremony.
The early childhood and youth of
the novelist were spent in Japan, but
when 'Onoto Watanna was Is years
old her father was transferred to
| Canada Miss Watanna at this time,
however. became member of the
staff of a West Indian daily newspa
per and went TO Kingston, Jamaica,
to report the debates of the legisla
tive assembly. She spent the greater
part of a year in the West Indies.
She was then persuaded to go the
United States in the hope of a liter
airy career. At the age of is she be-
gan to write for magazines published
in Chicago. \ number of years were
spent by the young girl in Chicago,
which she had heard was Americas
greatest city. Here Miss Natanna
found instant appreciation and speed
| lily became a figure in literary and
social life,
All this time Miss Watanna was
writing stories gathered from her
knowledge of Japanese life. She de-
veloped distinct dialect eight years
ago which other writer's have since
endeavored to copy. She is thus the
pioneer in the field of japanese dia-
| lect writing in English. In this CON
nection William Dean Howells, in a
recent speech, referred TO Miss Wa
tanna, who was not present. as IA
power that must be reckoned with
in American letters"
With an Oriental love for color
added to feminine admiration of
dress. the slender purse of the young
Eurasian was not always adequate
for her purposes. When someone
whispered TO her that Chicago was
not Americas chief city, but New
York. she took up her residence in
the latter place.
She had observed that many girls
went into tall office buildings where
they earned money pounding little
machines. She decided that she
would do likewise. So she applied
to a New York banker for a posi-
ton. She was given some letters to
copy. When she turned them in her
employer asked in amazement:
whats the matter with these?
There are no capitals in them"
1.-The capital letter is broken" re
turned the girl, who a moment be
fore had done her first work at
machine.
| After that Miss Watanna lived
more simply and never again at
tempted to earn money in an Office
building. AS her vogue increased
she was able to enter Columbia col
| lege for a time.
Since that time Miss Watanna has
lived in New York, devoting herself
to her literary work exclusively. In
private life she is Mrs. Bertrand
Whitcomb Babcock, having married
the writer of that mime. Many of
her stories have been translated into
Japanese and circulate in the land of
her birth. Japan has claimed OnotO
Watanna. having made her a mem
Der of their Toxic literary societies.
Klaw & Erlanger will produce "A
Japanese Nightingale" most elab-
orately and will mount it with a mag
nificence which will rival even the
sumptuousness of ben Hur."
A Well Known Albany Man Recommends