The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-16
ONE THEATRICAL NOVELTY.
1.-THE PEDDLER" MAKES MS ROW
TO A CONGENIAL AUDIENCE.
Notable Chiefly for . Wonderful Piece
or HeadEcar. but Human Through.
out and Heartily Pleasing to the Folks
Al the Fourteenth Street Play house.

The Peddler,- by Hal Red-mark the
raclness OF these names'-was the only
novel theatrical offering last night. Pre-
sented at the Fourteenth Street Theatre
before the sort OF an audience that press
agent would call "a sea Of faces" II won
all hearts!
To whom did Thackeray put the question
Are you fond Of the playhouse;" The
answer. If We remember Alright, was a
meticulous one: something about the quail
hy OF the play and all that sort Of critical
nincompoopcry. Thcreat tie great novel
ist testify exclaimed-or was it mournfully
-'Oh, you don't understand mel"
The audience last night which gathered
10 greet that old vaudeville favorite, Joe
Welch-more brave discarding Of the nom
essential in a mere Christian name-this
came audience, We repeat would have been
In full sympathy with Thackerays love of
the play for the plays sake. As il probably
never read the Newcomer" Hal Reid.
with a sprinkling of Belasco sufiiced. For
Mr.. Welch-we are forced o the Mr. most
unwillingly-has been provided with a
part in The Peddler" that must be as con-
genial to him as the fat next his bones.
He il Abraham Jacobson and oh the hat of
himi
His head covering will fascnate the Broad
way explorers. Ii is battered, but, then,
20 was Dave Warfed's in The Auctioneer
Il Is riisty-which is hardly a novelty; its
shape is trite, and it rests upon the ears of
Joe Welch As must have reposed the dove
sent out by Noah to fetch back meteoro-
logical data. In all these facts there would
still lack the element Of surprise were IL
L,.s lat "A r.
dividuality quite apart from its owner
an independent hat. the hat that would
openly protest II the head 80 snugly ELI
cased within ii began to swell either from
vanity OF vinous exaltat ion. There were
moments last night when this demon seemed
about to fly away with Joe WEIGHS most
strenuous lines. Properly supported this
autocratic and charact eristc headgear
could be starred on the Fast Side. With or
without it's owner its every curve and grin
ming brim is eloquent with meaning a
soothing. sunny, sentimental, humorous
hat.
The play itself, or rather a succession Of
thrilling tableaux located in this city, won
the SURFACES Of a whistling audience. II
Or. Philip Hale's newly invented SldnQo-
meter had been placed on the stage it would
have refused to register after the first act.
Bundles of slang, sentiment spiced with an
occasional streak Of something stronger,
.were passed over the footlights and when
real coal was discovered in the second act
there was a riotous demonstration upstairs.
IT did seem rank, luxurious waste. Joe
WEIGH was a capital pedler- modelled on
familiar lines-and he may be said to have
achieved personal success.
His company was excellent for the pur-
pose. Ed Lawrence and Nina Harringt on
made big hit with their Rowery bdcchdndie
In Act II. They nearly tore each others aims
loose from their sockets and they were wildly
applauded. Bccton Radford, Dave Posner.
John Pierson. Herbert Belts. Fanny McIn-
tyre. W. O'Day, Olive Madison were cast
10 suit their various and striking per-
sonalities. To lend fidelity to life the
dramatist introduced : Lind child. Little
Mary. who was skilfullv impersonated by
Baby Abbey. When this unfortunate one
Of the dramatist's chaste fancy wept over
a dead baby in n cold Parret-Sherif =
officers were dispossessing the pedler-
one realized that D'Annunzio and Maeter-
linck are only timid dabsters in their art
This was the real thing.
The action ranges from Harrigan 10
Belasco. from the Auctioneer" to "Editha =
Burglar" But it pleased the public; it
even pleased that lSlwny epicure of police
politics, Big Chief" Devery, who sat in a
stage box, an wiped his eyes at intervals
In fact, to crit icise adversely The Peddler
would require coalless heart and a liver
Of bronze.