The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-01

hearing Ia Shelle's right to the title .s beyond question, hut he has no desire to become confused i1 the public mind with an aggregation of colored people adver- tlsed as "The Smart Set and playing at cheap prices. Hence the West-Bratton piece will doubtless be renamed.
 During Otis ,Skirne;s recent Philadcl- phia etga cement Mrs. skinner (Maud Durbim ant he were strJlllng ab ,ut the Quaker City sightseeing. when they stopped in front of an Id book store in Ninth Street. where bushels of faded and decrerit books were piled and ticketed, ''T hls lot 1n E and 20 cents" Skinner told his wife that when, several years ago he was a memoer of the Philadel- phia Museum Company and had met with reverses. he was often compelled to go to this store and sell for almost a song books that he had treasured highly and were valuable, As hey stood rum1nag- ing among the musty piles Mrs. Skinner picked up an old volume of Learys, and on the inside cover were these words, traced in pen>il hy I boyish hand: 70. Skinner. Hartford. Conn. 1S7S. The book ia now prized possession of Mrs. Skinner.
 HFN nave mover way or making up advance notices for Quincy Adams Saw yer The efficacy of It is clearly shown hy the big business this latest New Eng land play is doing everywhere. One of the most recent of these advance notices is headed: "Ki,ked by a Cow-Saman- thy Green Met With a Painful Accident at Mason's Corner. But It Convulsed Great Crowd" The press agent then goes on to relate how Samanthy Green. a maid of all work for Mrs. IIepsibah Put nam, went down to the crossroads and tried to borrow some milk at zeke Pet entgilrs. Pettengill told her to so Into the barn and help herself from the brin- de COW, but to keep away from the old red one. But 1t was dark in the barn Spectators first heard a fearful racket, then her milking pail. stool and hat came flying out the barn door followed closely by Samanthy herself, The poor girl fin- ally collects herself enough to tell the crowd that she thinks she must have got hold of the wrong COW. Having aroused tho readers curiosity thus far regarding the incident. the press agent then calmly announces that for the benefit of those who were not fortunate enough to have been present to enjoy this amusing sight of Samanthy Green being kicked out of the barn by the COW, she will repeat the performance at such and such a theatre for the week of so and so.
 James IT. Stoddart was asked not long ago if he thought 1t better to read the story of book play before or after sec ing it presented upon the stage. Mir. Stoddert said: 'I decidedly think after ward, for the simple reason that when one reads a book that Is soon to be adapt ed to stage uses he forms his own opinion as to how the characters should or should not be presented. The adapter cannot always use the material found in the pages of a story, no matter how good it may seem, because it cannot be made to fit logically into dramatic version. Then too, he has to draw upon his own imagination in order to make the situa- tons and incidents more realistic. My experience has been that an auditor who has seen book play first and then reads the book enjoys the play best and also the book. While. perhaps the interest may not be as strong while reading the book. there is still the keen appreciation or the enactment of the individual Der sonages as seen upon the stage. which aids in Vivifylng the reader as to the re- ahties. Among plays that have been presented upon the stage and the great number that will no doubt follow, for the book play is by no means on the wanc, The Bonnie Brier Bush. .' as pre- sented by Mr. Stoddart has proved itself 10 be lasting one.