Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-14
DEsERET EvENING NEWS. SATURDAY., TEBRuARY i'll 1908.

but SO fur he has had no chance 10
declare 1t The Herald developed
excellent critics IN Stelnberg md
Meltzer but II Is the policy OF this
paper that no man shall make a reputa-
ton on i, and when these writers be-
gan to be talked about they lost their
positions, AZ present the Herald details
any reporter who happens 70 be In the
once to attend the theater or opera and
write his Impressions. Another man,
coming later, Is sent on the same errand
ana both opinions are printed next
morning although, frequently, one con-
uadiets the other Puck, Judge and
Life are reputed to be funny sheets, but
the duliest comic paper In New York In
ne Herald When Mime Melba made
her hrst--and last--appearance in Ger
man opera the Herald cried triumph
antly next morning aud In Hat contra
dlction Of all the music critics, AT last
we have the ideal Drunnhilde." on the
following day il printed in the same
column q letter signed by the prima
donna, In which Meba sorrowfully de-
clared that, realizing the completeness
of her failure, she had resolved never
again 20 attempt the music drama il
IL no uncommon thing for this amusing
paper TO say that play IS bad play
ON Monday and a good play on We'd
nesday, Indeed, on the same morning,
cheek BY Iowl, II often asserts two dla-
metrically opposed opinions. and az the
top OF the column Mr. Sothern finds that
he is q fine Hamlet, while at the bottom
OF the column he discovers that he
Is q bad Hamlet The Herald how
ever secures more theatrlc gossip than
can be arrived at by other papers, and
where II fails as a guide to art II sue
oeeds as an aid to the curious, II IA
said by the enyious newsgatnerers that
this journal. In return for giving good
notices TO all the Trust productions has
a monopoly Of the syndicate's news.
This report Is not verified.
THE wEEKLIEs.
The metropolis is flooded with weekly
papers but none OF them cuts any fg-
ure In dramatic opinions except Town
Topics whose critic is Acton Davies
and Life, which Is intelllgently repre-
scented M the theaters by James Met
calfe. Most Of the weeklies have dra-
matte departments without any theatric
advertising and they are conducted ON
the principle Of exchanging compli-
mentary notices for tickets pretty much
as BARRIERS hang play bills and posters
In their shops In order 10 get passes for
the play These publications never
venture an opinion on theatrical mat
tiers, except TO attack somebody who
has attacked somebody. In other words
IL your correspondent criticlzes with Sc.
verify .D the press the Rosalind of Miss
SimlNns-Joncs the weekly paper crit
icizes him still more severely and sends
a marked paper to that unhappy lady
with a STAMPED directed envelope IN
closed saying Behold how / defend
you against your enemy Please send
me tNo seats for Monday Some Of
these chaps spend most OF their time
abusing the regular critics and slob-
bering over every production, with the
agreeable result that they add to their
incomes by the sale Of theater tickets
at reduced rates Nobody bothers over
them except the press agent who mus
have his scrap books Of notices filled
somehow. Equal Indifference Is shown
TO our two dramatic papers, although
they lead the strenuous life TO attract
attention. One OF them Is the organ
OF the Theatre trust, the other OF me
Independents The chief business OF the
Dramatic Miics-is to scold critics who
find anything Of interest in syndlca te
productions. The chief business of the
Dramatic News is to assail critics who
find anything Of interest in Indepen-
dent productions. They resemble a c0u-
pie Of lean tom cats on a fence hiss
ing at each other and the world in gen
eral. Your correspondent has been a |
theme Of particular wrath for both of |
them, but never simultaneously. When |
the trust organ hurls Billingsgate at !
him, the independent organ crowns |
him with laurel. and when the one |
lauds him TO heaven. the other hurls |
him to Hades Meanwhile he never |
goes 10 either, and regards with appre.
henslon only that possible and alarming
day when they shall unite In pralsing
him.
PROSPEROUS ONES.
IT is an III wind that blows no good
and the present hostility that exists, |
openly In some cases, silently in others, |
between the Theatre Trust and the |
critics has given unexpected fortune TO |
Independent productions. Last week, |
Kirke La Shele brought an Augustus
Thomas trihe TO town and though the |
farce did not amount 70 much, II was
received with an unanlmty Of applause
which astonished nobody so much as the |
author. "The Wizard Of or came TO !
us timidly from Chicago, expecting tho
usual scorn which New York gives to
windy city pieces, and II was welcomed |
with open arms by our critics. George
AIDE. a. Chicago man with his Chicago
work, 1.-THE Sultan Of Sulu," came to us
looking for trouble and found prosper
ity Mrs Fiske, hoping for a month at !
most with her MARY OF Magdala," will |
remain almost all season at the Man
haitian IN abundant fortune. The news
papers have exhausted laudatory adj !
jectiyes on 'rhe Darling OF the Gods"
with the result that there are no seats |
TO be had for months ahead at the !
Belasco Theater The Independents are |
In clover with US az present, their |
dramatists are descendants OF Shakes |
peare their actors are sons Of Booth |
and jefferson Without any instruc- |
tons from our managing editors, with |
out any concerted action without even |
mentioning the matter TO one another |
the New York critics apparently have |
come to the conclusion thta the Theatre |
Trust must be curbed and that the |
drama will be bettered by return TO
original principles OF honest competi.
ton In art, courtesy 10 women and |
proper respect for the newspapers.