davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

Miss Maud Hollins, who appears in the
title role is both favorably known in New
York and London and has heretofore re-
fused to accept engagements in any other
cities. She was especially engaged for
Francis Wilson's production of The
Monks of Malabar'' at the knickerbocker
theatre, New York, three seasons ago,
returning to London to fill previous con-
tracts Immediately after the termination
of this engagement The remainder of the
cast is practically the same as last sea-
son.
Thomas w. Ryley has closed a contract
with Miss Ida Conquest for period of
five years, under which she is to be ex-
plotted as a star. The piece selected for
her first appearance is THE Money
Makers" by George Rolitt, which has
made an unqualified success in London.
Arrangements are being made to open the
season in New York about the first of
December. Miss Conquest is well known
In her life of dramatic work, having been
leading woman for John Drew, Richard
Mansfield and N. C. Goodwin, also at the
Empire theatre, New York.
The most complete organization ever
appearing N musical comedy on tour is
that Of 1.-THE Silver Slipper the latest
DORA" In preparing to send 1.-THE Silver
Slipper on tour following the successful
season at the Broadway theatre, New
York Mr.. John C. Fisher has not hest
tated at expense, and the entire New
York production. with all the dazzling
scenic and lighting effects and the ex-
pensive costumes which tended to make
the musical comedy the most success
full of a generation, will be seen here.
1.-THE Champagne Dance is said to be
the most sensational of any dance wit
messed in a musical play.
Miss Helen GRAVITY made such a decid-
ed hit in Martha Mortons clever COM
edy, Her Lord and Master" two seasons
ago that she has again secured the play
for production and will be seen here
shortly supported by an excellent COM
pany. Miss GRAVITY will be seen as
yivacious western girl.
Nothing can equal the jealousy with
which the dramatist or librettist guards
the integrity of his comic lines. An inter-
poation, no matter how clever, is instant
ly resented by the author as a direct inn
plication upon his ability, and the COM
edian is instructed instanter to eliminate
1t and adhere strictly to the spirit and
the letter of the text. Ask any comedian
and he will bear out the statement Yet
this restriction is not entirely right from
an ethical standpoint, for 1t is as much
the personality of the actor as the abil-
ity of the author that leads to eventual
success. The first man to recognize the
value of personality in the delineator
and to give it practical demonstration is
Willard Spencer, the author composer,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

Craerin will give great production of
this play, having purchased all the seen
cry of William Greets original Hondon
production at the Lyric theatre, London
In which will he seen the massive and
glorious architecture Of Rome, Its gor-
geous palaces and in new and brilliant
costumes and accessories the Roman
mobiles and the women famed for their
beauty, will be CARRIED in rich and sump-
tuous array. The story, one of beautiful
narrative and intense dramatic power, is
built around the persecution and martyr
dom Of the early Christians in this CEN
trail hotbed Of paganism. 1t is thrilling to
the senses with It's play of vivid emo
lions, love, hate, contempt and fury-all
In the overwhelming unrestraint that
marked them in the days of Nero's
tyranny.
Wilson Barrett. has alternated between
the scenes of vice and abandoned luxury
of the pagan Romans and the simple
purity and patient suffering of the de-
spised Christians, heightening the effect
of each. The high motive of the play
and the recital of its story, upholding the
beauty. of the Christian faith, has given
'1lhe Sign Of the Cross" a unique posi-
tion In the field of dramatic work
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

quent expression in Salammbo, the priest
ess of Tanit Pictorially the production
has received as much praise as has the
dramatic intensity of the plot. The tur-
bulent times CT ancient Carthage with its
splendor and wealth suggest a gorgeous
pageant, and that Wagenhas and KEN
per have excelled themselves in this their
latest effort is easy to believe. The
various exchanges imply that "Salamm-
DO" ranks as a show piece with Ben
Hur' and the most elaborate of the
Sardou productions such as cleopatra
and "Gismonda.''
Seldom, If ever has Robert Edeson
been seen to better advantage than in
"Ransons Folly the new comedy of
American army life by Richard Harding
Davis, which under the direction of Hen
ry B. Harris, has been presented 100 times
in New York and which will be seen for
the first time here in a few weeks
"Ransons Folly is Blossoms wisdom,
for he has never done anything better, is
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

has from it's initial performance obtained
renown for the immensely OF It's spectac-
ular effects. Massive scenery, rich and
gorgeous costumes, glittering armor, and
sparkling Jewels are combined In some
OF the most sumptuous pictures ever seen
en- the dramatic stage.
The period of Wilson Barrett's play
is in Rome in the cruel and profligate
reign of the tyrant Nero, at the time
shortly preceding the downfall of that
city, then the mistress of the world. 1t
was a time when extravaganza, luxury
and libertinism ran riot. The scenes In
Rome at that time are faithfully repro
duced, and with a richness of coloring
that represents the best achievement of
the art of the scene painter, costumer and
stage mechanic. Messrs. Berger and
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
Herr Conried Is Worried.
he New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Herr Conried looks as fatigued already
as If he had been through two opera
seasons He is never seen without a pa
per volume in his hand. He rides in his
automobile with such book before him.
He walks in to lunch holding the same
kind of book SO close to his nose that
he has to be steered to his table by the
walters He places the paper volume be-
fore him and guides his food to his mouth
as accurately as possible without look
ing at It,
The opera director is reading plays
enough for the whole season at his Ger
man theater where many are needed
"And it's the hardest part of the busi-
ness" he says. Il would rather stage,
manage. and produce twenty plays than
have to read FIVE Once l have selected
my repertoire for the season, the rest Is
easy"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

in which he won an enviable place in the
regard of American theatregoers. RAN
sons Folly unfolds in an entertaining and
artistic manner the story that in book
form enjoyed place on the fist of best
selling novels. Thrilling climaxes pune
tuate the action of the play and Lieuten-
snt Ransom is shown to be young man
of daring, determination and honor, who
laughs at misfortune and who has a
rever failing fund of humor. Mr.. Ede-
son pictures the role with realistic vigor
and is just the sort of man as he re-
veals Ransom to us, who would. to win a
bet hold up the stage coach at the points
of a pair Of shears.
Kirke La Shelles reputation as an au-
thor has rested so far on the success of
his librettos for THE Amer and THE
Princess Chic" and on his quantity brill
liant Poker Rubaiyat.' The dramatza-
ton of THE Virginian," with the prepar-
alton of which Mr.. La Shelle has had
great deal to do, is therefore his first
work of this sort to reach the public
eye. The fact that he has never pro-
duced a failure during his career as a
manager should pretty firmly establish
the soundness of his judgment of dram
attic values, and ION FORM as the racing
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
sharps say. it should be odds on for
THE Virginian" to win.

sharps say, it should be odds on for
THE Virginian" to win.
Paul Gilmore comes to this city again
very soon in his great success of last sea-
son, 1.-The Mummy and the Humming
Bird" which played to enormous bust
ness everywhere. In Lord tJack'' Lum-
ley, Mr. Gilmore has a part that af-
fords him abundant opportunity to dis
play his tlel.eate and finished dramatic
art, and so successful was he last sea-
son that although a new vehicle had been
selected for him by Manager Jules MUIR
ny, it was deemed best to continue him
as the Mummy" this season. which will
be his last IN that delightful role.
In his earlier. days Charles b. Hanford
was associated with an actor whose main
ambition was to occupy the centre of
the stage under any and all circum-
stances. One day this actor was seen go
ing toward his hotel with a large square
package.
Il wonder what he is carrying?" said
a third member of the organization.
II don't know" answered Mr. Hanford,
"but 1t is probably the centre of the
stage. He has sawed it out and is carry
ing 1t home with him."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
PLAYS AND PLAYERS.


Having in the past experienced some
difficulty with the regular orchestras en-
ployed by theatres throughout the coun-
try Mr.. Whitney has decided to carry his
own orchestra with the Dolly Warden"
Opera company this season in order to
insure an absolutely perfect performance,
and has engaged several soloists of note,
principally from the Metropolitan Opera
house orchestra in New York, whose
rendition of the beautiful music of this
tuneful opera will certainly prove a
treat to our local musicians and music
lovers.
#, CO. Whitney's Opera company pre-
senting Dolly Warden" STANCE & Ed
wards most successful comic opera is
one of the most expensive musical Or
CARNATIONS that will be seen here this
season, as The cast is composed entirely
of artists of international reputation
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
AT THE JEFFERSON.

Monday afternoon and night-"The
Sign of the Cross
Wednesday afternoon and night
Happy Hooligan."
Thursday night-"The Marriage of
Kitty"
Saturday afternoon and night
Vests minstrels.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

pers seems to have captivated every
body 1t Is not often that playgoers take
a violent fancy to an attraction of this
kind but they seem to have in this case
and 1t has made one of the successes of
the season. 1t is of the most pronounced
farcial style. constructed for laughing
purposes, and is full Of comic situations
and a succession of funny episodes.
Happy Hooligan' will be at the Jeffer
son theatre next Wednesday with bar
gain day matinee.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

and Mr.. Spencer is liberal enough to ac-
knowledge Lat he owes a measure OF
his success to his liberation In dealing
with the comedians who supply so much
Of the honor In his successful comedy
opera, Miss Bob White" although the
original text is maintained and merely
accumulated by the comic personality of
the comedians. Verify 1t is forerunner
of the dramatists millennium.
"Salammbo" in which Frederick Warde
and Kathryn Kidder will appear here, is
a spectacular romantic tragedy written
by Stanislaus STANCE and based on Flau-
bert's great novel of that namG The two
principal characters of this famous book
are essentially suited to such players as
Mr. Warde and Miss Kidder, the robust
convincing methods of the former sug-
costing the barbarian Matho to the life
and the statuesque beauty and Gelieste
refinement of the latter should tind elo-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

the critical summing up of one of New
Yorks best known dramatic reviewers.
Judged by the cordial approval bestow-
ed by New York audiences Mr.. Edeson
has increased the popularity based upon
his appearances in Soldiers of Fortunes
which first introduced him as a star and
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
TIMBER LANDS FOR
SALE.

Iwish to sell 1000 acres
of timber and mineral lands
for $3.50 per acre. Lands
located in Calhoun and Gle
burne counties, from 3 to 10
miles of Southern and S. A.
L. Railways.
II. L. STEVENSON.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
Happy HooIlgan."

Gus Hills scenic and musical gaiety
Happy Hooligan," with host of COM
odlans. singers and pretty girls, Is an
attraction calculated to interest every
kind of playgoer from one point of view
or another. 1t tells with unusual rapldity
of action a highly amusing invention
and laughable comedy, in which that
bright and frisky character based on
Fred Opper's caricature in the comic pa
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
"The sian of the Cross"

Wilson Barrett's famous religious
drama, "The Sign of the Cross, which
Will be presented by Messrs. Fred G.
Berger and r. G. Craerin at the Jeffer-
son theatre Monday matinee and night,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30

This latter requisite and demand of the
public is fully appreciated by Mr.. San
ford B. Ricaby, the capable and exper-
fenced manager of the West minstrels,
the attraction at the Jefferson theatre
next Saturday, with a bargain day mat
inee.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
Vests Minstrel Jubilee.

The question has often been asked as
to what 1t is that makes minstrel enter
ment appeal so strongly to all classes of
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
ATTHE BIJoU.

: All the week, with matinees Tues
: day, Thursday and Saturday-"A 4
: Hot Old Time.' :
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

icy Of the colony is closely followed.
and the growth of the mixed population
and its effects upon the prosperity of
the colony clearly traced OF course
we have an appreciative notice of
Franklin and his great services to the
commonwealth he distinguished-ths
is an indispensable subject. The mar
rative covering Pennsylvania is
brought down to the period of Wash
ington's expedition against the French.
Lord Baltimore's religious experiment
In the founding of Maryland, the sub
sequent history of that proprietary col
ony until the War of the Revolution,
and the settlement and growth of New
Jersey-subjects of lesser interest-are
treated in the measure due their i'm
portance and the author closes his mar
rative with the assumption Of parlia-
mentary control over the colonies.
word in general criticism and
colonization Of the Middle States is
dismissed. Adequately has the author
covered the subject and very closely
has he followed the lines of competent
authority. This one element of good
historical work is missing to large de-
gree: A reflection of the customs, social
traditions and thought of the times
Had DR.. Jones given this phase OF the
task more attention he would have
added to his books value by just that
much.
George Barrie & Sons, Philadelphia;
illustrated; sold on subscription only.)
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21
An Old Problem
Shown i'm New Light
STRANGE book is Morley Rob

i STRANGE book is Morley Rob-
~ erts' Rachel Mara strange
book and forceful. Though
1t is cast without fear into an atno-
sphere that is decreed by society to
be unwholesome, though it breathes
a dangerous iconoclasm for all ac-
cepted creeds Of morality, yet has Mr..
Roberts story a tremendous moving
quality such as very few novels of this
day and generation possess. AS with
those who read D'Annunzio's poems
OF passionate paganism and condemn
and read again, so 1t is with him
who pursues the love Of Rachel Marr
and Anthony to the tragic end. Here
In indeed is the spirit of the modern
French school OF the decadent pushed
to its uttermost Yet does one find
himself caught In the swirl of this
frankly avowed exaltation of the body
over the soul and held fascinated un-
til the final line.
Rachel Mari is the embodiment of
the elemental, the fundamental in the
1NNSAAAC VI AAf4A6 R1Il llIR-
ling to the finger tips with the raw
wine Of life. AS unashamed in the
promptings Of her flesh as any Dryad
of Pans train, still of the sweetness of
the seed bearing flower is she For
her the mating Of all living creatures
In happiness and the bringing forth
Of their kind is the supreme law Of
life; love is sanctihed. Loving Rachel
and loved by her is Anthony Perran,
the man Of refined passions, the relig-
ious zealot in whose eyes modification
of the flesh is the only sacrifice ac-
ceptable to God. Here. then, the au-
thor has for his motive the clash be-
tween the law Of Rhea, great earth
mother of US all, and the law of the
Twelve Tables.
At the very outset of his story Rob-
erts gives a picture of the strange
heart that is in this woman:
yet how she adored the fullness of
the earth and the ripe increase of the
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21
Some Sidelights
on Literary Topics

YOSEPH CONRAD has achieved
what is probably the most note
= worthy descriptive style of any
author writing in English. He
has recently allowed himself to
be quoted in regard to his literary
creed as follows: 1T is only through
complete, answering devotion to the
perfect blending of form and sub
stance; 1t is only through an unremit-
ting, never-discouraged care for the
shape and the ring of sentences that
an approach can be made to Elasticity.
to color: and the light Of magic sug-
gestiveness may be brought to play
for an evanescent instant over the
commonplace surface Of words; Of the
old. old words. worn thin. defaced by
ages of careless usage. The sincere
endeavor to accomplish that creative
task, to go as far on that road as his
strength will carry him, to go unde-
TERED by faltering, WEAKNESS or re-
proach, is the only valid justification
for the worker in prose. And If his
conscience is clear, his answer to those
who, in the fulness of a wisdom which
looks for immediate profit. demand spe-
cifically to be edited, consoled. amused F;
who demand TO be promptly improved,
or encouraged or frightened, or
shocked, or charmed. must run thus:
My task which l am trying to achieve
is, by the power of the written word
to make you hear, to make you feel
it is, before all, to make you see. That
and no more. and it is everything
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21
Some Books
OF Merit and Others

g INCE some politician or keen
Drained newspaper. man coined
- that terse phrase with the lid
off" it has done service over
time in reference to everything from
Tammany down to a picnic Of the
journeymen street sweepers. In it's
latest application we see it advanced
as characteristic of the contents of
"Tattlings Of a Retired Politician" by
Forrest Crissey This is politics with
the lid off, reads the publishers an
nouncement. Accepting this on faith
as regards the thought in Mr.. Girls
sey's work the reader may well quail
fly the style with the conviction that
1t is indeed literature with the lid
Off" If the old Governor, State solon
and United States Senator William
Bradley, who delivers himself Of the
wisdom constituting "Tattlings Of
Retired Politician" is to be taken as
a type of American illiteracy in high
places then may we we'll fear for the
future of the Queens English in the
high councils of the land.
AS a reflection of the pure white
light of honesty and righteousness that
clothes things political. whether in city
councils or the halls of Congress, Cris-
sey's book is instructive. With de-
lightful ingenuousness Governor Bill
Bradley recites tales of holding up"
city corporations for franchises, Of
buying" legislation in State assem-
blies and handing Governors sack"
on "the way low down" These little
ruI1 xxro cd tn he
are most OF them closer to fact than
fiction. cannot but prove to be of real
practical value to our respectable gen.
try Of the lobby. Here, for example,
is a saw which serves the double pur-
pose of pointing moral and illustrat-
ing the graceful rhetoric Of this ex-
Senator, old Bill Bradley:
1.-THE man who lies down and goes to
sleep on the soft side Of a political
cinch stands good chance OF waking
up just in time to see his hide nailed to
the barn door by the fellow who
couldn't sleep because he had to whis-
tie in the face of expected defeat in
order to keep his courage up"
(Thompson & Thomas, Chicago; IL
lustrated by McCutcheon)
sUncle Bob and Aunt Becky's Strange
Adventures at the Worlds Exposition"
this is the crisp, terse title of typ
ical Aunt Samantha" book with the
Aunt Samantha spirit left out. Upon
its blue cover the publishers announce
that Uncle Bob and Aunt Becky are
rural characters true to life A
perusal of the first chapter only is suf-
ficient to convince the fair-minded
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

Professor Brander Matthews has been
at work on his ''Recreations OF an An
biologist" which will be issued in the
fall by DOdd, Mead & Co. This volume
contains all that the author has been
able to collect Of certain interesting
literary subjects, no one Of which. how
ever, is important enough to deserve 4
separate volume. There is a chapter
on unwritten books, OF which Edwin
brood" and Dennis Duval'' are ex-
amples; there is another chapter on the
undeveloped plots of great story-tell-
ers, American Epigrams." Carols OF
Cookery ETC.. etc.
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

II I succeed. you shall find there, az
cOrding to your deserts. encourage
ment, consolation. fear. charm-an you
demand; and, perhaps, also that
glimpse Of truth for which you have
forgotten to ask"
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

In "Connectives of English Speech"
James G. Fernald has made a worthy
try at defining the indehnable. To ex-
plain the uses of propositions. conjunc-
tions, relative pronouns and adverbs as
connectives the author has entered into
extensive investigation, even philo-
sophie analysis in some instances, with
the result that he is able to give us
the correct usages if not always the
idiomatic.
Mr.. Fernald does not accept the split
infnitive, though he seems ready to. He
states that it is a very popular idiom
and therefore may become approved,
and draws an analogy with the split in
dicative "it will greatly increase, %
which is to some perhaps not so void Of
offense as the author thinks. We have
never been able to see the use Of lists
of classes of verbs with the propositions
that go with them; the idiomatfc use
of propositions in that form is knowl-
edge to be acquired from reading or
from the dictionary, not from catego-
ries.
Funk & wagnalls Company. New
York;
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

lggplants-h boiled and fried; but
they had hardly peeped out of the
ground when my chickens got into the
patch and scrambled them"
No, strive as he may. this reviewer
Is utterly unable to recall any book
save the first bound volume Of Punch
possibly-that contains so many new
and really scintillating gems Of humor
as does "Comical Confessions"
(Street & Smith, New York; illus
trated; price IS cents.)
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

The dramatic possibilities OF the re-
suits Of the mysterious potion described
in ]. A. Mitchell's villa Claudia" have
suggested themselves to several play
wrights, who have sought permission
to put the book into stage form. Mr..
Mitchell, who has successfully tried his
hand at a great many things. including
architecture, painting. Illustrating, pub
fishing and editing, has mind, how
ever. to see what he can do as a dra-
matist, and it is likely that the coming
season Will see The Villa Claudia" on
the stage in dramatic version made
by the author Of the book. The expert
ment will be at least interesting as a
further argument in the discussion OF
whether the successful writer can pos
sibly be a successful dramatist.
The San Francisco call., 1904-08-21

VIII Irwin, co-author with Gelett
Burgess Of "The Picaroons" CA1cClure-
Phillips). before taking up journalism.
which is now his profession, had most
variegated Iife-experience. He lived IN
almost every State in the West' and
earned his daily bread at a variety OF
professions. BY turns he was cow
puncher. waiter. coachman. librarian.
actor and many other things for which
there is no specific title. He rubbed
shoulders with all kinds OF people in
the underworld. and The Picaroons''
indicates how broad his knowledge is OF
the rough West