davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

way the wind Of popular favor 10 going to
blow:
'Iet anybody that thinks It's easy to
manage musical comedy try his hand at
1t once-just once
The collaboration announces that he,
personally, has no time. but when the piece
Is doing hundred night circuit right here
in New York
"Yes." says the stage manager, pessi-
mistically. that's the time the stage man
ayers forgotten"
One Of the pompadoured stars trips over
to another Of the composers and asks for
her song, which comes next.
The composer in question Is a news
paper man with the tenets Of his craft. He
can write only when his time is all up, the
boy waiting for copy and the presses hot.
But my dear girl, the piece don't open
until Monday, and it's Saturday night.
Why, Of course, the songs will be ready on
time. Don't you worry"
She goes back tearfully, while the COM
poser explains to his neighbour
-Never heard of such thing. Expect
to have the songs ready beforehand? Why,
you can't turn songs out that way. What
are they thinking Off"
While the neighbor is pondering over this,
the chorus, refreshed by a series OF tete a
tetes. dives suddenly for the middle Of the
room. Again, dust. confusion, waving
arms and shutting feet. From the con-
fusion rises the refrain:
And when come back home from travelling abroad
You bet your boots m have handle to my name.
And the chorus lifts imaginary monocles
I to real eyes and walks with the exaggerated
swagger which has come to be linked in
the public eye with the titled Englishman--
in musical comedy. The iron bound rules
of that form OF entertainment are safe
for the time.
Then come other songs and choruses,
which will be responsible, II "Mr. Wix'
proves a success: "Her First Can-Can,e 'The
New York Way" Angling by Babbling
Brook" Military Maids" and Bluff sung
even at the rehearsal with an abandon and
vitality which II adhered to will put new
life into the gallery critic.
Through song and chorus is heard the
warning cry of the stage manager, who
is apparently determined to be pleased
with nothing:
step Lively! Keep on going Put
some ginger into that French song. Re-
member this isn't funeral procession
unabashed by criticism, the chorus girls
and men repeat and repeat and repeat,
as If they knew not WEAKNESS. Apparently
in the bright lexicon beyond the footlights
there is no such word as fail.
At II o'clock the chorus girl gives long
wild whoop. Rehearsal is over; but tredf
Not bit.
One is heard saying to another.
Just as soon 60 all over 1t again
The enthusiasm is fathomless fund.
But If any one thinks musical comedy an
easy road to success try to write one,
sing in 1t or even attend its rehearsal.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

nized it as a rehash of 'Harrys Career in
Yale which | had just read. The dime
nove--or, rather, nickel novel-writer had
taken the plot of Harrys Career cut out
the love passages. touched up the high
lights, put in villain, and hashed it all up
in fervid language and short paragraphs
In some places he'd swiped the language
bodily.
Il bought that series every. week for some
time. Right straight through it. was a
rehash of the college stories which were 50
popular about that time.
II was graduated soon after, and like most
college graduates OF literary ambitions,
published n book of college stories. In
few weeks, had tne satisfaction Of seeing
my plots rehashed in this series.
Then ! began to investigate detective
stories, and realized at once what boon
TO the Grub street novelist Sherlock Holmes
had been.
"You remember that in one Of Doyles
tales Sherlock Holmes finds a tunnel unoer
a street by driving a heavy truck over 1t.
There 1t W as, worked over on the third page.
'The next nickel novel tackled had
worked over The Red Headed League
And 30 on, clear down the line.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

formidable sight A short time ago the
writer saw him rise above the blaze of the
electric illumination at the worlds ex-
position in St Louis, and he was like king
at the spectacle.
Over the roof Of the great white buildings,
their cornices and pinnacles af1ame with
million lights, he scared serene, super
eminent, irresistible, drawing the eye
after him. 1t was greater world glancing
down upon the concentrated display OF the
highest achievements OF his lesser sister.
To speak OF the telescope attractions
Of Jupiter would be to open too long a
chapter Great things are going on upon
his broad surface; true Notwithstanding
and perhaps matchmaking events. 1t is
scene OF tremendous activities, marvel
lous display OF changing shapes and colors,
the Interpretation of which remains to be
found
Nor are Saturn and Jupiter the sum Of
the planetary wonders now Illuminating
the heavens. Low in the sunset the watch
full eye may catch the gleam of Venus.
But her reign is yet to come; she is still
too near the god Of day to escape the con-
trast of his overpowering bri lliance
Every evening. howev er, she gets a
little further from him, and by the time
the November frosts have begun to
bite the last leaves from the trees, and
when the bonfires Of the victors in the
Presidential election are redGening the
night, she will have assumed her throne,
the undeniable queen, in whose presence
even Jupiter himself will sink to a lower
rank while all the stars salute her.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

the pupil laughed with spirit.
Then to chorus man with red tie and
a crepe band on his arm: Say The only
girl ever loved, as II you were saying 1t
for the first time in your life"
That is more difficult but the chorus
man tries to remember how he did say it
once. When he has finished, a piping
voice from far corner crack the silence.
"He said he took different girl out every
night this summer. ! said that was easy;
the hard thing was to take the same girl
out every night"
And the stage manager: Ladies! Ia
this rehearsal or is it a menagerie5'
Dust, confusion and the mingled hum
OF "reminiscences die out and the words
of one of the popular-to-be refrains succeed:
In summer time.
When skies are blue.
There's one day that Is my day.
And that's the day
That comes between
The Saturday and Monday.
Little groups about the room take up
the refrain. The man at the piano, his
head turned toward the room, emphasizes
it by staocato motions Of the chin.
The Froicsome Kangaroo takes this OPP
portunity TO come down centre, his feet
crossed as a kangaroo walks in musical
comedy. and rants at some chorus maidens
who are chewing gum and are not weighing
their pompadours with just the amount
of yerve that is deemed necessary to the
success of the ensemble.
Then, having reduced the chorus into
pulp for a minute, the stage manager turns
his attention to the stars, whom he treats
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
Making Of a Musical Play
A Strenuous Process, of Which the
Stage Manager Bears the Burden
musical comedy economists

musical comedy economists.
There was a young woman with cham
payne pompadour which had shifted to
| leeward in the melee of the opening
chorus, who wore champagne colored
shoes, bad her dress pinned firmly and
high on either side with safety pins and
her sleeves rolled up to the elbow. She
had none of the hauteur which comes with
the possession of chaufreurs. Her domicile
might be hall bedroom, but her ambition
was limtless
There was the little demure Miss, gowned
in black who looked at the director shyly
with a lisp in her eye and wink to her
French accent. This was Mile. Marie, as 1t
turned out later.
There was the injured wife, fresh from
the laundry. She was very much injured,
Ms there was great deal of her. Her net
weight ia more than 200 pounds,
while her height would put the typical
American girl, as represented on magazine,
to everlasting shame. She announced her
self as mot slim, but prepossessing.
1t Is easy, even in the confusion that
hypnotzes ones seective faculty at first,
to pick out the leading lady. She walks
about the room, when the stage manager
allows her, as a Dukes daughter never
does in real life, but always does in musical
comedy.
Ears and eyes soon become used to the
confusion; lungs easily breathe the dust
of shutting feet, and then you discern In
one corner group OF men dancing sailors
hornpipe; you know they are sailors and
that the dance is hornpipe because every
once in while they pull hand over hand on
an imaginary rope. just in the same
way you know that the four girls bent at
right angles, wiggling their chignons and
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

THE LOVE SONG WITHOUT WORDS.
with a little more amenity, but not enough
to spoil them.
One of the trio of comedians engages
his attention.
"why don't you put some tang into it
man? You might as we'll be playing
Hamlet"
The comedian, who has been kept busy
making entrances with his companions
through the barriers of chairs and choruI
girls, speaks with a hoarse voice that can
only be heard about a foot away:
.Can't speak. Been to rehearsals twice a.
day for two weeks I've got to go to bed
and rest"
well, go to bed
Then the stage manager takes the score.
and recites In dirge-like voice the lines OF
some one who has not yet appeared at;
rehearsal
white gloves? You said white gloves7'
suppose you want white gloves. We are
all out of white gloves.
He interrupts himself to say:
Ssh! Sh! Sh! Go out upper right,
upper right. Oh. why are you so dense?'
Then he wipes the perspratiou from hiss
brow, sinks down as If he new er would haves
strength to rise again, and announces to one%
of the musical collaborateurs who Ia sitting
by with straw in his mouth to show which
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

II any one believes that musical comedy
"a the synonym OF life of dalliance and
ease such a believer should have stepped
into the last rehearsal of MIR. Wix OF Wick
ham" before it W ent to be tried on the coun-
try canine, previous to ts grand entree
into New York. In comparison with the
strenuousness OF this rehearsal the average
strenuous life is as a limp stick OF overdone
spaghetti to an oak tree.
You breathed strenuosity az you came
along Sixth avenue and heard a strange
copglomeration Of sounds, partly music
and partly sulphur. The music belonged
TO the score, and it was real music. The
rest didn't, but it W as real, too.
Musical comedy is to be again the strong
drawing card OF the theatres this season.
John Wagner, one Of the collnborators OF
this particular comedy, says 1t is because
people want to see pretty girls and hear
catchy music, and don't want to he troubled
with the intricacies Of 1bsenesQue problems
and Maeterlinckian meanderings. The
theatre must be what dessert is to dinner;
not too heavy nor too sweet nor too
indigestible. but agreeably frothy.
All over the fight OF stairs leading to
the big room in Lyric Hall where Mr..
Wix" was rehearsing one stepped over
chorus girls swapping summer vacation
experiences. Possibly the nearness to the
summer vacation may have accounted for
the extra amount of vitality that went
into the rehearsal; it Possessed all the ele-
n1ents Of vigorous muscles, fresh voices
and unlimited enthusiasm, which would
be hard to account for in any other way.
1t was not technically dress rehearsal;
In another sense 1t was, for every kind and
variety OF costume was exhibited.
There Was the girl in white piQue, with
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
Ra,tlcsnake seminoles' Messenger.

Musko0ee correspondence Kansas CifDJourndL
Great CONSERVATION was created among
the members of the Seminole council at We
woka yesterday. when a large rattlesnake
glided into the tent where the assemblage
was being addressed by the attorney of the
nation. Capt, \. j. McKennon. Capt. Mex en-
non was about to kill the snake, when one of
the councilmen stopped him, explaining in
broken English: Him rattlesnake: he come
70 Seminole council: no other snake do that.
mean exico. We must all 20 Mexico soon,
The captain was told that the rattesnake
had long been a messenger to the Seminole
tribe from the Great Spirit They told him
that just before their fight with Jackson in
the South, many moons ago, great rattle
snake crawled from the bank of a lake and
came into camp. The medicine men as
sembled and told the members of the tribe
that great trouble was about to come upon
them They would have a great fight, and,
as the snake went west. q part Of the tribe
would be driven West They said that the
rattlesnake had been looked upon as mes
senger ever since.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

Anna Katherine Green has been swiped
extensively for this purpose. Lately they
have been running strong on the old French
detective stories. / found that one nickel
novelist, more painstaking than the rest,
had patched up a number from parts of
Conan Doyle, Anna Katherine Green and
Gaboriau.
-The increasing literary demands Of the
country have brought all this about, l sup
pose. The taste for good reading has
grown amazingly, but the hunger for the
cheap sensational novel has grown also.
There isn't enough imagination to go around,
so the publishers Of cheap stuff have had to
devise a come-easy scheme.
Il once asked a publisher whose wares
have been widely stolen in this manner
why he didn't sue for infringement OF copy
right. He said that this stealing doesn't
do any real harm.
"The messenger boys and bootblacks
who buy nickel novels never heard Of Sher-
lock Holmes and would never think Of buy
ing book costing more than FIVE cents.
The only real advantage Of copyright
suit would be advertising. and he didn't
think that advertising of that kind would
pay him..
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

THE FRENCH PART WITH DASH OF GINGER.
at this rehearsal was the stage manager
II there ever was an overworked and under
rated individual 1t is the stage manager Of
a musical comedy. There must be a sp.ssal
golden coronet waiting for him hereafter.
for he certainly doesn't get his due here.
Touching stories are told occasionally
Of the badly treated chorus girl, the pale
and anemic victim Of brutal stage mana
ger who lacerates her fine feelings with his
coarse and ribald jests, who has no mercy
on her weakness or charity for her sensitive
spirit. II Mr.. Ricketts,. stage manager Of
MIR. Wiz. is the type of stage managers who
take charge of musical comedies, then to
the timber line with all pity for the POM
padoured and pampered maiden of the
chorus.
These chorus girls looked as il they had
three meals a day and feared no hold-ups
Of salary receipts. The stage manager
alone was worn to a shadow. had hoarse
voice and the general air Of working over
time. Through the din Of amatory con-
fdenoes, the beating of time and the hum
ming of some of the catchy airs, you heard
his raucous accents:
Never yet was the time and the place
together. Never YETI
He probably wasn't thinking Of Brown
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
Chinese Rebels Led by American NJ. ID

. From the Atlanta Constitution. -,
Letters received In Atlanta from Roy s. Ande.
son, sou OF Dr. David l.. Anderson. the well known
Methodist missionary 10 China who now holds
the chair of English In Soochow University, 500
chow. China states that great uneaslncSs Is felt
over the recent Boxer disturbances In the Province
OF kwangsl. where the rebels are being led by sun
Yum, q Chlnanan who was educated In America,
holding an NJ. ID. degree from an American uni
verSiiy.
Mr.. Anderson writes;
I'VE are all In stir out here In the Orient over
tho war and the recent disturbances In the Province
OF kwangsi. The Chinese In that province have
rcbeiled against the Government troops, and the
Government troops have surrendered right along
proyerb: i am a soldier when am soldier and
! am robber when | am not n soldier This Is
the literal translation which. of course. seems
crude. yet you can tell what am driving at.
The rebels are being led by Sun Vun, a returned
student from tho United States, He received the
degree OF N. ID. whllc In the States. He was called
TO kwangsi about three weeks ago, and the rebels
elected him their leader by a unanimous vote.
really don't know what the outcome OF II win
parts OF China that seem TO be raw"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
NICKEL NOVEL PIRATES.
Popular Literature Raided to supply Them
With Plots

the modern dime novel or, rather,
the nickel novel; said an author has
descended into system OF plagi arism.
No longer does the penny-a-liner depend
on vivid imagination for his effects.
tThe old time writer's Of sensational
novels, like Gene Sawyer, who created
the original Nick Carter, did splendid
feats with the imagination, 1t took a
vivid pipe dreamer 10 think up new
wild tale every week. The degenerate
brood Of modern days doesn't overwork
the Internationally the good right
hand.
Il learned this first when ! was in col
lege. picked up one day dime novel
which ran on a series like Old Nick Carter
chronicling weekly the adventures Of az
they had the hero doing athletic stunts
In Yale.
Il hadn't read three pages before I recog-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

taking tiny steps very hurriedly are Chinese
maidens. Just what sailors and Chinese
maidens have to do with "Mr. Wix' does
not trouble you at an. You know you are
at musical comedy, so anything may hap
pen.
But elastic as are the limitations OF must
cal comedy, there are certain stringent
rules which may not be defed and are
strictly adhered to in 1Mr. wiz The
Duke always wears a heavy black cord to
his eyeglasses and his buttonhole is adorned
with an orchid. In the absence OF the
orchid at rehearsal he wears china aster
and 30 announces his identity, If there
should be any question about ii.
The course of true love does not run
smooth Old love has its bank account
and it's way of adjusting difficulties, but
young love must have implacable papas
or guardians. There must be runaways
and heart wreoking experiences. There
must be bloodshed or threatening OF the
same. Incognitos and complications must
ensue-and you must know just as soon
as you look at Young Love that 1t is all
coming right. You mustn't be kept one
moment on the rack, or you might just as
we'll be at an Ibsen drama. You must not
be obliged to hold your head between your
hands In the interval between Acts L. and
H. and say, Did She Fall or Was She
Pushed?" You must know as soon as you
see Lady Betty and Mr.. Tom that the mar
rage bells are in tune and only waiting
for their cue. And to do the collaborators
of 4Mr. Wix" justice, they have adhered
strictly to the rules.
In fact, the only person who did worry
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

Well, II you don't, try it again and say the
shock has unnerved me- as if it really had
BY this time the shock really has and the
victim responds to that effect.
LADIES' Are you at visiting party
or at rehearsal If you are not at re-
heart al, you might as we'll sit down and 20
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

home"
Just how this was to be accomplished
at one and the same time the stage man
ager was too agitated to explain.
And again: when you see me slapped in
the face, laugh-this way"
That was easy and the cue being given
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18

ing poeln VT It sounded remarkably
like plagiarism.
DO you say the shock has unnerved
me- as II you were asking for cream on your
oatmeal at breakfast? Do. your Do your
The sun., 1904-12-06
THREE IN THE ICY RIVER.
Laborers Cling to Capsized Boat-Culhane
Saves Painting Comrade.

Thomas Dugan OF rs West l02d street and
Morris Herbert and James Culhone. both
Of 2eo7 Third avenue. we're tipped out Of a
rowboat into the East River yesterday fore
noon and they nearly perished before they
were rescued.
The three are laborers employed by Patrick
Goodman, q pipe contractor. They were
putting in hydrants on piers in the vicinity
OF Seventh street. They we're in a row.
boat in order to get under a dock and
the boat was capsized. The three men,
clinging to the upturned boat, drifted down
stream When they reached a point op-
posite Fifth street, Dugan, seeing only
death from the cold and exhaustion ahead.
struck out for the shore. He was picked
up by brick scow and taken ashore, where
he was put into dry suit and filed up with
whskey.
The two others drifted on. Several boats
put after them, but before they could reach
the suffering men Herbert slipped Imply
into the water. Culhane, who is q short,
stocky fellow with more vitality, crawled
along stiffly and then, hanging with one
hand to the boat, pulled the unconscious
Her bert upon the Ike elof the boat and struck
him blow in the face. There was quiver
Of returning CONSCIOUSNESS ~ her5erts
again.
By this time the tugboat Queen Nab
had reached the boat, just ahead of a Broad
way ferry boat and the Baltimore and Ohio
tug Russell. Four or Ave other vessels
were bearing down, but before they ar
rived the two men were pulled aboard the
Queen Nab
Patrolman Wight Of the Union Market
station, on duty at the recreation pier at the
foot OF Third street, signailed the
Queen Nab to proceed to the Health Depart
ment dock at Stanton street. Over the
recreation pier Is an annex to Public School
SO, and as I,lOo pupils were tn re at the
men we're brought to that pier.
On the way TO Stanton street, the police
man summoned DR.. Henderson from Gous
verneur Hospital, and before the doctor
arrived he attended to the men himself
The doctor found the men suffering severely
from exposure and hurried them, 10
the hospital.
The sun., 1904-12-06

Of the division OF instruction Of the State
Board Of Examiners. testified that in 1900
be had conferred with the Normal College
trustees and they had decided 70 lengthen
the course to seven years from five and to
require all graduates to pass an academic
examination before being licensed.
Mr.. OBrien tried to argue that the new
rules should have applied also to the girls
who had entered the college before they
were adopted.
Justice Leventritt, in instructing the
jury to find for Miss Price, ruled that she
had taken the entire course required at the
time OF her graduation and that Therefore
she should be exempted from further eI-
animation. Justice teventritt pointed out
that City Superintendent Maxwell had
written to the Normal trustees on Feb. o
1908. concerning the requirements for grad.
yates seeking licenses and had not men.
toned that State certificate would be
necessary.
Mr.. O'Brien announced that he would
appeal from the decision after his motion
for new trial had been denied.