The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-14
At St. Paul Theaters

warmed-over, stained glass atmosphere
OF SecluSl0n and exclusion. l believe they
We're meant to walk beside us, to help
and to point the straight way. If l were
IN love with a woman there's no part OF
my life would have any value if it didn't
include her.
Jadwin-I don't pretend to know any
thing about women.
Laura-But you must have known
great many
Jadwin-That's the reason don't know
anything about them. The man who has
never studied the sex and thinks he
knows it may be a fool. But the man
who has studied and says he comprehends
it is a l. story teller.
Jadwin-The man who is satisfied with
success would have been satisfied with
failure
pit? We have more money now than
we need
Jadwin-It is not the money. 1t never
was the money, it is. the sense. of power
1t is such a fine thing to swing deal
that all the other fellows on the board
are afraid to touch.
Gretry.When you try to , corner g grain a bs
farmers. you're fighting God
'.Frenzied Finance" was embodied
upon the stage of the Metropolitan
opera house last night by Wilton Lack
aye and his company. This is not to
say that the dramatization of Frank
Norris story of sThe Pit is not an
original achievement on the part OF
Claiming Pollock, for it antedates Mr..
Lawson's current contributions. 1t is
simply an expression of the impress
| sion the play stamps upon the spec
tator.
THE PITT is essentially an American
play, with pronounced Chicago flavor.
| 1t contrasts sentiment with business
in such a way as to dispel monotony.
! 1t appeals with equal force to the man
who lives on and for the wheat mar
! ket and the woman who lives on and
! for love. 1t is the story Of the loyal
| pit-of the husband caught in it's
maelstrom. almost oblivious of the
| woman he loves, and only saved by his
| financial ruin.
1t is a striking exemplification of the
Byronic sentiment quoted in the play,
| that mans love is of his life thing
apart; it is woman's whole existence.
Such felicitous combination Of bus
mess and sentiment as this play pre-
sents is rare in these days. The bust
| ness propositions have hard and
practical sound that makes them seem
real, while the sentiment rings true.
The combination is difficult to defeat.
The contrast between the wolfish
howlings of the wheat pit and the di-
vine harmonies of "Lohengrin' pealed
forth from pipe organ at Curtis Jad-
wins home, his wife's artist adorer
presiding at the keyboard, fairly sug-
gests the Kreutzer sonata. The hus-
band comes home, too, before the artist
has left, but he doesn't kill him. In
deed he hardly sees him. He has just
made a million!
Engaged in this pleasing diversion,
his wifes birthday anniversary had
slipped his mind. But her adnirer
who had. returned from Italy remem-
bered it with a floral souvenir.
But the wife never waivers. The
"Lohengrin', music that her artist ad-
mirer extracts from the pipe organ
stirs her heart, but not with love for
him. The sentiment of "The Pit" is
saner and safer than its business pas
sion.
It seems almost superfiuous to say
that this play was competently han
died. Intrusted to mediocre actors, it
would be travesty. Played by expert
enced men and women, it was convinc-
ing.
Wilton Lackaye portrayed an Ameri
cana life member of the Chicago
Board of Trade, such a man as you
might meet every day. The utter alb
sence of affectation in speech, gesture
or posture, the easy, direct, spontane-
Gus speech of Mr.. Lackaye commend
him as an actor of the sane school
Miss Jane Oaker gave the role of
Laura Jadwin a distinctive Individual
ity that lent it special interest-apart
from the gowns she wore. After all
the heart interest of the play is con-
centrated upon the wife of the specu-
lator, and Miss Oaker's denotement of
the neglected wife appeals to the mind
and heart as well as the eye as a con-
sistent, nicely conceived portrayal Of
a loyal, loving wife, whose husband
neglects her for 'the market
The other characters, and they are
numerous, are in competent hands.
The pit scene is the loudest but by
no means the strongest. #. G. H.
"The Runaways," musical extrava-
ganza exploiting Arthur Dunn and an
attractive chorus, will be presented at
the Metropolitan the first half of next
week, beginning Sunday night.
Sabry dOrsell is the prima donna in
the revival of Wang" to be presented
at the Metropolitan next Thursday
night, with De Wolf Hopper in the title
role. Miss d'Orsell is said to be a clev-
er actress as we'll as singer.
Packed houses have been the rule at
the Grand for Nat M. Wills, a clever
comedian, is holding forth in Broad
hurst & Currie's musical success, "a
Son of Rest"
Harry Clay Blaney and his produc-
ton Across the Pacific" comes to the
Grand for a weeks engagement, COM
meneing Sunday afternoon
The Bon Tons will give a special la
dies matinee today at the Star The
bill is a good one and large audiences
have been attracted to each perform
ance during the week.
The KneiseI quartette is invariably
fortunate in the character of the audi
ence it attracts, but this is easily ex-
plainable, for there can be nothing of
outward pomp and show about an Or
ganiZation so unpretentious as string
quartette A prin1a denna's large fol-
lowing may be partly ascribed to the
glittering sequins on her gown. Be
cause of its size and because of its
brave array of instruments a sympho-
ny orchestra frequently attracts even
the tone deaf. But a string quartette
has only it's music to recommend and
that music is not of the kind that cap
lures its listeners by storlning them
and overwhelming them with sound.
On the contrary, its appeal is most
gentle and to be able to respond to 1t,
an audience must have. music in its
soul"
The audience that filled the Park
Congregational church last night
was a typical Kneisel audience, one