Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-30
FAMILY ARRAYED
AGAINST ACTOR
WOULD COMPEL HIM TO LEAVE
THE STAGE
CAREER READS LIKE NOVEL
Howard Scott Must Enter the Privacy
OF Business Life II He Would
Gain Possession Of His
Property

Commencing life as a student for
the ministry and forsaking that for a
career on the stage which has been
pronounced success, Howard Scott
Of the Belasco stock company now
faces the fight of his life-that of be-
ing unwillingly dragged from the glare
OF the footlghts into the privacy of a
business office.
Mr.. Scott has resigned his position
with the Belasco company and will
leave Los Angeles after this weeks
performance of "The Private Secre-
tary," in which he is being featured.
Well-wishing relatives of the young
actor, by means of a clause in a lately
read will, have tied up his property in
such a manner as to render it almost
entirely useless to him unless he will
consent to abandon the profession he
has been such credit to-
Howard SCOTS stage career reads
like novel. though it may not turn
out so propitiousy.
Studied for Ministry
He began his career as an impress
sionable boy by studying for the
ministry in obedience to the wishes of
his mother and brothers. An acct
dental visit to the theater fired the
student with new ambitions, and in the
face of clamorous opposition he threw
UP his ministerial work for what he
realized he was fitted for.
Every step of the actors road has
been melodramatic fight with oppos-
ing relatives. His has been no leap
in few months to the place he Is |
filling now, but a climb from the very
bottom
Il began by carrying a spear and |
being a small fraction of the mob; then |
graduated into announcing the car
rage and bringing in cards. The family |
almost went crazy; 1 had to earn my |
living as best 1 could. They thought
[ would give in. I haven't so far; and |
fancy that losing a large slice of prop
erty may not make me do so.
There is nothing like sacrificing
for your ambition to make
you value it. Every advance l have
made l have fought for; it takes the
conceit out of one; it makes one realize
values. A character actor-and 1 shall |
never be anything else-has a better
chance to rightly gauge his own value
than a star or a matinee idol ever
has; his work is not noticed unless it
Is good; he never looks pretty; the
girls don't ask for his picture; he lives
at peace fighting for his art-unless
he has a band of relatives battling for
mis- soul.
Hopes to Resume Art
This question of tying up my prop
erty so cleverly as to make it vaueless
mas been the last straw; the fight over
his decides things one way or an
other. l am not going to Portland, my
nome, but to San Francisco. where my
awyers are doing what they can.
Mind my people think they are work.
ng to save my soul; and | think l am
to save my soul; if my claims
are unrecognized 1 will be forced into
2, business life-at least for a time.
But [ cannot believe | will fail.
In the other case l hope to come
,ack to Los Angeles. l will be able
o resume my engagement in the au-
umn if I win the battle, This town
las treated me fairly, appreciated what
have tried to do-above all, appre-
lated that l am serious.
No cannot tell you the details of
his fight; it would be unjust to well
mentioned people. 1t will be enough
when I am able to tell you I have
The Belasco management regrets the
lecessity of Mr., Scott's leaving, as
much as do the great number who
ave learnad TO annreciate his work