Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-25
THEATRICAL
 CHATTER

Wright Lorimer's production of "The Shepherd King" is said to be the most sumptuous of all the productions on the road at the present time. It cost in the neighborhood of S1OOOOO in real money.
 :lI:
 Eleanor Robson is playing against her mother. Madge Carr Cook, in Phil adelphia this week. and both are at. fractions of Frank Howe, Jr. Mrs Cook is playing Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" at the Walnut, and Miss Robson is playing at the Garrick.
 Fl:
 It leaked out last week that prior to Madame Reianes sailing she received an offer from n we'll known vaudeville manager of $1.5O0 week to appear in a one-act sketch for season of six weeks. The offer was declined on the ground that the actress had never ap. peared in vaudeville theater.
 :ll:
 It is said that Aorem Shem's per formance of Hamlet at the New York theater on the 14th inst cost him something like S1,50O. The critics were Eeedlessly harsh with the gentleman, for while he was not an ideal Hamlet, he was quite as good as some that have recently appeared in that charac. ter.
 il;
 The near cock fight on the stage of Mcvicker's theater. Chicago. where William X. Brady's musical comedy success, "Girls-Will Be Girls" is play. ing to packed houses. brought down the authorities upon the management after the opening performance. The fight is very desperate affair, but the cocks spurs are padded, and the ani- mals, which are wildly infuriated when they meet. are quite harmless.
 :II:
 Captain Lewis. the originator of the Boer war project, is making arrange ments to secure 2.O00 horses for the Boer war exhibition that is to be one of the attractions at Coney Island this summer. A number of these animals have to be trained to fall on the sham battle field, as they would if shot in them takes weeks of patient toll, and large staff of men is employed to bring the animals to fitting realiza. tion of the proper time and blaze to fall.
 :I':
 Helen McGregOr, the leading woman of the Siberia" company. played leads with Thomas Keene when she was only 15 years old. and bears the dis. tinction of being the youngest girl who has ever appeared in the leading sup port of a star. Miss McGregor was actually born in a theater 24 years ago, when her father and mother were .memlrrs of the stock company of the Told opera house in Rochester. and had their apartments in the playhouse. She made her first appearance on the stage at the age of 4 years.
 Fl:
 Frank O'Neill, the young English ac. tor who plays the role of Prince Karl in "It Happened in Nordland." was told by Joseph Carroll in hls dressing room that. at certain department store in New York bird was given away with every drink of soda water. What kind of a bird." asked O'Neill. "A swallow" answered Carroll. After five minutes deliberation Mir O'Neill concluded 1t was good joke, so he went to Lew Fields's dressing room and said: "Afr Fields, did you know that at a department store here they give away bird with every drink of soda water:" "No. do they?" asked Mir Fields. "What kind of a bird!' "A pigeon" replied Mir O'Neill. laugh. ing uproariously. He seemed surprised that MT Fields went on making up" without cchOing the laughter.
 :l: \
 X new theater' built in New York and approved by all he city boards as to its fire arrangements was criticized by District Attorney Jerome. Oscar Hammerstein built this house. ana when he heard of the district attor- ney's remarks he became furious. F wrote a long open letter. which was choice reading. written in the us,ia, vigorous Hammerstein fashion. In it hG said: T am heatrical manager: I am a representative of noble call ing. My theater is my living; my rep utation is my pride. You have injured both maliciously and premeditatcdiv What redress has citizen who is ,r- famously villified by a man in high office: I will try and solve the pto,- lem. I want you to sue me. I accom- pany this letter with another. In tbis last one I express my opinion of you. your character and your antecedents: and all in plain English at that. \ copy of this letter l will expose to any one wishing to see if. This gives you ground for a libel suit. want you to >ie inc for libc!-I want to force you to sue me for libel. you. William Ira vers Jerome. you trayesty Of a district attorney. Dispcl my mind of the COZ clusion that you are a sneak anl coward: sue me and go with me before a judge and jury" The district attor- ney has made the remark that he never answers such letters.