Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-04-15
THs oENEis or
BLOSSOMS STRONG HEART

From the Boston TRANSCRIPT.
When the daily newspapers of all
the great cities are giving columns
~ matter 10 the Indian question In all
rs phases, there Is reason 90 believe
that more or less Interest will attach
10 the prosentat'On here on Monday
evening of Robert Ede8on's stage pOr-
trayal OF an Indian type. Strong
heart" Whon Mr.. Edoaon signed
contract with Henry 49, Harris 10 star
under hts management q was with the
understanding that be (Mr Edcsonl
should appear only m American plays
written by American authors. What
want" he said "is something that
couldn't happen In any other place but
In the United States and people who
can only grow here" That he has
found In "Sirongheart' an American
play Is demonstrated by the fact that
he has taken The indian as lis cnief
character. and the play by The way,
was suggested 20 Mr. Edeson through
n most peculiar circumstance.
A few years ago while az a dinner
given him by one OF his friends be was
introduced 10 "a mll-blOOded indian
who was one OF the guests and whose
name was Antonio Apache. former
Harvard student aud a foot bali oX.
pert. Apache was a man OF the world
and spent six months OF each year Ia
New York and then. Ia the summer
his money all gone. he went back 10
tho plains and lived With his tribe In
their lazy, shifiless way When be had
a fresh supply. he came back 20 civil
izatl0n. lie was a fne figure OF man.
well q esaed and vel, bred, with notn-
Ing but hia complexion 90 make him
stand out from the rest Of the world.
lie spoke English perfectly. but In the
manner OF a foreigner who has learned
he language He was precise In it,
no clipping of syllahles or slurring Of
sounds. Every letter had its value. He
said going" Tor Instance. not "goin"
Only once In a While would he bctray
his origin, and that was when you
asked him a question that would cause
him TO think. Then his face would be
come blank, the Hight going out Of
hls eyes. and. unlike the white race.
instead ~ wrlnkllng up his forehead
and concentrating his hroWs, his face
would take on the form OF mask, the
natural expression only returning
when he had answered.
Il was during the New York horse
show several years ago that Mr.. Eide.
son accompanied Antonio Apache TO
the Madison Square Garden. and dur
ing the evening the two men went
across the street 60 the cafe for some
refreshments. And as Mr.. EdesOn
tells u. AS we lined up az the bar,
a much intoxicated fellow at the other
ond twisted himself about and slid
along toward US When he came to
our friend, the Apache. he looked up
In his face for n slime. Then he blurt.
ed out. Say. what In hell are you.
anyway Our Apache had great
strength; he reached over, took hold
OF the drunken man, placed his arms
on the bar and shook him so that he
would stand there easily and safely.
Then without any bitterness he an
sworOd: I am an American, but not
OF your tribe" The incident set the
actor thinking. lie was a character,
genuine American, and II only re-.
malned 10 put him In genuine Ameri-
can conditions. Il was not long after
that Edeson gave his ideas to William
DeMillo and the result OF his two
years work was sufficient TO Induce
Henry -. Harris 40 invest hls money
IN a. and Robert Edeaon 20 stake his
reputation as an artor on Il. IN Strong
heart we have, II ia said man and
a condition that could exist only In
this country, Il Is q vital quest Ton. a
question Of race that should yet PEG.
pie 60 thinking. Robert Edes0n IA an
admirable actor and a fine fellow aud
commends himself especially TO MS by
the stand he has taken In Amer lcunism