The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-07
ADJUSTMENTS
"rhe County Chairman"

Better than a book and American to
the core, may be forcefully, If inele-
gantly, applied to THE County Chair
man." George AIDES rural comedy drama,
that was presented at the Jefferson the
atre last night. The whole play is i'm
bued with the genius of its author and
its construction bears the impression of
a master hand. All through the piece
one observes AIDES contagious humor, his
touches of real power at times his knowl-
edge of American life, his grasp of h'i-
man nature, and, above all, his mastery
conception of the characters he has Gre
ated so real, SO. true to their environment
and to the people whom they portray
that one forgets that he Is witnessing
stage creations and regards each famil-
lar figure with the interest he would be-
stow on them in the towns where he
has seen them so often In real life.
1t Is hard to say whether Mr.. AIDE de-
serves most credit or a company of skill
full players for the artistic and thor
oughly enjoyable production at the JEFF
ferson theatre. While the play comes
like a tonic after a dreary array of
frayed and frazzled musical comedies and
one cannot but marvel at the hand that
has given us such a truthful picture of
contemporaneous American life, yet with
out the assistance of performers able to
appreciate the fine shades of character
uIdN1 ny the DidsIiSHl, tie piece WOulu
lose much of its charm Moreover, al
most perfect staging must be considered
creations of the scene painter, the cleo
trician and the stage carpenter that were
just right in every scene and lent an
atmosphere of realism and local color
that was necessary to finish off the pic
ture.
1t is really a delightful story told by
the play, story that is homely through
nif ND wit friI ar l,t1t
teeming with the rich humor and the
healthy life of those people who have
contributed so much to the greatness of
this countryside people of doubtful
grammar, hut with hearts full of unpol-
ished nobility. Politics is the theme
chosen and it is treatd in such way that
the smallest urchn who has ever watched
a bulletin board as we'll as the gray
haired veteran of many hard fought
battle of the ballots, can appreciate every
development, the humor and the pathos
of it all.
The scene is laid in a small town some
where in the central west called Antioch,
where the people rush down to the sta
ton to meet NO % and there are no
secrets among the population Twenty
years before the story opens Jim Hack
Ter. the county chairman, loved the girl
who afterwards became Mrs. Elias Rigby,
through the duplcfty of Elias Rigby,
who intercepted the letters of his boy
hood chum and rival and made the girl
believe that her lover had forgotten his
promises while away fighting the bat
ties of the civil war. Jim Hacker come
back to Antioch after the war is over
discovers the trick that l.as been played
upon him and from that day becomes
the sworn enemy of Rigby. although h4
never tells any one of his love affair and
the girl never knows why her letters were
not answered.
Elias Rigby becomes a candidate for
Prosecuting Attorney of Jefferson County
and in the convention Hacker gets young
Tilford Wheeler his law partner, NOM
mated. Then the fight is on. with the
boss of county politics pittng all his
arts against Rigby for the sake of revenge
and TO win a personal victory for young
Wheeler. The nominee also loves Lucy
Rigby, the daughter of Elias Rigby
end this further complexities matters al
though 1t Is not hard to see where the
girls eyes are turned.
1t is a great fight. IN which the indom-
liable courage. the genial temper and the
manly qualities of Jim Hacker are
brought to the FORE while the contempti-
BILE Rigby Is shown up in his true col
ors Hacker foegoes the satisfaction of
printing damaging evidence against Rig
b. for the sake Of Lucy and Mrs. Rigby
and for a TINA the result hangs In the
balance, but al the last moment Wheeler
Is elected. he wins the girl he loves and
thet curtain gees Gown on a scene or re-
ioicing that warns the heart.
number Of minor characters con-