Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-01-28
GRAVE AND GAY BITS OF LIFE
SEEN In A ROUND OF NEW YORK

| Special correspondence TO The Herald
1 NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-Thonas Dix
ON, jr.s, stirring drama Of the recon-
structlOn period, "rhe Clansman."
! opened its New York season at the
! Liberty theater under the most aus
picious conditions, and proved TO be
one of the real Successes Of the sea-
SON For q week before the New York
| premiere the play, with the second
company organized for New York
| city, had been I'm four of the smaller
! cities In the state, and had penetrated
| the very heart of the aboiitionists'
| stronghold during the antebellum days.
The success Of the play In the south
| led many to believe that it would not
be accepted in the north, but the re-
ception given it last night in one of
the most fashionable New York the
aters, evidently dispels every doubt of
hostility to the play, its author or its
basic theme.
The large colony OF southerners was
well represented, but the audience CON
sisted mainly of the ultra critical
| "first-nighterS,' who were as enthu-
siastic in their appreciation as their
more unsophisticated brethren. The
play has undoubtedly settled down for
Il protracted run, and both the COM
pany and the author were most kindly
received. The Herald says. Thomas
Dixon, ir.' S 'Clansman' does not de-
pend upon the element Of racial con-
tentlon for It's success. either In the
north or the south, and is one of the
most notable contributions to native
dramatic literature SINCE the days of
our earlier school of playwrights rep-
resented by BARLEY Campbell, Dion
Boucicaut and their contemporaries
little crude in spots. it's tremendous
vlrility. its dramatic climaxes, it's ac-
cumulated interests and the tender
ness of its love story held the audi
ence spellbound for the entire time,
and there were moments. when the APP
plause reached a height which made
the theater for q moment appear as
If pandemonium had broken loose in
some exciting political convention"
Canal Boats Vanishing
The barge colony" of the East river
seems to be dwindling away. Every
year about this time the canal boats
tie up in certain slips, and 1t has been
observed that the number lessons each
year. Twenty years ago they could be
counted by the hundreds, while now the
number must be reckoned In dozens.
Ten minutes talk with a veteran
canaler at this time of the year would
give the most confirmed optimist the
blues. He will tell you his business
has almost gone to the bowwows, and
that when the 1000-ton barge canal is
built he might as well move to the
workhouse. He will produce figures to
show you the canal boats are bringing
40 per cent less grain from Buffalo than
they did five years ago. He will point
with mournful pride to the fact that
there are not today 1000 canal boats left
in commission, whereas five years ago
there were 1000 and all making money.
Zoo Beavers Happy in Winter
The. beavers are among the happiest
of the big animal family at the Bronx
Geological park. They are content to
retain their summer home for the win
ter; they do not care for steam heat
and tropical weather, and when the
north wind blows they will HE them
selves into their little brush homes,
built in the middle of the lake and sup
ported on logs. They are among the
few animals of the big collection who
revel in the crisp weather. Let them
have q tree i'm which to exhibit their
ability and exercise their energy and
they are happy. One large tree cut
almost in half like a saw with their
sharp teeth now bears testimony to
their ingenuity and industry, and when
the wind blows and the tree falls across
their pond then the little beavers will
be happy. --s
Ways of the Yegeman
The police here keep a pretty close
watch on the Bowery lodging houses.
When well-knoWn yeggs, or tramp
burglars, make periodical appearances
and disappearance it is safe to as
sumo they are up to some mischief.
Their usual plan is to take a train to
some town within 200 miles Of the city,
commit a robbery and then hurry back
to New York to pawn their plumber
and spend the money. Although hun
dreds of arrests have been made in
the lodging house districts. the prac-
tice continues among eastern crooks
of this school, The high-grade burg
lars of the west come to New York to
spend their money, but they do not
favor any particular locality, as the
cheaper ones do. They usually put up
at first-class hotels and pose as west
ern merchants or travelling men.
The Motor Masque
And now motor costumes are being
put to a new use, and are not eXclu-
sively reserved to protect Mrs. Mill
ions from the balmy air as she VEN
lures forth in her gasoline car. The
motor mask party" is a new and ia
vorite form of entertainment among
country mouse parties in England.
London. dotes on this new diversion,
and though as yet we have heard lit
tie about it, there is little doubt that
1t will be in full swing in the society
centers here before long. The guests
at these parties disguise their identity
by wearing motor coats over their
evening dress and formidable motor
goggles besides. At the midnight sup
per their masks are removed. and as
they are almost perfect DISCUSSES
there are generally many tangles over
mistakes made through the evening.
The affair is voted entertaining in
high degree. 1t is fortunate for the
wearers of fur automobile clothing
that English houses are not super
heated.
BoastfuI Chicago Man
A Chicago man boosted in New York
as follows:
You have some thoroughfares with
strong currents of wind blowing in
them, but you have to visit our lake
front when you want real breath of
fresh