The Washington herald., 1906-10-28

ways. side alleys. and back yards OF
stageland irving TO catch for press agent
purposes Illicit glimpscs into the init
mate affairs of its dcnizcns through doors
aiar or uncurtained windows. If stage
folk generally feel resentment against
this sort of enterprise on tho part OF
theatrical publicity promoters. they aren {
manfestine il to the extent of raising
/ sccOnding voices in support Of Miss Rus
sells demand for dCliverancc But il
ought 10 be worth while for the profes-
/ sion Ia make common cause in the work
/ Of putting the Peeping Toms and Paul
/ Prys out of business. They can do it if
} they are really bent on preserving some
/ remnant of their right of personal pri-
VuCy- One would think this right would
/ be dearer 10 people whose calling neces-
sarily brings them bodily into public view
tuan Co ordinary citizens. Actors ana
/ actresses whose instincts haven't been
I warped must often long 20 be able 20
! take up a. paper or periodical occasionally
/ without cncountering IN 1t vapid O;
/ slil( or suggestive rag of gossip about
/ themselves Even if they don't they
/ ought 10 know that the public whose
/ esteem is really worth having viii regard
]
/ serving certain reserve about their
private affairs and their home lives. The
/ best class ct stage people assurcdly know
/ this and have the incentive of business in
! tCiest 10 Te-enfOrCc their instructive de-
sire for keeping their private affairs
private. And il Is this class that II ia
+ lhe best position to deal effectively with
/ the Peeping Toms and Paul Prys Of whom
Annie Russell complains.
/ Miss Russclrs protest. bc il rcmem-
/ bcred, was not against newspaper men
from outside but against employees of the
/ theatrical promoters themselves new
/ species OF press agent, who seem to be
/ kept for the purpose of gathering up the
petty uttle-tattle OF the wings and III,
/ dressing room. and retailing IL TO such
t papers as VIII consent TO print il. These
/ people seem to sweep mp all the thought
/ less ana pturul small talk ana semi-SCaH-
dal OF superS ana chorus ladies. market
/ iuE It, 81 they can find "a market Tor 81.
/ without regard 20 the feelings OF reputt-
/ lions of the subjects of it. in the hope OF
attracting attention To- the enterprises Of
/ their employers The rights of the iBdi-
j viGUal actor or actress are entirely Cost
{
/ in which they are appearing for the mo-
mcut ID Is mighty small business ioE
grown men to DE engaged in, and that IL
| is commercial mistake can hardly De-
/ open Co question The whole tendency
! Is 60 cheaper and degrade AN honorable,
/ profession. The iutelllgent thcater-Coing
! public isn't huneeriug for silly tittle-tattlg
about actors and actresses. The mana
/ gers and s0-callcd press agents VINO think
il is make the error of dividing people into
Two ClIsSaS-. guns and -yapS
I they themselves constituting the former
/ class, of course.
There was probably no cxaggcrau0n in
tho press reports that Anna Held cried
until her nose was "a sight over the loss
Of her S-S0p9 worth OF diamonds al
( Cleveland the other day. Il was a pro-
/ vokng experience To say The least. calcu-
Peg Du get on the nerves OF "a much less
emotional creature than Anna. And then.
too it came right at the busy beginning
o. the season. when il is difficult for hcr
10 spare time to select new OUTFIT of
sparkieTs Besides, the price OF diamonds
/ even at wholes3ie-and Anna always buys
hers that WAYS going up almost as fast
as the price OF butter and eggs. There is
"a rather bitter complaint
about this in thea rricaI and race-tracB
. circles. especially among s0ubrettes and
chorus ladies, who are beginning 10 sus-
pect that "a diamond trust has been or
ganized against them. Il is not unlikely
The proper officials of the Chorus Ladies'
Amalsamatcd Association viii be- i'm
structed to bring the matter 10 the at
tcntion Of Attorney General Moody As
to Anna Held the sympathy for her IN
her loss VIII be slightly chilled by the
/ feeling that she was indiscTeet in carry
ing about the country 50 large an ex-
+ hiblt OF her gems and very careless in
leaving them lying around loose In a
. Pullman car. OF late 10 has become al
+ most "a fixed rule with actresses and
. chorus ladies' on no account 10 carry
with them on tour, especially il they ar,
going in the direction of Chicago. NOR,
than enough diamonds 10 barely see then
through decently-say. about Sl000U
Fv~ t'is moderate amount
Tie very careful girls insist on travelling
in their own private cars provided with
burglar-proof safes
MAURICE SPLAIN.