The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-28
FROM BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Oscar Hammerstein's favorite nook
on hot summer night in New York is
the step leading TO the gallery entrance
of his Victorie Music hall, on the Sew
enth avenue side. Here the manager
sits for hours watching the ticket spec
ulatorS throttle the unwary as crowds
pour into his Paradise roof garden.
When Mr.. Hammerstein sought his
customary seat one evening he found
man sprawled out at full length on
il. Touching the intruder's shoulder
gently, the inpresario said:
Will you please move along2 I'm
very tired and 1 want TO sit down.
The lounger gave the theatrical man
ager a plying look
''Gwani" he blurted Go an sit
down on the curb if you're tired. You
talk as if you owned the place"
And such is fame.' exclaimed Mr..
HammerStein sadly. as he picked out a
soft spot on the wall to learn against.
What is the meaning of the word
Eastern asked Ernest Lamson, reach
ing for his glass.
No one could answer the question.
and Mr.. Lamson, with a frown, went
on:
Nobody reads the Bible now. The
ignorance of the Bible and of Biblical
things is amazing. A Biblical allusion
is nowadays as unintelligible as a Greek
alIusion.
Mot long ago. at dinner, ] got into
a Biblical argument. When the argu-
ment was over a young lady said:
Il enjoyed that discussion splendidly.
But. do you know, l always thought
that Sodom and GomOrrah were man
and wife,?
oh, well, / suppose they ought to
have been If they were not.
1t is not q matter of general knOwl-
edge, but many of the costumes OF
Ben ur'' were made from the draw
ings by General Wallace. who was .
most gifted artist in addition to mis-
many other accomplishments. The
world does not know him as a painter
yet his portrait of the Sultan of Turkey
is one of the best likenesses in exist
ence. When, General Wallace was
United States minister to Turkey the
sultan was his friend and gave hin
many sittingS at the imperial palace
This painting now hangs in the famous
| library building and study, which Cen
eral Wallace had built for his own use
ana occupancy at his home in CraN-
louisville, Ind.
| OTenefdl w dlIace long feSluence II
The east gave him peculiar oppOrtunI
| ties to study Oriental types, and ht
made hundreds of drawings. which were
placed at the disposal of Klaw & Err
! LANCER when it was decided that the!
should produce ''Ben-Hur.' At the time
| these drawings were made there wa
no intention of producing "Ben-Hur'
on the stage-the author made them be
cause he was intensely interested il
| the general subject of life in the ia
east, but they proved of ir9stimabl
value to the producing managers whel
! they began their work. 1t is such eX
actness of detail that gives ''Ben-Hur
| its peculiar and effective atmosphere
and it is quite true that no dramatiza
| ton has ever received such material al
/ from an author as has "Ben-Hur.
/ \ =
/ One one occasion. many years aSJ
4 Stuart Robson had been feeling rattle
badly and was playing in Minneapolis
Il when he CHANGED to meet James O'Nei
i who was showing there at another the
! atre in Monte CristO." The two oil
Il friends met early in the afternoon, an
Il for the first time in several month
both Robson cad O'Neil decided to TAX
a little something in honor of tn
Il chance meeting. The little something
grew until, with all the gallantry o
which he is possessed, O'Neil invites
Robson to witness his performance il
Monte CriStO" that night. Robson &c
cepted, and. after visiting ONelI
dressing room until the latter had [
! go on, Robson did not take the bO
n O'NeiI had left for him, but purchase
a bag of peanuts and a gallery ticket.
{ In the meantime Dan" Arthur, Rob
sons manager, had been searching hig
and low for the comedian. The curtain
was being held and his play could no
go on without him. After 9 o'clock tn
audience was dismissed and the none
returned. and Arthur, in great distres
over the absence of his star, droppe
in to see O'Neil'S performance. II
had not been there long when he hear
the we'll known half laugh. half chuckl
of Robson, and, rushing TO the CALLER
: found him sitting among the CALLER
gods. his old-fashioned silk hat title
On the back of his head, and the pea
nuts disappearing with rapidity. An
there Arthur left him to a pleasan
evening.