davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
he AMERICAN DRAMA
Bronson Howar d

importance as social events. AS far any com
parison is possible between the early American
dramatists q mean the first of the dramatists who
the starting point in the later 6os and early
1913 and those of the present day, L think OF
only two important points. There was one adj
vantage in each case. The earlier dramatists had
their choice of many great typical American char
acers, such represented in Scion Shinge, Colonel
Sellers, Joshua Whitcomb, Bardwell Slote Nose,
Davy Crockett, Pudd nhead Wilson, and many
others.
This advantage was similar in a small way
the tremendous advantage that the earliest Greek
dramatiss had in treating the elemental emotions;
the other hand, We earlier writer's in America
were liable to many errors, some of them actually
childish which the young dramatlst OF to-day in
constant association with his fellow playwrights,
and placing his work almost in daily comparison
with theirs, could not commit. To do SO man
would have to be a much greater fool than were any
of u.s. and the general Improvement in the technical
work of plays by young dramatists now, plays
that are essentially weak and which fail is decided
encouragement and satisfaction to one of my age
who can look back over the whole movement
Closer Study of Society
THE American dramatist of to-day, without those
great and specially prominent American charac-
tiers who stood, as it were ready to go on the stage
has to make a closer study of American
ciety than his predecessors did. They keen
also in selling strkingly marked new types in Amer
lean life they developed before the public from
decade to decade.
A notable instance is the exploitation by Charles
Klein of the present day captain of industry in
The Lion and the Mouse" The leading character
in the play is differentiated the stge in life,
from the Wall Street giant of about 1890, illus
trated in of my plays The Henrietta"
Mr. Kein's character of the financial nagnate has
developed in this country since my active days of
playwrting, and the younger dramatist was lying
in wait ready for him and to seize his peculiarities
for stage purposes.
Another thing is the fact that dramatists
doing what literary have done, namely,
awaiting themselves of the striking local peculiarities
in various parts of the country A marked illustra-
ton of this before the public is Edward Milton
Royle's "Squawman" recently at Walacks Thea
ter. The dramatist has caught his picture just in
the nick of time just before the facts of life in the
Indian Territory passing away He has pre-
served the picture for George W. Cable the
novelist preserved pictures of Creole life of old New
Orleans made at the last possible moment.
l could go mentioning many other plays illus
trating phases of life and society in America, and
there could be no better positive proof that
a school of American dramatists already exists.
This school will undoubtedly continue to improve
in the technical quality of its work exactly it has
done in the past, and probably with rapidity.
The question has been discussed as to whether
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07

were of far inferior merit. The Roman Empire
existed for nearly two thousand years without
producing any drama of its own worthy of the name.
The Romans not dramatic people. The
works of the so-called Latin dramatsts such as
those of Plautus and Terence, limitations
of the Greek.
France and England had sudden bursts of great
ness followed by general medocrity with occasional
great writer's whose advent could not possibly have
been predicted by anything in art preceding them.
Even the exception to this in France, in the middle
of the nineteenth century apparently flash
of light that disappeared almost suddenly it
came. What is the of posing prophet with
such record of the past? Anyone else is at liberty
to do l would soon act as harlequin. Was
there any wise man in England who twenty-four
hours before that monentous event in April, 1864,
could predict that baby named William Shake
speare would be born the next day. To say that
an American dramatist is to appear this year
or in thousand years who will make epoch is
simply ridiculous
Ibsen's Influence in America
THAT Ibsen exercised and will exercise great in
f1uence on American dramatlstS there be
little doubt His skill accident He was
the most finished development of the French
school of the nineteenth century, as well as the
most highly artificial individual dramat1st of that
school, call it the strictly logical school Of dra-
matte construction. l use the word artificial in its
artistic sense opposed to the so-caed natural
school. His subjects of national, and
not French. Whether his pessmism national
or personal l have not been able to discover. 1t
seemed to that he pessimstic man deal
ing with nation inclined to pessmisrn but that
had nothing to do with the technical qualities of
the man any more than the national peculiarities
of Denmark had to do with Thorvaldsen follower
of Greek soul pture.
As to the policy OF our theater managers con-
fess that they do follow each other but it is simply
because they think the leader they happen to be
following has discovered current of temporary
popular taste. The authors have the interest
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07

absolutely alone, seeing other future for his own
dramatic works except by his presentation of
them. Except for Daily, was practically alone; but
he offered me the opportunity and promise for
the future that he had given to himself From him
developed a school of managers willing and eager
to produce American plays American subjects.
Other writer's began to drop into the profession;
but still they seldom met, and it was not until
about 1890 that they suddenly discovered themselves
as a body of dramatists. This was at a private
supper given at the Lotos Club to the play
wright Charles Gaylor, who far antedated DAILY
himself. To the establishment of those making the
list of guests for that supper, upward of fifty men
writing in America who produced plays pro-
fessionally entitled to invitations and thirty-tive
were actually present at the supper. a toast to
seven women writers not present also honored.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07

TN considering the present standing
of the American drama, compared
with the time when there was
- little or nothing worthy of the
name, the one significant fact has
been the gradual growth of a body of
men engaged in writing plays. Up to
the time | started in 1870, American
plays had been written only sporadically
here and there by men and women
who never met each other, who had
no personal acquaintance of any kind,
no sympathies, no exchange of views; in
fact, no means of building up such a
body of thought in connection with
their art as is necessary to form what is
called school.
In what we now style Broadway pro-
auctions the late Augustin Dalv stood
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
Beginning of School of Drama

THIS was the origin of the American Dramatists'
Club The moment these men began to know each
other personally, the process of intellectual attr
ton began, which will probably result eventually in
a strong school That supper took place only six
teen years ago; yet only in the beginning
of the great movement Incidentally, it is also
necessarily the beginning of school of dramatic
criticism of that art. 1t is difficult to suppose that
a body of critics. merely learned in the dramatic
art of Europe, can be regarded forming a school
of America.
To go to Paris to finish your education in dramatic
art, and return to New York and make comments
what you in the theater is be an
American dramatic critic, does it tend in any
way to found a school of American dramatic crti-
clsm. The same is true of the who remains in
New York and gets his knowledge of the drama
from reading foreign newspapers and books
| stated in former article in this magazine,
First Nights in London and New York" that it
only within the last twenty Five thirty years
that comparison between the cities and the con-
ditions had become possible, for the reason that
prior to that tim there really American
drama There a few American plays and
their first productions did not assume the least
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

ing the acreage which can be re
claimed from desert conditions and the
crops which can safely be planted.
They are also Of great Importance to
engineers, who obtain from them data
for the study of many problems, such
as the relation between rainfall and
run-off, the effects of forests upon
stream flow, the occurrence and control
of floods, etc.
Throughout the eastern part of the
United States the surface waters have
great value as source of cheap power,
and the demand for steam-gauging
data is constantly growing as manu-
featuring enterprises are developed. In
densely populated sections, problems
Of water supply and sewerage dis
posal have also become urgent and are
often complicated by the fact that cities
not only draw their supply of water
from convenient streams, but in many
cases empty their sewerage into them
as well. In such thickly settled regions
even small and insignificant streams
must be utilized to their fullest capac-
fly. In the Central States underground
as well as surface waters are used for
both Industrial and municipal purposes.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
HOTELS FOR WOMEN NEEDED.
Crying Need in New York City, De-
clareS President of Little
Mothers Association.

"There are only three ways open to
the New York working girl whose wage
earning capacity is So week and
who is dependent on herself for sup
port-she may starye, go to destruc-
ton, or commit suicide"
Mrs. Clarence Burns, president of the
Little Mothers Association flung this
bombshell into the convention Of the
New York Federation of Women's
Clubs
1.-THE crying need of New York City, -
continued Mrs. Burns. lis Mills hotels
for working women.
There are 255.732 wage earning
women in New York. These figures
do not include the women in various
professions. OF these wage earners
22,70S are saleswomen. Their earnings
average SIS a week. A woman can bare
ly live on that and keep herself respect
able. The women and girl boxmakers
number 1904. This Is the poorest paid
trade in the city. Three dollars a week
Is the average wage paid. No woman
can support herself on such sum I'm.
less she lives In her parents home and
pays no board.
New York must give these girls and
women respectable, comfortable living
places within their means. 1t remains
'or the Federation of Women's Clubs
% make some strong organized effort
20 start this thing. 1t will be no trou-
BILE to establish these cheap, comfort
able hotels once we can convince peo-
pie of the need"
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
To Rouse BY Phonogfa ph.

Clocks are now being made which In.
stead Of striking them, speak the
hours through an ingenious application
|of the talking machine The inven-
tor has made clocks with speaking
discs Of various kinds to serve as
alarms. You can be awakened by the
vigorous Growing Of a cock or the
sound Of well-known voice. They
are arranged to call out In various ce-
gree of incubation, some loud enough
to rouse the soundest sleeper. As
alarm clocks, they should in time su-
persede all others, for the discs can be
changed as often as the fancy dictates,
so that the sleeper will not become SO
familiar with the call as to continue
his slumber. as often happens In the
use Of the ordinary clocks with bells.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

heads, filled with the freshly cut fruit.
To one who has always lived in the
North, the colorsd part Of the commun-
ity, would be the most interesting feat
ure of this southern city On every
corner were groups Of men and boys,
hands In their pockets, lazing in the
sunshine, women earring big baskets
OF laundry work on their woody heads,
and pickaninnies rolling and tumbling
everywhere. | reached the steamer
well satisfied with my sight of Charles
ton and at P. M. we left the Harbor.
The remainder of the day was bright
and although cool. we stayed on deck
until dark. We passed close to Fort
Sumter, SO quiet and deserted, that
it was difficult to realize that the first
note of war was sounded from that
spot nearly half a century ago.
The ST. Johns in Florida.
The next day was bright, warm and
beautiful, and at A. M. we entered
the st. Johns River in Florida, with
its low banks, entirely devoid Of inter
est. Reaching Jacksonville in the
morning we drove all over the city,
saw the large new hotels, and some
handsome dwellings and the built-up
district over which the big fire had
swept. We took the train for st. Aug
ustine-one of the dreams of my life
was to be realized-and rode for more
than an hour through woods of the
long leaf pine, and the scrub palmetto,
then behold the bay and the quaint
old city. State Senator S.-who was
in my husbands company during the
war. met us with his carriage, and his
hospitality was so imperative, that we
could but accept. He owns a pretty
place a little out of the city on San
Marco Avenue, where we spent a pleas.
ant evening with him and his wife, and
the next morning he drove us all over
the old town, past the superb hotels,
the old Spanish houses-the Oldest Is
800 years. through the narrow streets,
the narrowest five feet wide. to the
barracks, and along the beautiful bay,
while beyond Anastasia Island lay the
ocean.
Palms and Tropical Fruit.
''The Plaza" overlooking the bay,
teens with tropical growths, palms,
bananas, oranges, tree ferns, agaves
and many things did not know. Al
the end stands the old slave market
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

Then we drove to the Ponce De Leon,
where Senator and Mrs. S.-lunched
with us. This hotel Is vast Moorish
Palace covering acres OF ground. One
enters through o massive iron gate; a
flight of steps leads to q Veranda on
either side, with large open court
In front, filled with tropical growth
bordered with verbenas, mignonette,
geraniums and roses In full bloom. In
the centre of this paved court, large
fountain Is fed by bronze frogs and
turtles, while the basin flashes with
splendid gold fish. A few steps lead to
the main yerandas, the floors of which,
and all the corridors, are fiawless mar
BILE. The rotunda, rising to the roof,
Is superbly carved In antique designs
of oak; while marble fire places contain
huge lighted logs resting on the mass
i've brass andirons. Very large paint
ings. which are masterpieces, hang on
the second floor of the rotunda The
immense dining hall in the centre of
the building must be seen to gather
any conception of. its splendor. The
frescoing on the walls and ceilings
beggars description. Each side of the
room is enclosed in glass, and the
guests gaze out upon the open grounds,
green as in summer time. The pillars
in this room are wonders Of architect
ural beauty.
Fairy Land Scenes.
The furnishings are magnificent. in
old gold, pale rose tints and pale blue.
One of the mantels Is vertically thing
OF beauty; 1t Is OF white carved wood,
and rich pieces Of Mexican onyx, with
clock set in the onyx and with huge
brass andirons. The cost must have
been thousands. We came here in the
evenings to listen to the fine music in
the rotunda, and the court looked like
fairy land, lighted with many colored
incandescent globes hidden among the
plants. 1t was charming scene. The
Alcazar opposite the Ponce, ON the
other side Of the beautiful square, Allied
with eli green plants, Is a charming
hotel, built of concrete; the Ponce is con- \
crete with trimmings and coverings In
terra Gotta. The Alcazar surrounds
a very large court filled with flowers,
Ia the centre OF which Is q large foun-
tain always playing; windows open on
It. and a walk extends all around the
court. The first floor is used for storesrl
where tempting goods are displayed. |
Across the street from the Alcazar Is |
the Cordova, with small lighted court
In the Office. filed with plants and
palms. and beyond, small open court
where saw my first banana plant
with ripening fruit. The parlors are
furnished In oriental designs and dark
rich colorings. Massive carved pieces,
wonderful mantels. brass tables bronzes
OF rarest workmanship land thous- |
and things / haven't the space TO men
flon everywhere meet the eve. These
three hotels with their wealth OF
beauty. are rare sight. In my next
letter viii take you to Anastasia |
Island and surther south In this land
az eoNers.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
HISTORY OF RAIN DROPS.
As TRACED FROM THE STORM
TO THEIR FINAL ENGULF1IENT
IN THE OCEAN.

Uncle Sans Extensive Work in In
Vestigating the Water Supply
Great Subterranean Rivers-Po.Iu
ton of Domestic Water.
The history Of the rain drops anc
the snow flakes from the time of theil
formation till it merges with the
ocean, to be again evaporated and re
peat the process, is ofttimes long ant
devious one. Some of the rain oil
course falls back into the ocean; but
much finds a temporary abiding place
on the tops of high inland mountains
and enjoys a year or more of travel
and usefulness before it finally reaches
its old mother ocean.
The, Government is deyoting con
siderable energy to the accumulation
and dissemination of facts concern
ing the behavior OF water from the time
it reaches the earth as rain or snow
until it joins the ocean or great navi-
gable rivers. Public appreciation of
the value Of this work has steadily In
creased, and urgent demands for its
extension have come from all sections
of the country. The work includes the
collection Of data relating to the flow
Of surface streams, researches on the
location and movements of under
ground waters,-great subterranean
rivers which move with elaboration
and the investigation of the physical
character of these waters, such as
hardness, color, turbidity, etc. The
sources and effects of the pollution of
municipal water supplies have also
received much study.
Measuring the Streams Flow.
AS means of obtaining reliable re-
cords of stream discharge in the i'm
portant river basins of the country,
approximately 800 gauging or measur-
ing stations are maintained by the
Government The records furnished
by these stations are used by manu-
facturers and investors in planning the
development of water power, by NUM-
cipalities in neutrality-suspicious. ofwater
supply, and by irrigators in determin-
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
RELIC or BILL RUN.
A Small Monument Erected on the
Spot at the Time Of the Battle.

A Small Monument Erected on the
Spot at the Time Of the Battle.
This rude little monument stands
on the bloodiest section OF the Bull
Run battledelds about one thousand
yards northwest Of the crossroads
at Groyeton. The site OF the monu
ment is BY the bankslde OF the .'old
railroad cut Before the civil war
a railroad was projected to run from
the Manassas Gap railroad at Gains
vile. Va, northeast to Leesburg,
crossing Bull Run at sudley Springs.
The railroad was graded with q sue
cession OF cuts and calls" from
GAINESVILLE ~ SudleY, q distance Of
about three niles No ties or rails had
been laid when at the outbreak Of
the war work stopped In the second
battle OF BUN Hun, Jackson took up
his position along the line OF railroad
Back Of Groveton the line ran
through long low hill and this
rcut" was In the center OF the Con-
federate line. Here the effort to dis
lodge Jackson was most stubborn
and thousands OF Union soldiers fell
10 the unsuccessful attemnt After
Appomatox, when the Union army
was on the march back 70 Washing
ton, many OF the troops returned by
way OF the old Warrentown turnpike
which runs through these bloody
fields. The bones OF the Union sol
diers who fell there had not at that
time been exhumed and taken 70 Ar
llngt0n. The returning veterans
paused long enough 10 erect and dedi-
cate this monument It stands In
the woods in an isolated place and
very few persons ever vislt IL
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
The Dead Sea Of America.

The Great Salt Lake. Utah, has a
length of seventy-five miles, width
of thirty-five miles, and a circumfer-
ence of 291 miles, 1t includes six is
lands, the largest having a length Of
sixteen miles and a width of five
miles, with a peak rising to the height
of 5000 feet above the level of the
lake. The water is of such density that
persons can float in it easily; Its
density excelled only by that of the
Dead Sea. The waters of the Great
Salt Lake are gradually receding from
the shore line.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
THE FAMOUS eANvAsBAck DUCK.

Deception in the preparation of our
foods not only is the stock-in-trade of
the manufacturer, but large hotel
keept s are guilty also. Wise, indeed.
Is the man who can tell when he Ii
eating canvasback duck. There Is ap.
parently but one way to distinguish
the canyasback, and that is by the eel.
cry favor impaired to its flesh. The
celebrated ducks Of the Chesapeake re-
gi0n and those Of Wisconsin are noted
for this favor, the former living al
most entirely on an aquatic weed
known as wild celery, and the latter
upon the extensive celery fields OF the
Wolverine State. And yet the owner
OF the hotel saves money when he has
the common duck fed and fattened on
celery; served on the table its favor
Is the same as the wild bird.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

The shores Of Chesapeake Bay
abound plentifully in wild celery
the chief article OF diet Of the canvas
back duck. The plant grows entirely
under water. and the duck, In order
TO obtain the buds and shoots Of the
plant. must, at times, remain under
water as long as two minutes. Then,
too, they often lose the choice morsei,
for the baldpate lies in wait ready to
snatch 1t from the diver. The poor,
misguided canvasback is easily be-
guiled to its death by the waiting gum
ner through the use OF decoys made
Of wood or other light material But
IL wounded by the shot Of the rlfeman
all its energy Is aroused. Hit, II drops
into the water. and, diving. swix1s un-
der water for immense distances In
order to escape the retriever.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

and manager OF the famous Bath Or
chestra.
During. the last half of the seven
teenth century while Herschel was
winning undying fame there four
ished more great men than In any
other equal number of years during
the two centuries.
A partial list includes the names
OF Benjamin Franklin, Eek, Pitt and
Burke, the great English barristers;
Hume and Gibbon, the great histo-
rians; Watts, the inventor of the
steam engine; Sheridan and Garrick,
the play actors and writer's; Gains
borough, West and Reynolds, the
painters; Voltaire, the French author
and critic; Paine, the French atheist;
Blackstone, the. greatest of legal au-
thorities; Goldsmith. the poet; the
Duke of Wellington; George the
Third Of England, and our own Inn
mortal Washington,
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
FerscheIa Creat Masician.

II may not be generally known
that Herschel, who in spite OF all OBJ
stacles became the greatest Of as
trOnomers, was a most brilliant mu-
sician as well, and in his earlier life
taught music and was the proprietor