Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21
QUARREL OVER BUSINESS is
BUSINESS" ADJUSTED
Play Recently Seen Here Subject Of .
Bitter Row In Parlslan Theatrical
clrcIes--cIemene Trying
to Abolish slnecures
Special Cable to The Herald.
NY ARTHUR w. EAMOUREAUX

the Comedte Francalse-naNe TedSou W
be pleased with the settlement OF 3,
great theatrical quarrel. LIE Foyer,
/ by NJ. Octave Mirabeau, pungent novel
ist and playwright, author of Business
is Business" and NJ. Thadee Natanson,
former editor of q brilliant young
review" the Revue Blanche, which is
now dead. was understood to have been
accepted by the Comedie Francaise'
But. on reconsidering the manuscript
M. Claretle. sole judge of new plays
since the abolition few years ago Oh
the reading committee of actors, dis
covered therein a peculiarly disrepu-
table academiciar no was represented
i'm the play as being kept In comfort
by a lady who was no better than sne
should have been So M. Claretie de-
cided that he must draw the line at
bad academicians and refused the play
The authors went for redress to the
very fountain head. that is, the minis
ter Of public instruction, responsible
chief of the state subvention stage
They desired but one thing--to appea
from Charetie to the actors of the Fran
caise and the latter began al once 10
crow EVERYTHING pointed to reViVal
of the abolished reading committee OF
societaires of the theater, which had
been done away with because II IS IN
the human nature of actors to taFe an
exaggerated interest in plays with goou
parts for them, and to condemn plays
with good parts for other actors. The
societaires lived In the hope for weeks
that they would be reinstated in their
seats of Judgment, but this has not
come off Authors were secretly pre-
pairing another settlement of the quar-
rel. Now it is announced that lie
Foyer" has been accented by M. Guitry
at the Renaissance. and that they have
60 IN
play, La Traite Leverrier," which.
presumably, will contain no wicked aca-
demicians. for the Francais. Thus the
public will get two plays instead of
one, but the societaires of the comedie
are still kept out of the critics arm
chair.
Makes Donkey Drink
"Are you not ashamed to rake your
donkey drink spirits?" was the ques-
tion put by the president of the court
to the accused, Jea Il costermonger,
who was charged with being drunk
and disorderlv. and causing his donkey
to be In a like condition A most
amusing dialogue ensued between the
judge and the accused. us II not
fact" said the president. "that the at
tention of the police was drawn by the
shouts of laughter of a crowd of small
bows, and that on coming to see what
was the matter they found both you
and your donkev abon7inably drunk?"
The accused replied: NV donkey and
myself are just IRE two brothers, two
dear old pals. When take a drink
he must have his share" The president:
But this time he had more than his
share. The animal was stretched on
the ground and was quite incapable of
moving on when told to. while YOU
grossly abused the nolice Officers" The
accused here muttered something to
the effect that he did not remember
anything about that part of the busi-
ness. and" continued the president.
''the police had tremendous difficulty in
getting you both to the station. Now
are you honestly ashar-ed of giving
your poor donkey spirits? ?" "But did
not give him spirits" exclaimed the
coster; 'it was mulled wine with sugar
a drink he is verv fond Of" THAT is
not sufficient reason replied the
judge. But" retorted the coster.
'Robesnierre had an ass he used to
make drink as If that clinched the
| argument in favor of his own misdeed.
The president of the court, however,
declined to follow him into fights of
history. and ended the discussion by
giving the costermonger fifteen days
imprisonment.
NO More slnecures
If M. Clemenceau succeeds in abolish
ing sinecures he will have achieved a
miracle. No other man in authority will
ever have done as much. Some sine
cures are famous in French history.
favored post for men of letters is
clerkship in a government depart
ment. You are not expected to turn
up oftener than twelve times a year.
on pay days. Even that was too often
for Alfred de Musset. who regularly
sent deputy to the home office to
draw his Ironey. In sudden reform
ing fit, Ledru- Rollln dismissed the poet
from the ministry, where he had never
once been seen. Ernest Reyer was
for many years librarian of the opera .
One day he thoueht he would like to
have book at the library. but was
stopped by the porter. who said that
it was closed. mo matter" said Rever.
81 am the librarian" "Oh. you are,
indeed?' said the porter. "Now. none
Of your nonsense or I'll call police
man around the corner" And Reyer
never saw the library. Albert Cave.
an old boulevardier under the Second
Empire. was clerk in the fine arts de-
partment. where he turned up regularly
on the last day of every month to draw
his salary. One dav. on the 10th OF
the month, the minister called at the
office and found Cave there What,
| you here? l must get the cross OF
the Legion of Honor for you" And sure
enuogh Cave got 1t shortly afterward
Successful experiments with a new
floating mine have been made at the
Toulon arsenal
The mine can be made to travel or
the surface In any direction, and tc
sink and rise again at will. BY me-
ehanical arrangement the charge car
be neutralized and the mine made un-
1 explosive.
! native Jockey at the Batna races
Algiers, cut across the path of 6
French rider named Rouvier the other
day and Rouvier was thrown and in,
stantly killed.
The white spectators thereupon at.
tackled the native jockey. who wa.
Joined by other natives. In the fgh
! the native Jockey was mortally in,
jured and several other people wer,
badly hurt, Troops had to be called
out to stop the rloting.
ll...... ak-li-. 4