, 1907-08-14
WON PRIZE
AS WRITER
COUSIN OF LARAMIE LADY GIVEN
THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR
DRAMATiZING STORY.
Miss FIavia Rosser Of Butler, Missouri,
Whose Mother 10 Own Cousin to
Mrs. r. e. Fitch, Makes Best Pro-
duction Of "Black Beauty" for the
Stage and Honored Thereby.

The Boston Globe OF recent date
contains the following OF local interest,
Miss Rosser being a relative Of Mrs.
Ida Fitch OF this city, her mother
and Mrs. Fitch being own cousins. The
article vas reprinted in the last num-
Der Of Our Dumb Animals with a
good portrait of the young lady.
Missouri Girl Wins Prize.
Last October George 7. Angel, pres
ident of the American Humane Edu,
cation society. offered a prize OF $1,000
for the best dramatic version of BLACK
Beauty" the celebrated English horse
story, of which the society has issued
some 100000 copies and which has
been translated into several European
and Asiatic languages.
The manuscripts were to be sub
mitted by March l, 1907, and were
judged by three Boston newspaper
men, Edward II. Clement Of the Tran
script, Frederick E. Goodrich of the
Post and Sidney C. Williams of the
Advertiser.
One of Thirteen.
Thirteen manuscripts were submit,
ted. The winner is a young woman,
Miss Flavia Rosser of Butler, Bates
county, Mo. The manuscripts were to
| ba piunal hu ~ Gn,it;n,c ~, 81 na
companied by a sealed letter giving
the actual name and postoffice address
of the writer, to be opened after a de.
cision had been reached. Miss Ros.
ser's pseudonyn was "Humanitas."
In their report t Mr.. Angel the
jury says of Miss Rosser's play:
Sincere Communication.
This might be the work of some ma
ture and cultivated English writer of
fiction; it is marked by charm Of lit
erary style; it has distinction, ele,
gance, grace and fine feeling; becomes
really interesting from the clear CON-
position and drawing of the characters,
who are therefore followed with sym
pathy; the dramatic situations are ma
tural and simple yet effective. The
plot is of human interest, and the in
cidents have real life in them.
Moreover there is a distinct vein OF
refined comedy such as was found in
no n Of the other manuscripts. The
fact that this play gives opportunity
for strong and individualizing charac.
teriZations suggests that it be placed
in the hands Of some expert play
wright, an adapter, a carpenter for
the stage, with the hope and expecta.
ton that a fine acting play, admirably
calculated to popularize the teachings
of the humanitarian movement, might
result"
Eight Manuscripts Not Considered.
The jury in reporting on the other
twelve manuscripts says eight of them
were unworthy of serious considera-
ton.
One incident connected with Miss
Rosser's winning the prize was that
several weeks ago she because impa.
tient at the length OF time it took to
arrive at a decision, and she wrote
Mr.. Angel, demanding the return of
her manuscript. The members of the
jury had practically arrived at their
conclusion at the time, however, and
she was advised to be patient.
A dispatch from Butler, Mo-, says
Miss Rosser was much surprised at
her success. She found the book a very
difficult book to dramatize, because it
deals SO largely with animal life.
Money or Royalty.
Mr.. Angel yesterday afternoon said
he had given Miss Rosser the choice of
accepting $1,000 and surrendering all
rights to the play, or of retaining the
play herself and drawing a royalty
from its production. He said that al.
ready one prominent theatrical man
ager had offered to produce the play.
When asked If he thought such a
play stood any chance of success on
the stage, Mr.. Angel said:
1T is my firm belief that 10, 200, 600
persons in this country have read the
story of Black Beauty and l believe
any manager who produces it will
make his fortune. 1t is a story that is
full of human interest"
Writer Of Short Stories,
Miss Rosser, who won the BLACK
Beauty prize, was born in Butler, Mo-,
and lives there with her parents. She
has written a number Of short stories
and poems for weekly papers and mag
aZines in the west. where her work has