The Washington herald., 1907-01-27
ON THE GOTHAM STAGE
Clara Bloodgood in The Truth and Blanche Walsh in The
Straight Road"-Two New Fitch Plays

/ New York, Jan. 2g.-"Salomy Jane, 20
/ Paul Armstrong contribution TO Eleanor
Robson's repertoire appears TO have capti-
waited the fancy OF New York-and that
shows how much atmosphere and locality
have TO do with the success Of "a play
/ II iB the big redwood trees with which the
/ stage IS generously set. the rough and
ready characters Of Western life. and the
romantic interest Of our earlier civillza-
/ ton that FIX the interest IN this play from
the rise OF the curtain to it's fall. The
whole atmosphere Is characteristic OF
Bret Harte's California stories. and among
I the familiar personages are Yuba BIZ.
/ Col starbottle and Mr.. Jack Hamlin the
T gambler, here introduced under the name
OF Mr. Jack Marbury Technically, the
/ play is pcccable enough.
/ salomy Jane. the daughter Of a Ken
lucky mountalneer. falls IN love with the
man who killed Baldwin who kissed her
against her Will There seems TO be no
other tangible reason why she should
want 10 cast over every other man in the
camp, including MarbuTy. and fall in
lOve with the unknown avenger
This uudenled Lucretia Of the redwoods
( forms the center Of interest, though 81
is not a One-part play, and Col Star
bottle. ms portrayed by Reuben Fax,
+ Is one Of the most interesting types seen
on the boards this season Besides a
hold-up Of the stage. the wOUnding Of
Yuba Bill the killing Of Baldwin. and the
Iynching Of Red Pete, the problem in
wolves a blood feud between James father
and a man named Larabee. transplanted
all the way from the Kentucky hills.
However. with singuiarly judicious tact.
the playwright introduces no scenes OF
actual violence on the stage, and the plot
deals entirely with the escape. by the aid
Of Jane. Of the man who killed Baldwin.
Il is not until the curtain is about to fall
on the last act. and the hero holds Jane
in his loving arms. that Il occurs to her
% ask him his name. and this Is one OF
those clever climacteric surprises when
sends the audience home in good spirits
and with Indifference about some of the
illogical lapses that it IS not easy 10 recon
Gle 10 ones sense Of proportion. You can't
help being charmed. even though you
find Il difficult 20 accustom yourself all
at once to such forced incidents as the
wooing Of Red Pete's wife by Yuba BIZ
before Pete is strung up by the vigilantes,
and Bits strained affection for little Anna
May the poor woman's small daughter
Miss Robson is delightful as Jane.
though Jane. as type Of feminine nature
must be approached in "a receptive spirit
and with a disposition to concede some
thing 10 the influence Of environment and
early training. for her affections are
elementary, and partake somewhat Of the
savage passions Of the Kentucky feudists
She is "A wholesome creation, neverthe-
less, and unique as a character
Next 20 that Of the English slavy. which
signaliZed her greatest success. Jane is
Miss R0bs0n's most efficient medium. and
she marked all the infections Of the role
with great felicity Of expression. StiII. I
regard her a better comedienne than q
serious actress. "Salomy Jane" will
serve her as a starring vehicle for some
time.
Col. StsEbottle, as presented by Reuben
Fax, is a delightful libel on the Southern
champion Of the code" in dialect. man
ner. and method and bodies forth Bret
Harte's famous creation in a graphic
manner. Next to this role. the most en-