The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-26
ADJUSTMENTS.
"The Love Route."

The Baldwin Melville company opened a weeks presentation of "The Love Route at the Bijou theatre last night. The play is a comedy drama by Edward Peple, author of "The Prince Chap" one of the greatest successes known to the contemporary stage. "The Love Route" is an entirely different sort of play, but has undoubted merits The story is inter- esting, at times exciting, and the love theme is treated in a striking way. The scenes of the play are laid in Texas, where a bitter struggle is waged by Miss Aline Houston to prevent a railroad the Mississippi, Texas and Northern, from laying its tracks across her ranch It so happens that the railroad company had won the legal rights to the right of way in a previous lawsuit and Miss Houston is fighting without any legal sup port whatever.
 The chief of construction engaged to lay the new road is John Ashby, a young engineer who loves Miss Houston and swears that he will win her hand in spite of the discouraging environment in which he is placed. The first act of the play takes place in the presidents office, where Miss Houston reiterates her defiance and refuses a large cash offer to make ser- clement with the railroad company. In desperation the president of the road an nounces that the work will be completed, whether Miss Houston agrees or not, and he forthwith sends John Ashby to Texas, where the battle royal begins between Miss Houston and her cowboys on one side and John Ashby and his railroad construction gang on the other. There are some exciting scenes, notably when the president, his secretary and John Ash by and his assistant are taken pris- oners by Miss Houston's men.
 Finally the road is laid up as far as the barbed-wire fence which marks the boundary line on Miss Houstons ranch. At this point, when she had exhausted every means to delay the progress of the road, John Ashby is shot by her jealous foreman Immediately the woman in Miss Houston triumphs over all other consider ations She finishes the road in Ashby's name, while he is recovering from his wound and thus permits him to win his promised promotion. It is hardly nec- essary to add that he also wins the girl who has loved him all the time.
 The company is very well cast this week. Miss Wheatley plays the part of Aline Houston and does well in the role. MT. OConnor Is John Ashby, part that suits him admirably. L. o. Hart is the railroad president Frank Harris is his secretary, Walter s. Baldwin is Major Polk of Kentucky, John A. Echrzabal is Herr Heinrich Bluedekopf, G. A. Forbes is Billy. Ball, surveyor, and w. H. Mur- doch is Harry Marshall, foreman of the ranch. Miss Lillian Sinnott, the new ingenue, who joined the company this week, proved herself quite piquant and vivacious as Q. girl "tenderfoot.' Special scenery had been painted by the Bjou staff for the production.
 Scenic Railway.
 Tie new scenic railway at East Lake will start running Thursday afternoon and will be in constant use from that time. It is 1900 feet long, giving wildly excit- ing and interesting ride. It cost $1S,000 and is the longest ir the south
 Arthur Hahn, the great baritone, sings twice daily at East Lake, and there is a band concert afternoon and night. Cameroni was cancelled by the manage ment as the act did not come up to ex- paotations