The sun., 1908-05-10
The EFRIARS OPEN THEIR HOUSE
4 STEIN FITTED MONASTERY 4
BLOCK FROM BROADWAY.
Daniel FrOnman and Victor Herbert Enter
by the Coal Hole and Heat Everybody
But Wells Hawks TO the ReEister-NOt
Much Ceremony, but Some Wine.

hut Wells Hawks TO the REGISTER
Much Ceremony, but Some vine
Just as the Forty street theatre
belt was settling down for the matinee
business yesterday afternoon the neighbor-
hood suddenly blossomed out with fuTowed
browed young men, each Juggling a stein.
The objective point Of the young men and
the stems appeared to he a spot In Forty
fifth street just west Of Sixth avenue, Tor
at about 3 o'clock there was line begin
ming in front Of iO7 extending west to Broad
way, thence north on Broadway to Forty
sixth street and back east on Forty-slXth
street TO Sixth avenue. few dozen groups
Of matinee girls who hadn't read the after
noon accounts Of the police parade and
didn't know that it was happening further
down town concluded that this was the
plain clothes division Of Gen. Binghams 4
army having a little splurge Of its own.
but they couldn't just grasp the Slgnlii-
canoe Of those stems.
The girls were in error This was a part
OF the ceremony incident to the formal
opening Of the Monastery, the new club
house OF the Friars, the organization Of
press agents. theatrical managers, com
posers. librettists. dramatists, theatrical
reporters, and representatives Of the allied
industries The opening was Set Tor 4
o'clock. At that hour no less than IS5 of
the so members Of the club were standing
in the line that completely surrounded
the block. Most Of them were getting
restless, for some Of the stems weren't
featherweights
just then the line parted at Broadway
and Forty-Gfth street and two personages
walked through the gap. To a person
standing half block away the personages
appeared to be Daniel Frohman and Victor
Herbert. That's who they were! When
they reached the entrance Of 1O7 and looked
at the compact line pressed against the
glass doors Of the Monastery they didn't
enthuse over the thought Of walking back
to the end Of the line. just then the doors
of the coal hole opened and an assistant
chef heaved out an empty ice cream freezer
aThe hole for ours, said Daniel to Victor,
and that's how Messrs. Frohman and Her
bert were the first TO enter the new club
house, related In the spirit Of truth that IL
To characterize the future literary output
Of the building
Al about that time Charles Emerson
Cook, chairman Of the house committee,
which had much TO do with making the club
house a reality, turned over a 2j gold
key to Abbott Wells Hawks, the boss frar'
Abbott Hawks opened the door and led the
way TO the house register, where friars
I1ra nj H.
ing. The Abbott signed his name in golden
ink with a gold pen. Frohman Herbert
and the rest Of the Friars did likewise and
the new clubhouse was declared open,
For few hours thereafter there WASH
an actor, press agent, manager or theatrical
news gatherer TO be found in any other
spot In the district except in this particular
spot. There was absolutely no reason why
the cafe on the ground floor should have
been packed to suhoCatlon at all hours
except that il was the first room member
arrived in and was filled with comfortable
chairs where he might rest and think OF
the old davs when the Friars were not.
The theatrical reporters had good cause
for rejoicing too. Along about II O'Clock
at night when the news strikes Park row
that the sixth road company playing The
Merry Widow" has been all squashed up
in a railroad wreck at Chicken Brlstle,
Ky, it's been no cinCh to find Maurice
Kirby and get the lineup OF the sixth com
pany. The reporter has had to run his legs
IN and wear out couple Of telephones
finding Eugene Kelcey Allen Ray Peck,
Charlie Connolly, George Sammis, Bud
Stone, Hen Warner Token Worm, Lip
Keene, Wallace Munro or Wells Hawks
or any Of the other boys to ask them about
a subject about which they are likely 10
be informed. tn be easy from now on.