The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

III II
which the experiences Of all men
meet In the circle Of our lives
we impinge on the experiences
of our fellows. Even those Of very
different nature and temperament
meet at a certain common point Joe
Murphy. ancient Irish minstrel and
author Of The Kerry Cow and shaun
Rhue." and Billy Clifford, modern
jOkester and speciality actor, encounter
each other at the bank They are both
very rich and prosperous Unlike the
traditional actor their most valued
clippings are from bonds and not from
newspapers.
'T have been rather careless" said
Joe Murphy to me, about my news
paper notices. I have never kept any
III had asked him for a little biograph-
ical data When I asked Billy for a
look into his scrapbook he invited me
10 cast an admiring glance over the
photographs Of his $780, 600 theateI
building in Urbana, o.
And it all started when I left that
same town many years ago with my
snare drum on my back, a grip half
fun in my hand and two large dollars
in my pocket" said the inimitable
Clifford Of the Princess and Urbana. o.
Surely the day Of the impecunious
affor has passed. Billy has made his
f6rtune by being a dude. Even the
style OF his hat is copyrighted, so to
say. and they call il a billy Clifford
tile. II is like a trademark and il
means money. Murphy, old and be
diamOnded. bears along the efforts OF
Dion Boucicault whose heir in meas
ure he is. Besides, Mr.. Murphy has
made much money, though. like his
predecessor in the work of rescuine
the Irishman from the unkindly hands
Of caricature, he has left no permanent
impress on national drama in spite OF
his long and prosperous career.
Murphy, for the present, is at the
Valencia theater. where he is busy
staging his play. THE Kerry Cow" and
teaching 10 able Arthur Cunningham
the business that was written into the
play nearly 35 years ago. Clifford is
tripping il lightly at the Princess in
PLAYING the Ponies" and both take
their work and their aCt very seriously
and interestingly.
Nevertheless Mr.. Murphy prefers to
discuss fishing He told me that the
finest striped bass in the world were
no be caught in Lake Merritt over in
Oakland. and that the prettiest canvas
back ducks hover over and sail safely
fn the waters Of that estuary. Why
said he you can hit EN- with your
oar if YOU are rowing. and If you're
in "a saiIboat you are worrying fol
fear YOU may run them down. That
shows how quiet il is over in oak
land.
Ny fondness for fishing dates way
back VIII not say how many years
but they are far in advance Of your
advent here on earth. 1 wrote the
plot Of The Kerry Cow on a trout
stream in this state. The year was 1875
and the stream was Waddells creek
in the Santa Cruz mountains. / was
there on vacation with Ed Dennison
There is more intimate association
between fishing and playwriting thar
most people imagine. In a play you
toss your lines to the public, and you
never can tell what you'll get. Fish
ing is much more certain in its results
II you know how you are certain te
lsDa something
Billy Clifford was in his dressing
room at the Princess, busy with prepa-
rs tions for entertaining the public. We
felI TO talking Of vaudeville, for as q
vaudeville star he was best known here
until his success in playing the
Ponies" ecIipsed his past performances
i tell YOU" said be. as though ] diff
fered from him, that vaudeville has
set itself a standard that it cannot
possibly live up to. It has been too
vigorous a pace maker. and the result
is that sensation after sensation fails
now to make even the slightest i'm
press. An acrobat has to do impossible
things or his turn is without thrill
he has to take his life in his hands
and risk his precious neck twice a
Gay TO make good. Dancers have TO
do a Salome stunt 20 inspire even the
mildest curiosity, and the flock Of the
nearly nude is increasing. It's like
the experience Of sensational weekly
papers. They get more and more risque
every day' until they get lawless and
-cle Sam stops them in the mails.
Vaudeville cannot keep up its pres
ent pace. It wiz have to sober up,
and in the process-which viii be
necessary from the managers point
f laew-the public is likely TO swing
o some other form Of entertainment"
Like Playing the Ponies'2'' ] inter
ected
sure" said ne, with vaudeville fea-
tures"
'I don't believe that there are 100
lines in The Kerry Cow that remain
as they We're originally written" said
NurR The piece has been trans
tornt and changed so much that it
bears, no more resemblance to the origi-
pal than JOseph's coat with its patches
pokeo like the garment his father
bought ~ the store. though in the case
of the play il is bettered by the altera-
lions
Changing the subject he said, L
have only one complaint to offer at the