Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-25
Special Correspondence Of The Star.


- HARLES McEvOY. who is looked
II on by the George Bernard Shaw
disciples as likely to be the COM
~ ing prophet of the new drama, :"
proves TO be about the most origi-
nal and unconventional young man this
country has produced recently. Moreover.
he turns out to be the son of Ambrose Nc
Elvey. once of Virginia. who invented
the submarine mine and manufactured
many of the explosives that were used
by the Confederate army.
1t is probable that McEvoy is the only
dramatist In the world whose home is a
tent. Shortly after he left London. some
five years ago, and moved out into Hert-
fordshire, he tried living-5n q caravan,
such as gipsies use. But even TINS proved
too combining for him. and so he went
back to the land" in good earnest. 1t
may be added that McEvoy dresses with
a view to comfort only. and that since he
went to live in the country he has sub
sisted entirely by writing -eudonymous.
serial, thrillers. or "bloods." as ne calls
them, for publication in boys papers-his
plays not being the kind Of thing from
which he expects to make much money at
present. When he makes money enough
out of his plays. no doubt, he will stop
writing "bloods."
Clothes and Collar "Logic."
1t Is doubtful. however. If hei would
consent to live in house II he were as
rich as Rockefeller. and improbable. like
wise that he would be In the least willing
to dress up to his position. His accus-
toned garb is quite in keeping with his
theory that "just AS a tent is preferable
to house, mufiier is preferable to a
collar and a suit that you can lie on the
ground in to one in which you can't.
Oddly enough. these original views of
McEvoy's on sartorial matters were the
means of his first getting into print and
eventually launching him on literary
career. For an article on Collars"
which the young dramatist wrote some
five years ago; while nominally learning
to be an electrician. and which he sent
to the London Echo, was duly published.
and followed by other articles on Boots
Hats and the like. after which Nc
Evoy was given the editorship of one of
the less important departments of the
paper.
McEvoy confessed that previous to the
production of his own maiden effort he
had visited the theater less than twenty
times. and added that most of those visits
were made while acting as Sub for the
regular dramatic critic Of the London
Echo. 1t was while working on that pa
per- too, that he discovered that there was
a market for "bloods'' and a bare living
to be made out Of writing them II you
like five years McEvoy has earned his
bread by this Means. and isn't ashamed to
confess 1t. because the same thing was
done for an even more extended period
by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Just q Turn Of the Wrist.
To write plays had been McEvoys am,
bition from his -earliest days, and his
reason for electing to produce blood"
as his means of livelihood meanwhile
proves to have been characteristic. He
had found that he could make q bare 1iv-
ing by writing boys serials" at a beg
carly rate per thou" and he believed
this to be the only kind of writing that he
could do. just to earn money and pre-
serve the ''naturalness' of his style.
You see. l can do them without any
effort. except that of the wrist" he said.
earnestly, land that would not be the case
If had to be literary and clever. am
sure that to be brilliant one has to do
tricks, and that In my case artificiality