The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-12
Imaginable creations seen on the latter

laughable creations seen on the latter day stage.
 There is an intensity about the action which keeps the spectator on the qui viye at all times. In the forceful, rug ged character of the County Chairman, Jim Hacker, MT. Ade has drawn a part so powerful and fascinating and withal so true to nature that the very straight forWardness and simplicity of everything he does carry with them the conviction that he is a man who will brook no de- feat and that his final desire will be ae- complished. There is a soft glow of TO- nance pervading the atmosphere of "rhe County Chairman which finds it's ex presslon in the love story between Lucy, the simply sweet daughter of the miserly Judge Rigby, and the Abe Lincoln type or lawyer Tillford Wheeler. The com edy has been truthfully described as the very epitome of life in a country vil- lage and 1t abounds in rustic fun. The characters common to a small commun- ty are shown with just touch of satire always Imaginable but with never the sting of caricature.
 Although there is plenty of the rustic fun in "The County Chairman" the au- thor has not sacrificed a strong dramatic story to his humor, The piece tells of the machinations in latter-day politics. Jim Hacker, the county chairman, rules the
  His strongest opponent is Elias Rigby. who is candidate for the office of pros ecuting attorney Hacker, by his gum shoe' methods, succeeds in having his young law partner, ,Tillford Wheeler, nom mated for the office. Wheeler is. in love with Lucy, the daughter of Rigby, and Wheeler has promised her that in the coming campaign he will not wage per sonal war against her father. In a scene in the village grove Rigby bitterly de- nounces his youthful opponent, and, in burst of anger, the younger man forgets his promise to his sweetheart and replies in kind to the judge. From then the love affairs of Lucy and Tillford are somewhat strained.
 As further complication it develops !. that when Hacker went to war some twenty years before the opening of the play, his letters to his sweetheart were intercepted by Rigby and upon Hackers return he finds that his promised fiancee has married Rigby. From that time the feud between the men has been vigorous and Hackers life aim is to defeat his old time enemy in the race for prosecut- ing attorney. Hacker finds further ev- idence of Rigby's villainy when the judge is detected in withholding the inheritance of an orphan girl. Hackler proposes to publish the story of Rigby's duplicity In pathetic scene, Mrs. Rigby, Hackers old sweetheart, pleads With him not to eX- pose her husbands villainy and the coun- ty chairman, with characteristic magnan- unity, tears up the document which would almost surely assure the election of the young candidate Wheeler. This in the main story. In the last act Wheeler Is elected to the office by a majority
 On this story George Ade has fur nished some of the most Imaginable types seen on the latter-day stage. Chief in interest next to Jim Hacker, is the Imaginable darkey Sassafras Livingstone. Clint Ford plays the part with all the rare skill which is to be expected of this delneator.
 The store box orator who tells in fre- quent eloquent outbursts of the impend- ing ruin of the country, but who is too busy running the government to chop wood for his overworked wife, Is another character of the true George Ade type. Then there is the old settler who from oft reiteration of things that happened before he was born finally gets to be- lieve the marvellous yarns" himself, is a delightfully."- humorous role.
 George Ade has provided a company of evenly balanced merit. William Chat terton as the rugged bluff Jim Hacker, is credited with the success of his long career The comedy is staged with every regard to detail and several of the scenes are the most elaborate ever given a com edy in which there is no music.