The Washington herald., 1909-02-21
EUGENE WALTER, PLAYWRIGHT
Former Newspaper Man Now Has
Iacame of $500 a Week.


Iaeeme of $500 a Week.
Rarely, indeed. does writer for the
stage come before the public SO sensa-
tionally as Eugene Waiter. one Of the
youngest, and to-day the most conspicu-
Gus dramatist in this country. Mr.
Walter all his Hfe-that is. since early
ooyhood-hss been doing things out OF
the ordinary. hence it was to have beer
expected that his dramatic success would
partake OF the unusual An interesting
personality and q career has this young
man. Indeed. 10 look al him and iudg-
ing from appearances only, one would
take him to be hardly more than a boy
But he has passed boyhOod and entered
rnatrimony. Recently he married Char
lotte Walker. the popular and handsome
Southern actress The career or this
young man is as romantic and adven-
turous as any situation he VIII ever en-
body in a play. His home was In CIeve-
land. Ohio At the age OF twelve years
; ne ran away and for time lived In the
mining districts Of Upper Michigan. The
wanderlust, the rowing spirit. seemed
to have been born in this youth. This
tendency appears strange from the fact
that the lad was frail and delicate
There were frequent fittings from Cleve-
land. and at length Gene Waiter was
a trooper IN the Seventh United States
Cavalry.
He went into the service for a twOfoId
purpOse-experienee and health. Military
life had always attracted him and he be-
lieved the drill and exercise and the
open air would be beneficial
He liked the army He advanced until
he became a sergeant He decided to
make soldering his profession. With this
IN view he set out 10 obtain a commits
sion. He studied for the examination
and encouraged By his superior officers
he entered the competition for a second
lieutenancy- He would have won IL
too, but before il came his term OF enlist
ment expired and with one Of those sud
den impulses which always had moved
him. he decided he had enough OF the
army. So he accepted his discharge.
Next be drifted 20 the Pacific Coast and
In san Francisco became newspaper
reporter. He worked up the Coast, serv-
ing on newspapers in Seattle and achiev-
ing an exploit in that city In unearthing
opium smuggling frauds that attracted
national attention. RE made Il so hot
for the hand Of smUgglers that his life
was openly threatened By these desperate
and hunted men. who. until Mr. Walter
set the government after them. had been
powerful and getting rich az their form
Of robbery. Their threats. however. did
not teTrify MT Walter. He remained al
his task OF exposure until it was CON-
pleted.
StiH as newspaper man he went %
Denver, Cincinnati. Detroit. and 70 CIsve-
land. When The war with Spain started
troop Of cavalry was organized in
Cleveland A1r. Walter was one Of the
first 10 enlist Because Of his army ex-
perience he was made drill master of
the troop and speedily won a commission
as second lieutenant. While he was in
camp in Chickamauga he wrote his first
play. Sergeant James" II was based
on Mr.. Walters army experiences. This
play while il did not attain metropolitan
popularity has made a great deal OF
money on the road and tn stock Mr..
Walter became theatrical man, joining
the ranks OF advance agents. as do many
newspaper men. and then three years ago
his second play was produced. It was
The UndeTtow. While il made money
for Mr. Walter. ike Sergeant James. %
II was not big city hit
This was the man. comparatively IN
known, who hswIzed about the manu-
script of paid in Full II was rejected
by every producing manager n New York
City until Mr. Walter submitted IL 70
Messrs. WagenhaIs & Kemper. rs New
York success was sensational The play
made one Of those tremendous hits that
once IN a great while STIR the theatrical
world Never before have so many com
panies appeared simultaneously in one
play The popularity Of this piece proves
that Mr. Walter knows how 70 write
what the publis wants. Then came The
Wolf" now q sensational success. and
then The Easiest Way.
Thus in two years the young news
paper man and advance agent with whom
money was scarce has attained a point
where his income from royalties is esti-
mated al from 5000 10 S50o0 week