New-York tribune., 1909-07-25
STUDYING MANKIND.
Hosc 1t appears at Play IN the
iSlums.

TIE PEOPLE AT PLAY By Rollin T.ynde
HART Illustrated 12mo, pp. 81 Houghton,
Nf7in d Co
With humor and a genuine enjoyment Of his
p subject which he communicates to his reader,
with sympathy that sweetens his philosophy,
3ir- Hartt has dealt with the amusements Of
what he calls the 'Underworld' He writes Of
home Of burlesque, the theatre Of the sluuls,
he dime museum and the amusement park;
le bioEraph shows which have kept them
s.es clean. He discusses the cheap melo-
ID that enchains his humber friends who
lever their personal eccenJricities. delight in
triumph Of virtue and the crushing defeat
the villain. Society il is known to Miss
ss-n. the saleslady in the pan and kettle de-
.-Iment OF a popular Boston emporium sug-
entertaining chapter; and another quite
effective Eliminates for the manifesto
as Of local intellect and taste in the back
eet- lively disquisition The National
5ne" concludes a volume which amid its fun.
zes a generous appeal TO the student of
nanity
Dut Of the fantastic ''hoilesque-' Of the dis
,utable theatre, the wild and whrling COM
nation Of vulgar inanities, the author draws a
sson Of charity for the faults Of the audience
hose mental life it reflects Incapable" he
ssys "of sustained attention, assertve memory,
.-ical inference OF that range Of consciousness
Rhich groups many incidents into a harmonious
!. hole, SO that events shall flow riverlike TO a
I'D destination. they abhor the drama and
ere burlesque-for its very faults sake" The
:, lghts Of these 'disordered mentalities.f he
| lares. come out in spots. not in streaks-
y miss the connection between conduct and
aseQuence In their philosophy. human life
- rampant a riot as the widest Of burlesques
-efaotic. without reason, guided or misguided
= blind fatality Not the hardest OF most re-
.te-ant Of hard knocks viii convince them of
he contrary. for they lack the grasp Of Sc
7uence." Thus he finds the cheap burlesque
-rglsiug for the modern reformatory system
which treats the sinner one lacking the wit
10 keep straight and needing elemental teach
.nE The strangest anomaly in this unthinking
audience. which has just been applauding vul-
-a-ity. Is its instant response TO pious cantice
,- 70 the sentimental singer. who seems like
+a- song. the incarnation Of the most admirable
virtues These are brains, in the authors phrase,
-E1-5lt IN alright compartments"
Mr Hartt sees much that is exhilarating to a
-7uld- be reformer Of the drama in the moving
picture theatre. the shrine Of the biograph. He
7tes with approval its uniform decency. its
.ilent telling Of effective stories its changing
5lrneys through strange countries, which 50
many beholders can never see in any other way
The flight Of imagination which enables him e
contemplate future developments of the biograpt
and the graphophone. which shall produce Z
fvncfronized mechanical drama drawn from the
slctCal presentnenI by well known players-this
~ may regard humorous II daring in
yentors should perfect such drama il ought
10 be addressed TO audience fresh from d
dinner Of the synthetic pellet. This narrowing
dream casts by reflection a pleasant glamour
even over the darkest horrors Of the slum melo-