Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-21

was written by a private soldier. Mr..
Basil Hood began writing plays while
he was still soldering. Sir William
Gilbert was at one time in the Third
Gordon Highlanders and the author
Of 'Charleys Aunt was for many
years an active member of the Artists
Corps.
In the establishment of NJ Witmark
& Sons, the Weliknown New York
music publishers, there is a man regu-
larry employed whose sole duty is TO
tell prospective customers the titles
or composers Of songs of which they
know only a strain of the melody or 4
line of the lyric. When the regular
clerks fail to recognize a song by the
bar of music which the customers
hum. they refer him to the above
mentioned expert, who nine times out
of ten is able to tell in a moment just
what it is. why. that's our latest
ballad hit" the expert will cry after
listening with great attention to the
uncertain whistling or humming OF
the tune by the customer. and nine
times out of ten he will be right. Blu.
they are not always new songs that ne
has to decipher. On many occasions
they are hymns, old operate Selec-
tons or melodies controlled by other
publishers. In these cases his work
is more difficult, although generally
successful. His hardest work is at
tending to the written requests sent
in to his department. At times they
consist of only a few crude notes
scratched across the face of piece Of
wrapping paper, while occasionally
some one not knowing the musical
notation. will put down the letters Of
the keys of the piano and mail them
in, when he has to go to the piano,
pick the letters out on the keys and
then work them out in notation.
Victor Mapes, the author Of Part
ners Three" is a nephew of the late
Mary Mapes Dodge, the founder and
lifelong editor of the ST Nicholas
Magazine. Throughout his school and
college days he was very prominent in
literary activities. He also attained
distinction in Columbia University in
athletics and scholarship. being a
member of. the university baseball
team, president OF his class, valedic-
Athletic Association and holder Of
records in track athletics After
graduation he served for a year as a
reporter on the New York Sun under
Charles A. Dana. After this he went
to Paris and studied the drama at the
Sorbonne. There he wrote an original
French play which was accepted IN
turn by both the Coincide Franchise
and the Ocleon, but rejected by both
when Mr.. Mapes' nationality was dis
covered. This was later produced in
a new French theatre, where it ran
very successfully. 1t was the first
time that an English speaking author
ever wrote and produced in France an
original French play. Mr.. Mapes re-
turned to New York, where he entered
the services of Daniel Frohman and
rapidly rose to the position OF general
stage director of FrOhman's famous
stock company. He has subsequently
been dramatic critic of the New York
World, manager of the new Globe
theatre in Boston and director of the
New Theatre in Chicago. Some of his
plays have been accepted by Mans
field and Hackett. and include Cap
tain Darlington "A Flower of
Yeddo," Don Caesars Return"
"Gallops" Gin collaboration> THE
under-Current." Although M. Mapes
has written magazine stories, he has
never before published a novel.