The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-15
AMERICAN INGENUITY
IN STAGE MECHANISM

The creative American stage mechan-
ist is fast becoming the most important
/ parsonage in connection. with the
worlds amusements. The strides made
/ in the last few years, inventing stu
pendoUs scenes. has commanded recog-
milton heretofore denied Up 10 a few
years ago managers simply rehashed
plays imported from Europe until the
I firm Of klaw < Granger entered the
/ field. Their progressiveness worked
wonders. and today it can be truthfully
stated that their individual efforts nave
succeeded in eClipsing all foreign i'm
pOrtstions. In New York City. away
back in go. when Jarrett & Palmer pre-
scented The Black Crook and specta-
eles originated by the kiralfy Brothers.
the only piece Of stage mechanism that
the public maTveled at was a trap
cut in the stage through which one Of
I the performers made a springins en-
trance. IN those days d melodraula
called The World" had a scene show
ing a raft at sea being dashed to pieces
by huge waves, which aroused cousid-
cradle interest. In 1885 the firm Of Klaw
& Erianger. in conjunction with g. b
Jefferson, whose death was recently re-
corded-sOn OF the late Joseph Jefferson
commenced producing. Their first
play. a Dark Secret" was brought out
at the New York Academy of Music.
One Of the scenes showed boats sailing
TO and fro. 1t scored an instantaneous
hit and fired this progressive firm with
an ambition to attempt bigger things
Next on their list was The Country
Circus" giving a parade on the stage
with horses, animals. all kinds Of live
stock and wagons, the same as Ringing
Brothers and Barnum & Bailey present
/ today in the public thoroughfares. This
attempt was also highly successful and
from that time on they have stopped at
nothing in the way Of expense in giving
the American public the biggest indoor
entertainments possible.
Ten years ago the attention Of Klaw
& Granger was drawn to General Lew
Wallace's Interesting novel. Ben H11r.r
and negotiations were started toward
dramatizing il. General Wallace was
like the man from Missouri-that IS. he
would not agree to this work being
dTamatized unless the chariot race
could De as aTtistically presented as his
description IN the book. 1t is here the
creative American mechanic showed
his capacity. for Kiaw & Erlaneer. com
missioned everyone Of prominence in
this country to furnish practical work
ing models for this big scene. and the
prize was won by Claude HaEan. II
cost thousand Of dollars in experiment
ing, but rich reward has been rssped
Tor in the years that ben Hur,. has
been before the public a profit of over
4z.OOo,OOO has been earned. The mecban-
zeal device which MIR. Hsgan EMPLOYED
IN constructing this scene is not new 10
me stage In its simpler sense it has
Deen the backbone % 1.-THE County
Fair. and many other plays. and has
helped enrich the men who have staged
melodramas. with their aecompauirnent
OF storms. steamships. moving trains
life bridges and avalanches. But these
have ali been cheap illusions. while the
chariot race in Ben Hur'' is not. II is
a race scene in which the runner does
not progress 1t differs from the horse