The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-23
The COLUMBIA.
"Tbe Barrier"

/ Rev ~ 'hs story, 1.-THE Barrier" as
dramad~-d by Eugene Presbrey. works
/ into mighty good play It probably
falls entirely within the precincts Of melo-
drama. but IL certainly is very exciting
| and acutely interesting. the latter element
being sustained throughout There is a
/ constant recurrence or action. sometimes
unexpected and sometimes led ND 10 for
/ the talk invariably leads 20 somethine.
Considering the place time. and char
acters. the episodes are not even slper-
! human much less suner-dramatic The
/ piact was wild. the times were rough.
and the men not bound by the conven-
/ tonsliucs of civilization. We have the
word OF honest men TO the effect thar
such really did occur in this period and
place. as wei as az other points en- the
advance OF civilization. To the quiet cltI-
zen OF the East The whole thing may ap-
pear overdrawn
II is primarily the story OF John Cav
/ lord. alias John Gale. who being ac-
cused Of "a crime which De had nor com
mitted, goes out from civilization. and ne
the latter advances. is pushed nearly to
( the arctic circle where he is found as "a
trader. and recognized by the man who
mad accused him, Tor gold has been dis
covered IN Alaska, and the riff-ran OF the
earth always follows such discovery. II
Is disclosed gradually that this man
stark was himself the murderer the
victim having been hts wife. who had
planned to run of with John Gale. after
having been cruelty mistreated by her
husband
Gale takes of with him her little
daughter, who Is considered 10 be a half
breed. probably the daughter OF Gale and
an Indian woman who had succored them
in the wilderness. and with whom Gale
lived aft"rward as man and wife. Now
comes another element into the tale. A
young army officer. sent by the govern
ment i'm charge OF detail TO establish
law and order falls On love with the
daughter but ne IS q descendant Of one
or the first families of Kentucky and she
is but n sQuow, and for a brief period is
even led 90 believe that she Is also lIeeitl-
mate. tie finally asserts his manhood.
however. and decides % marry her any
way. There is an exciting fight IN the
dark, and John Gale finally gets" Dan
Stark. VINO. waveTing between life and
death, admits the truth
This barrier" this supposed trace of
Indian blood. IS made too much Of. Some
or the first AnglO-SaXOn families of the
land have allied themselves with persons
SO tinctured. Remember, the Randolphs OF
Roanoke and cases Of even army officers
so doing are not beyond our knowledge.
The real strength of the story seems 70
us 70 be centered I'm the two characters
OF John Gale and Dan stark. one repre-
sentinG the better element Of pioneer. and
the other the bad
Theodore Roberts or John Gale. gives
powerful and clear portrayal. At no
point does he go beyond the bounds Of
Iauonaiism' and he makes the character
tne central figure OF the play as II should
De- ana w. 6. Hart created almost equal
counter-interest- The role Is quite fitted
20 NM and ne gets great deal out of
II. 1t Is the same daredevil hippancy
which has characterized other successful
delineations by him. and which also char
acterizes the type as given to us in story
and history
Mr. James Durkin plays Capt. Burrel.
L. s A.. with fine intelligence and a
quiet but forceful method, while the part
OF Poieon Daret the French Canadian,
IS effectively played by Alphonz Either.
Miss Florence Rockwell appears as Necia.
and is charming in most OF the elements
81 the role especially so in the lighter
vein, but showing a tendency toward
carrying the emotional parts a tri1e too