New-York tribune., 1909-06-20
"TOM" WISE'S BIG HAT
Mississippi Gentleman Dissertations
on It's Qualities.

There is much virtue in a hat says Ihofnas
A Wise. who Is krown to his friends as gen-al
Tom" the creator Of A Gentleman from NIlsslS-
sIDut" Mr. Wise wears large hats. the h'hd pop
,,Iar WITH Southern statesmen and some literary
folk He is of the opinion that The big son nat -
a factor I'm the success Of a play. Il nave never
known a hat, worn the stage 70 XII d play
that had other good points, he said, OUT nav
known hats to be large factors IN the popularity
Of actors, and some of them have cohtrlouted 70
the success OF prod lctions IN which tney appcaIeu
A few days ago / learned something ne" on stage
hats, some phlosophic facts MT BRADY sho"s4
me a bill for a hat purchased by Burr Ncl'Io7N
70 wear in the Chicago company OF \ Gentelndn
from, Nissssippi The bill was for Sl2 80, and Mr.
Mcintosh rightly argued that it ought 70 oe paid
for by the management as property and not
treated as a bit OF personal wardrobe. to ne pald
for by the actor l had paid $l6 80 for the hat
wear in tie same role at the Bijou Theatre ana
thought that. was doing very we'll but after
seeing this bill I made d visit to a hat store IN
this city where both hats had been bought TO see
II had not been done for S4 The salesman vas
something more than merely Informative, nc was
educational in a manner highly peeagoS!c
IF YOU remember he said. the hat you wanted
70 buv was sc 90 and ] had trouble in making you
take the SIG 30 one The quality had nothing 10 40
with IT, The 81 % hat would have been very De-
coming 10 YOU of the stage. and the Sb 30 one
would have suited Nj. McGntosh to 4 IT. or the
street The hat ! sold In each case represented
the exaggeraton experience has taught US Is neces
sarv 10 produce normal effects on the stage HAD
YOU two taken the hats you first picked out they
would have had Just the same effect as stage
headgear. as your own natural ruddy colorlng
would have as stage complexion If you did not
resort the rouge pot
MY mind back 70 n night when saw the
late Roland Reed In Lend Ne Your Wife Il
vas many many years Ego in Washington Ny
companion was Richard +. Carroll. then wearing
his first laurels as a New York Casino comedian
Sitting next US was young and very gregarious
F-ns-ishrnan who took great deal OF interest in
the performance while the curtain was up. and a
greater interest in when the curtain was down
He asked US Join him in a drink. on our way
10 the bar We asked him how he liked Mr. Heed
He reDlied that Reed amusing but not at all
70 he compared with Arthur Roberts OF London,
We asked as the Roberts brand OF comcallty
The EncIishnau assured that Mr. Roberts was
very, very funny We insisted on knowing in what
way He undertook "a xplain. but broke down in
a paroxysm of laughter at the very thouGht OF
Roberts Again We asked as 10 how and again
uncomfortable laughter made the Englshman IN
coherent A third. fourth and a nth time We
tried with the same result, the Englishman grow
ing positively weak and weInigh historical with
mirth
Come now control yourself' said 1 am
certain as is my friend here, that Mr. Roberts is
far flnnisr than Mr. Reed, but, surely you can