davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

on town for new productions became APP
narent so that now the National Capital
and the seashore city share the ne" the-
atrical things in about the half-and-haH
ratio.
7 had an interesting little conversation
Oh this subject with Charles trohman
when he came down here the other even
ing to attend the first production of Is
rael," Henri Bernstein's wonderful new
play. I asked him how it came about
that Washington. and then Atlantic CITY,
had been hit upon by the play producers
as the two most advantageous first-night
points.
''Why not Philadelphia or Baltimore or
Boston with their larger populations to
draw FROM was the gist of my in
auiry.
II wish all questions presented to me
were as easy to reply to- was Mr. Froh-
mans reply. 1--WE been producing new
plays in Washington for the first time
for about a dozen years for the reason
that ! discovered about that time how
completely cosmopolitan the population or
Washington is. There I saw. If any place,
a verdict worth while would be obtained
Washington is the real melting pot
among American cities. 1t is composed
of the most widely assorted heterogeneous
cultured elements. Not being CONNER
cial city, Washington has the time to
think. and Washington does think. have
never got misleading verdict on new
production i'm Washington. II tho new
piece is right Washington will accept It,:
II it is not right Washington will reject it.
The capital is such close community
that the word about the merits or demer-
its of "A new production is very quickly
disseminated regard the verdict of the
Washington critics highly. hut ] give still
more attention to the conversation that
! myself overhear around the lObbes be-
tween the acts when | am producing a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

was hotel reporter for Chicago news
paper and ! interviewed voting Mr.. Eris
bane. ] got a corking interview from him.
too but the interview gained on that oc-
casion isn't Of any concern here. 1t was
what Mr.. Brisbane wore when / saw him
that time at the Hotel Rchelieu that gave
me the quiet little personally conducted
laugh when, seventeen years later. read
M. Brisbane's acidulous editorial in the
New York evening paper about noisy
clothes worn by male persons.
Let me tell you what the slim, active,
nervous young Mr.. Brisbane of that day
wore on that occasion:
y blue serge suit, with what is called
vale in 1t, cut and fashioned right UP
to the imminent minute of fashion, If,
indeed the cut of the garments wasn't
prophetic of fashion yet to come: a
stif-bosomed blue and white cross-barred
shirt, of a positively shrieking pattern,
such as the end men used to wear long
ago in the old-fash ioned minstrel shows:
an aggressively red, sunrise red. four-n-
hand cravat, with a loudly green scarf
pin of some kind or other plastered on
the knot. as was then the fashion: pair
of excessively yellow shoes, toothpicked
at the toes as. I believe, no other pair OF
shoes. before or since, ever had been
toothpicked, and one of those rough straw
hats, as big around as a buzz-saw, set
off tif you'd care to call it that by an
almost riba!d band of white and red.
The all but extinct word dude" was
then in common usage. MIR. Brisbane, on
That occasion at the Hotel Richelieu look
ed more like a dude than any man /
ever saw before or since. Mr. Brisbane
IS man with the keenest magma Bile
ense of humOr. | think he will laugh
when he sees this-as he will see it-and
recalls how little the sartorial makeup of
his own youthful years accorded with his
austerlty of view in the matter of men :
clothes developed in later years 1t is
20 be remembered that this was seventeen
ears ago and that the sedate editor of
oday then was in his twenties. A lot
can be forgiven-must be forgiven-any
man, howsoever brainy and potential,
Who is in his rwenties. Moreover, Mr.
brisbane has not, I believe, the ordinary
amount of esteem for that overrated vir-
tue, consistency. He ho,ds that the con-
slstent man always is perfectly satisfied
with himself; and he maintains. not with
out plenty of supporting argument. that
the man who is perfectly satisfied with
himself stops improving. stops progress
Gg.
According to this reasoning, Arthur
Brisbane never could have been particu-
larly satisfied with himself, for it is the
surest Of known things that he has never
stopped progressing. Arthur Brisbane is
now the highest-sa laried newspaper man
in all the world. 1t is generally under
stood that his salary is 5000 month.
or $4,000 year 1t has been stated, too
that he receives a certain circulation per-
centage from the newspaper for which he
writes his crushing, yet easily understood
and simply expressed, editorials.
It Is fair, / think, to say that no man
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

Mr.. Jobson stepped back in the vestibule
couple of PAGES and gasped He moved
his lips and jaws convu'sively for a mo
ment in an effort to speak before he could
emit anything Then he inquired. hoarse
ly:
"Wh-where did you get all that sea-
weed?'
.'Sea-weed?" repeated Mrs. Jobson. with
her widest eyes and her best assumption
of no-savvy.
..Sea-weed" Numbered Mr. Jobson
That mass of f1otsam and jetsam that
you've got swaddled around your head
What's the answer? Is it some new cult
you've Joined? You look like one of those
midway Arabs at the Chicago fair. with a
soiled burnoose around your head"
This said Mrs. Jobson, trying to
smother her smiles, lis the new way OF
doing the hair 1t is called the sweep"
.'Oh, that's it, hey?" said Mr. Jobson
The sweep Ell? Well, ii looks Its
name 1t looks like a buzzard's nest Did
YOU really think you were going TO sit
down to dinner with me with your dome
looking like that?"
Mrs. Jobson hadn't really thought SO.
at that. She didn't sit down to dinner
WIN MT. JopsoH WITH ner sweep on.
She changed 1t before sitting down. And
she hasn't worn it since. She knows quite
we'll. however, that pretty soon. at the
theater, probably, MIR. Jobson will be
rubberng at the way the other women
do their hair up. and that he will notice
the predominance of the SWEEP and
that then he will give oracular orders for
Mrs Jobson to fix her hair that way
Just as fast as ever she can do 1t.
For Mrs. Jobson's speciality is waiting.
and she has reduced the waiting thing -
q wilmington science.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23
Used to 1t.

xfIOHN STRANGE WINTER, Frank
Dandy and Helen Mathers, three
well known English novelists, have given
up novel writing for the good reason that
they can't make any money at it..
The speaker. a publisher of New York,
smiled grimly.
1T gives point to a story that John
Strange Winter-she'S a woman-tod me
last year. At seaside hotel. when she
informed the landlady that she was
novelist and no less a one than the au-
thor of Boobies Baby the landlady an
swered with a queer smile:
".Oh I'm so glad. l like to entertain
literary people so much! They never In
the least mind paying in advance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

profession shas so studiously. even impa-
tiently. avoided the spotlight as has Ar
thur Brisbane. Newspaper men the land
over-the world over. one might say-of
course know a good deal about him. But
the general public knows but little about
him for the simple reason that he has
stunned publicity in about the direct ra-
ito that other men of equal ability in
other lines of endeavor have courted pub
licty.
Arthur Brisbane could have been elected
to the national House of Representatives
time and again if he had cared for such
billet. But he doesn't care for it. He
cares for no political distinction wha tever.
But he is genuinely interested in the po-
litical fortunes of his chief, and If Mr..
Hearst ever is elected TO any of the prOmi-
nent offices it will be very largely due,
indeed. to the slam-bang. convincing pow
ers of his leading editorial writer, Arthur
Brisbane. CLARENCE L. CULLEN.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

me down the inclined lobby that leads
to the box office. / couldn't imagine just
what he meant, until. suddenly looking
up. my eyes were greeted by unique
scene of glory-the moonlight Shimmer1nS
and dancing upon the whipping Atlantic
ocean. 1t truly was an odd experience to
stroll from the glamour of a theater ana
then. before being half way out of the
lobby. come upon SO gorgeously framed
Il scene. 1t was as if one had been wit
Messing q stage production in some en-
chanted sea castle and had stepped upon
a balcony for bit of air between the
acts.
Thus circuitously have I been trying 10
get around to a memorable first produc-
ton that was given here last week. /
speak of Henri Bernstein's new play.
Israel" Bernstein. you recall, is the
young Partisan who wrote THE Thief
and Samson both theatrical knock
outs to employ the patter of stage folk.
Israel far surpasses them both. 1t is
going to be known as one of the most
wonderful plays ever seen in this coun-
try. 1t is story concerning certain
phases. having to do with the anti-Semitic
faction in France. There is a Twenty-Five
in the second act of this play that for the
almost uncanny tension wherewith ii
grips an audience from the beginning to
the marvellous end, is simply indescriba-
bile.
This play introduces, for the first time
In an adequate part, a young English
actor, Graham Browne by name, who is
destined to a high place in the theatrical
annals of the future. I believe lie was in
the states before. some years back, as a
member of the supporting cast of Marie
Tempest. But he had nothing in par
ticular to do at that time. Now he has
the immense part in Israel. and he
dominates the play as might a Mans
field or a Sothern. One can count upon
the fingers Of one hand the contemporary
actors whose work is so finished and at
the same time so resolute and compact of
power and authority as the work of this
quite young Englishman. The role of a
prophet generally is graceless and
thankless one, but I have sort of fond
ness for being early on the ground in
these matters, and SO / shall ask You to
stick pin in this: If this young Ora ham
Browne person does not stand very close
to the top of the list of Englisl-speaking
actors within five years I shall be one Of
the most egregiously fooled prognosticat-
ors that ever sat under the shelter of
hat.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

of a personality. There was no vulgar.
too-intimate self revelation. but the
thread of certain bizarre yet sound
view ran all through the letters. I have
always regretted-of course. for purely
selfish reason-that Arthur Brisbane. in
the course of his journalistic progression.
took to writing didactic editorials. He
was made for feuilleton writer. He had
and has a heaven-bestoWed gift of chat
tering in print in way to make you see
the nictrre He has succeeded enormous
". OF course. as writer of those thump-
ing things directed, generally. at the in
telligence of the great mass of people who
desire to be informed as to the elements
of things: but he was meant to scintillate
and to glow i'm correspondence.
I write these things about Brisbane, one
of the really big men in the Journalistic
profession, solely for the reason that so
very little is known about the man. l
suppose no man of equal eminence in any
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

that evening. said Mr. Jobson to Mrs.
Jobson:
Say. look a-here. what are YOU trying
to do-make people believe that | married
somebody out of the Old Ladies' Homer
why. how is that?'' innocentIy inquired
Mrs Jobson. knowing precisely what was
coming
Mean exactly what | say grouched
Mr.. Jobson. I'm talking about that hair
gag of yours What year do you think
this is, anyhow-about 1912?
Mrs. Jobson smiled. No reply was
necessary, she knew.
Because, you know. went on Mr..
Jobson, that's about the way you wear
your hair-in the style of 1884. It's
wonder YOU don't bring little bunch Of
ringlets down alongside Your ears. like
Victorian period And. say, why don't
YOU go to the theater with me wearing
hoopskirts like they used to wear around
civil war times? Hey:"
Mrs. Jobson wasn't saying anything.
She knew there was no need to.
'If you think you know" went on Mr..
Jobson. that you're going to go to the
theater or any other place with me looking
like my great-grandmother. why. You
want to take some lessons in new thought
or auto suggestion or something, that's
all"
ooh. YOU are referring to my plain way
of wearing my hair, them" said Mrs.
Jobson.
b ooh. you know what I'm referring tn
all right enough said Mr.. Jobson. You
know better than to go around with me
with that ::is-size head of yours looking
like an unpeeled cocOanut, but it's just
stubbornness on your part that's all. 1
felt like a nickers worth of lemon drops
at the theater, sitting behind about
thousand women that had some gumption
and git-up to them and that knew how to
fix their hair, and then having to turn
around and see you sitting there with
your hair fixed like that of 'Papuan
woman i'm her native canton. Get IN the
game, why don't you? Start something.
Stick along with the fashion. Rig UP
like the rest of 'em. Have some spunk
about you. If they plaster the junk on.
why. YOU do the same. Whatever you do,
don't show me up again the way you've
shown me UP tonight. When ] go to
show / want somebody sitting alongside
Of me that looks like something
Mrs. Jobson didn't have to go out any
more with plastered down hair. She had
about a peck of puffs on when Mr.. Job
got home the next evening, and he
told her she looked almost like human
being.
Recently Mrs. Jobson has had the Same
difficulty In getting Mr.. Jobson to accept
the new way of fixing the hair called the
sweep" She spent the forenoon the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23
Not What He Meant.

captain BRADLEY S. OSBORN. the
~ famous sailor. said in New York, in
the course of a vigorous defense of DR..
Cook
"Peary, in criticising Cook. only criti-
cised himself He was like the old uncle
at the zoo.
An old uncle stood in the zoo monkey
house. He watched the monkeys antics
with stern disapproval. A doctor at his
side laughed and said to him:
Uncle. they seem almost human, don
they
THE old man, with a look of disgust.
answered. coldy:
Human? Why. they amt no more
human than am"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

DR. COOK had this town in his vest
Il pocket in a way of speaking, wnen
he came down here last week to attend
the hardware mems banquet at the MARI
borough Blenheim and to give his lecture
upon one of the piers. The whole popula-
ton turned out to meet him, the Atlantic
City National Guard paraded and the
whooping'er-up spirit was something fine
to witness.
DIR. Cook was kind enough-no doubt be-
cause j refrained from asking him any
leading questions to that one-man
polar controversy to bestow some
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

ever made his way in Journalism in the
United States so rapidly as did Arthur
Brisbane.
He was first "a Sun man"-that is, an
employee of the New York Sun. The
phrase "a Sun man means a good deal
to newspaper men. but it's too long
story to try to explain just what the ad-
vantage of having been "a Sun man.
means to the fellow seeking to make his
way in the newspaper field.
Anyhow. the Sun has always maintained
and still maintains what is called a
Kindergarten Applicants for work OH
the Sun staff are, if accepted. first of all
put in the Suns kindergarten. This is
done to try them out and ascertain what
they are made of. The kindergarten men
on the Sun are paid nominal salary
while they are in that class. and are given
a fair crack at every kind of news
getting stunt that comes along. If they
make good, show that they have the
makings of sure-enough newspaper men.
they are. in due time. taken out of the
kindergarten class and put ION space
that is. attached to the regular graduate
staff and paid column rates for the stuff
they write for the paper. If the new men.
who are always under the keen scrutiny
of the shrewd, perhaps a bit sardonic old
timers on the Sun staff. do not make
good, they are politely turned loose
Well. about a year after Arthur Bris-
bane then just out of school, joined the
SUMS kindergarten staff, he was sent
abroad by the Sun as the Suns European
correspondent, with headquarters first in
London and afterwards in Paris, and all
of the other Sun men in Europe under
instructions to report to Arthur Brisbane
This, I think. will illustrate even to
folks who are not very familiar with the
journalistic business lust what kind of
brains Arthur Brisbane possessed, from
the beginning. as a newspaper man.
For several years while representing
the Sun abroad, he sent to this country
the clearest, the most sparkling. the most
luminous weekly letters, always printed
in the first three or four columns of the
Suns first page on Sundays. that l think
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

other day having a woman friend show
her how to do her hair up in a sweep"
and when she got home she spent the
remainder of her spare time during the
afternoon arranging her hair in a
sweep. She was bound to confess ia
herself as she saZed in the glass that
she wasn't crazy over the effect, and she
had the strongest kind of a hunch as to
what Mr.. JObson was going to think OF
1t. But she met Elm at the door when he
came home from the office as if there
was nothing unusual about her appear
ance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

tory means what was likely to be the
feature of the dinner, glanced at Mrs.
Jobson His expression gradually but
surely froze.
VIVA -what-er-say, turn around he
said to MIS-. Jobson.
Mrs. Jobson turned around.
"tm-how long have you been In the
habit of wearing the dinner your
hair?' inquired Mr.. Jobson. after he'd
walked over close to the puffs and sur
veyed them with great elaboration.
"The dinner on my hair?" echoed Mrs.
.Iobson i'm a tone OF mystification that she
did not have to assume.
Yep. just that-the dinner on your
hair offhandedly replied Mr.. Jobson.
How -long--tave- you -been-wear.ng =
Notwithstanding? Just like
that. Just like l said il before. How
long,
My dear" said Mrs. Jobson. IT am sure
| have no more idea Of what you are talk
ing about than the man i'm the moon. and
il you'll only make yourself a little clear
er, why
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

OF that sort of synbolized good-felloW-
ship, even if my hand does have to stand
a deal of wrenching. I am beginning to
feel shy of the big. ponderous fellows
who approach me. by the way. I believe
that ] positively shrink from them, not
because they do not look good to me, but
because I dread the impact Of their big,
hard-gripping hands. And vet the little
fellows often have a mighty hard grip,
too. Last week in Detroit ] shook hands
with a little sawed-off gentleman. Il mem
her of the receipt on committee. who fooled
me. l gave him my relaxed hand-the
hand was very tired--thinking that he
would let me off lightly. When he took
hold of my hand. though I thought had
got 1t caught in wise. 7 believe gasped
with the pain. and he let go. He did not
mean to do it. but he simply was one of
these excessively strong little men in
state of glowing cordiaIity.'
A y incident occurred at the lecture
here. by the way. that did net find
its way into the press reports.
There is all old ex-skipper living down
here-he is past cighty-five-who, ever
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

RS. JOBSON al
ways has a lot of
trouble in attempt
ing to keep up with
the changing styles
in coiffures. Mr..
Jobson, that is 10
say, can't "see'
the new styles In
hair dressing for a
long while after
they've been uni
versally adopted by
the women folks.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

1T long ago Arthur
Brisbane, the man
who writes those
pounding, upper
cutting editorials,
took his phono-
graph in hand and
dictated a bitter,
not to say vitriolic.
one about men who
wear stylish cloth
ing. 1t was an edi-
torial with a sting
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

new piece in Washington. The Washing
ton comment is very shrewd and in
structive. Often have proiited immense
" by listening to it
Atlantic CITY | discovered later as a
place possessing practically the same ad
vantages as Washington as producing
city. The new plays are tried in Atlantic
city after the summer crowd has gone
and throughout the winter and spring.
The visitors to Atlantic City at such pc
RODS of the year are Il highly cultivated
and discriminating ClasS-people from ev
cry section, mostly leisurely people, think
ing people. As in Washington, nothing
shoddy or inferior will do for. these Gull
tured tourists. 1t is the aim of a pro-
Queer to get bedrock verdict. He does
not want merely flattering opinion. lie
desires to subject his production from the
outset 10 the severest possible test In
such cities as you have named--cities like
Philadelphia. Boston. Baltimore-the au-
dience for the initial production would he
bound to he composed largely of friendly
e!ements-of people who would be dis
posed to give the producer the benefit
of the doubt-and this Is exactly what he
does not want / often try my new pieces
both on Washington and upon Atlantic
CITY before taking them into New York.
If these two cities accept the new piece
| know that l have winner. II they do
not accept il / am decidedly dubious as
to the piece. and my duDlety nearly al
ways is well based.
Il don't. by the way like the phrase
trying n on the dog That sounds as IL
the new piece. when first produced in the
production towns. like Washington or
Atlantic City, is merely i'm an embryonic
hdlf-formed state. This. so far as
my productions are concerned certainly Is
not the case. / should not have the te-
merify to offer new piece to such audi
enceS II the piece We're not in It's final
stage of completion-final. that is to say,
far make IL final before 1t
has been shown and commented upon.
Changes often made after the first
productions. But trying il on the dog
implies a lack of respect for our initial
audiences which We far from feel
ing"
THE thcater here. by the way where
the new productions occur so fire.
auently throughout the autumn and win
ter, Is one of the most beautiful and
hest arranged, both as to auditorium and
stage. In the United States 1t is called
The Apollo Theater
Let me show YOU something that
you've never seen before l don't care
how far you've wandered" said Fred
Moore. the manager of this theater, to
me one night a while back l was Just
emerging from the heater and he led
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

had my first look at and interview with
Arthur Brisbane. He was at the Hotter
Richelieu the famous hostelry then OF the
late Cardinal Bemis. and was then on
his way from Kansas City. where, / be-
iieve. he has or had extensive real estate
interests, back to New York Even then
Mr.. Brisbane, quite young man, had
shown such evidence OF the possession of
remarkable journalistic talent that he
was loomfui figure In the newspaper
world, ana he was worth interviewing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

For instance. when hair puffs first be-
gan to be worn, Mrs. Jobson had mod
est little bunch of 'em tackled on to her
rear hair one evening when Mr.. Jobsol
arrived home from the Office.
Mr.. JobSon, after removing his hat and
smiling at the air to ascertain by olfac-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-23

- - 4 VI - SA
Atlantic City are
now the two lead
ing Misrepresentation
towns for impor-
tant new plays.
Washington pos :
sessed this distlnc-
ton singly for a
number OF years
Then the equal ad-
yantages of Allan
tic City as a try-n-