Evening star., 1909-05-09

al
the punch He is aggressively self conf
dent, where Augustus Thomas IS only passlvely
go; combative by disposition, and much IN
clincd to talk IN superlatlves His broad
brinlmed hat and his black imperial suggest the
Westerner, though most of his life has been
spent in New York. He was formerly d well
known authority on pugilism, writing for 49, The
Evening Journal" under the nom de plume of
Right Cross" 1t Mr.. Armstrong who
once delivered himself of the epigrammatic
opinion that all other things being equal the
man who would make the best prize fighter
would make the best playwright.
Mr. Armstrong; hatred of theatrical mana
GERS used to be a bvword; but it has been less
so since he himself undertook the production of
his own meodrama, Society and the Bull
dog" His experience with one impresario
A H. Woods. to whom he sold The Superstl-
tons of Sue" is as amusing story as know.
The Superstitions of SUE" had already been
accepted by the two senior members OF the
firm of Sullivan, Harris & Woods, and MIR.
Armstrong had an appointment to read the
piece to the Junior member at eleven O'Clock
bright Sunday. Promptly at that hour,
he appeared at the Woods residence, on River
side Drive, accompanied by two friends In
Productions followed, and the friends sat down,
with Mr. and Mrs Woods to hear the new
farce.
Mr. Armstrong had hardly begun, when the
visitors burst into a roar of laughter, They
howled afresh at every line, including deScrlp-
tions of characters and business, and the
rendering was concluded with the pair rolling
about in perfect ecstasy of mlrth MIR
Woods regarded them with sober suspicion
His risibles hadn't been touched; but, when Mrs.
Woods joined in the merriment, he determined
that he didn't know humor when he met it,
and, the seance being over, closed a contract to
present :" The Superst;tions of Sue
When the men had gone, Mr.. Woods sad to
Mrs Woods, suppose I'm dull but thought
that play iuller still Of course. Armstrong;
friends were brought to laugh; but when you
In, too he pf1orICt he
funny"
WHY" responded Mrs Woods, i laughed
only because the others did. | wanted to
be civil"
THE Superstitions of Sue one of the
worst failures of its Year
James Forbes Sacred Sanctum
I HAVE spoken of Eugene Walters method of
work; but that method Is not more remark
able than the faith in special environment
held by James Forbes. Even while he smiles
at his own credulity Mr.. Forbes believes firmly
that he can put forth his best efforts only in
room ,7l of the Bellevue Hotel, in Boston
Whenever he feels a play coming on he
boards train. journeys to the Hub. and locks
himself up in the apartment that bears that
number There he composed the scenarios of
The Chorus Lady" and The Travelling Sales
man
Il can think more clearly on a railway train
than anywhere else" declares Mr.. Forbes. " A
chair is the ideal place for concentration
This Young fellow differs from his colleagues
in his inability to work in the country. He
owns and occupies charming little cottage at
Croton- on Hudson, but he never attempts any
thing important there. He says, / find my
surroundings too alluring. Only conscience
keeps me at desk anyway and conscience IS
weaker than the charm of outdoors One
rather fancies that Jimmy's conscience-he is
Jimmy" to his friends-is pretty rigid He
comes of Scottish ancestry, and was reared IN
Scotch Presbyterian community in Canada.
THE theater was held up to my youthful
attention dreadful place" he told me one
night, when we were lingering supper.
The stock story in my family concerned
playhouse in Edinburgh. which, being used
sacrilegiously for the representation OF a scene
in heaven, promptly burned, with every
soul in it, as a divine Judgment. This tale
stuck fast in my memory At the age of nine
! stole away to see Uncle Toms Cabin; and,
when the transformation showed Little Eva in
Paradise slipped out and waited in the street
for the theater to burn down. was terribly
disappointed that nothing of the sort happened,
and after hanging around for the better part of
,he afternoon / went home confirmed agnos-
TIC
Jimmy drifted from Scotch Presbyteransm
into dramatic authorship by easy and natural
stages First he was employed in wholesale
grocery store, then he became an actor, news
paper man, a press agent, manager and n
nally playwright A short story, which he had
published under the title of The Extra Girl,