The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-04

Edward Milton Royle, the famous
playwright, who in Salt Lake is always
a ffectionately called Ned" Royle, is
once more at home. Mr.. Royle is just
returning from a trip to the Uintah re-
seTvatiOn, TO the cradle of the "Squaw
Man" Mr., Royle's most famous pro-
duction. The old Uintah reservation
furnishes the scene of a second Indian
play soon to be produced by Mr.. ROyle.
1t is a romantic Indian drama, In the
Blood" a sequel to his famous "Squaw
Man"
As a racial study In the Blood" is
exactly the reverse of The Squaw
Man" In THE Squaw Man" was de-
picted the life of an English nobleman
among Indians. The hereditary in
stincts of generations of culture and re-
fnement made him somewhat ill-fitted
for the free and easy life of the abO-
rigine 1t will be remembered that the
squaw man returned to his British
home, taking with him the child. With
the life of this child, the son of the
English nobleman and the Indian wom-
an, In the Blood" has to deal.
The possibilities of the idea may
easily be seen. The youngster, reared
in the best English society, surrounded
by English luxury, still feels the mys-
back to his mothers people. Though
he knows nothing Of the Indians. he
cannot but feel that mysterious call TO
the wilderness over which his maternal
ancestors TOamed
Story Is fascinating.
The plot of Mr. Royle's new romantic
Indian drama is marvelously worked
out, and the story of the young half
blOod's experiences as young Eng
fish nObleman, as an English army Of
hcer and as an Indian back at the old
White Rocks agency is as fascinating
as il is unusual.
Mr.. Royle's play has been written
and it will be produced by the Lieblers
early this season. His visit to the Tin
tab agency was more for the purpose
of studying the Indians a little more
closely than for the purpose of obtain
ing any further material for his new
play. While ne was in White Rocks
MT Royle had the opportunity of wit
Messing the famous sun dance of the
Utes.
The more I visit the Indians" said
Mr.. Royle, the more convinced 1 am
that the Indians are by inherent in
stinct and training sun wOrshippers.
They will not tell you so. The Indian
seldom speaks of his religion. If he
does it is to tell you that he is an ag-
nostic Indian don't know" ne as
sures you.
ITO my mind the real explanation of
the sun dance is that the Indian wor-
ships the sun. They will tell you that
they dance to sheer exhaustion be
meath the blazing sun TO derive from il
the strength and beauty Of the sun.
One has only to see the rapt express
siOns of the self-tortured sun dancers
tc be convinced Of the fact that the sun
dance is the Indians expression of his
alteration of the sun, which 1 am suHs
they regard as the mysterious life
giver.
For four days and nights. without
food or sleep, the braves dance. Dur
ing the daytime their faces are fixed in
tently on the blazing sun. At night
they continue dancing, with their eyes
on a crotched stick in a pole at the
center Of the dancing circle. When the
four days dance is finished the parti-
cipants are totally exhausted. Never
theless, they are decidedly happy. and
as an expression of their happiness
they give away their beads, their
clothing, their blankets and their
horses to the visitors. When the Indian
is happy he is generous.
The Struggle Everlasting.
Mr.. Royle leaves in a few days to
supervise the production of The Strug
gle Everlasting" the play which Mr..
Royle and his friends believe to be his
masterpiece. The play was originally
produced in New York and given, a
week on the road. For some reason