The Washington times., 1910-02-28
Points of Likeness Discover
ed BY Many At First
Performance.
SENIOR AT YALE
MAKES COMPARISON
Epigrams Quoted From Eng
lish and American
Authors.

NEW YORK, Feb. B.-After three
years Of publicity as an aspiring sue
| cessOr 10 Pinero. Thomas and other
noted playwrights, Preston Gibson, the
spectacular young millionaire of wash
ingtOn and New York, has surprised
those of his friends who had known him
in New Haven by appearing in the light
OF the author Of at least ten epigrams,
which bear remarkable similarity to
epigrams in two comedies Of Oscar
Wilde.
Leslie Mason. a Yale senior and dra-
matte critic of the New Haven Palla-
dium, who has been a devoted follower
OF Wilde's writings for four years and
knows his lines almost by heart, re-
viewed the opening performance at the
Hyperion Theater Saturday night and
came away with an irrep-essible feel
ing that he had read at least ten OF the
episrams in the comedies of the Wilde.
As Mason sat listening 10 the speeches
a strange familiarity with the lines Of
the Turning Point" Gibson's play,
came upon him at once. and he kept
asking himself, Where have I heard
this before? Where have heard it?"
Then, when il seemed as though the
precise words began TO crop out, one
after one. he exclaimed emphatically,
1t is Wildei II is Wide"
Many Note Similarity.
So sure was he at the time Of the cor
rectness Of his opinion thut in the dark
Of the theater he pulled out a pencil
and copied speeches from Gibson's play
on his program and found later they
Coincided almost exactly with those Of
Wilde
L. G. Smith. manufacturer Of the L. c.
Smith typewriter, went 10 Mason after
the play and said: Wasn't that NVilde'S
stuff in The Turning Point last night?
am sure Of it,"
d. L. JacObus. Nason's chum, OF IS
Court street, New Haven, had told him
previous 10 the night performance that
there was some striking similarity in
The Turning Point 10 another play. |
and that the lines were almost identical
with many from Oscar Wiide's come
Paul Barnett. managing editor OF the
New Haven Palladium. recalled the re-
seS' blance at once whel Mason men
TONED I1l.l,5l H. and Barnett conceded with
MasonS opinion when the dramatic !
critic read his excerpts one by one.
Barnett. Jacobus, and Smith are will
ing 20 make affidavit that the lines OF
Wilde We're IN substance heard at the
performance of Gibs0n'S play.
Dazzling Shower OF EpigTamS.
When interviewed Mr.. Mason told of
his discovery as follows
It had been warned Saturday after
noon that / should find startling resem-
blances 20 Wilde in The Turning Point /
by a ClasSmate who knows Wilde even /
more thoroughly than I DO. He had |
seen the matinee performance
4 attended the evening performance |
The epigIams began 10 arrive before /
the first act was over. was over
wheImed. but cautious. I was ready 70 4
believe in Gibson.
Here is Wide, the Second I could /
have shouted But my suspicious grew
as 7 examined them.
Then came the third act. and a daz-
ZIing shower Of perfect epigrams that /
could not be mistaken.
while the applause was roaring
around me I sat reviewing An ideal 4
Husband and before I left the theater !
7 was convinced that the choicest lines /
Of Gibson'S play had been first heard \
by those who saw An Ideal Husband I
in London, on January 2, 1885. It was
only matter Of thirty or forty min