The sun., 1910-02-27

7Dne day, MIR. Rice turned to me and
mid: 7 think your fathers crazy. Henry.
md wish ] could get out of the business.
DO ycu really mean you would sell your
Rntereet.' ask ed Sell it, he responded;
you bet would. IL could find any one
ftolinh enough to offer my figure Mr..
Rice owned a one-third interest and
suAid sthat he would consider s. 500 fair
equivSzsnt for IL ..-s ..-
Nyquestions finally aroused his Curl
0aity and he said: why are you so inter-
'8e>sd Hsnrys You don't happen 70 have
any sa,S0o lying about. do your Then
he laughed some at the idea.
-Thssnext day I appeared with 81 500.
M tn dollar biIis. and in spite Of the fact
that he was completely thUnderstruck.
he WA game an the contract was signed
thsn Ind there. I might mention with
becomfng a,odesty that no small part
% tns % 500 represented the savings
hnd made from e small ssiary, for from
The mo ent when. commenced with a
wss1kly wage Of % I put one OF the eight
awfay b the savings bank. made s3S. 600
n tseo eessoLs. besides my salary as
manager. with The Widow JONES'
- Up 20 the present time this season
pEr. Hnrris bias been credited with eight
failures and two successes, and he admits
wi&hopt shaN ing any wrinkles OF past
worry On his smooth face OF any trace Of
future anxiety In his blue eye.
Eight eilures. he repeats. drumming
/, eoftV with bis finger tips on the desk
bIottBes -that's quite record, isn't it2
Aftes o pLay hfs gone by the board
H5t down Ieud think 1t all over OF course
und any. here is the weak point and that
Wss the fundamental reason; but before
ws sss Il IN the flesh It seems impossible
% Rauge plays merits.
we have been so near IL IN the ofice
hsre, for q year or tvo, reading the
nnsnnscrfpt. discussing it, changing and
reAltering ft, and then afterward seeing
II At Fehearrsls, that it is practically i'm
(. poGsi5Ie to- ome 70 an mprej ejudioed
oonchsinn. l do not be ieve that there
u any one living who can judge a play
for the publ, accurately. Il Is our
obdeCt 70 develop novel themes. to look
at old questions from a new angle, but
whether we have succeeded In this or
not We cannot tell until the play settles
Sowp after the nrst night to It's run and
Mr. BArris y asked to give his idea
pf whv The Next OF Kin" which seemed
20 answer the requirement OF a novel
theue did not answer expectations.
II believe the reason is this he says
the main thing which the girl was fight
ing fot wasn't a great, big human thing
after al, although ! didn't realize that
until after the smoke cleared away
sIn The Lion and the Mouse the girl
was lighting for her fathers honor and
bis life a. well; In The Third Degree
& che was sighting for something even
deansr and nearer, her husbands life.
but n The Next OF Kin she was fighting
prac lady for nothing but money. cold
harc eean. even though there was a love
Interest," involved. and the bigness OF the
thene, showed by holding up the delays
involved in litigation, was not sufficient
70 interest deeply. You must have that
human appeal or else make people laugh
% that they have 20 hold on 70 their chairs
Tor fear OF falling on.
Every bit OF money I make.' Mr.
Harris goes on. taking a zigZag path
for q moment. Il invest In dramatic
enterprises. and ] always intend to plaos
nv money where make IL. The Hudson
Theatre was purchased with The Lior
and the Mouse money, and having de.
bfeat,sti ths noi tgags obligations ON DAY
plAyhosiees every year and squared INV
pesy , Oldest living expenses / expec,
70 pgs on productions that like, which
/ 6rfnly believe are necessary for In,
4 prgper development Of the public tast,
md which hope will be successee fnan
o3ally. but which have little real belle
ers 70 be.