The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-27
THERE IS BIG MONEY
 IN WRITING PLAYS Successful Play Is Same as
 a Gold Mine BIG CHECK REFUSED Cohen and Harris First Theatrical Men to Return 5000 Check. Pink Lady Marked Success.
 Merry Widows Origin
BIG CHECK REFUSED
By JAMES GRANT THuRsToN

New York, December 26.-(Special)- )-7H' s nice to be successful playwrigat;sg A pretty good gold mine has nothing on a play which catches and holds the public interest as a steady income producer.
 It is true that the playmaker often has as hard a time as the prospecter before he strikes 1t rich. but once he locates a good claim and does his assessment work his financial troubles are over. Men like Thomas. Walter. Bradhurst, Armstrong. Klein and a score of other Americans are proof of the trlyh of this assertion.
 But if you want to hear some real hard luck stories, just get some of these sons of fortune to tell of their experiences be- rore they got across the footlights.
 The same truth applies to the other countries. Sir Arthur Pinero still treas ures a set of shirt studs, the only fruit of his maiden play, Two Hundred & Year." His next venture. 1.-Two Can Play at the Game,' put paltry s25 in his purse: and for "Daisys Escape" his third effort at Playwriting, he jubilantly pocketed a check for s250. little dreaming of the time to come when single play, ''SWeet llaV60QeI,. WOulu dtu d SuOu @-vus 900 to his bank balance.
 The folly of selling a play outright has often been illustrated. If the author of "Our Flat" had not been tempted by Willie Edoin's proffered s250 check. he might have drawn S10,000 in royalties with in the next F months: and H. J. Byron made a sorry bargain when he sold Our Boys" outright for S1500. play which for years yielded a weekly net profit of 5000.
 A really successful play ought to be worth S5o000 to it's author.
 And even this collosal figure has often been exceeded When it was suggested to MT Barrie that he should dramatize his charming story, The Little Minister" he laughed at the very thought of such folly. But" his friend persisted, there's $200,- OOo in it If there's penny"
 A year later, when Garvin & Babbie were coining money for their proud pa- rent to the tune of 5000 week, Mir. Bar rie was thankful that for once he had taken a friends advice. The 5000 mark has long been passed, and the Little Minister and his successors have. 1t Is said, rewarded their author at the rate of $l25000 year for many years.
 G. R. Sims can point to at least one play that has added $120,000 to his pen earnings. and single years revenue from "The Harbour Lights has been put as high as S75000. H. A. Jones has known the delights of drawing $50.O00 in- come from one child of his clever pen. "The Dancing Girl.' and. to cross the channel, "Cyrano de Bergerac' has long ago paid the last of $50.00O sovereigns to M. Edmond Rostand.
 In the light of such figures one learns with little surprise from Owen Hall that "Gaiety Girl only added $275O to his bank balance. and An Artists Modei' $4000, although from "The Geisha' he drew a gratifying s20o00.
 Either Mrs. Minnie Maddern Fiske or Otis skinner Is likely to be offered the management of the New theatre.
 The house is at present being construct