Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-18
The Argus Daily Story
The Bureau of Plays-By Edwin B. Henry
copyrighted. 1912, by Associated Literary Bureau


tage of Mr.. Starkweather'S enterprise
TO solve a problem connected with it
that had long interested me. l hired
a competent person to pouucc upon the
motif of each play-wherein there was
motif-and enter 1t in Il blank book
kept for the purpose with n brief
statement of the machinery or the
story or whatever it may be consider
ed by which the theme was illustrat-
ed. | had a theory in my mind which
wen, l was surprised to find that
though we were obliged to so through
great deal OF chat to get very little
wheat we did get some wheat. Much
of this wheat turned out to have been
produced by playwrights who had al
ready achieved some success, but what
astonished me was that we received 4
number OF plays that were based on
an excellent dramatic theme and only
needed fixing up by one familiar with
the technique of the stage to make
them acceptable.
l selected one Of these plays by an
unknown author and took it TO my
father-in-law with the suggestion that
we put it on the boards He was much
[ pleased with the result thus far of
| his scheme and gave his consent TO the
/ plays production.
/ The play was called The Secret
| Drawer" The plan turned upon the
! finding of a lost will There were a
number OF fine dramatic scenes in it.
the author had succeeded in present
1 ing 1t in form TO hold the attention
of an audience, and was fortunate in
/ finding actors and actresses well fitted
to impersonate the different characters.
The piece succeeded and proved fairly
remunerative. Mr. Starkweather was
delighted at the proof OF his statement
that to get plays managers must read
! manuscripts.
The day after the production OF 1.-THE
Secret Drawer" l received Il call from
a gentleman with long hair and beard.
wearing a rusty suit of black.
What do you mean. sir" he said.
by stealing the plan OF my play, re-
writing it and putting 1t on the boards?
1t was sent you in confidence, and did
not dream Of your appropriatinG it
without paying for it,"
ITO what play do you refer?" I
asked.
TO my play, The Lost Will You
nave called your version OF it The
Secret Drawer"
MY friend" I said after surveying
him for some time thoughtfully, Il am
only a passenger in this business. You
go to John Starkweather, No. 1917 &.
street. and state your case to him"
"Starkweather. the leather manp
YES"
Hes rich. If he doesn't come down
handsomely for this theft III sue him"
And he went out to find my father-in-
law.
dozen accusations were made eli
Their in person or by letter OF our hav-
ing stolen the themes OF plays submit
ted to us and declined. In several in
stances certain names in the plays we
accepted and produced were identical
with names in the plays we were &C
cused of stealing. l referred all the
claimants to my beloved fathev-in-law.
Two different authors commenced suit
against him for appropriadng their
thunder. Finally he sent for me. 1
went TO him with the book containing
the record Of themes and methods OF
their preSenta ton under my arm.
WHATS the meaning OF all these
charges?" he asked angUily.
IN tell you. There are hardly
dozen themes on which to base stories
or plays. and every author thinks at
least one OF these themes belongs to
him. There are more than million
authors and not enough themes to go
round"
1 opened my record book and began
to read.
"In 10000 plays examined 9,247 par
ents objected TO the match. In the
same number of plays the theme in
1912 turned on lost Will; 073 turned
on match essential on account of
adjoining estates. sG5 on a person as
Stunning to have committed a crime to
save the criminal GJl on
stop" exclaimed Mr. Stark weather.
81 don't care 20 have any more of
these details. They reduce the glori-
Gus hislTionic art to the level OF the
leather business. II reminds me of
the causes for our bad debts. There
. are but q few classes Of these causes,
the principal one being bad manage
meut What do you think it win cost
to compromise these cases Of plagla-
rism, breach Of copyright or whatever
they are?'
From - cents to S25."
what
| repeated.
"Pay EN- OF and close me bureau.
I've had enough Of this business"
I'm DO II at once"
As was passing out I turned and
asked
DO you still think. Sir. Starkweath-
or. that you were badly treated by
managers when they
saw him rcachiE" for an ink well
and closed the door hchind me just I'm
time 70 hear The thing crash against
panel.
Sept. ID In American