The Press., 1912-12-18
THE BUREAU OF PLAYS 1t Brought Out Some
 Curious Facts
By EDWIN B. HENRY

manager. I had no trouble in getting actors-indeed, it was all I could do to get rid of those I didn't need. They would beg for a trial sometimes with tears in their eyes, and since I am of a sympathetic disposition my feelings were often racked almost beyond en- durance. As for the women who were trying to make a living on the stage, they nearly drove me distracted.
 As for getting rid of the playwrights, found 1t a much easier matter. Most plays l received were sent by mail or express, and when found unavailable all I had to do was to send them back by the way they had come. True, now and again an author would bring his play to my office and tell me all about how he got on to the theme and the suggestions that led to his happy hits, and after occupying three-quarters Of an hour of my time he would go away satisfied he had made an impression that would insure his work special at- l tention. I had a reader whom kept all day boring over these manuscripts, and after the authors departure l would toss his production on the read CTS desk without a word. He knew that he was to look into it and make report upon 1t.
 After paying my reader his salary for a year l became satisfied that It didn't pay me to keep him. Not that he was incapable of doing the work assigned him, but little or nothing came in that 1t seemed to me was worth producing, So discharged him, and after that relied for plays upon such pIaywrights as had established regulations.
 It was about this time that became lnoeulated matrimonially.+ The young lady upon whom I placed my af1ec' tions. was Miss Jenetta Starkweather and we'll worthy the love of any man. Unfortunately she had father who was a very difficult person to handle. In early life he had tried his hand at acting and playwrighting. After brief time at each he had failed as dgnally at one as at the other.
 It is needless to say that when was introduced to him as a suitor for his daughters hand my calling was great ly against me. Few persons have fall ed in any artistic line who have not blamed almost any one except them- selves for their failure. Among actors the person blamed is the manager, who { will never assign an aspirant part in which he can show his powers. Play wrights blame the manager because he will not produce their plays.
 Old Starkweather, who, having fail- ed histrionically. turned his attention to the leather business and made for tune at 1t, had passed the principal part of his life grumbling at theatrical man agers, whom he accused of being the cause of turning him from what he was fitted for to that which was com monplace and altogether uninteresting. | Be this as 1t may, there was not bet ter buyer or a better seller in the leather district than old Starkweather. l When applied for the hand of Jenet- I ia the old man looked me over from head to foot, and could see that some thing was moving him against me. He spent long while talking to me about my affairs, then, after a thoughtful pause, said:
 "My daughter seems to have set her heart on you, why l don't know. never could find out why her mother set her heart on me-natural feminine cussedness, suppose. But Jenetta seems to want you, and her marriage with you will give me an opportunity to go into a line that I have always wished to enter. I wish to prove that the reason there are no good plays on the boards or very few of them is that the plays sent in by playwrghts who have not achieved a reputation Is owing to the fact that the plays are not read. am ready to put up the money to hire a corps of readers to read carefully all plays that are sub- mitted for examination and to produce on the boards those that are found to be meritOrious. I wish to be silent partner, having nothing to do with the management of the business. How would you like to be the active part ner?"
 It was plain that Jenetta might pass peaceably into my possession If l should consent to enter upon scheme which would take up a great deal or my time to no purpose and would sink considerable money for my prospective father-in-law set him down for one of those persons who "know it all'' and believed that any attempt to convince him of the futility of his proposed en- terprise would be useless. By such at tempt [ would risk losing his daugh- ter; by consenting I might possess her at once. I was anxious for an imme- diate marriage and chose the latter al- ternative.'
 "I would be very happy, MT. Stark weather" said, "to manage your scheme for you. Indeed, 1t will only be an addition to what am now do- ing. We shall at least prove whether good plays are being wasted or wheth- CT authors having strong dramatic 1n- st1nct are being lost to the world on playwriyhts through lack of encourage ment."
 . ''Very well, sir" he replied. ''I will place $1J,OO0 to your credit at the tn National bank for capital. When do you and Jenetta propose to be mar ried?"
 ."I believe 1t is the lady's privilege to fix the day." replied. {.
 Within month I became a married man and had the bureaus of plays" in working order. I hired a dozen readers of experience in theatrical mat tcrs and another dozen who had never tried to write play or had tread the boards. When all was ready ad- vertised for plays. They came in by hundreds, had each play looked into by an expert and an inexpert reader. and those that seemed worthy of at tention were passed along up through ] tha ntlAn1.o All thnu mo tn ma