The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-08-09

one week from tonight the scenes VII
be set for one of those little happenings
that deprive those people who belittle
| mans humanity to his kind of the en-
tire force OF their argument. The peo-
pie of the stage now in Washington
with their friends. have formed a COM
bination which Is to provide an enter
tainment by means of which II is pro-
posed to raise funds to be applied to
the comfort Of six" Walker, a stage
hand, who was SO badly injured ut one
Of the local theaters some time ago
that he is now helpless invalid. 'Six''
Walker was just a stage hand employed
In handling scenery. He was a man of
unusual strength and activity. One day
when II was necessary to brace a par
lticularly heavy pile OF settings that
another set might be slipped behind the
pile, Walker, because of his strength,
was told of to be the brace. The pile
was tipped too far. 1t fell. with the
stage hand under 1t. When they picked
him up his back was broken. The big,
strapping figure of a man had become
broken wreck. 1t happened in an
instant. and it happened in the regular
line OF duty.
There are no pensions for members Of
the army who drive out the blue devils
when they lay siege to the public heart
when one of these soldiers falls, no one
ever hears Of IL but his friends. and
they are the only ones who try to help
MIN up. When, as in Walkers case, il
Is impossible for him to stand alone.
the friends must also keep him braced
until the final fall comes And II is a
orace Tor Walker that they are intend
ing TO provide in the performance 10 be
given next Sunday evening.
Please remember-this isn't charity.
six" Walker was a whole man a few
mort months ago. with ability to earn
MS living as well as any of his fellows
IN the usual order Of things he would
have had many years Of good. produc-
tive service. This is what his friends
think about It. And SO they are taking
just bit OF their surplus and are MAX
ing up for Walker what he would have
made up for himself-or for any of them
when he had the opportunity. They are
have provided for himself as they can
and as he needs in his present condition.
And they are not calling on the public
to pay for II, either. Their ability to
provide entertainment is as much a
stock in trade as the stock Of the gro
Ger OF the clothing merchant or the
druggist. And no one ever suggested
that the public was being compelled to
pay something for nothing when money
is paid for some part of the stock of
either Of these.
Because the benefit Is to fall on the
same night scheduled for the opening
of the Lyman Howe travel festival at
the Columbia Thcater, Managers Metz
croft and Berger have Cancelled the
Howe rate, and postponed the opening.
so that nothing could possibly interfere
with the success of the benefit.
Tha rro1rapo that heinQ nranara1
for the Walker benefit will probably in
clude a sketch that will call for the
services of 1zetta Jewel. a. II. Van
Buren,. and Dorothy Barnard; Carl
Brickert and Louise Kent each furnish
another sketch. Gretchen Hood. the
Washington prima donna. is to sing.
John Kline. Stanley James. and little
Miss Kline are to do THE IIttlest
Girl" Julia Blanc is preparing an act
Carrie Thatcher and George Barber
will provide another act. The Nordica
Mandolin and Guitar Club has number
been invited to interpret modern
dances. Russell Fillmore end Marie
Carroll are preparing a sketch Ever
EFT Butterfeld, Jessie Clendenning,
William Corbett. Robert Wayne.
and several others are already pro-
with Polls Company. has offered his
services. The production will take
place at the Poll Theater. and the
combined orchestras Of the Poll and Co.
lumbia theaters will furnish the inciden-
tai music. An act or two is expected
from the Cosmos Theater-altogether
the performance will be OF the very
highest order. and the people who viii
in 1t will present the very
best they have in the most favorable
way they can present 1t.
If. in the course of a week or two. a
Washingtonian should happen to wan
der into the Washington Theater at De-
troit, because the name makes him
think of home, he will doubtless be
very mu"h surprised when the curtain
rises to discover a great many other
things besides the name that will re-
mind him of this city. In the first place
all the scenery that meets his eye will
have been painted by Charles SQuires,
the sc<nic artist of the Columbia Play
ers, And the familiarity of the finish
and excellence of the production will be !
q reminder of the very good work Of
Edwin II. Curtis, formerly the director |
of the Columbia and later OF the Poll |
rompa nles. who Is now the director OF |
the Detroit concern. Mr.. Curtis has
been spending the summer at Wildwood, !
y. j., and has gone to Detroit to take |
charge OF the company there. George |
Allison and Maude Fealy are the lead |
Ing man and woman and while they |
are not so very we'll known in Wash |
ngton. the casual visitor from this city |