El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-03
Robert w. Chambers Be
comes a Playwright
Iole is a Success.

Few YORK, Jan. 5.-Robert ".
n Chambers, who says he has made
! more money from his writings
than any other man, blOssomed forth
Monday night as a playwright I
bestow this latter title partly because
aIole" has considerable more substance
than the ordinary musical comedy Of
Broadway and partly because Mr..
Chambers himself confesses his great
ambition in life has been to write
something successful for the stage
"IOle" is a deserved success, q pretty
and amusing thing which mas a rlgnL
to a place near the best of Gilbert ana
Really more should be known of that
extraordinary man, Chambers. we
don't usually get interested In the per-
sonal habits and characlerisLl u
writer's and begin to leave OF an JnelI
names except the last until aIter Lhey
are dead. It's mistake. Chambers IS
worth study
1T might surprise many and shock
few to know that on one fine morning
not so long ago Robert W. Chambers
and Charles Dana Gibson strobe INTO
the editorial office of Life eaeh Win
a portfolio of his own drawings un-
der his arm. They were close 1rlends
and they had come together to exhibit
their wares to the art editor Ihat
worthy individual looked over the eL-
forts Of both young men; ne puI-
chased several Of Mr.. Chambers's draw
ings but he only smiled sadly and pity
ingiy as he gazed at the work Of MI
Gibson.
"Tm going TO give it up-the life Of
art fs not for me- said Mr.. Gibson as
they came out OF course, he soon re-
Dented Mr.. Chambers was so Douyed
I'D his success that he resolved TO give
up scrfbbllng entirely and devote him
"a . nra
He discovered, however, that he could
"put over" his drawings better with a
little descriptive matter 70 accompany
them Little by little he was Weaned
away from the paint brush to the pen
ell (which he uses IN preference TO tue
tyDeWriter.) Then we find him literary
adviser 10 the late Augustine Daily ne
occupied this position two years ana az
M DaTz5s direction adapted 1.-THE
Witch of EllangOWan" Of scott IN JGsI
a weeks time for Ada Rehans VINO
played Meg Merrilies- DAILY was so
pleased he clapped Chambers on the
back and declared he would make a
great playwright of him. So CHAMBERS
SET to work on a play of his own IL
was never produced because OF me
death of DAILY. Then Chambers some
now worked into novel writing until
he is today the most prolific of Ameri-
Teal Gives Him Hint.
But he had never given up the
thought that some day ne would hear
his lines recited over the fOotlights. So
he was delighted when Ben Teal in a
nice little note suggested that the novel
"IOle" would be eZcellent muslcal
comedy material. Chambers answered
enthusiastically he would not only
write the librettO, he'd do the music,
and paint the scenery ana Design tne
costumes. Perhaps he could nave done
all Of those things, but his impetuosity'
was checked and he and Teal worked
together. AS a matter Of fact, may
tell YOU that Chambers did paint the
miniature models OF the piece ana dlo
make the sketches for the costumes.
He ought to be able to draw, for as
long ago as 1886 he was studying lines
and shades in Farls. BeIore tnat ne
had attended the classes at the Art
Students league in New York and this
Was where he met Gibson fellow pu-
Pill
The new playwright has another Pc
culiarity. passion for collecting IN
sects. Also, he delights to whip a trout
stream. So when 7 ask him about his
literary work. as like rs not he'll soon
lbc talking about some branch Of the
lepidoptera or some obscure brook IN
Maine
Chambers always writes his manu-
scripts in long hand and ne uses a pen
ell. Every word is as distinct IS cop
per plate engraving, every punctuation
mark is perfect and every correction is
made with the aid of bigger eraser. /
He always revises what he has written
at recent sittings the first thing when
he starts work for the day and he
"cuts'' without mercy. It's a saving
OF his friends that he would leave moth
inc Of his manuscripts except the titles
If his publishers did not appear peri
0dically and wrest the pages from his
hands
But to get down to the dainty little
piece of satire and airy music which
opened at the Longacre theater Mon
day night clean, genuine wit are the
great excel1encies which Mr.. Chambers
exhibits Intelligent persons who have
hro- Gf@eueted with the Vapldity of
tho ordinary girl-and-curI musical
ro'.-o--v TrfU do well not to overlook
'Iale" nor class f. with the othePs.