The Washington herald., 1915-03-14

she allowed the thoughts OF the foot
lights to slumber.
Her husband. however, was fearful Of
losing her to the theatrical life he hated.
Often he would ask her. and especially
around 1880 o'clock in the evening:
Are you sure you don't want to go
back-there?"
sure" and she thought she was, until
/, death called him peacefully away.
Her husbands family possesses great
wealth, but she could not participate in
it because of the peculiar will of her
father-in-law, Samuel Coykendall, presi-
dent of the Ulster & Delaware railway,
and director Of many corporations, who
died January Is, 1913. He provided
that his estate should not be divided
among his children until after the death
of the youngest child living at the time
of the death of the widow.
She had the estate, her husbands life
insurance and enough money Of her own
to allow her to live in comfort the rest
of her days had she wanted. But with
the death of her husband awoke the call
of the stage. She longed for her old as
sociations until she could stand it no
longer. The big estate was deserted as
suddenly as, two years before, she had
deserted her theatrical connections.
In Seven Days" she had made her
greatest success. and to the producer Of
Seven Days" she went. Collin Kemper
was not slow to seize his opportunity.
Kemper himself has had a life of con-
siderable romance. His real name was
James Hadlock. Twenty years ago he
was an itinerant young actor. He ran
across Lincoln A. Wagenhals at rail-
road junction, and together, while await
ing their respective trains, strolled up
and down the platform, reciting their
various professional troubles.
The outcome Of the discussion was
that each formed a liking for the other
and both agreed that the only way to
make money in the theatrical business
was to be a manager. On the spot. with
out any available capital, they formed a
partnership.
Each went to his home-Kemper to
Oswego. and Wagenhals to town in
Ohio-where both might remain over
summer without expense. Shortly after
his arrival Kemper happened to remark
to his father that he had met a young
chap named Wagenhals, with whom he
had gone into partnership.
What Wagenhals is that" asked the
father.
Il don't know" replied Kemper.
well, you write him and find out"
said the elder man. Il used to go to
school with Wagenhals from Ohio, and
it may be your partners father"
Kemper wrote as requested. The
elder Wagenhals proved to be the elder
Kemper's closest boyhood friend, and the
two, while having heard little of each
other, still retained the old friendship.
The acquaintance was renewed. and the
two elder men, happy that their sons had
come together in business association,
agreed to finance the boys in their first
effort.
Pie outcome is now theatrical history.
Wagenhals & Kemper. prospered from
the outset, and they retired more than
a year ago worth nearly a million dollars
each.
Wagenhals & Kemper prospered for
many years, but their great fortune was
made only in recent years, and then
upon the dramas of Cleveland play
wrights. Their first great success was
paid in Full" the work Of Eugene Wal
ter. That success was tremendous, al
though Walter was sleeping on park
benches in New York before he was able
to dispose of his manuscript.
Then Wagenhals & Kemper took hold
Of Avery Hopwood's Seven Days." writ
ten by Avery Hopwood. another young
Cleveland dramatist. Royalties alone on
Seven Days" are said to have been
100000