The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-09
MISS SHIEIDsS MEMORY.
Goes BACK 10 Her Days a. . Re.
porter in the south.

Sidney Shields. the heroine Of THE
Fear Market" which is playing at the
Comedy Theatre. finds herself q
strange victim OF coincidence. In
The Fear Market" Miss Shields plays
the role Of Syria. the daughter of the
INSCRIPTIONS publisher " the black
mailing paper The Arbiter." II hap
pens that in her private life Miss
Shields IS the granddaughter OF Col.
Smaliwood. who vas the founder OF
the New Orleans Picdyunc: the
daughter OF the first oma press
agent IN the United States, known as
Bessie Bernard. and the niece Of Miss
Katherine Cole. n well known con-
tr.butor I 0 southern publications. of
course the coincidence terminates with
Miss Shields's a~ntecedants ana does
not extend TO IA comparison OF the
publications OF her stage father or her
real grandfather. Moreover. Mss
Shields is herself a newspaper
having passed her clubbing days OF
the now defunct Word of New Or
Jeans. Miss Shields not only has q
great deal OF personal charm. but just
tho determined manne betrayed in
the srdy blue eyes and firm little chin.
TO back up "A reporters police card,
and like a we'll bred retriever bring
back the story the <.ty editor sen her
out 10 get.
There j. nothing p.eascs me more"
said Miss shields IN her dressing room
at the Comedy Theatre. than TO re-
call the days when ] worked on the
morning World In New Orleans. There
Is a fascination abou; the newspaper
game that grips II from the time one
is g.yen ones first assignment as a
cub" reporter. l began my news.
paper work shortly after ! left school
by bringing in stories to the city
editor OF the World that ! had picked
Up In shopping about the odd corners
ct the city.
II even began to worm myself into
political circles and brought in many
exclusive political stories, This also
gave me an opportunity for studying
st close range men in the public eye
and making character sketches Of
them. Finally I brought IN SO many
Skot .Ns That tht VdiNoI knpikub IL
would be cheaper to place mo on the
staff al u weekly salary than 70 pay
me SO much a column for space writ
ing. That Of course made me a full
ledged newspaper woman. For the
Sunday edition Of the paper I began
writing q series Of children's fairy
stories. While ] was working on the
world William Ilawtry came To the
city IN Compromise and his leading
lady. Muriel Starr. was taken III sud
denly. I WAS we'll known In theatrical
circles IN the city, as both my mother
anil father had been connected with
the theatre there and I had appeared
occasionally IN temporary engage
mcn,s. So at the illness of Miss Starr
7 was sent for and asked 10 play the
role. The company WAS then icav-
ing for Louisville. Ky, and Il was on
the Journey between these places that
! learned and rehearsed my part. !
only rcpiaincd IN the rolo a couple
of weeks, for ] was forced to rein
qu,sh Il on the return of Miss Starr.
| then returned to New Orleans and
took mp my newspaper work again.
II suppose I should bc dong news
paper work to-day had ! no at this
time written what proved 10 be a
successful playlct for vaudeville. II
was called broadway, Y. 3. A. and
was written in collaboration With Al.