The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-06-14
WIDE RANGE
OF American History Touched In @Tht
Birth Of a Nation" which Comes
To the Washington Theater
Friday and Saturday.

ID. w. Grifiths mighty spectacle
The Birth Of Nation" begins its en-
gagement at the Washington Opera
House Friday night. There will be
two performances Saturday at S:15
and 2:15 D. m.
Nothing like this wonderful attrac-
ton has ever been seen upon the local
boards. IL is given here exactly as II
is being presented in New York City
where the big drama has broken ev-
cry record in the stage history of the
first city in the country. In addition
the piece has piled up record engage
ments in Chicago, Boston, San Francis
CO and Los Angeles.
II covers a wide range Of American
history and touches only the highest
points of interest in the great events
that led up to and terminated the Civil
War. The force that slavery played in
producing this crisis is traced from its
inception to its abolition. While the
basic theme is historical in its foun-
dation its intent is the fundamental one
of true drama. The forces which make
for these results have been marshalled
upon n larger scale than was ever
dreamed of before. Where directors
of vast spectacles have dealt with hun
dreds in the past, Griffith employs
thousands. $4,000 people fill his stage
which has vast territory for its back
ground. 1900 horses pass before your
view in wild dashes over miles OF coun-
| try roadway. The decisive battles OF
the Civil War are reproduced in faith
full detail and you see these conflicts
fought again Just as they were waged
so years ago. Cities were built up only
to be destroyed to lend force and YER
ity to the dramatic narrative. One
enormous battlefield is shown stretch
| ing over an area of 10 square miles
and upon these plains and thenches
10000 soldiers clash in a mimic war
fare that is as real as If you were an
eyewitness of the actual occurrence.
Holding the great effects IN tether is a
story as tender and true ah love and
romance can be pictured, There are
tears and smiles, noble sacrifices and
heroic deeds of personal valor. Youth
full dreams of loves fruition are rent
asunder by the demons of war; home
ties snap before the call to arms and
suffering such as cannot be imagined
is depicted in the crude manner that
history is made when men surrender
reason to passion and engage in q
deadlock of armed resistance.
You see the war start after being
shown the causes which precipitated
it. You see the great Generals or the
contending sections playing their des-
perate games of human pawns moved
into the field of slaughter. Then comes
the agreement for peace and Lincoln
sets about his superhuman task Of
healing the wounds by the application
of that great love which made him the
towering figure of his age. A fanatics
bullet stills the heart which beat SC
evenly for all humanity. The South
Is thrown back into a worse fate than
war. Their lands are overrun by q
hungry horde of vengeful politicians
and grafters. The poor negro is ca
joled into a false understanding OF
liberty and in his ignorance is led into
excuses by these scalawags OF Tor
tune. Out of it comes the ghostly garb-
ed crusaders of terrible area to once
more set things Alright and return the
lands and liberties of peace to their
rightful owners and over the lands
miserere sounds the chorus of broth
erly love in an allegorical dream which
visions the reunion of the divided Sec
tons and the welding of that national
spirit which has made this nation SO
great after its baptism in its own
blood.
A wonderful score of operate
reache accompanies the narrative II
10 all done upon a most stupendous
scale. No detail has been overlooked
The drama is outlined and told in the
most graphic form that has yet been
devised by the brain of man for such
purpose. No wonder this work is
experimenting. II has set up new stan
dards which IL will he difficult 10