The Washington herald., 1918-04-30

New York, April 29.-The improv-
idence of the stage world is strik-
ingly shown by the list of estates
left by actors and actresses who
have passed on during the past year
in Manhattan. The amounts OF the
estates were made known by the
Surrogate's Court.
There were ten actors who made
as high as $500 a week and no less
than 500 q week who left estates
under $20. The total amount of
cash OF one was $3.50. Three ac-
tresses who have had their names
emblazoned in electric bulbs on
Broadway left combined estate OF
$J162S.
Fritz Podzdu. the editor Of the
Matrimonial News. known UP and
down the Rialto and seen nightly in
front OF theaters crying "MEtTimo-
nial Moose" left an estate OF s.. He
was repGted to be worth a fortune.
, But he had acquired the Rialto
| spirit and given or loaned most OF
! it to those less unfortunate.
Most of the wealth in stageland
seems to he among the cinema play
ers. So many of them are Young
and have their mothers and fathers
! looking out for them. so they natu-
! rally acquire the habit of thrift
| There isn't a legitimate actor or
! actress with the wealth OF Miss
! Pickford or Chaplin.
The habit of spending every cent
! and letting tomorrow take care OF
! itself seems to be inSrained in stage
! folk. They tell of a romantic actor
brooding in the corner of the Lambs
| one night. When asked the reason
for his pensive mood, he declared
that it was at the end of the week
and he had failed to spend the $40
left of his salary.
Those out with road shows dur
ing the winter save for the summer,
but when they hit New York they
spend it all the first two or three
weeks, and then live from hand-to-
mouth. However, the stage folk are
rot bad debtors. They generally
pay their bills. but they spend what
that have left for triflcs of no value.
The truth seems to be that they
like to be broke" 1t gives them
something to talk and worry about.
An actor with a big roll of bills is
generally unhappy.
Seen around the town: 4 man in
a rainstorm carefully holding his
umbrella over his large growth OF
whiskers. A snappy looking young
man with n cigarette holder a foot
long. Geraldine Farrar singing
America" on the steps of the Pub
lie Library. A workman asleep or
pile of lumber with a sign pinned
on him by wags reading: Spring
fever has got me-" A woman wash
- foil IL
drinking fountain. woman at the
theater with a dog carefully con.
cealed in her handbag.
The mean-natured person who
takes pennies from a blind mans
cup is proverbial. He has a soul
mate over in Newark, where the
police are looking for some one
who has been making a practice oi
stealing the funeral crepe from the
front of homes. And speaking oi
stealing from a blind man. blue
Pete" the famous blind man OF
Herald Square, used to be robbed
every day. He was unable to catcf
the thief himself and so he reported
the matter to the police. A detective
/. watched for the day. He caught the
culprit. 1t was the victims own son
The war is taking the dramatic
critics from Park Row. Rober
Welsh, who has braved death by
boredom at first nights for twelve
years until the trenches have no ter
rors. is going to the war zone as &
Y. M. c. A. hut secretary. He ha!
relinquished his desk at the Evening
Telegram and is going from th'
theaters of Broadway to the theatel
, of war. He is the fifth critic TO leav,
soft berths to aid Uncle Sam in tn,
hour of great need.