The Washington herald., 1919-02-20

New York, Feb. 19.-Fiction deals
nonchalantly with underfed play
rights gnawing away at bone in
garret while trying to fashion the
great and deathless American drama
But there are very few of them in
real life. When. Gene Walter was
smiled upon by the dramatic gods,
and landed his first play on Broad
way, his enterprising press agent
slid down his brass-pole and gallop-
ed to the newspaper shops white
faced with the information that Wal
ter used to sleep in a bench in Bryant
| Park.
| AS a matter OF historical accuracy,
/ before he sold his play Walter was
the sole owner OF large raccoon
coat. q gold cigarette case, and n
bank account-the latter despite the
/ fact that he was Il newspaper scribe.
He had gone around the Horn on a
windjammer without any money mere
| ly for color, and to learn to toy with
a Delaying pin in his proposed as
sault on theatrical managers. Fur
thermore, he has never even walked
through Bryant Park-otherwise, his
publicity purveyor was correct.
Just now the playwright sensation
of the season is Samme Shipman-
/ billed Samuel for dignity's sake. He
used to beat in vain against the outer
/ gate Of SNUG managers. At the time
/ he was earning s75 a week doing
vaudeville skits. He was earning
that amount largely because Louis
Mann, his most confident patron, was
acting in some of his sketches
Samme is an understood swarthY
young man of the Hebraic persuasion.
/ His education came from reading. He
knows the classics. ard he never lost
/ hope I'm himself. He will admit him
self that in theatrical circles he wa
regarded as a bit of u nuisance. That
was because he believed in himself
and was persistent.
| All he has to do now Is to whisper
at Columbus Circle that he has
new play and by the time he reachcs
/ Broadway and F'orty-SecOnd streets
every manager in town Is out CUNNING
for him. The Great Change cam"
suddenly. Shipman and his colab
orator sod Al Woods Friendly Enc
mics" an overnight sensation, in Chi
cago and ditto New York
Second he sold William Harris
East to West" which is turning
'em away at the Astor Third he
and Max MARGIN sold Woods THE
Woman in Room 13" a popular sue
cess at the Booth. Sammie has
jumped from SIS a week to $4,000
week which makes him a half
portion millionaire-but he still
Gtf 70 h.. tKr. e.,
dime brand.
Governor Alfred Smith. a product
of the teeming East Side. comes
down from Albany every week ard
he always takes his favorite walk
across Brooklyn Bridge Anybody
can walk across the bridge 1t is
really one of the fine amusements
of the town. You get from it the
very feel of New York. No one can
ever claim to know the town until
he has walked over the bridge.
Those who know the charm of the
walk always buy a bag of apples
at the entrance to the bridge. Peo-
PIE cat apples on Brooklyn Bridge
without any false pride. They might
/ be shocked the same night at din
ner at the use of the wrong fork
/ But on the bridge it is different.
/ The sight of the golden waters in
the setting sun: the other bridges.
standing like carved screens before
( a shrine which is half-hidden with
the incense of offerings, takes all
. Icttiness away.
4 One trips over romance in New
/ York even in the want column
Here is an interesting ad from the
/ Times:
a conganial. educated, temperate
man who has taste for books. music.
outdoor life. fishing, shooting. yacht
/ ing. who would enjoy life on a trOp-
iCal island. with some travelling. de-
sired by another gentleman; must he
| single, have several thousand dol
lars cash. use of which enough for
his lifetime; rare opportunity; in
answer state age"