Evening star., 1923-01-24
Love BEARS GIFTS
/ TO MAGGIE Cline
Friends Gather With Desire
to Cheer Up Stricken
Il
''IriSh Queen"
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Many friends of Maggie Cline, the
oid-time music hall favorite. today
made the pilgrimage from New York
city to this little town. the home of
the Irish queen"
They are friends from both sides of
the footlights. lured to Red Bank by
news of the serious illness of their
former idol, inspired with the hope
OF being able to drop a word of en-
couragement to the warm-hearted
singer who made Throw Him Down,
McClusky" a tune whistled from coast
to coast three decades ago.
They arrived bearing gifts. flowers
enough for a prima donna, or for one
of our Maggies" former opening
nights, fruit enough to stock fruit
store, gifts enough to give any sllt
shop a rousing start.
They did the thing after the ap-
proved manner of Maggie herself,
and were disappointed and rled Win
forebodIng because entrance TO the
seemed possible to them, back in New
York, that the Irish Queen" she OF
the Respondent emerald gown ana
glorious laugh. could have been
brought so low.
Greeted by Anxious Faces.
Until they saw the anxious races
heard the hushed voices of the mem
bers of the household, these plisriii'uis ~
were half convinced the desperate M
ness was only a wild rumor Whlcn
Maggie's beaminG face and spienoio
wit would dispel.
:..They haven't Maggies art now
adays." said a whlte-naireMa ~ g;a.s .nsn,
heme heart 20 either mipe "a as ready with her
nurse as she was with her tongue.
They don't make comedians ike Mag
gie Cline any more. r, re.+
In a way, he was right Ihe greaI
charm of Maggie Cline lay always
not so much in her voice. tnousn
that was good enough; nor III nes
looks, which were more than gooo
snoMEiedge snSuEeHu Of the psychology of an
audience. 1t lay, in short. in the
warm personal bond between the au.
dience and herself. Each patron Ielt
that Maggie was singing more Iol
him than for the rest. There was
something so personal in her sparkle,
in her comic glance, In the roeuisn
gesture emphasizing a phrase tnae
YOU felt friends with her d! once.
There was nothing "up-stage ABOUT
Maggie Cline.
Adds "Persoual Touch"
Another feature which served TO
oad the personal touch to the rela-
tions between Maggie and her au.
slience was the good old-fashioned
gallery she cultivated.
"Hullo, Maggie" the gallery woulo
roar as one man man, when ,ba Wings. wiz %
"Hullo, boys! Maggie would re-
"Hey. where d'ya get the hat?"
dirty-faced youngster "ouio SeA'
"Say. that hat cost me s4o-what
fa the matter with it?" Maggie
would counter to the roars OF the
house. ., :. osn the
rounester would come back, and on
it would come.
In the DAYS when Lillian Russell
was famous Marie Dressler ana May
Irwin equally SO. Maggie Cline was al
liant career For over thirty years
Magic was a favorite. Her glory
was at it's topmost height In the years
when she appeared at Tony Pastor s.
next to Tammany Hall on lftn stree.
or at Miners Old Bowery, recently
damaged by fire. on vaudeville oiils
with Harrigan and Hart, Weber and
Fields, Ward and Vokes or sam Ber-
nard.
CAS- Irish as Paddy's Pig
Though born in Portland, Me. Mag
gle always characterized herSeii aS
L
DAYS spent in Haverhill. Mass. were
responsible for the naming OF her
most famous song. John w. Kelly,
who wrote it and came round to
Maggie to sell it for 50 to treat the
boys, had called his hero McGinty.
Rut Maggie remembered one Nc
Cfusky Of Haverhill. IAN ould tarrier
that 1t took four cops to hould whin
he be on spree" SO she held out for
McClusky, and McClusky the hero be-
came.
For the phenomenal popularity of
the song Maggie had no explanation
other than that "every one loves
fight" The song threw the entire
nation into spasms of mirth, and 1t
is on Maggie's word we have it that
there was only one 1rishman who
didn't like the ditty. That was Mag
gie's father. He didn't think it lady
IKE.
Other Songs Made Famous.
aMary Ann Kehoe" was another
song that Maggie Cline made famous.
So was will Yor Be Aisy": Come
Whiskers WIS; MtSi Grew: The Mick lick That
Threw the Brick" and "Nothin's Too
GOOD for the Irish" Theatergoers of
a former generation still talk of her
singing "The Mick" in Tony Pastors
during the Christmas season. wearing
sblue gown, with a bouquet of holly
and mistletoe.
This town Of Red Bank, where she
is pioneer resident, adores her. The
place is full of her legends based on
her Irresistible laugh and her quiet
but unremitting charity. All residents
are hoping against hope and praying
for her recovery.
=. Copyright. 1879