Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11

ri TT mail has been very heavy
AH since these rambleG on actors
were begun. A letter has
III "A come to me almost every
day. An unusual thing about
these letters is that they are worth
reading. or course, that Is only my
opinion, and IL you have read the
rarables for 20 years you may feel
that the Rambler has no right to an
opinion as to what q good letter -.
| But ] will hand you q few OF these
| letters, and II they arc not what say
| OF them you can mad them back 70
me. do not pvoeiise to refund your
nickel because ] teal s;Iee that among
the 100 paSMD ~ q Sunday paper. ana
with scores OF articiesnot mere
rambles, hit genuine articles, writ
ten By :eading authors, who some
times write quite tnteiligently-
will find something serious TO amuse
you, .
50 much mall has come to nnea
letter almost every day-that pc.
| lieve the old fheater rainbles are In
| teresting the Ranbler's million read
ers. / recall talk with man who
followed my trade OF writing for the
public He had been at II long time,
contracted writers cramp and had not
aanaseedi more than two or three mil
| lion dollars We were dining at the
Plate Of Stew and, after eating his
dish OF beans and folding his napkin,
he said:
Harry, az you look into the faces
of people in automobiles, see the pic
lures Of persons prominent In society
and study the features OF screen
actors you must know that human In.
teiligence is not high. To succeed az q
writer two ways are before YOU. Write
30 that people do not understand what
you write. and they win say He has
an excellent style: very clear and
have the nerve to say the work 10
| rotten. Give en- verba sesquipedana,
or words a foot and half long, which
Horace laughed at. Give EN- the
rolling mouthful words which Romans
taught the Aduatuci. Nervii and fint.
/ tini and which the Normans further
messed up and put into the English:
People win say again He has style.
Don't neglect to put in some Latin
l phrases without any excuse whatever.
| Nobody knows anything about Latin,
respectfully thosa persons who took II
i at high school and college, but they
ihafe to be found out. Throw In. Just
as though you knew their meaning.
/ .auod scripsi,' 'qualis est ipsa homo.
'mentem non habeo hac die and abb in
/ maIean crucem. Put In those words
several times and somebody viii IN
vite you to dinner.
il aFI,t IL yo,, want to be read. give
lem the short, punchy words that
came out OF the jaws OF the savagss
of north Europe. AS to subject: II
Ivou write of statesmen that are
Il passed q. reader will yawn and say
Ives. yes. used to read about him
loncet. / heard him make a great
speech on How to Save Our FAR ano
Native Land" Forget what II was
Iabout. but remember that II was
mud ana lasted two hours If you
write about good ministers that are
gone a few readers will say. Yes. YES
III remember the piouS soul Mother
fused ia kill the best chicken when ne
Icane to dinner. He married me. but
THAT was so long ago ought not 70
bear him any grudge. II you write
about ancestors you may 90 larry
we'll. Every American who believes
lin human equality thinks himself su
lperiOr 70 anybody else.
Il write IN poor old Bill Jones, VINO
lived in d. cabin on PiscataWay creek
land saw that he got a. patent from
the King OF England for 4 900 acres
land wore silk stockings and sword
land a horde OF Jones viii buy the
paper and send marked copies TO their
neighbors. hut II you want to get
Il
write about old actors.
Every man went to show In the
town hall when he was q young tel
How. and now, that he wears gray
beard. he believes that SO years ago
The was q dashing patron OF the
IdrAma, drank with all the great
actors In Shoomaker's, Hancock
land Drivers and took lovely actresses
to supper at Gautier's, Perreard's or
( wy II I
I'm rs falls asleep, and your stories
Il will help to fall. Also, the woods
land the streets are full Of old fellows
who went to the theater one or six
Il times a week. and these men love
q the memory Of old players. BY writ
ling 81 old actors you will probably
have, more readers than you deserve
III.
IT WILL pass on to you two letters
: which were not written with the
thought that they would be pub
llished. The first Is from my old
friend, Charles 4. Harris Of Wash
ington. did not know that Charlie
was so informed about actresses. He
has always talked horse to me.
believe that he knows more about
Il harness racehorseS than any other
man, and he has been writing for
Il the Horse Review longer than
have been writing about old places In
1 MARYLAND, Virginia. and the District
Il nv belief is that Charlie came to the
i United States with the gretE English
itrotter, Messenger, in 17SS. and has
ibeen on speaking terms with that
lnoble trotter's Observation-Disclosures
ITopeallant, Screwdriver, Dutchman,
Lady Suffolk, Flora Temple. Dexter
IGoidsmith Maid, Rarus, Saint julien,
Maud 81, jay Eye See and their sue.
lcessors. His letter follows:
Dear Rambler.
ssYour rarl1bles relating to Growers
ITheater in this city have been Of
4 great interest to me. as have seen
ION the stage and knew personally
Il many or the artists mentioned. Law.
Il renee p. Barrett right name, Bran.
Il nirar1--waG b native of Paterson,
In. III, and his history Is well known
to old Star readers. Rob Hart. Sen.
ator' Charles Switzerland in private
life, was for many years member
New York city. Rosy Eytinge was
llong q favorite leading lady Of the
New York stage and was the wife
Il or George H. Butler, once United
States consul at Cairo, Egypt. a. w.
Il Fenno knew while he was q mem
Der Of the company at Booths Thea.
tier. then playing old mems parts and
Ian ardent spiritualist. At that time
i Williarn Seymour was call boy, aft
Ierward utility man with the Booth
Il company. Seymour made his first
Theatrical hit as Francois, the page
lin .RichelieaI played by Booth and
his course upward and onward was
rapid. Dramatic talent was inherited
slby young Seymour, as his mother
Twas q noted actress.
A. III. Dolly Davenport. p fine
II actor of the old school. was no rela.