davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-06-22
Drama in Early Washington

prentice in a printing Office where
they printed the programs for this
particular theater, and since the
cylinder pressman took fancy to
him, be was permitted to deliver
the programs, and, Of course. no
place would do to deposit them
but right inside the theater proper,
and when once inside there was no
leaving until the performance was
over.
Viola Allen was then McCul-
lough's leading lady, and she was
advertised as being the youngest
star on the stage. She was the Des-
demona to that great tragedian's
Othello.. Though only a lad, can
still family recall hearing him say
in that wonderful voice of his:
mo, Iago, I'll see before 7 doubt;
when I doubt, prove; And on the
proof, there is no more than this
Away at once with love or Jealousy"
Sarah Bernhardt.
On February %, 1897, the writer
saw Evans and Hoy, at the National
in "A Parlour Match" and four
years after this Maude Adams
played here in Rostands' "L'Aiglon.
taking the part of the Duke of
Reichstadt, son Of the Emperor Ma
poleon and the Archduchess of Aus
tria. The very next week the cele-
brated actress, Sarah Bernhardt,
put on the same play. No doubt you
recall that 1.-THE Eaglet," as he was
derisively styled, was a frail, deli
cate little fellow who died with
tuberculosis when he was just about
entering manhood. Maude Adams
physique exactly fitted the part,
whereas it was difficult to conceive
Of any one who had the Divine Sar-
abs proportions dying of such a
wasting disease. Undoubtedly she
was a great actress, but her dis
advantage in filing such a role
was manifest to all.
E. H. Sothern frequently came to
this theater. In 1900 he played
Evening star., 1947-06-22
MOON GAFFNEY
BY Harry Sylvester.
Reviewed by
ROBERT K. WALSH.

Every incident and individual
character in this angry novel might
have sprung from the authors ac-
curate acquaintance. The whole set
up, nevertheless, comes close to be-
ing an unfair stacking of cards. The
heap of colorful - and sometimes
caricatured - personages leans to
types and classes.
The very real social problems
stirred by the rise and political
downfall of Aloysius Moon Gaff-
ney remain somehow clouded. When
the man in Moon" finally sets his
feet on frmer ground, we can only
hope he knows where he is going.
Moon" moves along with a ma
tural gift of CAB. He also holds
strings attached connections" that
offer to lead him through the
labyrinth of municipal politics and
one day make him mayor of New
York. He is the boast of Canal
street on the way to becoming the
toast of Tammany
Then he meets a socially minded
group that exists in fact as well as
fiction. If the conflict were simply
between reform and rascals, Moon"
Evening star., 1947-06-22

me laugh" Mr.. Francis Haekett.
Hackett recalls. "Itll be news tc
Mencken,' I said. But if we are not
critics, what are we?' Reviewers,
he replied contemptuously. Any
body can be a reviewer in six
months"
Scorn for Reviewers.
Mr.. Hackett adds: This scorn
for book reviewers, as against book
critics, is a widespread feeling that
has to be looked into If, as I con-
tend, the independent writer is
really so indispensable for our
civilization"
So he weighs Mr. Moore's charge
He finds it to an extent justified
but only in part. ANY clear look
at American journalism in 1947,
Mr.. Hackett writes, will leave nc
doubt about the mental squalor OF
book reviewers"
A severe indictment. Mr.. Hackett
explains what he means: They
boom, they blurb, they boost, and
nothing satisfies them but the
superlatiyes. Epoch making ter
rife another wonder book, a tri-
umph of art 'headlong power,
'superbly written should be in the
hands of every student not since
Tom Paine has there been such
clarion CALL" and so on, the gush-
ers and the geysers."
Being an admirable critic himself
and so of a judicial mind, Mr.
Hsckett adds. well, isn't 1t local
idiom? Isn't 1t wrong to be literal
about it?" Later he asks: Isn't
opinion free? Who is to keep us
from proclaiming masterpieces"
However, he agrees with Clifton
Fadiman that book reviewing is "a
device for earning a living" So, it
might be added, is writing novels.
building houses, selling groceries
and carving statues At least they
generally are the only device their
practitioners have for. the purpose
But Mr.. Hackett adds: Most book
reviewing in all countries is oriented
to bookselling. not literature. It
Evening star., 1947-06-22

persons whose immediate ancestors
| were involved.
One of the subjects on which his
torians seek more light is that of
Secretary of War Stanton. Mr..
Mearns observed that Robert Lin
| coins restrictions on making the
papers public gave rise to endless
speculation.
Why Was Lincoln Murdered?
Otto Eisenschiml, in his book
why Was Lincoln Murdered?" ad-
vanced the possibility that Stanton
might have been involved in the
John Wilkes Booth plot. Whether
there might be any material on this
in the Lincoln papers is a question.
Mr.. Mearns remarked that had
there been conspiracy involving
any member of Lincoln's cabinet,
"the Lincoln family probably would
have been the last in the world to
know"
There is another point here. That
Is the story attributed to Horace G.
Young, an Albany banker, who
was friend of Robert Lincoln. Mr.
Young Is said to have told of visit
ing Mr.. Lincoln at his summer
home In Manchester, VT, and find
ing him in room surrounded by
large boxes. with papers on the
floor and with the ashes OF burned
papers in the fireplace. Mr.. Young
demonstrated and Mr.. Lincoln re-
piled that the papers he had de-
stroyed contained the evidence of
treason on the part Of one of his
fathers cabinet, and he thought 1t
best that such evidence be de-
stroyed.
Attack on Fort Sumter.
Another subject of great interest
to scholars concerns the start Of
the Civil War and the attack on
Fort Sumter. The claim has been
advanced that Lincoln provoked the
attack on the fort in Charleston
Harbor.
Emanuel Hertz, In his abraham
Lincoln, a New Portrait" lists 1877
ltCIilS Iii Vic CUllCCttOIl Vi 1lilCOlll .
writings which he says Nicolay and
Hay did not publish. One entry
in the list is this: Whiting Papers
Relating to Fort Sumter and Maj
Anderson" Might historians find
some answers to their questions
here?
Another question Is inevitable.
Are these papers in the Library all
the Lincoln papers?
DIR. Buffers Intervention.
An article written by Nicholas
Murray Butler of Columbia Univer-
sity puts the date of Mr.. Young's
visit to Robert Lincoln as in August,
1928. DR.. Butler related Mr.. Young
came to him in Manchester. where
he had just arrived, told him Mr..
Lincoln was burning his fathers
papers and implored DR.. Butler to
see Mr.. Lincoln. saying, For Gods
sake, see him at once"
DR.. Butler wrote that he called on
Evening star., 1947-06-22


three or four flights Of narrow stairs
to get front seat for 25 cents to
see Frank Daniels in THE Idols
Eye" another one of Victor Her.
bert's many operas.
De Wolf Hopper was too big to
dance. He had a good cast when
his company put on The Charla-
tan" in 1898. 1t included, besides
Hopper. Edmund Stanley. Mark
Price, Alfred Klein, George w. Bar
mum, Arthur Cunningham, Harry S.
Stone, Charles Arthur, Nelly Bergen,
Alice Judson, Katherine Carlisle and
Adine Bouvier. The Charlatan"
was another of Sousa's operas, now
almost forgotten with the rest of
his operate efforts.
Operas were not the only attrac-
ton billed at the National when you
and I were young, Maggie" Upon
one occasion the writer saw John
Mccullough there three times in
one week-in "Othello," "Virginius"
and THE Gladiator. 1t so hap
pened that at this period of his
earthly existence he was an ap-
Evening star., 1947-06-22

- HE National Theater. on E
street, between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets,
- reminiscent OF early WASH
ington theatrical life, where many
of the most noted actors and &C
tresses have trod the boards-f not
in this particular building, then in
one of its predecessors, since we
do know that the first theater
building in this site was opened In
1885. But one need not hark back
for more than so years to dream
the hours away, for more has hap
pened in that seemingly brief time
to make us realize that today we
are really living in a different age
an age of jazz. ragtime, groaning
and motion pictures, with only
refreshing number by Victor Herbert
or De Koven's charming music.
Indeed, about the only place now
that we are privileged to hear %
Promise Me" is at some church
wedding. But in the days when the
Bostonians came to the National in
Robin Hood" it was with rapture
that we listened to the melodious
notes of that charming contralto,
Jessie Bartlett Davis, singing De
Koven's masterpiece, 20 Promise
Me"
This one piece was worth the price
Of admission, not to include the
other numbers rendered by that
wonderful cast which caused the
Evening star., 1947-06-22
By John CIoeett Proctor

and Adele Ritchie, Maud Raymond
and Jennie Hawley.
OF course, Francis Wilson played
other pieces besides those men
toned, but not at the National. He
may have played "Erminie" there, as
he surely did on several occasions at
other Washington theaters. Jako-
bowski's opera was Wilson'S best
production, and its place will always
hold a tender spot in the affections
Victor Herbert's The Fortune
Teller" as sung by the Alice Mel
sen Opera Co. some 48 years ago,
according to my program, undoubt-
edly will be recalled by hundreds
and perhaps even thousands. What
a wonderful array of talent the cast
included. Here are some of the
characters: Alice Nielsen herself,
Richard Golden, Joseph Herbert,
Frank Rushworth, Joseph Cawthorn,
Marguerite Sylvia, Jennie Hawley,
Billie Norton, Paul F. Nicholson, jr.;
May Boley, L. Deyere, M. Devere, J..
T. Gray, Edward S. Metcalf, Louise
Hilliard, Annie Clay, Nellie Marsh,
Martha L. Carrine, Eva Kelly, j.
B. Henrichs, William Brown and
Eugene Cowles as Sander, a gypsy
musician.
The bars associating Cowles'
names with this opera start the
Gypsy Love Song" running through
ones head. This piece and Gypsy
Evening star., 1947-06-22
Author Sylvester Seems to Have
Stacked His Cards in This Novel
Henry Holt & Co.. $2.75J

could handle the situation with the
customary cheers and a tiger.
Moon" however, drifts in the
shadow of what Mr.. Sylvester calls
the "obscurantism" of many things
Moon" has cherished.
Mental confusion is a mild term
for what ails Gaffney. He eventu-
ally sees the light, according to the
authors lights. That doesn't mean
most readers won't agree Moon"
made the right choice. But many
will be sorry that Moons" spiritual
growth and broader outlook had to
come largely from melodramatic
shooting and Tammany vengeance.
Adversely frequently works changes
of that kind but it doesn't always
cause a person to start out agin'
everything in general.
In this novel of prewar social
forces, Mr.. Sylvester has produced
a strong book that will provoke dis
cussion and annoy plenty of people,
including some who will concede
that everything you say about US
is true, but" Too often he writes
as if he would burn down a build
ing to get rid of few things he
rightly regards as dangerous or
which he just can't stand.
Evening star., 1947-06-22

dered so pleas zoe JEFFERSON
antly with his magnificent baritone
voice, Brown October Ale"-"Yes,
laugh. lads, and quaff, lads; twill
make you stout and hale, ah! Thro'
all my days I'll sing the praise of
brown October ale" Eugene Cowles
who will ever forget him and the
"Armorer's Song?" w. e. Philip as
Robin Hood, Jessie Bartlett Davis
as Alan-a-Dale, w. H. Fitzgerald,
who took the role OF Guy of Gis-
borne, and George rockingham, a
wonderfully fine comedian. We can
never forget how cleverly he caught
up the mouse and put it in the
broth he was stirring. Hilda Clark,
who made such a charming Maid
Marian and who sang that ex-
quisite duet, Come Dreams so
Bright"
Francis Wilson was another pop
ular attraction a number of years
ago in Half a King" The Stroll
ers" and The Toreador," the cast
in these plays including such pop
ular actors and singers as Edwin
Foy. Lulu Chaser, Christie Mac
Donald, Duke de la Roche Trumean
were with Wilson in Half a King"
Evening star., 1947-06-22

lished the Complete Works" OF
Abraham Lincoln in two volumes.
What then. is left of new ma
terial?
Speculation on that question
should be divided into two parts:
What letters and papers written by
Lincoln are there in the collection,
which have not been published be-
fore? What letters, reports and
other documents sent to Lincoln and
kept by him will be found in the
collection which might throw new
light on the tremendous events of
the time?
Biographical Omissions
Admittedly, Nicolay and Hay did
not publish all Of the Presidents
writings. Scholars want to see what
they omitted and to compare the
original documents and letters with
the published ones to see what, If
anything, they edited out.
Mr.. Mearns, who deliberately
stayed away from the indexing of
the papers, said it is his belief that
most of the letters and documents
are "in" rather than "out" papers.
That is, the bulk are papers re-
ceived by Lincoln rather than writ
ten by him or his secretaries.
Judging from the volume in cubic
feet of the papers, Mr.. Mearns esti-
mated there are about $4,000 docu-
ments in all.
Speculation on Stanton.
Nicolay and Hay, of course, had
access to the lin" papers as well as
to Lincoln's own writings in their
preparation of their 10-volume
Abraham Lincoln, q History" Their
use of them naturally depended on
their judgment of what was impor-
tant. Ideas of the importance of
subject change with time as addi-
tional facts come to light.
There is no doubt. also. that Nico-
lay and Hay were influenced by
Robert Todd Lincoln in their work.
And Robert Lincoln clearly indi-
Gated in his deed to the Library he
did not want to upset or embarrass
Evening star., 1947-06-22
What Will the Lincoln Documents Reveal?

coin wanted to destroy contained
records and evidence Of various
happenings In Abraham Lincoln's
own family which was Just as well
not to make public; certainly not
while his son was living"
Mr.. Young said boxes" of papers.
DR.. Butler trunk" And yet the
Lincoln collection had been depos-
tied In the Library OF Congress more
than four years before the date OF
the incident given by Dr. Butler.
Were they the papers Of Abra-
ham Lincoln or Robert Lincoln's
own files, which may have been
voluminous? Robert Lincoln was
Secretary Of War. Minister to Great
Britain and president of the Pull
man Co.
Interest in the Library's collec-
ton has been increasing as the time
for making it public draws near.
Mr.. Mearns said the occasion will be
observed with ceremonies and he
expects many Of the leading author
tiles on Lincoln's life to be present.
The papers are to be microfilmed
and Mr.. Mearns said this would be
done promptly. The sets of films
will sell at between $3.50 and $500.
The library also plans to issue an
announcement when the papers are
made public, telling what the col
lection contains and what it does
not contain. An. exhibit of the
conspicuous pieces and also run-of-
the-mine material Is being consid-
cred.
The ceremonies on July 26 are
to be broadcast and Mr.. Mearns
said all of the networks have indi-
Gated their intentions of partici-
pating. The time probably will be
late in the afternoon when the net
works can command the attention
of their West Coast audiences.
The opening OF the collection will
in no way end the pursuit by his
torians of all the facts of Lincoln's
life, of the great events which he
guided and in which he participated.
and of his relations with the persons
of the times. There remain Robert
Lincoln's papers, which are said to
be in the possession of his daughter,
Mrs. Jessie Lincoln Randolph, at
Evening star., 1947-06-22

the National. OF course, she came
there a number of times, but the
production which probably at
tracted the most notice was her act
ing in Barbara Fritchie."
Other noted actors and actresses
who appeared at the National
around half century ago, included
Nat. C. Goodwin in Nathan Hale"
Mrs. Leslie Carter in ''Du Barry"
Joe Jefferson in RIP Van Wrinkle" !"
and many other celebrated plays
and players, new almost forgotten
except by those who frequented this
theater in bygone days.
Evening star., 1947-06-22
Crime and Mystery
By Miriom Ottenbero

LOS ANGELES MURDERS
Edited by Craig Rice. fDueH,
Sloan & Pearce, S3.)
SAN FRANCISCO MURDERS
Edited by Joseph Henry jack
son. (Duell, Sloan e. Pedrce; So
The editors of both volumes In
this series of famous big-city mur-
ders preface their collections by in
sisting their towns murders are the
more spectacular because of the en-
vironment. Craig Rice, in her anus
ing preface, blames the Los An
geles variety of homicide partly on
California weather, partly because
everything is supercolossal in movie
dom's home town. Mr.. jackson
Evening star., 1947-06-22

Mr.. Lincoln the next day and saw
an old-fashioned trunk standing
near one of the book shelves. In
response to Dr. Buffers question
Mr.. Lincoln said, well, it contains
only some family papers which I am
going to burn"
| DR.. Butler, too, demonstrated, and
Mr.. Lincoln said finally, "All right.
But no one must see them while I
am alive"
DR.. Butler rejected the idea that
the papers concerned Stanton and
said that as a result of his conversa-
ton with Mr.. Lincoln he came to
the conclusion the papers Mr.. Lin
Evening star., 1947-06-22

{ n e r e n e
Kings Musket-
eer," followed
the next year
by Hamlet, in
which he was as
good as your
humble servant
has ever seen;
/ n d e e d, t h e
Prince of Den
mark could not
have done bet
tyr him S e | +.
Julia MarloWe,
in private life.
M RS. Sothern,
alsn 1nlo1,ad af
Evening star., 1947-06-22

, VINO also Is rep
resented in his
| collection by the
case of Emma
LIE Doux, points
! out that murder
has been fash
ionable in San
Francisco since
gold rush days.
The Los An
geles series be-
gins in 1921 with
the case of Mad
alynne Oben-
schain, who was
triad fr,ino ip
Evening star., 1947-06-22

David G. MearnS, director OF the
Library of Congress reference de-
partment, says the importance OF
the papers will not be fully realized
until there has been an opportunity
Of comparing what the collection
contains with what already is
known.
Many New Lincoln Books.
"Unquestionably there will be a
spate of Lincoln books and pamph-
lets this year." he said. But it
will not be until l948, 1949 or 1850
that we viii begin to get the real
worth Of the collection"
The papers were deposited in the
library Of Congress-not given to
the Libaray-by Lincoln's son, Rob-
ert Todd Lincoln, in May, 1919. In
January, 1923, however, he decided
the papers to the Library, but with
the stipulation they were not to
be made public until 81 years after
his death. He died July rs, 1926.
Had Robert Todd Lincoln wanted
to excite the interest OF a people
given to sealing contemporary doc
unents into cornerstones and bury
ing time capsules" for future ages,
he could not have done better than
his deed Of the. papers to the Library.
There is no intention, however, to
imply that he had any such purpose.
Historical Data.
Concerning the date set for the
opening of the papers to the public,
set in reference to his death, Mr..
Lincoln said: This condition Is i'm
posed by me because said papers
contain many references to the
immediate ancestors of persons now
living, which, in my judgment,
should not be made public, and
also much information and matter
of a historical character which I
have heretofore authorized and
permitted John G. Nicolay and John
Hay to use in their preparation OF
their life of my father ="
Nicolay and Hay not only had
custody Of the papers in preparing
their biography of Lincoln, but also
they edited and pub
Evening star., 1947-06-22

Jan" were Spe-
cially written
for that charm
ing basso, and
the latter especi-
ally fitted his
voice well.
Who will ever
forget standing
perhaps for an
hour or more on
the iron steps
leading to the
gallery entrance
of this theater
a II d a I'm o S t
b r e a k | n g his
laeck I'm fhnse
Evening star., 1947-06-22
OF Life and Love

THE LOVING ARE THE DARING
BY Brooke Conway. (Prentice-
Hall, Inc, $3J
A warm story of family life in
its many moods of heartache and
happiness. &C. p.
Evening star., 1947-06-22

The artyred President is shoon NTH his family IN the
White House during the had died before
this picture made At the lett Thomas Lincoln called
his father who died in 1871 Standing behind the table
Robert Todd Lincoln until 1926 and o to the
Library OF Congress the collection OF his fathers papers which
opened July the 21st anniversary OF Robert Lin
coins death right Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln whose
life beset by dark tragedy. She died In 1882.
Evening star., 1947-06-22

enough to escape scientific sleuths.
Even If you are familiar with
some of the cases. their retelling will
give you a new perspective, Some
are more skillfully written than 9TH
ers, but all of them catch the flavor
of the period and the quality which
distinguishes a famous murder from
a routine killing.
AND HOPE TO DIE
by Richard Powell. (Simon G.
Schuster, Inc.;; $780,
Andy Blake, who wants only to
stretch his lanky form into long
chair and drink juleps, gets, in
volved in more trouble because his
winsome wife Arabella suffers from
passion for prying into other
peoples business. This time, the
trouble starts when a youngster gets
lift In their boat. In rapid sue
cesSion, Andy is twice nearly har-
pooned, he is knocked unconscious.
he is used for shark bait, escapes
drowning by sheer accident and is
thoroughly miserable. AS usual,
Arabelia has a wonderful time, even
when she steals a houseboat. The
scene Is Fort Myers. Fla, the pace is
terrific and the wonder grows how
Mr.. Powell manages to extricate the
Blakes every time. Andy and Ara
bella are still Our nomination for the
No. husband-wife combinatio in
the sleuthing business.
X X "
IF YOU HAVE TEARS
BY John Evans. fMystery
House; s2J
To Larry Sungail, assistant man.
ager of the Seaboard Banks leading
branch at San Bernardino, Calf.
the bank was the most important
thing in life. That was why he got
along well enough with his wife
Grace, now turning fortyish and
plump. His personal life didn't
matter much until he hired as his
secretary Iona Kennedy, q charm
ing girl with figure to match. He
had to have Iona, even If it meant
betraying the bank. But the en-
bezzlement might have gone unde-
tected for years if the man whose
safe deposit box he had tapped
hadn't committed suicide. Murder
was the next step.
How Larrys carefully laid plans
for murder went awry makes dra-
matte reading. The final irony, for
which Mr.. Evans has carefully laid
the plans, more than compensates
for any lack of surprise in a first
person story of homicide.
X
NINE MORE LIVES
BY Michael Morgan. (Rnndom
House; $780,
Not even the widest of the con-
tinued-next-week serials could put
man into more impossible predica-
ments than Bill Ryan faces in this
saga of Hollywood stunt man try
ing to clear himself of q murder
rap. The two Hollywood press
agents who go under the Morgan
pen name justify their hero's partic-
ular brand of derring-do by estab-
fishing at the start that stunts are
his business. The authors proceed
to let Ryan climb up and down sky
scrapers la human fly, escape from
speeding automobile, come un-
scathed through hail of bullets
and extricate himself from wrecked
car at the muddy bottom of food
ed culvert. That last stunt, Incl
dentally, will leave the reader as
exhausted as Bill.
Evening star., 1947-06-22

B O S tonians to
become so ma
tionally famous,
including S u C h
noted singers as
Henry Clay Bar
nabee as the
sheriff of Not
tingham, and
who sang the
piece of that
name. I'm the
Sheriff OF Not
tingham." A ! S o
w. H. MacDon-
aid, who as Lit
tie John, rem
Evening star., 1947-06-22
BY Froneis ?. Douglas

JUST little than monthon Saturday. July 26here
event for which waited with
II mounting interest long period of
safes in the Library Of Congress which hold the
will opened and their contents will be made
available to the public
startling the Civil President But at the
light for the first time giving infoma
tion personalities that period