OPEN-MR PAGEANTS
I I
TO RULE A YOUNG REPUBLIC
23
HE American people, over
keen for something new,
havo during the past year
or two been Indulging their
fancy to an ever-increasing
oxtent for a new form of
amusement, that Is it Is
now to tho United StateB
although It has had groat
Voguo from tlmo out of
mind, in all the leading
European countries. Tho
open-air pageant or play is
tho object of this now fad,
If fad it may bo called, and
tho now stylo out-door en
tertainments nro by no means contlned as sdmo
-peoplo might suppose to tho summer months. In
dood tho spring is a favorite tlmo for this form
of "return to nature" whereas many such spec
tacles aro hold in tho autumn and Anally wo aro
coming to find such productions provided bb
among tho loading mld-wlntor attractions of such
favored regions as Florida and Southern Cali
fornia. Tho people who do entering of amusements no
a business woro sort of caught unawares by this
sudden, popularity of tho open-air pageant or
play. It spread suddenly and of its own accord
so to speak and thus wo see an explanation of tho
fact that nearly all of thoso big spectacles aro
promoted by artistic or public-spirited private
citizens who havo no thought of gain In tho mat
tor. Similarly almost all tho partB In such open
nlr dramas are enacted by amateurs rather than
by professional actors and dancora. And finally
tho proceeds of almost ovory ono of thoso under
takings havo been devoted to somo worthy causo.
1
t-ii
fa
J4-
if not to charity at least to somo
philanthropic purposo or to somo form
of municipal bettorment for tho com
munity In which this latost stylo of
moving picturo Is presented.
As has been said, open-air plays and
pageants that tell a story havo been
annual -events in Europe from tlmo
out of mind. The best-known of thoso,
of course, Is tho world-famous Passion
Play which Is held onco every ton
years and which thousands upon thou
sands of Americans witnessed during
the last past presentation. Thero nro
many Americans, howovor, who claim
that the idea of tho distinctively Amor
lean pageant as developed during tho
past fow years Jn this country has not
been transplanted bodily from tho Old
worm as many porsons suppose. Certain it is
that Now World Influences have had n part in
the evolution of this novel class of drama.
For lnstanco, the Indians conducted in their
palmy doys somo of tho most wondorful spec
tacles the world has ever known and a remnant
of thoso picturesque, rites may yet bo witnessed
among tho Puoblo Indians of tho, Southwost Con
sequently, If th3 original Americans handed down
to us somo of tho ideas for our modern opon-alr
Inn spectacles it is natur-
InMl al and iPProprlato
120 1 that we should now
turn to Indian thomes
for our latter-day
dramas, on tho green
swards. Tho story of
Hiawatha has proven
particularly popular
for such presentation
and has been enacted
in all parts of tho
country, sometimes
with real Indians In
the roles and somo
tlmes with whlto folk
ns mako-bellovo In
dians, j '
Thero aro many
persons who contond
that tho penchant for
tho open-air drama In
America Is but the
natural outgrowth of
tho parades and festi
vals which havo grad
ually attained to tho
dignity of local insti
tutions in many of
InBtanco, tho Madri Gras In
our cltloa. as for
No wOrleans, tho frontier fetes held annually In
mnnv wnntorn cities, tho Veiled Prophet parades
and tho midwinter Carnivals of Roses In Southern
California. Yet another factor that bas undoubt
edly helped to bring this wholo broad subject to
public attention is tho penchant which many of
our schools and colleges havo shown for this form
of entertainment. Particularly has tho opon-alr
spectacle entrenched itself at tho collcgs for wo
men and tho big preparatory schoola for girls and
thero 1b Hcarco ono of theso Institutions throughout
tho longth nnd breadth of tho land that does not
now boast at least onovelaborato play or pageant
on tho campus each year.
Companies of amateurs and organisations of pro-.'
icsslonals havo presontod Shakospoaro'a plays In
sylvan surrounding in various parts of tho coun
try, as for instance has annual event of this kind
on tho Whlto House lawn at Washington, btu for
tho most part theso events lutroduco original pro
ductions and in most Instances not only is thodla
lo'guo original but tho music has boon specially com
posed and th'o dances specially arranged for that
particular ovent. At tho most notablo pageant of
1910, that hold at tho homo of tho lato Edward
MacDowoll In Now Hampshire, tho musical mas
terpieces of America's most famous composer wore
specially arranged to form a musical setting for
tho open-air drama.
Many of tho spectacles which havo boon pre
sented by local talont In various American com
munities aro historical In themo, bolng designed to
recount tho events of the most stirring periods In
tho. history of tho respective roglons where they
aro presented. However, tho latost leaning seems
Jo bo toward Crook plays, original or otherwise
"Undoubtedly the flowing costumes of tho Grecian
mode lend thcmsolves to graceful posing and tho
current popularity of classical dancing has helped
some. Among tho women prominent in tho produc
tion of Greek spectacles, and almost all tho pro
jects for open-air theatricals aro in tho hands of
women, is Mrs, Albert Clifford Barney of Cin
cinnati and Washington, P. C, who has great wealth
to allow tho Indulgence of her penchant for -tho
artistic and tho dramatic in now guise.
oeuvres o
anions
HAD NO FEARS.
At the height of Washington's fame
there woro those who carped and crit
icised to somo extent, warning him
that bolng a celebrity was a precari
ous thing and that he should be most
careful, lest he do or say something
that would turn tho ttdo of popular
favor against him. To these admoni
tions Washington merely smllod.
"There Is Just ono thing that might
be done," he said, "and that Is some
thing that will not bo done until long
after I am dead. By that time my
fame will be so solidified that nothing
advanced in commerco for this one
thing to happon, then, Indeed, I should
be careful."
"What la that ono thing?" Inquire
tho others. "Put you in a historical
novel T"
"No; name a flvocent elgar for mo."
WIMJtm D. NE8BIT.
Trials of Lite In a Small Town.
"I suppose you find It a llttlo dif
ficult to become accustomed to life
jn a small town, aftor having ltvod
so long In a largo city."
"Oh, dear, yoaj It Is very hard, I
four 1 novor shall bo able to feel at
home horo. When my little boy caught
the whooping couph every woman llv.
lng In our block know about it and
reconimanded lomethlng.
Tho Opportunist.
"Geewhllllklns, Skllllngton," said
Blabaworth, meeting his Chicago
friend in tho corridor of a New York
hotol, "you must be prosperous! I see
you and Mrs. Sklllingtoq out motor
ing In tho park every blessed morning
and afternoon. What does It cost
you 7" ,
"Nothing at all. Blab," sald.SkiUlng
ton. "Tho madam and I are enjoying
a fow demonstrations, that's all. With
sixty first-class cars on tho market
ono can motor around New York twice
a day for a whole month at the cost
of a blue veil and a pair of goggles."
Harper's Woekly,
Playing the Game.
Aftor having a good dinner at a
cookshop Tim was leaving, when the
landlord callod for payment: but Tim
was penniless.
The landlord, after 'thinking for a
fow minutes, promised to let him off
on condition that he did the same at
a rival's, opposite.
"Sorry," said Tim. "I wont there
yostorday and thoy lot mo off It I camo
over hero today," Ideas,
A False Charge.
"I hear, Miss Anna, that your young
frlond from collogo uses quite a ses
quipedalian Inngusre."
"That ain't true! He talks like a
perfect Bontlsmanl"
The Seven Wonders.
I wonder It my wife will stand for
that ",nlght-work-at-the-offlce" gag
again?
1 wonder who I can touch for a
loan?
I wonder If he will come again to
night. I wonder whether he's holding a
good band or only bluffing.
I wonder how she keeps from show
ing her ago?
I wonder If that's nor last year
hat made over?
I wonder how they keep up appear
ances on his salary? Puck.
She Saw Too Much.
She (after marriage) You told ma
that I was your first love, but I have
fourid a whole trunkful of letters from
all aorta of girl. Just bursting with
tenderness."
Ho I I said you were, the first I
ever loved. I didn't say you were the
only one who ever loved mo. See?
Cause and Effect.
"Sco that man ovor thero? Ever
hear of tho romance In his life?"
"No. Who is bo and what was Itr
"Ho Is Winner Loose, and ho won'
his wife by a game of cards,"
"What does ho do?"
"Lectures on the 'Evils of Gam
bling.'" .
WILBUR D. WES HIT.
ADVANCED INSURANCE POLICY.
"No," says the man who Is being
solicited to take out a policy. "I guess
I've got about all the Insurance I
can carry. Looks like a waste of
money anyhow to- keep sinking it
Into this game, and havo to wait so
long for even an endowment policy
to mature."
"But wo have a new form now,"
argues the agent
"What Is that?"
"By paying four years' premiums at
once you become entitled to an Invita
tion to our fancy dross dinners. Pre
paying the whole term of premiums
gives you a season ticket for t he
speakers' table, also."
WILBUR D. NESBIT.
Crowded.
The microbe conductor clung des
otoIy to a thread on the trailing
skirt of tho street dress.
To the, angry germs who waited for
a ride, be shouted:
"Can't hold any morel Take the
next train!"
WILBUR D. NESBIT,
A Splendid Part.
"What sort of a part has your daugh
ter In the new play?"
"Splendid. She doesn't have much
to say, but she wears six different
gowns."
From a hungry nowsboy on tho
streets of Washington to tho preslden-,
cy of. tho youngest republic In tho
world is tho remarkable "record of
Dick Ferris of Los Angeles. Colacl
dentally with the revolution in Mexico
headed by Madoro there broke out &
rovolt against Mexican authority la
Lower California and one of those who
encouraged it and helped to finance It
waa Ferris. A filibustering expedition
fitted out by Ferris left San Francisco
for Lower California and without
much of a strugglo tho weakened au
thority of Moxlco was overthrown and '
tho republic of Lower California cre
ated. Of this now ropubllo Ferris baa
boon elected prosldont.
ForHs was a "nowBy" on tho streets,
of Washington twenty years ago nnd
found tho bnttlo of llfo a hard one.
Ono cold night after ho had sold a pa
per or two on n ntreot car he Was In
jured whllo stopping oft and ono of
bin arms was broken. One of thoso
who took an interest in tho lad was tho lato Frank Hntton, a passenger on tho
car nnd thon tho publisher of a Washington paper. Ho had tho boy removed .
to a hospital and lator took such an In tereBt in him that ho provided moans
for hia education. Forrls was n quick nnd ambitious youth, and turned out
a credit to his bonofactor,
After leaving school ho turned his attention to tho ntngc. lib formed a
stock company In Minneapolis which proved tho foundation of his fortune
Later ho went to Los Angeles, whoro his theatrical ventures proved success
ful. Ho thon turned his attention to other ventures, investing heavily In oil
and fruit orchards, and rapidly accumulated wealth.
Last fall ho entered tho arena of politics nnd was n candldato for lloutenant
governor on an independent ticket. Now hu, finds hlmsolf tho prcsldont of a
full-flcdgod republic, which may not provo ephemeral.
COOKE DECLARED NOT GUILTY
Edgar S. Cooko, who was found not
guilty of embezzling $24,000 from tho
nig Four railway, wob formerly local
tfcaouror of tho road In Cincinnati
nnd was well knowu in rullroad cir
cles. Tho belief 1b thnt tho Judgo'o
charge holpcd to frco Cooko, Judgo
Hunt doclaring tho testimony of Mrs.
Ford nnd of Wnrrlnor only mado thorn
equally guilty If Cooko woro guilty.
Cooko was tho last of thoso indict
ed in connection with tho $043,000
shortago of CharlcB L. Warrlnor, Cin
cinnati treasurer of tho rond, to bo
trlod. First Warrlnor, Indicted on nu
merous charges, pluadod guilty to ono
charging tho embczzlomont of $5,000.
Ho was sontencod to sir. years In
prison.
Thon Mrs. Jeannetto Stewart-Ford,
accused of blackmailing Warrlnor,
waa tried in February, 1910. Tho
Jury in her caso disagreed. Finally,
uttor many dclhya, Cooko succeeded
In having his caso brought Into court
and tho most sensational trial of tho aeries ensued. Cooko sat impassive as the
formal verdict waa read, but Mrs.' Cooko, who had been at bla side for dayB.x
burled her face In her hands and then approached tho Jurors and shook each
ono by tho hand. Lator Cooke's fac6 brightened and, with teara-ot Joy In his,
eyes, ho clasped the, hand of his attorney.
GOULD OUT AS ROAD'S HEAD
Tho recent abdication of George
Gould from tho prostdoncy of tho Mis
souri Paciflo tho koynoto of the fam- -ily'o
groat Bystom of roads, was u con
fession that tho fight of nlnotoen
years with hlmsolf on bno sldo and
Harrlman, tho Now York Central,
Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio and
other big railroads on tho other, has'
endod In defect. In tho language of
Wall stroot, "they've got" Georgo
Gould.
Tho fight ngainat Georgo Gould was
waged ovor slnco his father dtod In
December, 1892, with Intermission.
His first heavy battlo was whon he
met Edward II. Harrlman and Edwin
Hawley in a fight for control of the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company In
1902. Without much difficulty he
worsted them, but that fight was to
havo great lnfluenco on his future ca- ,
reor, for it was thon that he began
the feud with Harrlman that with
raro Intervals of truce lasted until the latter's death and even afterward,
through the survival of the Harrlman tradition.
Tho next time Gould and Harrlman Joined battle was In 1903. Gould
plannod, as his father had planned, to bo the owner of tho first transcontin
ental system and in 1903 he made tho boast that within 18 months ho would
havo bla system from oconn to ocean complete. Dut the interests oppoaed
to him woro too powerful and his moves were checkmated. The panic of
1907 sent four of hlB roadB Into tho hands of rocelyors the Western Mary
land, tho Wabash-Pittsburg Terminal, tho Whoellng & Lake Erie and the In
ternational & Great Northern. Still he did not give up, nut aftor this tho1
fight on his sldo was a losing one nnd for more than a year it was tho be
lief In Wall street that tho end of his control of tho Missouri Paciflo waa In
Bight. ,
l
PROMINENT WESTERN SENATOR
It Is said that the Pacific Coast Dem
ocrats may offer Francis G. NowlandB,
United States from Nevada, as a can
didate for tho presidential nomination.
Mr. Nowlands, who is now serving
his second term In the senate, is a
Mlssisslpplan and was born in tho old
city of Natchoz In tho summer of 1048.
Ho entered Yale college In 1863, dur
ing 'tho civil war, and remalnod until
the middle or bis Junior year in 1866;
later he studied law at what is now
tho George Washington university,
was admitted to the bar In Washing
ton aqd went to San Francisco to prac
tice. Ho removed bis office to Reno,
Nevada, in 1888, and, since has boen
recognized as one of the ablest and
most Influential leaders in his Btato.
He served ten years In tho houso
of representatives and was a member
of tho Democratic minority of the
committees on Irrigation, foreign
affairs, banking and currency and
ways and means, where ho was able to participate actively ta the most Im
portant legislation of tho period and did his share In framing two tariff law
and a currency law, and waa tba author of the existing reclataatioa aat
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