CHRISTMAS AT THE BAKER,
The Neill Stock: Company Will Pre
sent "The Charity Ball."
Starting -with the matinee performance
this afternoon and running the balance
of the -week, "The Charity Ball" will be
the offering at the Baker Theater, by the
Nelll Stock company. In addition to the
regular performances there -will be a
special holiday matinee on Christmas af
ternoon, on which occasion the man
agement of the Baker -will again prove
that the prices at this popular theater
never change, owing to the fact that, un
like many houses throughout the coun
try, the prices for the holiday matinee
will be the same as those of the regular
Saturday and Sunday matinees.
In selecting "The Charity Ball" for the
Christmas week attraction, the manage
ment has made a wise choice, and if the
play doesn't prove a record-breaker for
the Baker it will be a great surprise. The
play is an exceptionally strong one, and
every part in it is a gem.
The story of the play is one of more
than usual interest. The scene opens
Christmas day. In New Tork City, at the
home of John Van Buren, rector of St.
Mildred's Church, on which occasion Van
Buren is entertaining the poor boys of
his Sunday school by giving them a
Christmas dinner In the parish building
adjacent to his home. "While the festivi
ties are in progress, Ann Cruger, who Is
in love with Van Buren, comes over to
help him entertain his charges. Dick
Van Buren, a brother of the rector, who
has been In Europe for his health, re
turns home unexpectedly, meeting Phyllis
Lee, a young lady whom he had betrayed
in former years under promise of mar
riage. John becomes aware of this fact,
and in a very dramatic scene compels his
brother to marry the girl he had wronged,
performing the marriage ceremony him
self. Ann Cruger goes to Europe, return
ing one year later, when John confesses
that what he thought was friendship for
her was in reality love, and eventually
the two are married.
The comedy of the play is contributed
to by Judge Peter Gurney Knox, Mrs.
De Peyster, Alec Robinson, who aspires
to be known as Alexander the Great; Bess
Van Buren, Betts, the old organist of
St. Mildred's Church; Franklin Cruger,
Mr. Creighton, and two Wall-street mag
nates. "The Charity Ball" will be fol
lowed by Hoyt's best play, "A Temper
ance Town," Friday night has been
given the Stanford Glee and Mandolin
Clubs for their college entertainment.
"PICKINGS FROM PUCK."
Musical Novelty to Fill Christmas
Week Engagement at Cordray's.
Commencing this afternoon, a new mus
ical novelty, "Pickings From Puck," a
really funny play, will attract and hold
the attention of the theatergoing public
at Cordray's Theater for one week,
beginning Sunday matinee today, Decem
ber 2L The play is up to date, bright,
snappy, and the least of its good features
Is Its originality: a review of the current
events humorously and artistically treated,
introducing special novelties, catchy songs,
graceful dancing and beautiful scenery.
Wlllard SImms, who essays the star
role, and who has Just returned from his
sojourn "across the pond," was the prin
cipal comedian with the Edna May Com
pany, playing the leading Tole in "The
American Beauty." Miss Catharine Lin
yard, noted for the beauty of her vQice
and her resemblance to Lillian Russell,
assists in the support of the production
to a great degree and gives a perform
ance that is always consistent and pleas
ing. The chorus Is one of the special fea
tures, rounding out the play with melody
and graceful dancing, and it may be said
that the Ping Pong dance is a distinct
novelty and one in which the chorus
shows to exceptional advantage. The
musical numbers are breezy and cheery;
in fact, all that could be desired of a
musical comedy.
The plot of the play Is above the aver
age for this sort of a production. Sam
Flinders, while at college' at Harvard,
falls In love with an actress, and decides
to go to New York and go on the stage.
His parents being opposed to it, disin
herit him. but, being a reckless sort of
a chap, with a "I-don't-care-what-be-comes-of-me"
way about him, decided to
shift for himself, and while m New York
he met the actress he had fallen in love
with while at college, who turned out to
be no other than the woman his parents
had selected to become his wife, not
Imowing that she had also adopted the
stage.
The play is full of life, with one humor
ous incident crowding so closely upon an
other that the audience has but little time
to catch a breath between laughs. In the
supporting company we will find Miss
Inga Bell, Mr.and Mrs. Lucler, Albert C.
Davis, William Bush and many others.
There will be a grand Christmas holiday
matinee, with the usual Saturday and
Sunday matinees.
TO OPEN IN "THE GLADIATOR,"
Mr. Downing: to Be Seen at the Max
quam Tomorrow Night.
In the history of the American stage
there cannot be found another instance
where an actor has so suddenly become
prominent as Mr. Downing. Perseverance
has done much for him, but all the per
severance in the world would have
amounted to nothing had he not had the
true histrionic genius to support it. In
intellectual power Mr. Downing is truly
great, for the fine Intelligence that marks
his work Is marked, tempered and quali
fied by the modesty of a sound judg
ment. Manly in whatever he does, ear
nest, sincere, conscientious, always seem
ing to think the character greater than
himself, Downing has done excellent
work, and his success as "The Gladiator"
is too well known to go into detail here.
He will play at the Marquam Grand
Theater tomorrow (Monday) and Tuesday
nights, and the Portland public will have
an opportunity to Judge for themselves.
While he will only produce "The Gladia
tor" here, Mr. Downing has over 25
classical and standard plays in his reper
toire; in the 17 years of his starring
tours he has always produced from one
to two plays every year. Seats are now
selling.
XMAS AT THE MARQUAM.
Andrew Robson Will Star in "Rich
ard Carvel."
A romantic drama of unusual interest,
adapted from a novel so extensively read
that the characters seem like familiar ac
quaintances to a majority of theater
goers, while to the others the play, so
complete in Itself as a drama, appeals
with the force of novelty added to its
dramatic charm; staged with complete
special scenery throughout, and supplied
with all of the accessories of correct
costumes, furnishings and minor details
that aid so largely In presenting appro
priate pictures of the environment; in
terpreted by an actor in the stellar role
who has won by his earnest, conscien
tious work and the development of his
natural gifts a place among the foremost
in his profession, and by a supporting
cast vouched for as being peculiarly
adapted for portraying the parts as
signedthese are the claims made by
Andrew Robson's management for his
production of "Richard Carvel" which
will be seen at the Marquam Grand
Theater for flvef performances, begin
ning with a matinee Christmas day.
Although this Is Mr. Robson's first visit
to the Pacific Coast as a star, the .repu
tation of his success in the' East and
South has thus far served to attract large
audience! wherever he has appeared; and
the performances given In Butte, Spo
kane, Seattle and Tacoma have been de
scribed by the critics of those cities as
equal in point of excellence to the best
wltr. eased there this season; and star,
play, company and production have
shared in more praise than has been
accorded any other recent attraction. The
advance sale of seats will begin at tho
box-oflice of the theater next Tuesday
morning, at 10 o'clock.
STANFORD CLUBS COMING.
Friday Will Be Stanford Night at
The BaKer.
One of the pleasant society and musical
events of the holiday week will be the
comlnir of the Stanford Unlvrslty Glee
and Mandolin Clubs. Through the cour
tesy of Manager George L. Baker, Friday,
December 26, has been made "Stanford
night" at The Baker Theater, and the col
lege musicians will be welcomed by a large
audience of theater-goers who take de
light in the songs, pranks and tinkling mu
sic of a merry company of troubadours.
The Stanford clubs can show this year
the results of hard and careful drill in
ensemble work, and their songs are so
varied and so well balanced as to grave
and gay selections as to offer an enter
tainment which ought to please almost
any one
Baker and Bush, the funny fellows who
made good on the last tour, have become
polished to an almost professional finish
in the past year, and you don't need to
be a college man to laugh at their stunts.
Among other things they do a burlesque
on a scene from grand opera which is
slde-epllttlng In Its realism.
CI Flrebaugh is the bass soloist, and
his voice Is one of the best on the Coast.
He recently made a hit as the King in
the "Pirates of Penzance," and he is
considered one of the club's most valuable
acquisitions.
In Mr. Byrne the clubs have a polished
monologlst, who has been well received
everywhere.
A fine male quartet is one of the club's
show numbers. -In the Glee Club's songs
the college color does not eo strongly pre
dominate as to make their work lose in
terest to the outsider, but what they have
of a Stanford tone is of the very best.
The Mandolin Club has assumed the
proportions of a stringed band, and they
play with perfect orchestration and In
spirited pieces with a crashing effect.
COMING ATTRACTIONS.
The Boatonians.
The Bostonians this season are stronger
than ever. They easily lead all other
comia opera organizations in the coun
try. The great company that has recently
presented "Robin Hood" and "Maid Ma
rian" in New York with such signal suc
cess will appear in its entirely here. H.
C. Barnabee, W. H. MacDonald, George
B. Frothingham and Josephine Bartlett
continue in their original parts. Miss
Grace Van Studdlford is the prima donna.
The musical critics of the country say
she Is undoubtedly the finest soprano ever
engaged by the Bostonians. Night after
night at the Academy of Music, New
ICS fcterd(bfuelj '
York, the vast audience cheered her to
the echo. Her work Is equal to the fin
est of grand opera, Is the general ver
dict. The Bostonians w)U be seen at the
Marquam Grand Theater in the very near
future.
New Year's Week: nt Cordray's.
Commencing matinee Sunday ' Decem
ber 28,- Joe W. Spears' Comedians, headed
by the original comedians, Sullivan and
Mack, and the dainty Jlttle comedienne,
Mazle Trumbull, will present the latest
musical extravaganza entitled "The Irish
MB.W gCRK
NEW YORK, Dec. 17. The sensation
of the week on the Rlalto was the
suit brought against Klaw & Er
langer, head of tho so-called "theatrical
syndicate," by "Yours Merlly," John R.
Rogers who wants $200,000 for being false
ly confined in Bellevue Hospital -on a
charge of Insanity preferred by A. Ii. Er
langer on behalf of the firm. Rogers, who
was once husband and manager of Minnie
Palmer and had much to' do with the suc
cess of Mary Anderson, has not been high
ly succssful of late years and he says the
supposed freeze-out policy of the syndi
cate is responsible.
Last Spring Rogers wrote a long letter
Pawnbrokers," at Cordray's Theater. The J
skit is constructed solely for laughing
purposes, and abounds .in ludicrous ab
surdities, songs, dances, concerted num
bers, special scenery and novel light ef
fects are furnished to make it especially
attractive.. In addition, to the large cast,
.there is a chorus of pretty girls In fetch
ing costumes, so that three hours of mer
riment is assured the lovers , of hilarious
farce. "The Irish Pawnbrokers" are
drawn from real life, the original being
a New Yorker on the -East Side of town
by the name of Levi Murphy. Special
LVRAMATie LETTER
to Klaw & Erlanger embodying his views
upon their methods, closing by saying he
probably would have to "starve or hang"
and that he "preferred to hang." Er
langer construed this Into a threat against
the life of himself and his partner, and
hurried for protection to the police court.
Taking advantage of a New York law un
der which a man may have any person in
carcerated for a week to have his sanity
tested by simple declaration of belief
that he Is insane, he had Rogers taken in
to custody. At the end of the prescribed
week the doctors declared there was not
the slightest ground for supposing Rogers
was crazy.
On being released Rogers again spoke
openly and bitterly against the powerful
syndicate, charging them with persecu
tion of the weak, and asserting he would
seek vindication In the courts. Since then,
he spent several "months and considerable
money In strengthening his position be
fore bringing the case to court.
The War Against the Syndicate.
The battle between the syndicate and its
young rival, the Independent Booking
Agency, headed by Harrison Grey Fiske,
Maurice Campbelland James K. Hack
ett is growing .warmer as tho new organ
ization gains in strength. The latest point
has been, won by Klaw & Erlanger. This
was when they secured a few days ago the
friendship of Weber & Fields. This
unique and popular firm of comedian-managers
had been at outs with the "trust"
for'several years because of personal dlf
ferences between Erlanger and Joseph
Weber and on account of tho rivalry be
tween Weber & Fields and their imitators,
the Rogers Brothers, who are under syn
dicate management.
During this time when Weber & Fields
went, on their annual Spring tour, they
played in "houses not controlled by the
trust. This gave the Independents great
hope of winning them as allies. The new
agency thought it was about to gain the
das' when Erlanger and Weber met, shoolr,
hands and decided to put the hatchet for
ever underground.
Retnrns Henrietta Crosman's State
ments. Flushed with this victory, no doubt, Er
langer showed his contempt for the oppo.
sition this week by returning vunopened
to Maurice Campbell two letters bearing
the latters office address on the envelope
They were marked "refused." The
epistles were statements of Henrietta
Crosman's extraordinary box office re
ceipts during her run In "The Sword ol
the King" at the Academy of Music In
Philadelphia. The present situation was
brought about.by what Miss Crosman and
Mr. Campbell considered malicious perse
cution on the part of the syndicate when
she was having her unusual success in
"Mistress Nell" at the Savoy. - She ter
minated her engagement there by coming
before the curtain and dismissing her au
dience by a speech in which she spoke
of harsh treatment. At that time Ada
Rehan, under management of Klaw &
Erlanger, was scoring a failure at the
Knickerbocker Theater In a play, like
Miss Croasman's, based on the life of
Nell Gwynne. The birth of the Inde
pendent Booking Agency was almost a
direct result of the abandonment of that
engagement.
Mrs. Iiangtry as Playwright.
Mrs. Langtry now Is on her way to this
country again and will make her first ap
pearance New Year's week in the Garrick
Theater. Peculiar interest attaches to this
visit of the famous beauty because she
returns In the two-fold role of actress and
.dramatist. She Is to produce while here
"The Crossways," a play written by her
self and Hartley Manners, a player In her
company. It has been played In England
but twice, once as a trial performance at
Manchester, up to which time the Jersey
Lily had kept it secret that she had had
anything to do with "the writing of It,
and once It London. This last was on
the night before she took ship for Ameri
ca, and, from the English standpoint, the
event was made doubly notable by the
presence of the King and Queen. Mrs.
Langtry Is to present one other play on
this tour "Mile. Mars," a drama dealing
with a noted French siren of the Napo
leonic period. Her American engagement,
which is under the direction of Charles
New Year's matinee and the usual Sun
day and Saturday matinees will be" given.
Dramatic Notes.
JHuch comment has been made regarding
tho billing of the "Pickings From Puck"
Company at Cordray's this week. All the
beautiful llthos and pictorial paper, has
been posted upside down. The billposter
must not be censured. He was simply fol
lowing an edict that came from Manager
Cordray, who ordered the change. It cer-r
talnly is a novelty, and has" attracted
A Sensational
' .
Frohman, is limited to 20 weeks!, -dura-1
tlon. ' J"' ''
"The Taming: of Ellen."
Richard Harding Davis has decided to
call the play he has written for Henry
Miller "The Taming of Ellen." The nov
elist was nettled to find out It had been
discovered this piece Is but a dramatiza
tion of pne of his most popular stories,
"The Lion and the Unicorn." The suppo
sition had been that the plot had never
been used before In any form. For pur
poses of this production Miller has passed
under the management of Charles B. Dil
lingham, who directs the tours of Julia
Marlowe and has Maxlno Elliott under
contract for next season.
Dillingham is engaging a splendid com
pany for support of Miller. He made a
ten-strike in securing for leading woman
Jessie Mllward, late chief actress of the
Empire Theater Company, and one of the
cleverest women ever sent over here
from England. The cast will have scarce
ly a less talented player in Grace Ellls
ton, who played leading parts with Miller
all last Summer In San Francisco. Re
hearsals of "The - Taming of Ellen" al
ready have begun, and it Is expected the
play will be ready for the road early next
month.
Louis James' Daughter to Star.
Dillingham has added to his collection
of stars Millie James, the young daughter
of the tragedian, Louis James. This girl
was struggling along in small parts until
two and a half yeare ago, when Clyde
Bnah and Baker, Comedians
with Stanford Mnsical Clubs.
Fitch and William A. Brady cast her for
the role of the waif, Simplicity Johnson,
in "Lover's i.ane." Her success in play
ing the hoydenish. Impertinent, Irrespon
sible girl of 11 was such that she was the
actress of the hour. She became the most
talked-of young woman in New York
over-night, and she was featured by the
daily and Sunday press not only to the
extent of columns, but of pages.
The manager is having Paul Kester
write a play for Miss James. He is the
young Southern author who dramatized
"When Knighthood Was in Flower" and
"The Cavalier" for Julia Marlowe. In
drawing a character for the young star,
Kester is to keep In mind the style of tal
ent she displayed In "Lover's Lane." The
play will be a sprightly comedy, possibly
of the rural type.
Millie James is -not yet 25 years, old. She
Is not fashioned In the large mold of her
father, though she-inherited much of his
much attention. Consequently, it has ac
complished, exactly what Mr. Cordray In
tended. It Is rumored in theatrical circles that
Nance O'Nell, who has Just returned from
a tour around the world, looking more
beautiful and fascinating than ever, con
templates a tour of the United States
with an elaborate production of "Cleopat
ra." Manager John F. Cordray, of this
city, will probably be Interested with Mc
Kee Rankin in the direction of the tour,
and contemplates an early visit to New
York to perfect plans.
Damage Suit sV .Lively. "War on the
Theatrical Syndicate.
;hIstriiuTr'Jp ability. She .is quite, small and
thin. In make-up of Simplicity she did
no'.t look a day older than thell years she
was supposed to be for stage purposes.
The Jvester play may not be ready In time
for Miss James to make her stellar debut
this season.
Virginia Earl Refuses.
Virginia Earle was on the verge of a
lively row with her manager, George W.
Lederer, a couple of days ago because
without consulting her he endeavored to
transfer her to Fred C. Whitney, who
wanted her to take Lulu Glaser's place
at "the head of the "Dolly Varden" com
pany, while Miss Glaser is ill. Miss Earle
declared herself in no unmistakable terms
to the effect that she would not be held
and traded as a chattel. Her chief anger
was because Lederer went about arrang
ing the deal without asking her permis
sion, but she was no less angry at tho
thought of anyone suggesting that she go
out on the one night-stand circuits. She
makes much of the fact that she has not
had but about three weeks of such ex
perience in seven years.
Lederer has been at wit's end for some
time to know what to do with Mias Earle.
He has her on hand and was expected to
provide a play for her, but none was In
sight. He called upon Harry B. Smith,
who Is supposed to be able to turn out
librettos daily, but Smith had nothing to
suggest. Finally it was decided he should
write a play around the song, "Nancy
Brown," made successful by Marie Cahill
In "Tho Wild Rose." In the meantime,
Frederick Ranken and George H. Broad
hurst were arranging a musical play for
Miss Cahill under this title.
Miss Earle, with fine sense of profes
sional courtesy and the general fitness of
things, refused to have anything to do
with a play which in any way would in
fringe upon the moral or legal rights of
Miss Cahil. In this extremity, Lederer
turned to Whitney, but hero again, the
temper of his star had to be contended
with. It looks as If she wins.
Original vs. Adaptation.
Last week New York witnessed for the
first time In the history of its theatricals,
or perhaps any theatricals, the spectacle
of an original foreign version of a play
In rivalry with Its English adaptation.
At the Princess Theater on Wednesday
night Aubrey Boucicault made his bow at
the head of a company' in his own adapta
tion of "Alt Heidelberg," while the origi
nal was revived in German at the Irving
Place Theater at the same time. Mr. Bou
cicault, who thus sets out to follow In
the footsteps of his noted father, Dion
Boucicault, has Improved materially upon
the original play, at least from an Ameri
can standpoint. He has added to the lovo
Interest, which the original lacked, and
he has retained the German student ele
ment, the most attractive feature of the
piece. The cast was advertised as an
"all-star" one, and comes nearer to being
that than many which have been so billed
recently. Minnie Dupree Is the leading
woman, and in the support are Robert
Lorraine, Theodore Roberts, Max Free
man and Augustus Cook. Mr. Boucl
cault's version is entitled "Heidelberg,"
or, "When All the World Was Young,"
and seems likely to score one of the real
successes of the season.
Mabclle Gilman and the Crown
Prince.
Pretty Mabello Gilman has already re
gretted the action of her press agent in
giving to the public the contents of a
package of love letters purporting to have
been written to her by the Crown Prince
of Slam. Of course the publication of the
letters and the poetry with which they
abounded brought a great deal of adver
tising to Miss Gilman, but her managers
now question If the advertising is of tho
beneficial kind. Many have openly de
nounced the action of the press agent In
using confidential communications In such
manner, and others along the Rlalto ex
press the opinion that the letters are fake,
pure and simple, which makes the offense
even worse. The Siamese Consul-General
in New York has started an investigation
of the affair and so has the Department of
State at Washington. Assistant Secretary
(Concluded on Pase 22.)