The New York Clipper (April 1903)

DRAMATIC. VAUDEVILLE. CIRCUS. Copyrighted, 1003, b, the Frank Queen Publishing Company c35! Founded by FRANK QUEEN, 1863. NEW YORE, APRIL-. 25, 1908. M$ (lipper'5 Anecdotes, Personalities and Comments, . CONUKBNINQ STAGE FOLK and Sometimes OTHERS BV JOSEPHINE Oao. A Broadway actor who baa Juat signed a contract to appear In a play written on a (heme similar to Warfleld'a anccen, "The Auctioneer," recently went In search of "lo- cal rotor" to make more realistic his part of I he production. He spent several daya in the vicinity of Ibe Bowery and the far East side, where lie absorbed enough of the man- nerisms and vernacular of that locality to give points to the whole cast. Some of tils adventures and stories are amusing. He tells of going Into a small saloon for a glass of beer and a bite of bread and cheese the other day. The place was kept by a thrifty Irishman, who claims to the market," argued the peddler, "an* I won't be making a cent profit If I sell them for less." The proprietor then examined the eggs with the eye of a connoisseur, and satiafylng himself as to their good quality, winked at the actor, and In an undertone, said: "Now watch me get ahead of this Jew. In a bargain I'm something of a Jew my- self." Then turning to the peddler, he said - "III tell you what I'll do,—I'll give you VOLUME Ll.-No. 9 Erifla_l(lL_C«.f!Ut_ an egg profit on the deal at twelve for a fjuovoter." He counted the thirteen eggs out upon the counter, and received his price. The saloon keeper, exceedingly pleased with himself at gaining his end, gleefully rubbed bis bandi together and anli!: "And now, what'll you have?" "Veil," said (he Jew, with a Warflcldlan smile and a covert glance In lbs direction of the thirteen eggs, "I'll take a 'snerry-an- were Investing In others. "There's money In orange seeds," piped up ouo of the small Investors, around whose little brown neck hung a wooden tray full of shoe strings and collar buttons, which proclaimed his calling, while the shape of Ills nose and tho shrewdness of tils eyes re- vealed his race. "How do you make that out?" naked the actor of the small Shoestring merchant, who had apprised him of the fact that be was on lils seventh orange, though he admitted that lie had as yet found no seeds. "You see," explained the boy, pointing to tho peddler, whose wares were rapidly disap- pearing beennae tho news of their desira- bility had gone forth throughout the block, 'be says that the man who sold him tho oranges told him that they were a very fine kind, and tho seeds wero so scarce that hn would pay twenty-five cents a seed for all he could got. He says he only cares for twenty per cent, profit, and will give twenty rents apiece for all we can find," and the young speculator who talked per cent, so glibly Invested In another orange. ' At this explanation tho actor, glancing at have made his little piece the success It Is •J personally looking after the smallest de- tails of bis business. While the actor was drinking his beer, which bad been served him by the proprle- •or, a Jew peddler entered the saloon, and throwing back the cover of the basket he larrled, displayed his stock, which consisted °f fresh eggs. "1 thought you was a Ash peddler," said the proprietor on seeing the eggs, "you sold smoked herrings to me yesterday." Tho Jew then explained that be went to market each morning and Invested In small mmntltles of whatever be thought he could make the best profit from, and that on this l'artleu|j r morn | nfr tne pt0 d 0C t of the in- dustrious hen had appealed to him as being "- Promising Investment. "How much are eggs this morning?" asked the saloon keeper, who had frequent need of the article, buying In small quanti- ses to Insure tbelr freshness, and caring w» whether he bought them from ped- " or the grocer, so long as they were law-laid, which those In the Jew's basket appeared to be. "These are extra fresh," answered the J "v, "and I'm giving twelve for a quovoter « a toliar." ." 0n, » twelve for a quarter 1" exclaimed »e Irishman, who possessed something of ••wi. * tnit la * m * u * r ot business, why. I can go over to Clancy's an* git flf- «•■ for a quarter," "Not as fresh as these I Just bought st n quarter and not a cent over for tblr teen o' them eggs." "I'd lose money If I did," wss the answer of the peddler, who felt convinced that the proprietor wanted some of bis wares, and decided to keep to his price. And he made u movement to replace the cover of the bas- ket, turning as If to go. "Hold on I" exclslmed the Irishman, "now here's the beat I'll do. You give me thirteen of those eggs for a quarter, and I'll give yon the best mixed drink In tbe place. Is It a bargain V "Any drink In tbe place?" repeated the Jew, who. was assured by the Irishman that that was the offer. "Veil," he thoughtfully continued, "I'll do It, but I'm losing money, I only mske ballot One dsy tbe actor, during one of i»i« strolls In tbe East aide Turkish quarter, noticed that a fruit peddler, evidently ot He- brew descent, seemed to be doing a thriving blialness In the sale of oranges. Ills push cart wsa surrounded by youthful customers, who were prodigally Investing In Ibis fruit nt tbe Booth, and as rapidly disposing of It, at tbe same time closely examining the Juicy sections aa they put tbem Into tbelr mouths. The actor's curiosity being aroused at the unusual actions of the down buyers sod par- takers of tbe oranges, be asked tbe meaning. "What are you youngsters In scare]) of?** be Inquired, "Seeds;" answered three or four of these who bad finished their first purrbaae and the pile ot navol oranges on the posh carl, smiled and resumed his stroll, leaving tbe small searchers for seeds busily engaged In n vein endeavor, Here Is a Maurice llnrrymorc story which was recently related and vouched for as hav- ing been told to but few. several ban vlvanli, among whom was "Harry," as he was familiarly called by his ossocistes, were seated at luncheon one day In one of those popular cafes sacred to men only. It waa one where tbe proprietor caters to the palates of tbe epicure In the way of special dishes, gamey meats and foreign cheese, among the letter varieties being tbe old English kind In which dwell, at a certain stage, tbe active maggot, so attractive to the gourmet. During tbe luncheon Ilarrymors bad sev- eral times been annoyed and Interrupted In some of his best stories by one of the party at tbe table who spoke more words than sense. When the cheese, which was plenti- fully Infested with the tiny but very active inagsot, was brought to tbe table, tbe talka- tive guest helped himself plentifully, as If to show his epicurean tastes. With appar- ently great test, he exclaimed: "My I hut Ihls cheese Is fine. I'm.Just like Sampson In the lllble, with tbe Phllllstlnes, —slaying tbem by tbe thousands." "Yet," dryly remarked Barrymore In an undertone to a guest at bin aids, "and, like Sampson, he's using as bis weapon the Jaw- Irone of an ass."