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3UUA ARTHUR TELLS HOW SHE MADE A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT AT
TWELVE AS PORTIA IN ‘'MERCHANT OF VENICE.”
MY FIRST TIME
OKTHESTAGE.
* m ' By Miss Julia Arthur.
The role of a girl who masquerades
as a boy was the first part I ever played
on any stage.
Perhaps I qhould say the first part I
ever attempted, for at the time I \va3
only twelve years of age, and the part
was Portia in “The Merchant of
Venice,” and what mimetic art can a
child of a dozen Canadian- winters be
expected to display?
To represent boys has always had an
attraction for me. This was one rea
son I like Clorinda in "A Lady of
Quality” and Rosalind in "As. You Like
It,” and may account td some extent
for my resolve to portray Humlet.
As long as I can remember 1 had an
Inclination for reciting, and in those
early days use . to devote most of my
leisure hours to reading aloud the
works of Shakespeare and Christopher
Marlowe, as well as some of the more
modern English dramatists and trans
lations of German and French play
wrights; indeed, almost everything I
could obtain that seemed emotional or
suggestive of action.
I wanted to glow «xl be thrilled. I
,felt the working power of a theory that
observation has since enabled me to
formulate: it Is the concrete, not the
abstract, that moves people, for the
world wants to feel, not to think. Yet
the appeal to the senses must not of
fend the reason.
The opportunity to Impersonate the
Venetian girl was an actual case of
Coriolanus at the plough or Napoleon
'Playing prisoner’s base in Emile Ber
gerat's new play “More than Queen.”
I It happened in this way; I had just
returned, one afternoon from school in
Hamilton and. had gone to my room to
revel in acting Portia. In order to in
crease my childish joy in the pastime
by clothing myself in eoslume as nearly
appropriate as possible I had donned a
pair gs my brother’s knickerbockers.
I I was just enlightening an audience
rs dolls and a few pillows,on the qual
ity of mercy when a knock came at my
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CHARLEY WHITE.
I threw a wrap around myself and
opened it, expecting to hear my father
or mother make a gentle but persuasive
request for me to show a little rrlercy,
no matter what the quality, to the long
suffering members of our family.
However, Instead there stood two
young ladles- whom my sister had
brought upstairs to catch mo in the
very act. They had come as a com
mittee to say that an amateur perform
ance of “The Merchant of Venice", was
to be given in about two weeks for the
benefit of my tutor, Mr. John Town
send, and that they wanted me to play
Portia.
Being of an impetuous temperament
I was naturally delighted at this op
portunity to appear on a real stage be
fore a real audience, hoping they might
PHIL AND FITZ ARE THE TWO CHAMPIONS OF THE FITZSIMMONS FAMILY AND ARE READY TO
MEET ALL COMERS.
prove more responsive than my pillows
and dulls. I accepted the invitation,
and speedily found a chance to remove
the knickerbockers and put on my own
frock. '
I proceeded at once to learn all the
lines that the greatest poet has given
to this charming heroine. For a fort
night I thought and di earned of noth
ing but Portia, her suitors, lover, hus
band, the fascinating scenes through
which she was to pass.
Studying and working every avail
able, moment, I left the nineteenth cen
tury and Canada; T‘lived in the six
teenth century and Italy. At last the
time came for the curtain to be rung
lip on the performance. The scene was
Venice, then Belmont.
Suddenly I imagined I heard the
sound of castanets. It was my knees.
And that extreme nervousness on first
nights has never left me.
RETHRNOFTHE
BELMONT STABLES.
Turf lovers will be glad to learn that
August Belmont’s horses will return to
the track this year. For two seasons
past they have been absent from the
turf, owing to Mr. retire
ment after the death of his wife.
The Belmont colors are black cap,
maroon sleeves and scarlet jacket, and
for years they have been eagerly
watched from post to finish.
Last season the few horses belonging
to Mr. Belmont were raced in the name
and colors of his trainer, John J. Hy
land. They won a few races—and the
money won was not enough to pay the
trainer’s salary.
Mr. Belmont is an ardent lover of a
good horse. He was greatly disap
pointed over the showing made, and
gave orders to sell all of his horses in
training.
By private sale the majority of the
horses were disposed of. In the fall all
the remainder of the thoroughbreds, as
well as the yearlings, were sold at pub
lic auction. Of ihe large number Mr.
Belmont had In Hyland’s charge, only
Brigadier, a two-year-old, was retained.
Brigadier in all probability would also
have been sold, but trouble arose about
ids disposal. It. T. Wilson, Jr., and
Steve L’Hommedieu both claimed him.
Mr. Wilson had secured an option on
Brigadier from Mr. Belmont, while
L’Hommedieu bought from Hyland. To
settle the dispute Mr. Belmont decided
to keep Brigadier.
JOHN M’QRAW a
IH3I -A. XT GrtXST_A- THTErUR A.TL’E)
Early last fall Mr. Belmont an
nounced that he would not race any
horses under his own name, nor was
he likely to under the name and colors
of his trainer. With his clearing out
sale his action was considered Anal.
Early this winter Mr. Belmont’s
health so improved that he changed his
mind about his horses. He heard glow
ing reports about some of his young
sters who were sired by his favorite,
Henry of Navarre. So John Hyland
was sent for, and Mr. Belmont decided
to re-enter the turf In his own name
and colors.
Mr. Belmont has seven horses in
training. None of them Is over three
years of age. Among the two-year-olds
is Orienta, a chestnut Ally by Henry of
Navarre—Ortega!. This is one of the
three Allies Mr. Belmont put a reserve
price on at the sale of his yearlings.
The other two are Donna Henrietta, by
Henry of Navarre —Bella Donna, and
the bay Ally by St. Saviour—Lady Vio
let. As none of them brought the price
asked Mr. Belmont retained them. He
subsequently sold Dofina Henrietta to
J. Boden and the St. Saviour Ally to R.
T. Wilson. Jr. The most promising
horses of the lot are Brigadier, who
ran second in the Futurity last year;
Clingstone, Fond Hopes and Kilogram.
Orienta is a half-sister to the crack
sprinter Octagon.
Jockey McJoynt, one of the clqyerest
if not the best riders at New Orleans,
will ride for Mr. Belmont this season.
In company with Johnny Hyland, who
is one of the greatest trainers in Amer
ica—he has trained three Futurity win
ners—McJoynt should earn many a
bracket for Mr. Belmont this season.
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WRESTLER OLSEN’S r/jVEL WAY TO STRENGTHEN NECK MUSCLES; HJS WRESTLING PARTNER, IIANSEN, WHO WEIGHS 180 POUNDS,
STANDS UPRIGHT ON THE HACK OF HIS HEAD WHILE OLSEN WORKS HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN.
HOW TO PLAY A
GAME OF BASEBALL
If you/ane anxious to shine on the
diamond take notice of the pitcher,
upon whom more than any other one
player the game depends. He is the
keystone, the bulwark of defense, and
if the opposing batsmen can slug him
at will while the fellow acting for the
other side is pitching fair ball all the
brilliant Adding of his colleagues can
not save the game.
Of course-Hie pitcher isn’t every
thing. The other eight men must do
their share bf the work, both in field
ing and In’/ batting, but the pitcher is
more important than any one of them.
One of the lust things essential to be
coming a successful baseball pitcher is
to get control of the ball, so that you
will be tjble to put it over the plate
whenever you want to.
The next essential, change of pace.
The most successful twirlers in the
business are the ones who can mix up
their fast; and slow balls. By doing
this you constantly keep the baiter
guessing as to what kind of ball you
will send in next. A curve ball is no
harder to hit than a. fast one. The only
advantage of the curve ball is that by
sending one In you can see how a batter
steps and hk.a. and then you may be
able to fool'dilm on a wide curve. You
must study the batter’s weakness.
Some batsmen are able to hit high
balls all over the Acid and are power-
THESE TWO AMERICAN JOCKEYS HAVE JUST ARRIVED t N ENGLAND. JOHNNY WILL RIDE FOP
SIR WILLIAM BERESFORD AT 75 POUNDS, WHILp LESTER RIDES FOR RICHARD CROKER; THE *
BOYS ARE SAID TO BE SALARIED AT iJIiU.OOO.
less before low halls, and vice versa.
Nine out of ten batsmen, however, hit
low balls effectively. Learn, therefore,
especially to control the high balls and
got them over the plate just about the
shoulders. They generally cause trou
ble.
To be a successful pitcher to-day a
man must be a good Aelder, and must
be quick especially in the handling of
bunts.
Watching the base runner Is another
Important matter. You miifet not let a
man on a base get too large a lead.
Make the batter hit the ball. Do not
allow him to get you in a hole if pos
sible. AVork him instead of allowing
him to work you. To do this you must
study his weakness.
In practice pitch every ball as If it
counts. It helps you to get control of
the ball and prevents you from becom
ing careless, which is one of the worst
faults a pitcher can have. Also be
careful not to overwork yourself in
training, especially not to struin the
arm. Do not pitch curve balls oftener
than necessary, as they are very try
ing on the arm. Bq cool and collected,
never get rattlecß-find make up your
mind to settle down for honest, hard
work.
‘■BIG BILL” REID OF HARVARD.
There is more enthusiasm among the
baseball players of Harvard College at
the present time than in any previous
spring for years. It is due mainly to
the confidence the students have in big
’‘Bill” Reid, the captain of the 1900 nine.
He is one of the most popular men
that ever wore a Harvard sweater, and
his success in football and baseball
stamps him as a player of remarkable
ability and a leader of unusual quali
fications.
Capt. Reid says that he intends to
divide the preliminary work up and set
squads of ten or so at work on, the dif
ferent departments.
The primary or ultimate object of (he
tea’rn, he said, is to beat Yale. Yale
was beaten last year and must be
beaten this year.
Ted Lewis, pitcher of the Boston
team, is also to coach, and will have an
eye on the pitchers.
MAKING A BILLIARD BALL.
It requires skilled labor to turn out a
billiard bull. One-half of it is fl rg t
turned, an instrument of the finest steel
being used for the work. Then the
hail turned hall is hung up in a net and
is allowed to remain there for nearly a
year to dry. Next the second half is
turned, and then comes the polishing.
Whiting and water and a good deal of
rubbing are requisite for this. It is
necessary in the end that the ball shall
to the veriest fraction of a grain be of
a certain weight.
MAKE BOXING
A CLEAN SPORT.
All Brutality can be Stopped and the
King Kept Fair and I’ure.
By Charley White, the A r etoran Referee.
There would be no possible cause to
criticise the boxing bouts held in New
York State if the Horton law was
strictly enforced and the rules and con
ditions slightly changed.
In the Arst place I think the referee
should have more power. There ought
AUGUST BELMONT'S FAMOUS RACING STABLES WILL
SOME OF THE BEST BLOOD OF THE TURF WORLD.
to be no question of his right to stop a
bout when in his mind one man lias
clearly shown his superiority over the
other. When one pugilist has groat
skill and his opponent great endurance
but v ry little skill, there is where the
brutality comes in.
The Horton law says that boxing
bouts shall be for scientific points. Ref
erees don’t think of that. They allow
men to lie beaten down to the lloor sev
eral times and almost knocked out be
fore they begin to count. And yet if a
referee is merciful and prevents an un
necessary knockout there is a great
howl from those who went to see a man
beaten senseless.
Then 1 think there should be two
timers, like they have in England. Not
clocks (they can be tampered with), but
two honest men—experienced timers—
one to hold a watch on the three min
utes of the round and the minute rest,
the other timer to count the seconds
when a man is down. Then there
would be no mistakes and trouble liko
we have had in the pa^t.
The referees should be honest and
competent men picked out because they
are experts. They should be Armly up
held in the decisions they make by the
< lut> managers. It sometimes happens
that the drub managers bet on a fight
and kick if the referee stops it when it
becomes brutal in his opinion.
There would be very few brutal and
bloody fights if none but skilful men
were allowed to enter the ring. The
big majority of the Spaying public would
much rather see a glove contest be
cv. on two clever men in good physical
condition than a bloody scrap between
two* untrained sluggers. If boxers
would also take notice of the rifaand
cui out “heeling” with the
hr. . drooping lb • In ad isl
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PHIL FITZSIMMONS
AS A CHAMPION*
His Master is Really Anxious to Know A
if There aro two Middle we
Champions in the Fitzsimmons W~
Family. B|
Robert Fitzsimmons and his
looking wife walked dun
the other evening past thc'^M^^B
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the most prominent
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tlu: I'Hat sniffed iS|
stiay dogs ook . ..,5
true, but ft, offer J
ills master every K lr a K nirm to bc9
money upon is stocky
pei'l ,’et Vl m „u of
"d a^H)alilieat!
"'o'. n
1 1“ who to i
.'inpion Hob j A
l ine can get Itfniß dog anJ
against Ihe lrJrikyf fellow’s ■
has posted sr,/)0» as
himself or his/'purp.” ■
" p hll and 1 flou t play anfl
said Kitzslminonc to a re[JKf
man' . r dog who thinks Bfj
same can gel action out H|
hem the world's
to be again some day. ■■
withon; tussle.
Is if him.
for a . hanee to prove itHB
* "iy part of it s
dog n world.”
Then Eitz stooped anHH
handsome "bull." The
inti liigcn.i animal
V. tii every me it meets.
is very I'otid of i
I*!i 11 is a pet of Mrs.
"Pity." is probably onl
hv auytt h>. will matt U HBB