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The San Francisco Sunday Call THE GREAT AMERICAN PLAY WRIGHT BELT ||1 RUN Along the North Shore of the Sound and a Glimpse at the Beautiful Homes of the Writers of the Plays That Have Won High Honors and Big Royalties. •\u25a0' :' i., \u25a0'..'". \u25a0' \u25a0• - . :" .•\u25a0 \u25a0 —'.\u25a0•\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0•-.= . ' **\u25a0\u25a0 ' \u25a0 . • . .'•\u25a0 ;- \u25a0 » I^*HE north shore of Long Island sound has become the Great American playwright belt. With few exceptions all the important Ameri can dramatists have taken up their abode on this inspiring strip of land. And if anybody _": imagines that gaunt eyed and sunken cheeked Penury has these playsmiths in her grasp let him correct the . .. notion at once, it is a fallacy that calls for immediate . correction, for very many of the most palatial country .estates along the north shore of Long Island sound . .are the homes of makers of plays.. *. . ../•'. In this play making. belt, extending practically from : Peihar.i Manor to Ivowayton, a distance of about ..'25 mik?s. wil! be found the homes of 25' dramatists, :V- .averaging one to a mile. There is not a town of any .'\u25a0 considerable mzc along the north shore of the sound between the>c two cities that does not boast the possession of one or more dramatic authors. While the "array of talent." as the native puts it, is being constantly added to by the arrival of some new • genius, the bolt lias had one important . desertion. *'-' Eugene Waller, feeling the need of north shore in -.'-'.. .spiration ozone, located a couple of years ago at Nor ' -walk, and straightway constructed one of the most .important successes of modern time, "The Easiest Way." But he ha? left the belt, and along with Charming Pollock has set up a rival camp at Shore ' ham, L. 1., nearly opposite the hub of dramatic cul -"lure, Stamford. ; It will, however, be observed that the deserters have stuck t<» Long Island sound, and on clear days r with a pair of opera glasses they can from the porch . of the par>ona£C observe the movements of the "vile M Oppositiou" on the opposite shore. Then there is another collection of competitors that -I have raised ihcir heads and signaled attention. This . one. forgetting for the nonce the Edgar Smith libretto factory at Elmhurst, might be called the Potomac river colony of playsmiths. 'Paul Armstrong has a .vast estate at Annapolis, and Paul Wilstach and Paul . Kester are located in a tine old colonial hall on the fiver at Gunston, Va. It is only fair also to disclose . the fact that at Merriewold park, Sullivan county, \X. V., there is another aspiring camp of playsmiths. ; Charles Klein, now one of the stars of the great American playwright belt, originated this haunt and anchorage of genius. The curious will find there re siding Martha Morton, William C. de Mille and Harry Mawson. After Mr. Klein's removal to Connecticut De Mille purchased the Klein home. But these rival dramatic bivouacs, compared to the great - American playwright belt, located on the north shore \u25a0 of Long Island sound, are lean, hungTy and anaemic rivals. ;.-.- It was the lale Clyde Fitch who gave the first powerful impetus to the dramatic colonization of Connecticut. He built for himself at Greenwich a lovely Italian villa, tilled it with rare works of art from ail quarters of the globe and named it Quiet Corner. It was at this charming home that Mr. Fitch wrote some of his most popular plays. There, high above Greenwich, he drank "the pale drug of silence and evolved things." Connecticut was Mr. Fitch's state. He loved its rolling country, its old stone walls, its lovely trees and general air of peace. This part of Connecticut is much like the loveliest of English country, well known to and loved by the dramati-t. From his garden he looked over a wide expanse of green fields and abundant woodland. IJere it was that the muse, with no discord loving clowns about, was given no janglish strain. THROUGH THE BELT . . An automobile ride through the great American playwright belt /discloses one fact to entire satis faction — "'the play is the thing" that provides the .country estate. Journeying from New York the first dramatic celebrity's' home that we meet with is George V. Hobart's Ruraldene, at Pelham Manor. Here we find the author of "Broadway to Tokio," "Sally in Our Alley," "The Ham Tree," "Coming Through the Rye," "Wildfire," "The Boys and Betty," •The Candy Shop" and "The Yankee Girl" the lord of an expansive and vast estate. The royalties from plays . and the author's books, such as "John Henry," "Down the Line." "Back to the Woods," "You Can Search Me" and "Jim Hickey," must have been ample and coatinuous, for Ruraldene.scomprising four acres of ground,- is a charming place, beautifully kept. The house ts a large one, the lower half being of boulders and the upper of shineles. A new garage /.arid stable has bc:n built to match the home. \u25a0 The dramatist's workshop, is located on the second Hfoor. The walls are packed with choice volumes, and there is a work table which is quite a wonderful affair, resembling the oval copy desk that is seen only in metropolitan newspaper offices. In fact, it is three big, flat topped desks joined into one. Then there are cabinet files and pigeon holes and all the other para phernalia that one sees only in the workshop of an active literary man. Mr. Hobart is busy just now with next year's output. He has "Girlies" running at the New Amsterdam theater; Maclyn Arbuckle soon will appear in "Welcome to Our City"; he has about "completed the adaptation of "Alma, Wo Wohnst Dv?" in which Joseph Weber will star Kitty Gprdon next sea/on, and is- giving all his spare time to "Sweet Sixteen," vvhich^ he is writing for Lew Fields and for which Victor Herbert is composing the music. One ot the mosv popular diversions of Ruraldene is tennis, and here is one of the best equipped courts to be found along the sound. But when it rains billiards is the game. Mr. Hobart is one of the most active of Lambs, and the week always finds several of them at Ruraldene. The guest rooms arc abundantly supplied with various sizes of linen trousers and tennis shoes, fb-tr.it there may be no excuse for not playing the uivorite game. The Hobarts have two chil dren. Georgia, called "Peaches" by her father, a girl •of 11. and Baync, a lively. boy of 6. Within a short distance of Ruraldene was the home of the much lamented dramatist Joseph Arthur/who wrote "Blue Jeans" and "The Still Alarm." It 'was only lately that Mrs. Arthur disposed of the fire en gine that was so long a feature, of the latter play. . One journey* a. mile fariber to the east b«*suc coming, at New" Rochelle, upon the home of Augustus •Thomas, the author of a long array of successes, such as "Alabama," "In Mizzoura," "The Earl of, Paw tucket," "Mr.'Lerfingwell's Boots,"' "The Education of Mr. Pipp,". "The Witching Hour" and ''The Harvest Moon." Augustus Thomas might very Well be placed Home of Mrs. Rido Johnson Young. Greenwich, CoVin.. in the landed gentry class. On his estate Thomas Place, besides his own splendid home, the dramatist has built seven palatial residences. His own abode is located at the end of Thomas Place, facing to the north, and is completely excluded. From the front of the house there is a fine view overlooking a charm ing valley. Its interior is exactly what one*might ex pect from a man of his wealth and culture. v Augustus Thomas is keenly interested in politics His speeches indicate that he is a friend of the down trodden and oppressed. When one sees how good dramatic fortune, has been to him one can easily understand his desire that others should be as well provided for. Only the downtrodden need not apply for leases at Thomas Place! The Thomas home and grounds are just the places where one would be ex pected to toss I his heart up with the lark. Things were not always so easy as this for Augustus Thomas, and yet at Thomas Place, in the words of. George Meredith, "Pleasure flows from the earth and sky, not the purse." Yet when summercomes the Thomas family moves to East Hampton, where the dramatist has another home near the 1 sea. • New Rochelle is also the home of Francis Wilson, the author of "The Bachelor's Baby." -But Mr. Wil son lately rented his residence and inoveii. to. other parts, so he can not be correctly mentioned as be longing, to the; great American playwright belt. • WHERE THEY'RE THICK Mount Vernon and its neighbor, Port Chester, have quite a nest of dramatists. Herbert' Hall Winslow, the author of "The Vinegar Buyer" and other suc cesses, and Charles Taylor, who wrote "The* King of the Opium Ring and other thrillers, are the notables of Mount Vernon. The two celebrities at Port Ches ter are Brandon Tynon and Frederic F. Schrader. Mr. Tynon's latest work was "The Passion Flower," but it will not be forgotten that he is the author of "Robert Emmet."- At Frederic Whitney's beautiful home at Byrams point Mr. Shradcr has been writing the libretto of a comic opera which Mr. Whitney will produce next season. Mr. Shrader's most- successful play was "The French Ball," in which Fanny Rice appeared for years. Continuing along the Boston post road for four miles, we come to Greenwich, and there, at its mil lionaire suburb, Belle Haven, we discover the first woman dramatist in the playwright belt—rMrs. Rida Johnson Young. The author of "The.Lottery Man" has a large, roomy stucco house. It sets well back from the road, and. is screened by many splendid oak trees. Mrs. Young has two acres in the heart of ex clusive Belle Haven. Back of the house is-a sunken Italian garden, well away from the house is a roomy stable and garage, built of the^same material as the house. : The dramatist does all her work in a room on the second floor, and she could not very well be, called "a little ink lady" for the reason' that she does all of her composing on a typewriter.' All thatis to be seeniin this workshop are the photographs of several famous actors arid actresses, a roll top desk, a typewriter and table, and a case of pigeonholes in which are kept copies of the many plays that Mrs. Young has written. She keeps her books in the living room /downstairs, but there are not so many . as -formerly. ; Last winter when away on a visit,' and the.hbuse closed, a thief entered and carried off the best discoverable* in the way of books, furniture and silver ware. Mrs. Young has resided at' Greenwich for .nearly seven years, and all. her successes were written the*re. At a little cottage, on Steamboat road, near the Indian Harbor yacht club, she wrote "Glorious Betsy" for Mary Mann^ring, ;"BVown of. Harvard" and "The Boys of - Company B." During the., three, years -that she has resided at her new horiie. in Belle jHaveri she has written "The Lottery. Man,". "Ragged Robin," in which Chauncey ; Olcott" has starred during the" last two years, and "Barry "of Bally more, "the : new Olcott play for this season ; "Naughty M arietta," \ the . comic opera for .'which Victor Herbert : Has written v the'music, and in; ; \vhich. Oscar Hammerstein will star, Mme. Trentini during the corning season, and "The; Cand idate," which: the -Messrs. Shubert will present during the present season. ' -The dramatist is at .pr^esent ; at work oh a new, play for Helen. Lowell,; who is now appearing, in. :"Thc Lottery Man," arid which .- the Messrs. Shubert will' present 'during the coming sea son. Mme. Treritini is at. present the guest of -Mrs. Young, studying her: role in "Naughty Marietta." . ,'Another dramatist of this area is Julian; Street, the novelist and playwright. v Mr.- Strcetisat present" in Europe. He was lately the guest of George C. Tyler, manager of Lieblcr & Co., on an automobile tour in France. He has a spacious estate .in . Dublin road,' North Greenwich. . • Passing Clyde Fitch's Quiet Corner, we come to Randolph Hartley's workshop, Toussaint, at North Cos Cob, a little over a mile from Greenwich. Mr. Hartley's distinction lies in the fact that he wrote the first American libretto of a grand opera ever pre sented in Europe. His "Poia," with music by Arthur Nevin, was produced in Berlin last April. Mr. Hart ley is at present at work on. a new grand opera, to be called "Twilight," music by Mr. Nevin, which will be. given at the Grand opera house in Berlin next year. The" home* of the Hartleys, Toussaint, is as quaint an old homestead as can be found in. Con necticut. The 4iouse was built by a Huguenot exile about 200 years ago. Mrs/ Hartley is known to the stage as Emily^Wakeman, lately appearing with Lau rence Irving at the Comedy theater. About a mile farther along oh the Hardscrapple road we come to the home of Howard Thurston, the magician. Here will be found. two dramatists busily at work on plays for. next, season— Frank 'duPree and Howard: Hall: Mr. Thurston andMr.du Free are collaborating on a drama to be called "The Un seen Power." Besides assisting in the construction of the story, the magician is providing certain illu sions, that will, be an important feature of ' the play." Mr. Howard, who is the author of "The Man/ Who Dared"; and other melodramas, is engaged- in recon structing that good old \u25a0 thriller,' . "The Cbrsican Brothers." • Mr. Thurston is to, supply .certain magic effects that arc calculated to add to ihe. effectiveness A SURCHARGED ATMO SPHERE Qos Cob has still another.' celebrity, .the same being Harry "Fitch- Taylor, -the- author, artist, actor and playwright. His 'best*' driama , is:.. "The .Transcosco Trail," which , Henry . Jewett \u25a0/presented : three . years ago. A .comedy '\u25a0^^ by //Mr:^^-Tayjor 'named i -"Who Is Sylvia?" will be presented' byiLieble^&^Cb'.'during the season..- . •' -_->..• -,*• j -, -< r 'V Riverside is but^amile to -the east,", along the old Post road; and, here .we/, find" the "atmosphere ;sur- r charged with drama. . -[ All sorts of \u25a0 \ng< andumportant things are taking, place at; Riverside, v. For. brie thing, Charles Leonard Van ; Utten'risC'at"; work on', a* poetic drama of a^ world /embracing -theme.- So jit is -that th'e-world's-eye "will ' be focused; on Riverside,' fdr poetic dramas are not-.written /every; day in"; the weelc. This town, has the second wbmariV dramatist in the-play wright belt, Ivy/' Ashton-; Root. ;. Mrs. /Root .resides in Lockwood ayenite, : and- her~house /.is /one; of those old fashioned homesteads that * seem dear' to^-the \u25a0 hearts of .; playwrights: Her best V known: plays are..;" Th c: Greater Love" "and '"The;:House of; Cards, "'the latter written for Mary- Mannering.-" '...-; . /;. v Then there" is; Lincoln , Steff ens'.: He will soon break forth as /a "-' dramatist,/- which, should cause many \u25a0 a cringing malefactor, to shake/in- his: shoes. 1 _i ;He", has a fine old 4iomestead ; adjoining the .Riverside" yacht club. -'\u25a0-.- : - ':'..\u25a0 "\u25a0'\u25a0.-• 'r< i /\u25a0\u25a0'\u25a0.\u25a0' ; - •\u25a0.'•'-", Last, but bj f -.iio- means: least';in- the matter of im portance,' is' that " best - seller land ; f ecundacious • drama tist,'; Irving "Bacheller.-:, He /is^really star and glittering , literary orb )\u25a0 of ;. Riverside.' It has been \ said that" a/novelist Vcah^^ apply, to' the one _in question," for;he has turned two .of his best -sellers into- succe'ssfuldrarhas. the same being "Eben-Holdcri" and v'tpri^and -L'V^This-author-play-" wright has' ;'one;-bf< 'thc^^finest^estates onlthe sbund.^liis property *is oh ;the;/shore// ! ' '], " .-'_;• ".'\u25a0 '\u25a0./'.: v /// . Stamford,' foiir : miles : farther ;.along\ on -the". Boston post road,' ; has'lbng, been a';favorite;haunt; of the play writingJfrateniity. '-We^find /there/Charles Rann Ken Home of the Late Clyde Fitch, ; fcrceriwich. ; 'C6na. nedy, Leo Ditrichstein and Henry Miller. Mr. Miller is so- well known as an actor that. his excursions into the play making realm have generally been overlooked. Yet he has" had a finger and the whole hand in the making of many successful dramas: If he had cared to be known as a playwright instead of anactor he would, very likely, have achieved a glowing fame. Many a play, fresh from the pen of the dramatist, has received the finishing touches from his adept hand. Yet the only time* that he has consented to have his name usedin this particular was as co-author with Hartley Manors in "Zira." . .'• Mr. Miller's farm, Sky Meadow, is one'of. the-most charmingly located estates in the entire playwright belt. It is situated about seven miles north -of Stam ford, and from the* dooryard of his quaint old house one can figuratively shake hands with the s.tars. An admirable site for an' observatory is Sky Meadow." When*.Mr. Miller's new house is completed he will have an estate that will ,be the . most attractive "the country round. As there was a good.old house.suit able for present purposes, he built last year a splendid barn, a roomy farmhouse, " a dairy, an icehouse, and put in. a water plant that, by the use of compressed air,"supplies the home and all parts of the place. On clear/days you can see.Long Island sound, and- every day' from -Sky Meadow, you look . down on all the farms, homesteads, villages and church spires .for miles around. \ \ UP AROUND -STAMFORD About aya v mile from" Sky Meadow is the home of Charles' Rannv Kennedy," the author, of "The, Servant inlthe-House"- and- "The Winter Feast/ This-house and' property are exactly the sort of thing that would appeal- to an Englishman. -He has 20 acres, of ground, cut up by ./old • stone walls. There are a' tine orchard, a.;gar*deh- and a view : of a lovely valley which is un interrupted for "several, miles. Although not yet' named; : it : should be called the Haven of Repose. : At present j there is'bnly an old New -England homestead of the "kind you' see so "many, hereabout. The old beams are" of oak,' rough hewn, and 4he 'shingles on the sidesof/the'house and roof are of the. hand made variety. > On the i chimney of this old house cut in stone we read:, "Oct. 21, .1776. E. H." Mr. Ken nedy proposes to build -a- new home,' modeled ' after an' old Norman castle. / HeVe it -is tlia't the author of "The Servant, in the. House" I and \hisiwife,: Edith Wynne Mattisori, : will make their j future abode and entertain their^friends. .; Mr. Kennedy; has; been at work on a new- play: which Henry Miller will produce at some, fature* time. ----- . . -/Returning to > Stamford and continuing, along the post road, for a couple ofrniles' we come/ to the home of/ : Leg; Ditrichstein. : '*?The"author. of * "Is' Marriage ra' Failure?" "Are You a Mason?" '.'Before and "After,", "Vivian's Papa," "The/Ambitious Mrs" Olcott," ; "All oh Account- of -Eliza" and "Southern ißomance". has an Restate "of j 20 ; acres and a; stanch ,- New* England house, all - : bespeaking, wealthj comfort : and - repose.. The house is'upward. of :2oo years old.. The dramatist has : made some "important radditions, but ..these have not 'interfered' with- its architectural ; ibeauty.^- The shingles -oiT.thej sides Sand^ roof are 7of f the^ hand /hewn variety" and>the;n^il3ihand:made. : ;>Thisffine old' place' i 5i s ; on \u25a0 the 5 post roadi j - RunmngValbng : one side of the property", is Norbtop : river and : in the \u25a0 front of Home of Edward^Milton Roylc. Daricn Conn \u25a0the house, across the road, is Cove Pond, an' inlet of the. sound, which is a quarter of a mile away. One of the treasures of the house is an old Franklin stove. The dramatist has just completed a new workshop, located on the second floor. Here he has a fine library, his writing desjc, a large open fireplace, and on the walls many rare theatrical souvenirs. Mr. Ditrichstein has resided here for five years. The actor dramatist lately completed a new play that David Belasco will present next November, with Mr. Dit richstein in the leading role. This play has been named "The Concert." Continuing along the post road we come to Darien. where we find Edward Milton Royle. the author of "The Squaw; Man" and other successful plays. He has located -about a mile out of the town and called his place The Wickiup. The Royles (Mrs. Royle being known to the stage as Selena Fetter) have one of the most important estates to be discovered in the playwright belt. They have 20 acres of ground and an expansive New England homestead. The builder of this house knew not the architecture of a .Harlem fiat, for he built his ceilings high and the rooms big and ample. The dramatist has his den on the first floor. He works at a large, flat topped table in the center of .the room. The walls are crammed with books" The Wickiup is a place of elbow room, ease and comfort. A feature of the place is a lake of nearly three acres in extent, and in winter the Royles Home of. Leo Ditncbsteio. Stamford. Conn. have found skating admirable sport. There are nearly eight acres of old oaks, a fine vegetable garden, a big chicken yard, several acres in apple trees, a pasture for' the cows and horses and a roomy stable and garage.- . £v*v* Like the other dramatists of the playwright belt, the Royles are well prepared for winter, for they re side at the Wickiup all the year round. As a place' of residence the dramatists do not seem to hanker for the city. In the cozy village of Darlen Mrs. Bronson How ard, the wife of the lamented dramatist, ha 3 pur chased a home. It is less than a mile from the Wick iup to the home of Mrs. Howard. But a little way along the road we come to Cedar Gate, where Charles Bernard,. the author of "The County Fair," makes his home. Mr. Bernard no longer writes for the stage, having found commercial pursuits more to his liking. CHARLES KLEIN'S HOME A mile or two farther on -we come to Roway ton, which owes its present jfame to the fact that Charles Klein makes his home there. The Klein es tate is called Shirley Manor. There are about 10 acres, and the house is perched on top of a knoll of an extensive view providing height. The old dweli ing has been. added to in all directions, with the re sult that the author of "The Music Master" and "The Lion and the Mouse" has ample accommodations. The workshop has been located on the third floor, a sort of noiseproof den at the top of the house. There are the dramatist's desk and cabinet files, and on the walls has been hung a set of flashlight pictures of all the Klein successes — "A Mile a Minute," "By Proxy" "El Capitan," "A Paltry Million." "The Charlatan." "The Honorable John Grigsby," "Dr. Belgraff." "The Royal Rogue," "The Cipher Code," "The Auctioneer," "Mr. Pickwick," "Red Feather," "The Music Mas ter," "The Lion and the Mouse," "The Daughters of Men" and "The Next of Kin." A- few days ago Mr. Klein put the finishing touches to his latest play, -called "The Gamblers," which he will produce under his. own management this fall. The play for Rose Stahl, called "Maggie Pepper" wa3 completed earlier in the summer. One of the popular diversions of . the dramatist w playing an orchestrelle and billiards, the table bein? located on the third floor" of the house, adjoining his den. In the way of outdoor sport there is- aplenty. Shirley Manor is provided with a finely equipped ten nis court. At Bell island, on the sound, a half a mile away, the dramatist has built a bungalow, now occu pied by his son Phillip and wife. There is a good beach here. About, two city. block 3 from Shir?ey Manor there is an arm of the sound, and on this Mr. Klein has a boat house and anchorage for *his yacht, the O. K. Automobiling, too, is a favorite sport of the owner of Shirley Manor. .It is a three mile run to South Norwalk, : where Porter Emerson Brown, one of the "younger chior of dramatists." is to be found. ..The earth, air and sky of the Great American playwright belt have evidently agreed with Mr. Brown's temperament,, for since lo cating there he -has {written "A Fool There Was." "The Spendthrift" and "The Little Mother." a new play for Mabsl Tallizferro. He is now at "work on a new drama be caiied "Moneys" the same being a picture of New York life. Mr. crown has a comfort able: old' house^ plenty of room, a good view of field and .farm, and is in close proximity to the waters of the sound.. .We now, approach the edge of the belt. Six mile 3 up the road, at Green's Farms, Richard Ie Gallienne, who 4 has made a dramatization of "Orestes" for Will iam, Fayersham,' is' located at 'an old' farmhouse. The author of "The -Quest of the Golden Girl" is at work on a? new. play; -but particulars of- this are held in abeyance. Now* that Mr. ; le Gallienne. has entered the- Great ' American playwright belt- and got the habit, it is .more" than likely the case that he will for sake the. poetic music, the. prose; pastel, and go in for royalties an<T,a ,vast country estate. As Bethel, near Danbury, is hot far away,' l may as well include Syd ney "Roserifeld, the author of many successes, suchaa" 'The Vanderbilt Cup," '-The Black Hussar." "Prince Methusalcm," "Nanon" arid "The Lady and the Ti~cr '\