Evening Star Newspaper, March 21, 1926, Page 89

" THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHING! ambler Finds Theatrical History, After Being Mystified by a Name Death of Leonard Grover in Brooklyn Results in Search for Theater Here Which Bore His Name in the Days of the Civil War. t died o few Brooklyn, N, s old ve written in the death that he was vlaywright, theatrical operatic impresa the Itallan word whi :ger and undertak dertakes stage en 1lso written that the his plays was the cor ng House prod , at the Park "' the first pait William H. « Lobson, o F rd latter 2 tage man- Lo u known of Our Boar P ne and the late Stuart and the play w success, NA [T feel for you. please, pronounce the 4y 8 “K. Well, T went into The Star libs to look at the indexes of the Columbix i Hist 1 Society’s’ publications, : as | be we n important o ficial o the library called: “H {there! 1larry. You're on the wrong s Those are new hooks. Th gton Directory for 1840 is on the top shel 2 nd Aloysius 1. Mudd re: wer before the Society Jany. {1901, on \Washington Theaters from | 1800" to 1835, and 2 paper, Nov, 10, {1902, on Washington Theaters from 11835 to 1850. There was no menton TIONAL THEATER | on account of he Star of Tues believe, In which was, 1 | stormy weather. | day, April & A | “Grover's Theater: Thiz beautiful resort opens tonight with a brilliant !Company of Comedians, Mr. Grover ihaving in the selection of his Com- pany had a_special view to comedy. The play selected (The, Serious Fam y) is one that will occupy the whole strength of the comedy combination. Mr. Daniel Setchell ta Aminadab Sleek. This gentleman is I pronounced by those who know him |to be the funniest man on the stage {and since the death of Burton is said to occupy the highest rank in the country as a comedian. Miss Lotty (LATE GROVER'S THEATER), PHOTOGRAPHED IN s the part of | ['W. W. Rapley, W. W. Spalding, Eph ! Horn and Morgie Sherwood, and thesc lare shown standing at and near the | entrance. The billboards in the pho- | tograph cannot be read, but turning to The Star of January 10, 1863, the Rambler reads this announcement: “National Theater. This, Thursda: | evening, January 10, 1868. Benefit of { Mr. Jobn Brougham, who will app fas Captain Cuttle and Powhatan. The performance will commence with Mr. Charles Dickens' celebrated | work, entitled “Dombey and Son"-— Capgain Cuttle, Mr. John Broug after which, “Pocahontus or the Sav- age.” Under advertisement this were 1868. of this fine which this Grover Compuns rover me was the even nd droy ordes pvers igton? 1 did mers will feel « chortle ot ti ler. But, pray. o t once write n on letter for he has looked the and before read many lines « story you w e told whei Theater was, when it opene it which could When it hecame ihe whe ter, 1 thou ome of 1 The Star than you per matter up th be auickly necessary to_find of Grover's Thea- I might get heip from companions-in-pens on AMany of them ave vounger and 1, but the wisdom of 1 i so much keener than know ledsze thought the i into one of with journal- voice, as Bot and whe it soun “1 veckon | dron into Theuaier to in Davy Crockett, Duflield won't iet me in 1 er to Lincoln Hall and call the hear Frank imt if Mr. nk Tl go o onrnalists looked up from his literary cfforts, though one leaned across his desk to neighbor-writer and said: “Synthetlc gin does funny things to come people.” And the other said: ‘ve seen the wagon called for less than that.”” And the other said: “Yep, and the office pay hin alary in- stead of a pension!” Grover's Theater <eemed to he forg A few minutes Imtton for m ter 1 pushed the messenger boy Joe. ‘The other par! of his name is Brod- erick. That makes me think of Washington boy, son of a stone cutter who re to fame, elected I'nited States Se; nd was killed a duel. Hew David Colbreth Brod- k, who was born in Washington in §19, went to New York and became » conspicuous in politics as Demo- t that he has heen called “a power in Tammany Hall.” He went to Cali- forpfa in the early rush, was a po- litieal leader for several years, was clected to the United States Senate in 1857 and was killed in a duel by David S. Terry, Supreme Court justice ol California, in 18 Terry, on \ugust 14, 1889, attacked Justice Field tho United ates Supreme Court 1 the dining room of the old Central ic eating station at Lathrop, United States Marshal accompanying Justice I pushed the button for youns where i note Grover's of movie ELL Joe and sent “Kindly is note to a tell And nalist ver's awme back me Theater wa Ha my “Dear not list and it is not in the phone "hen | went into The Sar's tibrary to look through the indices of the Columbin Historical Society. 1 because many of my not know its meaning and fore loftier lite all to you th ive is “index,” nd the plural it wil be « ve, et il iheater i on readers w is ther Wien T 1 singu- T e genitive nominative > you. And. 1o vour wife. ind other ficts about | much | style. | of Grover's, but there was a chapter on the opening of the National The- ter, Dec. 7. 1833, with the comedy, “The Man of the World,” by wright named Macklin and with “Mr. Maywood” o5 the principal actor. The last chapter of Mr. Mudd's paper dealt hington concerts of nd the site of the N ter. It follows: <hingion had no hall sufficlent to accommeodate the large which were expecied to attend neerts the great and un led when she should come 10 Messrs. Willard immediate measure one. They removed the the old Nations large hall on ssion consisting of ct, Joel Downer and James uilders. made # thorough ex- ation of the buitding and certi {fled that every part of it was suffi- ciently strong to sustain with safery the largest audience that could pos sibly accommodated on its floors. building wa lled National 1 and would seat 3,500 persons.” Jenny Lind concerts were ¢ December 16, and Wednes:. mber 18, 1850, Seats wel this eit and Reeside tvo the site, A obert Mills, Monda at each concert. Jenny Lind was assisted by Bellette, tenor | Joseph Burke. violinist, and Mess |Kyle and Seide, flutists. “The orche: tra was conducted by Mr. Benedict fand the whole Germania Musical So- | | ciety (of ¥ took in ! the concerts.” The Rambler to work | files of The Star and began his search | with the file for 1861. In the issue of ! November 7, 1861, he found this ad- tisement: “King's Natlonal Ci street, site of the Old National { Theater. Open nightly. The follow | ing performers will appear: Philo | Nathans, Tom King, George Darius, |1 W. Penneyr. F. A. Jones, John nklin, €. Scott, R. P. Jones, ! Frank Whittaker, W. Gardiner, Mme. Camille, Mme. Whittaker, Miss Vir- |ginia and Mile. Eleza. Also the fol- lowing stars: Mile. Eloise. the child rider, Mme. Marie, W. Kincade the Smperor of Sumersetting and Dan diner the clown. Admission to dress circle, 50 cents; soclal boxes, 25 cents: orchestra. chi 75 cents, and colored apartments, 25 cents.” Fol- {lowing King's National Clrcus through the months, the Rambler found that toward the close of 1861 it was called King's Amphitheater. * ok Kk K [A D now. after several hours’ work on The old files, the Rambler finds | what he has been looking for. it is: The Evening Star, April rover's Theater (The tional), Pennsylvania avenue Fourteenth and Willard's Hotel. Bullt upon the most beautiful model for ll’)rnlnall(‘ and Operatic Edifices under the superintendence of Mr. Charles Getz. “Frescoed, ornamented and deco- rated in the most elegant and taste- ful style, with ample and comfortable seats for nearly 2,000 persons. “‘One of the very finest theaters in the whole count Splendid Scenery, Grand Orchestra and Every Accessory. “Will be opened to the Public Mon- day ight. April 21, with John Col- lins, the genial Trish Comedian, and a comedy combination of the rarest excellence. Miss Lotty Hough, Miss |Jennie Parker, Mr. Daniel Setchell, Mr. E. L. Tilton, Together with a pow. {erful and Talented Dramatic Company {containing the names of the first Fa- vorites in America. “Every effort will be made by the Manager to make the engagement Equal in Success to the one just iplayed by Mr. Collins at Niblo's, New York— Better he cannot hope to make it. 'To this end the very finest talent in the entire country ppropos to the nature of the en; ement has been secured. shington) part sot on the near | Monday niz a postponey April 21, 1861. 1L of one day, [ - |y lthe very finest soubrette on the Amer. | by | ! Theater and | nd $4, and National Hall was Here | Hough sustains the character. Miss Hough w cial pet at Laura Keene st two seasons and is principal _female the spe for the a to b ican stage. These {performers selected jand from the best The performance clude with the local the War Departmen he Star, \Wednesday, said Manager Grover's opening night was certuinly a very handsome affair. The house was crowded in revery part and the universally ex essed opinion was delizit hoth with he theater and the acting.” Fhe no tice gave praisze to the players. nam ing several--perhaps all-—of them Mention is made Mrs. Germons “and the beautiful and accomplishe Misses Parker and Gimber and s well known performers as Mes Tilton, Phillips. Bokee and Meldrum.” The notice continues: *This is the nniversary of the Bard and tonight Mr. Tilton will | “The Seven Ages of Man,' * Life’ and “The Toodles” will he pre ented with Setchell in two of his highest characters. Miss Hough will <ing her great comic song ‘Jesiah's Courtship.' eas sung by her in New York theaters for 300 consecutive are supported with great carc now on the stage tonight will con e of “J. . of April 23 18 . | nights.” B things the many | N hunting these musty Rambler read names comedians who are dust. Thei re strangers now. Perhaps il {in which “old favorite ) been forgot. Or. perhap: is known to a daushter the image of her mother corner of the brain. It ‘a man whose eves these lines will mutter er Setchell-—how droll he ‘I remember Lotty Hough | how prett Yes, old reader, those | were names of long ago. Setchell Lotty Hough, “the beautiful and compled Misses Parker and Gimber and “such well known performers aus | Messrs. Tilton. Phillips. Bokee argl | Meldrum™ have made their last bow have spoke their last line. When it was they passed the Rambler not know. but almost surely it was long ago. their names to the eyes of men I may be doing something which pleases them if they are conscious in another life. And the Rambler belleves that whatever reward or happiness. lies be vond the last breath is thelrs—just as though they had led a stricter, cold. er life than probably they did. And as we say farewell to these actors will vou forgive old chap who | works moderately har moder- o a nip that is unlawful, and who also works moderately moder- u like to he g1 In who i how gay. s 1 for recalling the lines “Where be your gibes now? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table in a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chop- ila]l(‘n'.' Now get you to my lady's chamber and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour must come: make her Jaugh at that. And as we part, let us, you and I. give a grateful thought io Leonard Grover. Let us hope that when the end came he was serene and knew no fear. Let us hope that when Charon put him ashore troupes of old friends came round him. And I would not print one word about it if his old | friends handed him a cymbium. or a jpatera, or even a scyphus of Fale hope of getting a picture r Theater 1 went to my {long-time friend, William H. (Willie) | Fowler, manager of the National. He loaned me the picture which is hefore {vou. It is a photograph made of { the National Theater on January 10, 1868, at which time the managers and proprietors were W. E. Spalding jand W. W. Rapley. It is a fair as- sumption that the building was then as it had been under Leonard Grover's ver’ On the graph are the numes, Herzog, does | 1 feel that In bringing back | read—will you forgive this old chap | | others that J. W. Wallack ! Davenport would appear at | Opera House in the comedy, Waters Itun Deep’’: that Miss Jenn American prima_donna, v Herr Joseph Hermann: sreat basso, and J. B. Poznanski, the eminent Polish vic would appear Metzeroti 1. that a bal asqiie u ini would be held at Marinl's As sembly Rooms on F street. The tional Theater Building of this pl ture was burned down January 2§, 1833, T this old photograph ont its frame. 1 found this on the back: © Harry Rapley, with compliments from James R. O'Bryan.” . “Bohemium” Discovered. ];‘\'ERYTI”.\"‘- on earth—fire. water dirt, plants and animals thing in universe, including the sun, planets and stars, is made up of less than 100 different tances called “elements.” Most of these have been found, numbered and put in order according to the struc- ture of their atoms. A few gaps the whole visible 1. Mevrovsky and Doleysek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, nounced the discovery of No. 7 T the missing elem: fence Monthly. have named /it “bohemium,” in honor of Rohemia. Not long ago three German scientists | claimed to_have discovered 75, and also 43. If these two are veri- fled, then only three missing chemi clemenis will remain to be ered—Nos, 61, 85 and S . Muffler Changes Gas. \E of the the automobile, carbon-monoxide gas, is reported 1o have been elimi- nated in a special muffler devised by a_ Paris engineer, says Popular Me- chanics. It not only does away with all traces of smoke but destroys the polsonous gas by transforming it into harmless carbon dioxide. This is done by a heating element in the muffler which completes the combustion of the vapor. discov most E]ectrlcul Diner. '1‘1;1.: “Flying Scotsman,” a train that runs between London and Edinburgh. has recently installed a | camplete eletrical kitchen in its diner, ays Popular nce Monthly. The { electricity is supplied by means of a | dvramo run- by the motion of the | train. | " Cooking by pressing buttons enables { space, which obviously is of great im- portance in diner construction. All temperatures can be regulated exactly and the kitchen kept spotlessly clean. . Five Color Pencil. ! A POCKET pencil that will write in any one of five colors is a new convenience for the office man. It is of the self-feeding type. When a lead of a certain color is to be used, an in- dicator near the point is turned until it registers the desired color. A twist on a knurled knot at the end of the holder then cjects the lead at the point. The pencil has a clip to fasten it to the coat pocket. Musical Stenography. A SWISS, M. Henry Reymond, has devised o system of musical stenography that promises to solve a problem that for more than 100 years has_perplexed musical thinkers. The system would enable any one conversant with it to sit at a concert and note down the full orchestrated score. French "HE number of passengers carried by French airplanes in 1924 was more than 16,000, and the quantity of merchandise carried about 2,500,000 pounds, the latest figures show. ~ serious perils of | | the kitchen to occupy the minimun of | MARCH 21, i | | 1926—PART 5. ndians Had Implement Shops Here, Smithsonian Scientist Discovers Suggestion That Site at Piney Branch Be t’reserved as a Park Has Support of sons Who Are Interested in Archeology. AN'S antiquity on the Ameri can continent has been u subject for scientific investi sgation and for fascinating speculation ever since the discovery of the New World by Colum- bus. With the. constant unearthing of new evidence of the. presence of anclent man, each generation has con- tributed some of its best sclentific minds to the declphering of the story hidden in these relics. The question has been ralsed anew by each new dis covery of human bones under circum- tances which, indicate real antiquity, such as the varfous discoveries of ap parently ancient human skeletal re- mains in Florida, certain of which are now being investigated under Smithsonian auspices. In many respects the problem is as far from solution today as it was 400 years agp. Facts upon which to base a scientific solution are still lacking Yet some theories or assumptions here. tofore held by sclentists in this coun- | try and abroad have been disproved and the subject has been cleared of hasty speculation within recent dec | l | 1 ades. Tn this work the Smithsonian Institution has played a leading part. | It is a remarkable coincidence that | within the limits of Washington, the Capital City of the great Nation of the race which deprived the. American | aborigines of their birthright and =nc ceeded them in possession of the Northern Hemisphere, has been found the site of one of the most importani workshops east of the Mississ i River, where these early Ameri manufactured their implements of w and the chase. It Is an interesting 'I'm‘l that Dir. William Henry Holmes Inf the Smithsonian Institution, hy his excavations on this site, contril. | uted knowledge that revolutionized | sclentific thought on this important | auestion and placed American archeol- | O0gY on a new foundation. | * ok ok %k ITHIN 213 miles of the White House, this spot, in the secluded little valley of Piney Branch, west of Sixteenth street, has long been un | marked and is today in danger of complete. obliteration by modern build ing operations. At last, however, a definite movement is gaining head | backed by Smithsonian scientiats an | and Public Parks of the National Cap ital, to preserve it as u public park {and mark the spot with a suitable bronze group showing the ancient | uarrymen and implement-makers at | { work “The Piney Branch site is not only of great interest historically.” says Dr. { Holmes, “but is scientifically one of {the most interesting spots in America. { When. 40 vears ago, I began the study iof the arcient remains of the E: jern States, the archeologists of Wasl ington, New York, Boston and other ‘ities were gathering rudely chipped stones such as are found on the slope: of Piney Branch. They filled museum | P with them and labeled then | ‘American Paleolithic Implements.’ | tion of Prof. L. G. | —every- | i 1 i | { { i too, | | studies, ie Federal Office of Public Buildinzs | [\ | funds prevents DIGGING INDIAN RELICS FROM THE PINEY BRANCH QUARRY. having occurred the same year th: the Smithsonian Institution founded. His mind is as acti ver and he is absorbed but the preser futura generations of Americans the Piney Branch site he regards s i great importance and It lies close to his Leart. * OST of the fmp lating to the Piney Branch site explained to Lieut. Col. Clarence Sherrill shortiy hefore he resigned s lirector of public buildings and pub. lie parks in Washington, and he ap- ved the project. Maj. U. S. Gr ndson of the great Civil \ nd President of the States, who wceeded ¢ol. Sher rill, hopes 1o go forward with the plun to buy the land and make a park along Piney Brancii. Preliminary surveys have made and some small portions of land have been acquired. Only lack of he completion of the project. Maj. Grant looks forward to the time when Congress will make the money available for the preserv * % nt fact heey PLASTER GROUP ILLUSTRATING WORK IN_A QUARRY SHOP. 1 The archeologists of the world accept- ed without hesitation the view that these chipped stones were the imple- ‘ments of a race preceding the Indian, race of glacial age, that in the scale of culture had never risen above the use of rude stone tools. “One day it struck me as an im- iportant fact that none of these so-called implements showed any signs of having been used. T examined them closely and visited the Piney Branch region ind soon reached the conclusion that Lhe existing ideas were all wrong—that these chipped stones re not imple- ments of a race that had lived here perhaps 40,00 or 650,000 vears ago. { They were, in fact, not implements at all, but the rejectage of the difficult chipping process, the fa s of the indian blade maker, left «. = "~ quarry sites as simple refuse. T sccessful blades—not one in 20 attempts—were carried to the villages and finished to serve as weapons of war and the chase .and in the various primitive arts. “For a score of years controversy over this interpretation raged, but thepe is today, o far as I know, not in any museum in the world a single | American shaped stone of any kind jlabeled as belonging to the glacial period or to a stone age of culture, corresponding with that of the Old World. “Investigations carried on in Piney | Branch thus resulted in settling one | of the most important questions in- | volved in the aboriginal histery of America. For cogent reasons, both! historical and scientific, this site, in| i the city of Washington, should. with |its forested slopes and beds of chipped | |stones, be preserved and marked. | Such a memorial would have a unique interest today, and an interest that would grow as the centuries pass.” | Dr. Holmes modestly refrained from saying that his investigations and in- terpretations of the material he found as the result of his excavations in the Piney Branch Valley raised him to a foremos: position among American archeologists, He has now passed his | tion of this whole site, which is of so . much interest to American historians and scientists throughout the world, before it is obliterated by the rapidiy xS | eightieth milestone in life, his birth® ancroaching suburban building ope tions, Not long hefore Col Washington he went over with Dr. Holmes, and together the selected 2 place for the erection of sed group of statusry al to Sherrill grour as a e implemen LUSTRATING THE QUARRY FORMATION. makers whose race was driven from its anclent home bLy the white race which now occupies the land and has built its great Capital City wh the carried on in “I have been especially interested in the development of the northwestern suburbs of Washington,” wrote Dr. | Holmes to Col. Sherrill. “and my re cent visit with you to Piney Branch thas aroused anew the hope that this i secluded little valley may vet be res- | cued. at least in large part, from the !ruthless m of suburban im- vement. his valley, as the city's attention, | count of its romantic beaut nd de- ability as a park area, but especlal- - for the reason that it bears on its rest-covered slopes one of the most | important historical sites east of th { Allegheny Mountains—the site on I\\hu-h for hundreds, possibly thou- sands, of vears the Indian tribes of | :he Potomac Valley quarried quartzite sowlders from which they roughed out { by fracture their implements of war wnd tHe chase. The numerous tribal zroups dwelt in the villages scattered |along the banks of the Potomac and its tributaries. Unmolested, they i know, deserve not only on ac i barely ten gener . vet today the o their presence here. reminder that such ever dwelt within the Dis lumbia & the e . <hop refuse cover m the site o te the very center o the usurping race A most_serious q nts itself to on 2o on selling and igain the hills an, birthright, amassing fortunes unes, without « thou :xistence or their sacrifice” | world's history ruces have -ceded races in the possession of the rden spots of the world are we to follow the exampl barians of the past? Or shall we pre erve this Piney Branch site, erectin: thereon a monument, 3 memorial, to show the world that we ure not uttes ingrates?"” 1690. Since th: have inen on! L pec t of qu in perr the axistin; oun + few yen neople v * % JOR wearly half Holmes has been assoc the Smithsonian Institution different_lines of scientific (Continued on Fourth * i Wl wi in_man: endeavo . century QUARRY GROUP IN PLASTER 0N ZHEL. PINEY BRANCH slii. o