Life — January 21, 1904 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- LIFE - Scientific Relief. TT HE famous old woman, who lived in a shoe, And had so many children shedidn't know what todo, Attended, along with quite a few others Similarly troubled, a Congress of Mothers, And heard such a number of papers there read, That when she got home her children were dead No Shenanigan! AYOR McCLELLAN, who received frow the Fire, Building, and other city departments reports on the conditions of New York theatres wi respect of public safety, called the man gers before him and found them very to promise anything. He is that it would be against public policy to have published the shortcom- ings Which the inspectors found in some of the and read quoted as say theatres. His purpose is to have these de- fects remedied at once and to allay public apprehen- sion In this conclusion Lire takes ¢ Mayor. ct issue with the If the inspections showed any theatre to be ing the law, it was and is his duty tep in his power to close that house If a disaster should occur, Mayor Me- Clellan, by ¢ ent, puts himself on record rectly responsible. This is no time for secrecy. entitled to any knowledge in the Mayor's possession regarding the places they are asked to frequ d which the authoritics under the Mayor permit to remain open Incidentally, Lire would like to call the attention of the Fire Commissioner to the heavy druperies in front of the fire exits in many theatres, and to the heavy curtains which block egress through the main exits. Nothing could be better devised to make a blockade in case of panic. In this matter there seems to b unsafe, or viol. to take every until it is made safe. stater 3 being di- The public is little too much regard for the pockets and convenience of the managers, and much too little regard for human life. UR Scottish friends have a huwor all the men understand it—presumably. $ claim to understand it. M. Barrie | own, Se he ne other persons In some of his works Mr. J s modified its peculiarities to the point where it permeates agreeably into the consciousness of us all, But his latest ebullition of humor, which takes the dramatic form of a play, entitled * Little Mary,” fails to appeal poignantly to American risibles. 1t commands some laughs, but its satirical point seems to be entirely lost. The Briton is notoriously a heavy feeder and drinker. The fog- laden atmosphere of the British Isles makes this a necessity of existence. The British system must be strongly fortified to with- stand the British climate. Warm tea in large quantities, ditto strong gin, ditto heavy ales and ports, ditto pork pies, barons of beef, saddles of mutton, suet puddings and veal loaf go to make up the basis of English character. ‘This is the butt of Mr. Barrie's satire, and he vehicles it through a veiled allusion to the English stomach, under the title of “ Little Mary.” ‘This is said to have tickled London's sense of humor, and have made the play suc- cessful in that metropolis. Mr. Barrie does not make * Little Mary" responsible for England’s colossal mistakes in statecraft, but he holds her largely responsible for the stupidity of the upper classes in other directions, and this scems to have made the play a hit with those it attacks. It is likely to be less appreciated in America, for although we here take tremendous liberties with our digestive machines, the abuses seem to add to rather than de- crease the nervous energy of the race. ‘The American pie fiend may not be an agreeable person, but his dyspepsia seems to make him do things instead of making him sluggish. Hence Mr. Barrie's “ Little Mary" loses its point locally. Another thing, the British stomach is a very serious matter, and is not usually made the subject of conversation in polite circles. ‘Therefore, when Moira Loney comes out flat-footedly and calls the useful organ by name before a number of persons, she creates a sensation in London, and that moment be climax of the play. Here, we are either not so afraid of our stomachs and the word is symbolicul of nothing to be reverenced mes the MESSRS. KLAW AND ERLANGER PRESENT “MR. BLUEBEARD,” LATE oF THE IROQUOIS THEATRE. comicbooks.com