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Show j . zzzrrzrrrrrrrrri raiyfe GREAT A ME K I C A N pppllllil PI PLAYWRIGHT BELT J -SbSl ' .. .. Shinley Manor. , .SWinV'v:'- : pMl RUN Along the North Shore of the Sound and a " 833 Glimpse at the Beautiful Homes of the Writers of - : the Plays That Have Won High Honors and Big Royalties. y. . ' i ' 'plg3p -j j jjp; lM fes& illlllll Home of Edward Milton Royle, Daricn, Conn the front of tho house, across the road, is Cove Ponn, nn Inlet of tho Sound, which Is n quarter of a mil nwny. One of the treasures of I ho house Is an old Frauklin stove. The dramatist has Just completed a new workshop, located on the second floor Here lie has n fine library, bis writing desk, a largo open fireplace, fire-place, and on the walls many rare theatrical souvenir. souve-nir. Mr. Ditrichstein has resided here for five years. The nctor-dramutlsl lately completed a new play that Dald Relaseo will present next November, with Mr. IMtricLMeln In the leading rule. This play has been mimed "The Concert." Continuing along the Tost road we come to Darlen. where we find Edward Milton Koyle, the author of "The Squaw Mm" and other successful plays lie has located about a mile out of the town and called his place The Wlckieup. The Royks (Mrs. Ruyk being known to the stage as Selena Tetter) hare on of the most important estates to he discovered lu I he Playwright Holt. They have twenty acres of ground and au expansive New England homestead. The builder of this house knew not the architecture of a Harlem flat, for he built his ceilings high and the rooms big and ample. The dramatist ias his den on the first floor. He works at n large, flat topped table lu the centre of the room. The walls are crammed with bonks. The Wlckieup Is n place of elbow room, e ise and comfort. A feature of the place Is a lake of nearly three acres In extent, and in winter the Boyle have found skating admirable sport. There are nearly of the much lamented dramatist Joseph Arthur, who W';vv ;s V.',' 4V-:r'7' IT&VV fY&f if Mr? RIDA wrote -Blue Jeans" and "The Still Alarm." It was V "mmCON only lately that Mrs. Arthur disposed of the fire en- :. v? JUWWoUW glue that was so long a feature of tuo latter play. "Y-"'' ''-i YOUNG One Journeys a mile further to the east before V '1 .'l: &-&'5;;:.'. ' vV 75. coming, at New Rochelle, upon the home of Augustus C '.',: ";'. ;-..r ;- ..I:, i'.'jZy's . ' T- - J vy,v'' :,y vjjS. Thomas, the author of a lone array of successes. such jj.' -(', Bcllchavcn, Home of Mrs. Rida Johnson Young, Greenwich, Conn. ZZZZIZZZZZZ T LEO DITRICH- "f Shubort will present during the coming season. Mmo. Tivntinl is at present the guest of Mrs. Young, studying study-ing her role In "Naughty Marietta." Another dramatist of this area Is Julian Street, tin. novelist and playwright- Mr. Street Is at present in JOuivpe. He was lately the guest of ut-orge C. Tyler, manager of Liebler & Co., on an autompblle tour in France. lie has a spacious estate lu Dublin road. North Greenwich. Passing Clyde Fitch's Quiet Corner, we corn1 to K.iudolph. Hartley's workshop, Toussnlut. at North Cos Cob, a little over a mile from Ci'-enwloh. Mr. Hartley's distinction lies In the f-ict that he wrote the Hi st American llbrelto of a grand opera ever presented pre-sented In Furope. Ills 'Toia." with music by Arthur Nevln. was produced In P-erlln last April. Mr. Hartley Hart-ley Is at present at work on a new grand opera, to be called "Twilight," music by Mr. N'evln, which will be given at the Grand Opera House lu Berlin ntxl Home of Leo Ditrichstein, Stamford, Conn. eight acres of old oaks, n fine vegetable garden, a big chicken ynrd, several acres in apple treex, a pasture for the cows and horses and a rootny stable and gurage. Like the other dramatists of the n.iywrlght Belt, the Koyles are well prepared for winter, for they reside re-side at the Wlckleup all the year aroumt As a place of residenco the dramatists do not seem to hanker for the city. In the cosey vlllago of I)arien Mrs. Bronson Howard, How-ard, the wlfo of the lamented dramatist, has purchased pur-chased a home. It Is less than a mile from the Wlckleup Wlck-leup 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. Home of the Late Clyde Fitch. Greenwich. Conn. Copytlthh 1910, tj tb Nw York Horll O. AU Tlfbi rwrTy1.) HARTFORD. Conn.. Saturday THE north 6horc of Long Island Sound has become the Great American Playwright Belt.. With few exceptions all the important American Ameri-can dramatists have taken up their abode on. this inspiring strip of land. And If anybody Imagines that gaunt-eyed and sunken-cheeked Tcnury Las these playsruiihs lu her grasp let him coirect the. notion nt once. It Is a fuLlaej" that calls for immediate correction, for very many of the most palatial country estates along the north shore of Long Island Sound Brc the homes of makers of plays. In this pla making bolt, extending practically from I'elhauj Manor tp Howayton, n distance of about, twenty-live miles, Mill be fouud the homes of twenty-live twenty-live dramatists, averaging ouc to n mile. There Is uot a town of any considerable size along the north shore of the Sound between these wo cities (bat does nut boast the possession of one or more dramatic authors. While the "array of talent." as the Dative puts, it, Is being constantly added to by the arrival of some new genius, the Belt has had one important desertion. Eugene Walter, feeling the need of north shore Inspiration In-spiration ozone, locator! a couple of years ago at Nor-walk, Nor-walk, and straightway constructed 'one of the most Important successes of modern time, "The Kasiest Way." But he has left the Belt, and aloug with Channing Pollock has set up u rival camp at Shore-ham, Shore-ham, L. I., nearly opposite the hub of dramatic culture, cult-ure, Stamford. It will, however, be observed that the deserters1 have stuck to Long Island Sound, and on clear days with a pair of opera glasses they can from the porch of the Tarsonago observe the movements of the "vile opposition" on the opposite shore. Thou there Is another collection of competitors that lave raised their heads and signalled attention. ThU one. forgetting for the nonce the Edgur Smith libretto factory at Elmburst, mf3bt be called the Potomac River Colony of Playsmitbs. Paul Armstrong has a vast estate at Annapolis, and Taul Wilstach and Tuul Kester are located in a fine old Colonial hall on the river at Gunston, Va, It is only fair also to disclose the fact that at Merrlcwold Tark, Sullivan county, N T., thero is another aspiring camp of playsmiths, Charles Klein, now one of the stars of the Great American Tlaywright Belt, originated this haunt and inchoragc of genius. Th, curious will find thero re-lidlng re-lidlng Martha Morton, William C. De Mllle and Harry Mawson. After Mr. Klein's removal to Connecticut Mr. De Mllle purchased tho Klein homo But these rival dramatic bivouacs, compared to the Great American Playwright Belt, located on the north shore f Long Island Sound, arc lean, hungry and anaemic .rivals. . It was the Iato Clyde Fitch who jrave the first powerful impetus to the dramatic colonization of Connecticut. He built for himself at Greenwich a lovely Italian villa, filled It with rare works of art from all quarters of the globe and named it Quiet Comer. It was at this charming home that Mr. Fitch wrote some of his most popular plays. There, high Bbove Greenwich, he drank "the pale drug of silence and evolved things" Connecticut was Mi. Fitch's native State, Ho loved its rolling country, its old ftone 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 dramatist. From bis garden he looked over a wide expanse of green fields and abundant woodland. Here It was that the rouse, with no discord loving clowns about, was given no jangllsh strain. Through the Belt. An automobile ride through tho Great American I laywright Belt discloses one fact to cnt e satisfaction sat-isfaction "the play is the thing" that provides the country estate. Journeying from New York the first dramatic celebrity's homo that we meet with Is George V. nobart's Ruraldene, at Pelham Manor. Here we find the author of Broadway to Toklo," "Sally In Onr Alley," "The Ham Tree," "Coming Through the Rye," "Wildfire," "The Boys and Betty," "Tho Candy Shop" and "The Yankee Girl" the lord of an expansive and ttracUvc estate. The -oyalties from plays and the author's books, such as "John Henry," "Down the Line," "Back to the Woods." "You Can Search Me" and "Jim Hlckey," must have b en ample and continuous, for Ruraldene, comprising four acres of ground, is a charming place, benutlfully kept. The house is a large one, the lower half being of bowlders and tho upper of shingles. A new garage and stable has been built to match the home. The dramatist's workshop Is located on the second floor. The walls nre-packed with choice volumes, and there is a work table which Is quite a wonderful iffalr, resembling the oval copy desk that is seen ouly In metropolitan newspaper oiflces. In fact. It is time big, flat topped desks joined into one. Then there are cabinet tiles and pigeonholes and all the other paraphernalia para-phernalia that one sees only in the workshop of ua active literary roan. Mr. Hobarl is busy just now with next year'B output. Ho has "Girlies" running at the New Amsterdam Theatre; Maclyn Arbuckle soon will appear In "Welcome to Our City," he has about completed the adaptation of "Alma, Wo Wohnst Du?" In which Joseph Weber will Btar Kitty Gordon next season, and is giving all his spare time to "Sweet Sixteen," which be is writing for Low Fields and for which Victor Herbert Is composing the music One of the most popular diversion of Ruraldene is tennis, and here is one of the best equipped courts to be found along the Sound. But when It ralus billiards is the game. Mr. Hobarl is one of the must active of Lambs, and the week always finds several of them at Ruraldene. The guest roomn are abundantly supplied with various slzen of llneu trousers and tennis shoes, so that there may be no excuse for not plavlng the author's favorite game. The HobarU have two children. chil-dren. Georgia leaned "Pent-hoR" by brr father;, a giii eleven, and Bayne. a lively bov of six. Within a short distance ofRiiraldeu was the hr.mc as "Alabama," "In Mlzzoura," "The Earl cr Paw-rueket," Paw-rueket," "Mr. Lefliugwell's Boots." "The Education of Mr. Pipp." "The Witching Hour" and "The Harvest Moon." Augustus Thomas might very well be placed In the landed gentry class. Ou his estate Thomas Place, besides his own splendid home, the dramatist has built sevcu palatial i residences. Ills own abode is located at tho end of Thomas Tlacc, racing to the north, and is completely excluded. From the front of the house there Is a fine view overlooking a charming charm-ing valley. Its Interior is exactly what ouc might expect ex-pect from a man of his wealth and culture. Augustus Thomas Is keenly Interested In politics. Ills speeches Indicate that he is a friend of the downtrodden down-trodden aud oppressed. When ono sees how good dramatic fortune has been to him one can easily understand his desire that others should be as will provided for. Only the downtrodden need not apply for leases at Thomas Place! The Thomas home and grounds are just the daces where one would be expected ex-pected to toss his heart up with tho lark. Things woie not always so easy as this for Augustus Thomas, and yet at Thomas Place. In the vords of George Meredith, "pleasure flows from the eurlh ami sky. not the purse." Yet when summer comes the Thomas family moves to East Hampton, whore the dramatist has another home near the sea. New Rochelle Is also the home of Francis Wilson, the author of "The RacbeWs Baby." But Mr. Wilson Wil-son lately rented his residence and moved to other parts, so he cannot be correctly mentioned as belonging 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 Ilnli Winslow, the author of "The Vinegar Buyer" and other successes, 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 Chester Ches-ter are Brandon Tynon and Frederic F, Sehrader. 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 nt By ram's Point Mr. Sehrader nas been writing the libretto of a comic opera which Mr. Whitney will produce next season. Mr. Schrndcr's mot 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, nt its mlll-kmnalrc mlll-kmnalrc suburb. Belle Haven, we discover the first woman dramatist In the Playwright Belt Mrs. Kida Johnson Young. The author of "The Lottery Man" has a large, roomy stucco house. It sets well back from the road, snd is screened by many splendid oak trees. Mrs. Young has two acres in the heart of ex-clucive ex-clucive Belle Haven. Back of the house is a sunken Italian garden, and well nwiy from the bone Is a roomy stable and garage, built of the same material as the huiise. The dramatist does all her work In n room ou the second floor, and she could not very well be en lied "a little Ink iady" for the reason that she docs all of her composing on a typewriter. All that is to be seen In this workshop are I he photograph, of several famous actors and actresses, a roll top desk, a typewriter and table, and a caso of pigeon holes lu whh h nro kept copies of the many plays that Mrs. Young has written. She keeps her books in t ho living room downstairs, but there are not so many as formerly. Last winter when away on a visit, and the house rlosed, a thief entered and carried oif the best discoverable In tho way of books, furniture and silverware. Mrs. Young has resided nt Greenwich for nearly seven years, and all her successes were written there. At a JIIIIh rottage on Steamboat road, near the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, she wrote "Glorious Betsy" for Mary Mannrrlng, "Brown of Harvard" and "The Boys of Company P.." 1 Miring tin: three years that she has resided at her new bouie In lkile Haven sin: has written "The Lottery Man," "Rugged Robin," In which Chuuncey Oleott has starred during the last two years, and "Barry of Itallynmre," the new Okoit play for this season; "Naughty Marietta.' the r;nmk' opera for which Victor Herbert lias written the uiuslr, and in which Oscar Hamrnerstein w ill star Mine, i ren-tlnl ren-tlnl dining the coming season, nnd "The Candidate," whieh the Messrs. Shubert will present during the present season. The driniatlst Is nt present at work on a new play for Helen Lowell, who Is now appearing appear-ing in "The Lottery Man," and whlh tho Messrs. Charles Klein's Home. A mile or two further on and we come to Roway-ton, Roway-ton, which owes Its present fame to the fact that Charles Klein makes his home there. The Klein estate es-tate Is called Shirley Manor. There ar about ten acres, and the house is perched on top of a knoll of an extensive view providing height The old dwelling dwell-ing has been added to in all directions, with the result re-sult that the author of "The Music Master" and "The Lion and the Mouse" has ample acco in moda lions. The workshop has been located on the third floor, a sort of noiseproof den nt the top of the house. Thero are the dramatist's desk and cabinet tiles, and on the walls has been bung u set of flashlight pictures of all the Klein successes "A Mile a Minute." "By Proxy," "El Capltan," "A Paltry Million," "Tht? Charlatan," "The Honorable John Grlgsby," "Dr. BolgrafT," "The Royal Rogue," "The Cipher Code," "The Auctioneer," "Mr. Pick wick," "Red Feather." "The. Music Master," "The Lion and the Mouse," "The Daughters of Men" nnd "The Next of Kin." A few days ago Mr. Klein put the finishing touches to his latest play, called "Tho Gamblers." which he will produce under his own management this fall. The play for Rose Stahl, called "Maggie Pepper," was completed earlier In the summer. One of the popular diversions of the dramatist is playing an orehostrelle and billiards, the table being located on th third floor of the house, adjoining his den In the way of outdoor sport there is a-plenty. Shirley Manor is provided with a finely equipped tennis ten-nis court. At Bell Island, on the Sound, a half a mile away, the dramatist has built a bungalow, now occupied occu-pied by his son Philip nnd wife. Tlifre Is a good bench hero. About two city blocks from Shirley Mnrjor there Is an arm of the Sound, nnd on this Mr. Klein has a boat house and anchorage for his yacht, the . K. Aotonioblllng, too, Is a favorite sport of the owner of Shirley Manor. It Is a three milo run to South Norwnlk, where Porter Emersou Brown, one of the "younger choir of dramatists," Is to be found. The enrth, air and sky of the Great American Playwright Belt have evideutly agreed with Mr. Brown's temperament, for since lo- . eating thero he has written "A Fool There Was," "Tbo Spendthrift" and "The Little Mother," a new play for Mabel TaJlaferro. He Is now at work on a new drama to be called "Money," tho same being picture of New York life, Mr. Brown has a comfortable comfort-able old bouse, plenty of room, a good view of fleM and farm, aud Ls in close proximity to the waters of the Sound. We now approach tho edge of the Belt Six miles up the road, at Greens Farms, Richard Le Gnlllenne. who has made a dramatization of "Orestes" for William Will-iam Favershaiu, 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 GalHerine has entered the Great American Playwright Bolt and got the habit. It is more than Likely the case that be will forsake for-sake tb poetic music, tjie prose pastel, and go In for royalties nnd a vast country estate. As Bethel, near Dunbury. Is not far away. I may ns well include Sydney Syd-ney RosfMifeid, the author of many successes, such a "The Vnndprbllt Cup." "The Bla'k Hussar." "Prince' Methusalem." "Nnnon" and "The Lady snd the Tiger" year. The home of the Hartleys. Tuussnlnt, U as quaint an old homestead as can be found In Connecticut. Connecti-cut. The house was built by a Huguenot exile about two hundred years ago Mrs. Hartley Is knowu to the stage as Emily Wakouian, lately appearing with Laurence Lau-rence Irving at the Comedy Theatre. About a mile further along on the Hm dserapplo road we come to the homo of Howard Thurston, the magician. Here will be found two dramatists busily ut work on plays for next season Frank Du Free and Howard Hall. Mr. Thurston and Mr. Du Pree are collaborating on a drama to bo calks! "The Unseen Un-seen Power." Besides assisting In the construction of the story, the magkian Is providing certain illusions illu-sions .that will be an Important feature of tho play. Mr. Howard, who Is tho author of "The Man Who Dared" nod other melodramas. Is engaged In reconstructing recon-structing that good old thriller, "The Corslcnn Brothers." Mr. Thurston Is to supply rlaln magic o fleets that are calculated to add to the effect Iveuess of the drama. A Surcharged Atmosphere. Cos Cob has sllll another celebrity, tho same being Harrv Filch Taylor, the author, lrtlsc, actor and playwright. His best drama is "Tho Transcosco Trail," whkh Henry Jcwett presented Ihree years ago. A comedy bv Mr. Taylor named "Who Is Sylvia?- will be presented by Lteblcr & Co. during the season. Riverside Is but a mile to the east, along the old Post road, aud here we find the utmosphere surcharged with drama. All sorts of big ami Important things are taking place nt Riverside For one thing. Charles Leonard Van 1'tten Is at work on a poetic drama of a world embnu lng theme. So It Is that the world's eye w ill be f.M ussed on Riverside, for poetic dramas arc not written every dav in the week. This town lias the second woman dramatist In the Playwright Belt, Ivy Ashtoii Root. Mrs. Root resides In I.ckwood avenue, nnd her house Is one of those old fashioned homesteads that seem dear to the hearts of playwrights play-wrights Her best known plnvs are "The Greater Love" and "The Home of Cards," the latter wrltteu for Marv Mannering. Then 'there Is Lincoln Sleflens. Ho will soon break-forth break-forth as a dramatist, which should cause mnny n cringing malefactor to shake lu his shoes. He has a tine old homestead adjoining tho Riverside Yacht Club. Last, but by no means least in the matter of Importance. Im-portance. Is that best seller and fMinda.ioiis dramatist, dra-matist, Inlng Bacheller. Ho Is really the star and glittering literary orb of Riverside It has been said that a novelist cannot write a play. This docs not apply to the one In question, for he has turned two of his best sellers Into successful dramas, the same being "Fbeu Iloldcn" nnd "I Mi and 1." This nuthor-plny-w tight has one of the finest estates on the Sound. Hi property .is on the shore. Stamford, four miks further nlong ou the Boston Post road, has long been a favorite haunt of the play-wrltlng play-wrltlng fraternlt v. We find there Charles Rami Kennedy, Ken-nedy, Two Ditrichstein and Henry Miller. Mr. Miller is no well known as an nctor that his excursions Into the pbirmaUing realm have ceneraUv bu.n over! oked. Yet he has bad a finger and the whole hand In the making of muny successful dramas, If he had cared to be known as a playwright Instead of au actor he would, very llkelj, have nchlevcd a glowing fame. Many a pIhv, fresh from the pen of rhe dramatist, has received the tiulshing touches from his adept hand. Yet the only time that lie has consented to have ids name used In this particular was as co-author with uartley Manners In "Zira." Mr. Miller's farm. Sky Meadow, Is one of the most charmingly located estates In the entire Playwrlgnt Belt. It Is situated about seven miles north of Stamford, Stam-ford, aud from the door yard of his quaint old house one can rigurutivcly shake hands with the stars. An nilmlrHble sight for an observatory is Sky Meudow. Wbeu Mr. Miller's new house is completed Me will have an estate that will be the most attractive tho country routct. As there was a good old house, suitable suit-able for present purposes, he built la: year a splendid barn, a roomy farm house, a dairy, an Ice house, and put lu a waler plant that, by the use of compressed air, supplies the home and all parts of the place. On clear clays you can see Long Island Sound, and cverv day from Sky Meadow you look down ou all the farms, homesteads, villages and church spires for miles arouod. Up Around Stamford. About a mile from Sky Meadow Is the home cf Charles R.mu Kennedy, the author of "The Servant in the House" and "The Winter Feast." This house and property are exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to au Englishman. Ho has twenty acres of ground, cut up by old stone walls. There arc a tine orchard, a garden and u view of a lovely valley w hich is uninterrupted for several miles. Although' not yet nnined. It should be called the Haven of Repose. At present there is only an old New England homestead of the kind you see so many hcienbout. The old beams' are of oak, rough hewn, and th. shingles on tho sides of the house and roof aio of the hand made vnrlety. On the chimney of this old housn cut In stone we read. "Oct. 21, 1 77G. E. H," Mr. Kennedy Ken-nedy proposes to build a now home, modelled after an old Norman castle. Here It is that the author of "The Servant In the Houe" nnd his wife, Edith Wynne Mutthison. will make their future abode and entertain their friends. Mr Kennedy Ken-nedy has been at work on a new play which Henry Miller will produce at some future time. Returning to Stamford and continuing along the Post road for a couple of miles we come to the home of Leo Ditrichstein. The author of 'is Marriage a FnllureV" "Are You a Mason?" "Before and After," "Vivian's Papa." "The Ambitious Mrs. Oleott," "All on Account of Eliza" and "Southern Romance" has an estate of twenty ncies and a stanch New England Eng-land house, nil bespeaking wealth, comfort anil repose. re-pose. Th house Is upward of two hundred years old. The dramatist has made some Important additions, but these have rmi Interfered with Its architectural beauty. The shingles ou the sides nnd roof are of the hand hewn variety nnd the na(U hand made. This tine old plnee Is ou the Jloston Post rond. Running "long one side of the property Is Noroton River nnd In |