THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, ,1V hY i0, 1010.
THE DRAMA OF A LIFE.
TIio Tyrol PcomuiU' Interpretation
of tho Passion Tiny.
I hnvo seen nt Olicr Ammorgnn
the peasants' Christ. Uut far more
than that, It was the world's Christ
surrounded by those who loved him.
In this tiny bavarian village among
tho snow-topped Alps, with nothing
but the great story Itself to Inspire
them, these peasants of the Tyrol
have so wonderfully Interpreted tho
passion of Christ thnt tho railroads
nre taxed and the hospitality of the
village is strained to the utmost to
provide the simplest accommodations
for tho crowds who come to look
and wonder. In tho nudloncc today
was the King of Sweden and a great
dignitary of Homo. Jeweled dowa
gers gazed through gold-bowed lorg
nettes nt them but not till after the
performance. Millionaires rented
tiny rooms thnt they would not think
of using nt the villngo hotel in or
der to obtain tickets and then hast
ened away in their motor cars after
the play. All these came to see tho
peasants' Christ. It was only tho
third performance, yet they were
forced to repeat It In tho rain the
next day because so many more came
than could be admitted to the thea
ter. To call It wonderful Is to use a
stale adjective. Your wondering
question at first Is this: "Why have
they learned such art?" For. the
presentation Is letter perfect; artis
tic music, elocution, setting, color,
balance. Nothing overdrawn, noth
ing strained, nothing incongruous,
dramnticnlly perfect. And you ask
again, "Where did they learn this?"
But soon you surrender to the spell
and let them play upon your feel
ings as they will, forgetting to ask
about their art, while they Interpret
life to you yes, The Life.
For that is what they do. It Is
useless to ask the secret of their
art; there is no secret. Their art
is their life. For months nfter the
cast has been chosen by the vote
of the villagers, the character lives
in the part to which he has been
assigned. And for years before they
have been chosen, the principal
characters have been hoping and as
piring to parts most noble. There
is only one real actor In the whole
cast, and that is Judas. He plays
his part the rest live theirs.
Judas plays so well that you are
left with no feeling of bitterness to
ward the traitor. Nothing but pity.
Perhaps this Is well. If It could be
said that Milton made Satan so at
tractive that he became the hero of
Paradise Lost, then truly Johann
Zwlnk makes Judas too fascinating.
The play is the work of a genius
and it is interpreted by a commun
ity of geniuses, musical, dramatic,
religious. We speak of the people
of the community producing the
play It would be nearer the truth
to say that the play has produced the
community. It has bound together
through centuries a group of peo
ple and made them artists bound
them by the strongest of all ties,
that of religion.
Ober Ammergau is only a little
village of some 500 people; its pres
ent theatre, built for the last per
formance, seats but 4,200 people;
its stage proper, back of the plat
form which is open to the sky, is
but 25 by CO feet, and yet the whole
civilized world will pour continual
crowds to this remote mountain vill
age as long as the Alpine summer
allows the play to be presented out
of doors.
The village Itself is worth study
ing as an example of Christian so
cialism without the name. Tho peo
ple live for each other, the profit
of one is for the good of all. Peo
ple, houses and streets are all
scrupulously clean. There Is no
grandeur. The homes are very sim
ple. There is no graft. While fair
prices are charged, there Is no ex
tortion. The players do not recelvo
large sums for their acting. Tho
highest price paid for one whole
year's performances to those in the
first class, which Includes Anton
Lang, who takes the part of Chrlstus,
Is $350, less than some vaudeville
stars receive for ono night. The
town receives one-third of the profits
of the play and expends it for the
public good. They have excellent
schools, where music and art are
thoroughly taught. There are some
wonderful voices in the community,
such as would command attention
on tho opera stage, but they do not
leave .the town to become singers or
artists. Theirs is a holy calling and
they have held to It with wonderful
fidelity. Nearly all the villagers
have sorno part in tho play. Tho ar
tist who paints the scenery is em
ployed a whole year at the task.
Some 700 people appear on tho stago
at each presentation as players or
llgures In tho tableaux. Every fam
ily must help to take caro of tho
strangers who flock into tho little
town to witness tho play.
Of tho play itself it Is difficult to
speak. It disarms all criticism.
Good Father Dalsenberger, who took
tho crudo play of tho middle ages,
had tho genius to turn It Into a
classic for all time. Ho has so
handled tho familiar material of tho
gospels, Interspersing tableaux from
tho Old Testament, that wo have tho
story of Christ's passion made tho
central fact of all history. Stead
was right when ho said after wit
nessing this play, "This is the story
that transformed tho world."
Tho play lasts from 8 in tho morn
ing till C, with two hours' intermis
sion for dinner. It has Its greater
and lessor climax, Tho first shows
Christ's humanity, when ho bids
farewell to his mother. Tho second
and greater crisis is, of course, the
crucifixion. When tho first Is pre
sented the nudlenco almost to a unit
yields to tho spell nnd falls to weep
ing. In tho long-drawn ngony of the
second pcoplo hardly breathe, so
tetiBo Is tho feeling, and at tho stroko
of the spenr I actually heard won
gasp for breath. Tho sound of tho
rending veil of tho temple, tho
crashing rocks and tho footfalls of
tho breathless messenger to tho
High Priest conies as n real relief.
For 1!) minutes, so somebody said,
Lang had hung upon the cross. His
pnrt Is done to perfection. Hut so
do all tho players do their parts.
As Chrlstus, Lnng does not so much
causo you to see the character as to
feel It. Mary, the Virgin Mother,
Is also beautifully portrayed and
Mary Magdalene Is very strongly set
forth. Tho disciples aro particularly
well sustained by older men, al
though John, the solicitous, is but a
youth of lit. Ono player whose
name was not on tho program fur
nished us with a great deal of pleas
ure. I am suro she was the young
est of all the participants, a baby
not more than four years old In tho
very front rank of ono of the tab
leaux where 400 people were on tho
stage, 150 of them being children.
The child sat like a statue, except
that the cold wind that sprang up
at the moment caused her to curl
up nnd uncurl her dainty toes, ns if
she had just been lifted out of her
bath. Wo loved that child every
one of us as she clasped her moth
er's neck and I think a good many
people remembered how many miles
of sen and land separated them from
some such child.
Imagine these people going down
from their high and holy calling to
the simplest of tasks! A friend hold
ing a letter of Introduction to Ju
das found him an hour after tho
performance milking the family
cow, while his daughter, who had
just thrilled the great audience with
the last words of the play, "Halle
lujah! He Is risen," the matchless
Magdalene, was wearing a gingham
apron to wait on the American
sightseers who were quartered on
the home.
It is said that a real danger low
ers over this beautiful institution.
The tourist agencies are planning,
before the next presentation, to
erect great hotels and to commercial
ize the whole performance. They
will destroy the very life and spirit
of the play. It Is devoutly to be
hoped that this is not their Inten
tion, but the players fear It. Better
that Thomas Cook should not send
tourists to the Tyrol than that this
artistic, idealistic community should
be submerged by vulgarism. I know
that some of the people of the vill
age see the danger now and fear
that they are helpless to avert it and
1 want to join with them in utter
ing protest.
Wi P. G.
Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial
Commission.
The Gettysburg Battlefield Me
morial commission, with the approv
al of the governor, has fixed Tues
day, Sept. 27, 1910, noon, as the
time for the dedication of the state
monument at Gettysburg.
For the occasion soldiers of Penn
sylvania regiments or other organ
izations which participated in the
battle of Gettysburg can have free
transportation to and from Gettys
burg (and the public at rate of ono
and one-half cents per mile each
way) from the railroad station In
Pennsylvania nearest to the homes
of each, tickets to be good going
from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 and good
returning to reach original starting
pofrit not later than Sept. 30.
To arrange for railroad tickets
for soldiers entitled to free transpor
tation, and to provide seats for
them at the dedication, each such
soldier is requested to send to tho
commission at once his full name
and postofflco address, together with
the name of the regiment and com
pany In which he served, addressed
to tho Gettysburg Battlefield Memor
ial commission. P. O. Box 533, Phil
adelphia, Pa.
(Signed) H. S. HUIDEKOPBR,
President.
A WATER DUEL,
OO.VOltESSMAN XOKItlS OF XE
IlllASKA. "Let it be said hero and now,"
writes Jay 13. House in Human Life
for July, "by ono who has studied
reformers at close range, and at all
tho different angles for many years,
that this man Norris this short
grass statesman who drew tho plans
that upset a congressional dynasty
Is n now kind.
"To ono who has watched thorn all,
from Sockless Jorry Simpson to La
Follette, pass In review, ho presents
no familiar aspect. Every reformer
save and except Norris who has rid
den tho passing fury long enough
to focus public attention upon him
solf has marked tho spot whore ho
alighted by somo montal quirk or
personal idlosyncracy. Norris Is a
normal man, an average citizen,
hitched by fate to tho'whoels of gov
ernment and doing his best to pull
his share of tho load.
"To all outward appearances his
senso of location, in so far as it re
lates to tho grandstand, is deficient.
In his outward manifestations ho Is
just an ordinary man trying to do an
ordinary man's work without un
necessary conversation or tho ex
hibition of either passion or pre
judice. So far as his personal ap
pearance goes, If he woro charged
with selling hardware, or being
cashier of a small bank, the jury
would convict on tho first ballot."
Human Life Publishing Co., Boston.
Near the border which divides Sibe
ria from Russia lived Count Arkadye
vlch, a country gentleman. His daugh
ter, Mnrya Alcxandrovuu, an attractive
girl of eighteen, was sought In ninr
rlngc by many of the sous of the neigh
boring lunded proprietors, but seemed
to prefer Ivan Mlkahallof, a lusty but
lazy young fellow who had nover been
known to tako an Interest In but ono
thing tho town flro department, which
he had organized nnd drilled.
A battalion of troops enino to the
town commanded by Major Nikolai Le
vin, n middle, aged man whose private
fortuno was large. From childhood ho
had been accustomed to having his
own way. no had studied and prac
ticed tho use of every known weapon,
and when any man stood In his way he
would Insult him, challenge him and,
if necessary, kill him. All kinds of
weapons had been tried against Levin,
from n Turkish sclmltcr to n mountain
howitzer, and he had bandied every
one with perfect skill. Ho had no soon '
er set eyes on Marya than ho fell vio
lently in lovo with her. Mnrya, though
she accepted his attentions, eonld not
be completely won over from her ath
letic suitor Ivnn. Levin at last con
cluded that with Ivan In tho way ho
could novor win the girl, so ho made
up his mind to kill him. Ho soon
found a pretext for considering himself
insulted by tho young man nnd sent
him a challenge.
Marya heard of the intended assas
sination and was much troubled. In
her extremity she sent for a former
schoolmate, Kostla Sanln, in whoso in
genuity she placed great confidence,
and asked him to help her.
"Well, I will offer him my services,
and If he accepts them I will boo what
I can do for him," said Sanln.
A few hours later' Major Levin re
ceived a visit from Sanln. "1 am to
arrange this affair between you and
my friend Mlkahallof," he said, "and,
since ho is the challenged party, cuooso
for him tho weapons, tho time and the
place of meeting."
"That Is your right. It Is Immaterial
to me with what weapon I fight, nnd I
beg you will choose that with which
the young man Is most skillful."
"You show a magnanimous spirit.
major, unu i snail meet your wisnes.
The only weapon with which Ivan
Mlkahallof has any skill whatever is
tho nozzle of a hose. I therefore choose
this weapon."
"If you think you can turn the af
fair Into a Jest you are mistaken."
"I propose no Jest. Tuo terms are
that you and your adversary are to go
Into an unheated room, wearing no
clothing whatever, each furnished with
a hose, and play upon each other till
you are satisfied."
"What an absurdity!"
"Nothing of the kind. You know that
tho temperature here at this season is
never above zero, and the water la ley
cold. Neither of you will be able to
endure the torture more than half an
hour without dying a terrlblo death, I
and In any event there is great proba- i
billty of pneumonia setting In after
tho combat."
Sanln then named the tlino and place
and took his departure.
Tho major submitted the case to the
officers of his battalion, who, after long
deliberation, decided that he must ac
cept the terms. At tho appointed time
ho and his antagonist stood stark
naked in a large room, each armed
with a half Inch nozzle. At a given
signal the water was turned on by the
seconds and tho contest begun. Ivan
had always lived In that northern re
gion, while the mnjor had been boru
In the south. Ivan was hardy, while
tho major was delicate nnd sensitive
from having led a luxurious life. At
tho first stroke of the icy water ho waa
shaken by a terrific chill, while Uio
sturdy Ivan, who had bathed In water
as cold that very morning, braced
himself against the shock and stood
upright and firm as a rock. Ono of the
seconds stood with n watch in his
baud, while tho other kept a hand on
the water cock.
At tho end of tworfnluutcs time was
called nnd the wnter turned off. Tho
principals were permitted to move
ubout for two minutes to recoup and
break the Ice forming on their bodies,
when they were required to take their
positions and the water was turned
on. At tho end of the next round Lo
vlu was shivering terribly, his skin
was livid, and his lips wcro blue, while
his opponent had readily restored cir
culation. At the end of the next round
tho major was Informed by those of
his officers who wcro present that he
might give up tho unequal contest
without sacrificing his honor, and ho
declared thnt he was satisfied. He was
takon Into a warm room, dosed with
hot liquor, rubbed and put between
blankets. Nevertheless ho was strick
en with pneumonia, from which bo
nearly died. Ivan polished himself
with a crash towel, put on his clothes
and took a brisk walk.
Kostla Sanln went to Marya and
gavo her an account of what had oc
curred. "You aro now free to marry
either of those men you choose. I pro
tumo from your Interest In Ivan that
jour cholco will fall on him."
"No; it will not fall on Ivan."
"Then It la tho major."
"No, nor the major.
"Well, then, I should llko to know,
what all this troublo has been about"
"To change tho subject, how shall I
reward you for helping us out of this
dlfflcultyr
"Well, you might let me klsa your
hand."
"What do you Bay to my Hps?"
A light broke In upon Kostla. He
went to Marya, took hor In bis arms
and kissed her, but whon ho had Was
ed her onco there was no stopping, 1
STORIES OF
THEJIAMOND,
Ty Cobb Tells Why He Is So
Successful on the Field.
SLUMPS DON'T BOTHER HIM.
Champion Batter of the Country Say
When He Falls Off In Hitting Ht
Never Worries, but Practices Hard
Until He Regains Form.
No. XV.
By TY conn.
Copyright, 1910, by American Press Asso
ciation. To what do 1 owe my success as a
ball player? Thero are two answers
to this question. The first Is that I am
heart and soul in the game and, sec
ond, because I nm always trying to
lmprovo on my playing. 1 nm always
practicing, nnd, you know, practlco
makes perfect. Tnke, for Instance,
whon 1 have a butting slump. I don't
worry about It I Just get out In the
mornings at the ball park and prac
tice hitting ngalnst all kinds of twirl
ing. I like to stand up to the plate
and whale away at every old kind of
pitching. Some of tho boys nre easy
to hit whilo others are not. It alt
helps me to recover my batting eye.
Southpaw pitchers gave mo consid
erable troublo at one time, but that
was before I entered tho big league.
They never oven bother mo nowadays.
Just watch me at the plate and you'll
learn tho reason In a minute. Against
a right handed twlrler I crowd the
rubber and step Into a curve before it
breaks. Against n southpaw I drop
back as far as possible and wait for
the curve to break. Getting down to
figures, I should say that I stand fonr
feet closer to a right handed pitcher
than I do to a left hnnder.
My greatest delight Is to tickle the
pill with runners on the bases. You
may not believe mo, but nevertheless
It's true, I find It easier to hit the ball
TY OOUD, DETnoIT AMERICANS' OI1BA.T OCT
l'lVLDEU AND BATTEB.
with the sacks occupied. The pitcher
la worried, the luHoldera aro guessing,
and when you do hit the ball tho fly
ing Imso runners rattle und discon
cert the men who nre trying to handle
the ball.
When men are on bases I generally
lay for tho first ball the twlrler hands
over. It's dollars to doughnuts that If
ho can lay that first ono straight over
tho pan he'll do It, and I soak quite n
fow of them. Tho majority of batters
will pass up tho first ball, no matter if
it cuts the plate In half. But you'll
nover get Tyrus overlooking any of
that kind. Nine times out of ten I go
to tho pinto prepared to hit tho first
ball If tho pitcher lays It over.
1 never tnke a long swing nt the
spbero auy more. I like to do it, but
you can't get anything In tho major
leagues swinging tho willow. If you
do tho spltball pitchers would make
u dunce of you In short order, to say
nothing of tho slabblsts who have mas
tered a good change of pace. They'll
shoot ono over that looks llko a pea,
then feed you a slow ono that comes
floating up as big as a balloon. But
you are set for the fast ono nnd nearly
break you back reaching for the slow
ball.
In tho old days tho great batters
wore Peto Browning, Ed Delehanty,
Dan nroutlicrs and Pop Anson, who
swung on to a ball with the forco of a
hammer. Wero any of them In the big
leagues today tho modern twlrlcrs
would make 'em look llko Jokes.
You cannot grab a wagon tongue
down at the handle, reach back and
swing halfway around for a curve
pitcher. Ho'd mako you look foolish,
and you wouldn't havo enough batting
average at tho end of the month to get
your namo In tho percentage column.
Tho star batters of today grab their
batting sticks a foot or more from the
handlo and, Instead of swinging, aim
to meet the ball flush. Nothing suits
mo better than to tako a good crack
at tho leather, but I can't afford to
get out of my stride, so I stick to tho
suro system of Just meeting tho ball
with a halfway grip on my warclub.
CAME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Declaration That Put a Sudden End
to Traveler's Yarns.
Ono of tho occupants of a railway
carriage, was a gentleman who be
guiled the time by telling boiiio rath
er "tall ynrns" of his experience
abroad. A solemn looking Individual,
with n camera and n tripod, sat in a
corner seat and listened without a
shadow of a smile. The travolcr,
having concluded an impressive story,
says London Punch, began again; "I
nover see a camera hut it reminds, me
of n sad occurrence that befell a friend
of mlno while we were traveling In
Italy. Ho was nn enthusiastic ama
teur photographer, and when we
climbed Vesuvius nothing would satlfy
him but a near view of tho crater. He
wanted to go to the very edge. Tho
guides told him of the danger. It
was tho last seen of my poor friend!
Sad, wasn't It, sir?" he udded, turning
to the solemn man. The latter shook
his head. "Do you doubt my word?"
said tho traveler. "No," returned the
solemn man, "I don't doubt your word,
but I fancy your memory Is falling."
"Eh? How so?" "Because," said tho
solemn man, slowly, and gravely, "be
cause I am the man! And yet you
don't remember mo! I came Out,
again on tho other side of the globe
but I got my vlow!" There was
dead silence for n few minutes after
ward, and tho traveler got off at thu
next station.
Battleship Victoria.
In the manoeuvring of the Mediter
ranean fleet off Tripoli, March 22,
1893, the'battlesklp Victoria was sunk
In a collision with tho battleship Cam
perdown. Three hundred and thirty
eight officers and men were drowned,
Including Vlce-Admlral Sir Georgo
Tryon. The findings of n court-martial
blamed Admiral Trvon.
Roll of
HONOR
Attention la called to the STRENGTH
of the
Wayne County
Dormice Immune to Snake Bite.
Three animals have lc.is been
known to be Immune to tho bites of
snakes the pig, the porcupine nnd
tho mongoose. According to M. G.
Blllard, a naturalist of Clermont-Ferrand,
France, the common or gan'.en
dormouse must be added to this list.
This little animal does not heslt-ite
to light a viper and kill the reptile.
Of course, he would be helpless If at
tacked by a big rattlesnake, for this
would swallow him at one gulp. M.
Blllard Injected four milligrams of
drted viper poison into a dormouse
with absolutely no effect. Half an
hour after tho Injection the dormouse
was nibbling an apple as if nothing
had happened. The dormouse weighs
only two ounces, and the amount of
venom he received was enough to kill
eleven pounds of such animals ns rab
bits and guinga pigs.
1
The FINANCIER of New York
Citv has published a ROLL Or
HONOR of the 11,470 State Banks
and Trust Companies of United
States. In this list the WAYNE
COUNTY SAVINGS BANK
Stands 38th in the United States
Stands iOtli in Pennsylvania.
Stands FIRST in Wavr.e County.
Capital, Surplus, $455,000.00
Total ASSETS, $2,733,000.00
Honesdale. Pa., May 29, 1908.
A. O. BLAKE,
AUCTIONEER & CATTLE DEALER
You will make money
byhavlne me.
iBEUi nioNE 9-u Bethany, Pa.
You are doubly protected when you start
a bank account in the
FARMERS AND MECHANICS BANK
Your money is safe in the bank and in the trans
mission of .checks in paying bills. It is the safest,
easiest and only way for the business man or those
who have monthly bills to pay when you have an ac
count in the FARMERS AND MECHANICS BANK.
MMMIiliHMISMa B
D. & tl. CO. TIHE TABLE HONESDALE BRANCH
A.M.IA.M.
SUN SUN
8 30
ie do!
10 00
1 'JO
2 (to
P. SI,
P.M.
2 15
7 25
8 15
A.M.
9 05
II 15
SI 19
9 36
9 42
U 4S
01
0 57
10 00
10 01
io as
10 II
10 15
A.M. .
A.M.
10 00
10 00
12 30
1 40
5 30
P.M
6 20
ti 30
ti 31
6 52
(i 58
7 or
7 07
7 13
7 It!
7 20
7 21:
7 271
7 31
P.M,
A.M. P.M.,
8 30
1 20
2 OS
P.M.
2 05
2 15
2 19
2 37
2 4!
2 4!)
2 52
2 57
2 5H
3 03
3 07
3 10
3 15
4 30
ti 05
A.M.
2 151
7 10!
7 55
A.M.
Ubany
llhicliamton ...
Philadelphia..
....Wllkes-nsirru...
Scranton
I.v
Ar
P.M.
8 45'
8 55!
8 Stl
9 18
9 21!
II 29
9 32
9 37!
9 39
9 43
9 47
9 50
I) 55
A.M. Ar
Curboiulale
..Lincoln Avenue.
Whites
Furrluw
L'unauti
... Lake Ixxlore ...
... . Wnymart....,
Keenu ,
Stecno ,
Promptoti
Kortenla ,
Seelyvllle
... llonesdale ...
P.M
2 00
12 40
3 53
A . J I
10 20
9 3
A.M.
8 05
7 54
7 50
7 33
7 25
7 19
7 1
7 l:
7 09
7 05
7 01
G 5S
ti 55
I.v A.M.
A.M.
io so;
8 45
7 31 7 32
l'.JI
4 03 7 15
3 15
P.M. P.M
1 35
1 25
1 21
1 us!
12 a
12 51
12 49
12 13
12 40
12 38
12 32
12 29
12 25
6 20
5 40
5 30
5 2
8 US
s or
5 50
4 54
4 4f
4 45
4 41
4 37
4 31
4 30
P.M. P.M
l P.. .A.M.
SUN SUN
10 50 ... .
8 45 ..
7 31 7 32
2 25IP M.
1 35 10 05
P M.
12 17
12 07
12 0J
11 41
11 37
11 31
11 29
11 23
11 20
11 16
11 12
11 09
11 05
P M.
8 29
8 17
8 13
7 54
7 47
7 41
7 39
7 32
7 30
7 26
7 22
7 19
7 15
A M.P M
The Era of New Mixed Paints !
This year opoiu with, a deluge of now mixed paints. A con
dition brought about by our enterprising dealers to get somo kind
of a mixed paint that would supplant OHILTON'S MIXED
PAINTS. Their compounds, being now and heavily advertised
may find a sale with tlio unwary.
TIIET.ONIjY PIjACE IN UONESDAIiE
AUTHORIZED TO HANDLE
CHILTON'S MIXED PAINTS
IsJADWIN'S PHARMACY.
There aro reasons for the pro-minonco of CHILTON PAINTS;
1st No ono can mix a hotter mixed paint.
2d Tho painters deolaro that it works easily and has won
derful covering qualities.
3d Chilton stands back of it, and will agree to repaint, at his
own oxpenso.ovory surface painted with Chilton Paint that
proves defective.
4th Those who have used it aro perfectly satisfied with it
and recommend its uso to others.