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J?ec~mber 28, 1928 . LIFE THEATRE GmLD STARTS REHEARSALS ON PLAYS "The Dummy" and "The Old Homestead" Will Be Presented Early in 1929 An unusual announcement from the officers of the North Shore Theatre Guild names the plays selected for the two coming productions, that of ] anuary and that of March.· Under the direction of David Owen, the Guild is planning diligent work for the next several months, with these two of the four annual plays taking the center of the stage. "The Dummy" is a four act comedy which \II.' ill be presented in ] anuary. The play is the result of the collaboration of Harvey O'Higgins and Harriet Ford, and it has had much successful professional handling as well as amateur. "The Dummy" is the story of the adventures of a little girl who is kidnapped by a New York gang and held for ransoin, and the plot centers around this twelve-year old girl and the fourteen-year old messenger boy of the Detective Agency, who furnish most of the thrills. To begin at the beginning, the girl is the only .c hild of a mother and father who have separated, and her disappearance causes them no alarm at first because each thinks her to be in the custody of the other. The mother, however, has secured the services of the great detective, Bahbing, and his trained operatives have located the leader of the kidnappers. Faced with the facts, the parents become frantic and demand action toward the release of their daughter. "The Dummy," a loquacious messenger boy who aspires to be a "great detective," feigns to be deaf and dumb and manages to be kidnapped by the same gang. They hide him in the same rooms with the little girl, and adventure follows adventure until at last the final curtain falls with the lost child restored and the messenger boy counting his reward. Unusual Drama "The Dummy" is unusual among plays because the leading characters are both so decidedly juvenile. The Guild's technical department is faced with the necessity of constructing a three- set production, one of which is the interior of a cabin in the Eastern mountains, and scenery of more than usual interest is promised by Richard Woellhaf, technician. In March will be presented the biggest of the year's productions, a revival of "The Old Homestead." "The Old Homestead" is a play which was played extensively all over America as long ago as 1890. It was written by Denman Thompson, \· v ritten by him, for him and around him, and he alone played the leading character part, that of Old Jo ~ h Whitcomb. Story has it that Denman Thompson was cast in the role of ] osh Whitcomb in some lesser and not so successful production of which the main attraction was Thompson and his work, and that when that play went to the discard, taking advantage of his personal success, Thomp son wrote "The Old Homestead" and cast himself in the first prcscntatior:;. At any rate, we know that the piece was immensly successfuJ an<l that it was presented everywhere from the dramatic centers of the world to the smallest opera house in the rusticity which the play so completely describes. Age-Old Story The story is age-old and never without popular appeal. It mingles the humorous and the pathetic in excellent fashion. Old Josh Whitcomb's boy has left the farm in Vermont and has gone to the big city of New York, and nary a word has been heard from him since he left. So ] osh betakes himself to the big city in search of his heir, Lake Bluff Zoning Law Given Jolt in 11eads Golfers High Court Ruling-----~----A decision of great importance in the application of zoning principles has just been handed down by the Illino;s Supr_ eme Court at Springfield, in the case of David T. Bjork (a Chicago archit~ct) vs. Safford, et at (constituting the Lake Bluff Zoning Appeal board). The case arose in connection with an attack on the validity of one of the provisions of the Lake Bluff Zoning ordinance which prohibited the construction of any building, in a district which was zoned for apartments, which would house more than fourteen families per acre. The case arose in the County court of Lake county and was heard by judge Perry Persons at Waukegan. No attack was made hy the petitioner upon the zoning Ordinance itself nor upon well-established zoning principles but the attack was directed only against the particular fourteen families per acre provision as applied to apartments; and and Judge Person held this regulation to be drastic, unreasonable and unconstitutional; also upon the ground th~t under the language of the ordinance itself the restriction was not applicable to apartments .The petitioner was represented by Alexander H. Marshall, of the Chicago law firm of Marshall & Marshall. The case was appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court; and on account of the importance of and widened interest in the case, the Chicago Regional Planning association raised funds with which to employ speci~l counsel to obtain the fullest possible presentation of the case in the Supreme Court in support of the zoning regulation. The Illinois Supreni.e Court, in its opinion, affirms the decision of ] udge Persons of the Lake County court. IURGE PROSECUTION OF . · CROOKED OFFICIALDOM Wilmette Voters' Committee Addresses Pertinent Letter to Citizens' Body Prosecution of Chicago and Cook county officials guilty of alliance with criminals is · urged in a letter addressed to the Citizens' Association of CHicago by the Wilmette Voters' Advisory committee, made up of representatives appointed by the various churches and civic bodies iri the village. The letter, bearing the signatures of the Advisory committee members, is self-explanatory. It reads: The Wilmette Voters Advisory committee, made up of representatives appointed by the various churches and civic · bodies in Wilmette, submits to your organization several questions for your consideration. Such a body as yours, of p~blic spirited citizens, without personal feeling or vindicativene3s, should decide whether as an example, the officials guilty. of an alliance with criminals that has- resulted in incalculable damage to the business and reputation of Chicago and Cook county, shall be punished the same as those whose criminal acts damage or hurt only an individual. Cite ..Healthy Effect" Shall public officials loot until caught and then merely be retired temporarily to the side lines .to still sit at the party council table with their remnant of a · following.? When the boodle county board members in the eighties were sent to the penitentiary or escaped to Canada, the healthy effect wa5 felt for years. But when the franchise grabbers and boodlers were driven from the City council in the nineties, none were vunished and many later were elected to other offices, notably to Congress. In Philadelphia and Los Angeles, the countrys awakening is shown by the indictment of pro5ecutors and police. The question for the public here is, shall we follow through or quit with an unfinished job? . Specific Suggestions 1.-If StatP.'s Attorney Crowe flatly refused demands that he prosecute persons since proven guilty of election crime3, is he not guilty of malfeasance? 2.-Was not Coroner Wolff . so grossly neglectful of duty that his guilt must be provable? 3.-M ust the waste of millions a year by the Sanitary District officials in fraudulent payrolls go unpunished? Undoubtedly Special Prosecutor Loesch and his assistants could say if there is criminal liability back of the bad city and county administration. Public Opinion Guide The new states attorney's hands will be full and no doubt he will need and appreciate . initiation and action by such a body as yours, representa~ tive ·o f public opinion which must be his guide. Respectfully, Ralph H. Rice, Frederic B. Crossley, William Taylor, Irene I. Strickler Thos. S. S,' Hardwick, Mrs. C. Evans, Mrs. I. E. C0lvin, Thomas F. Cook, Hoyt King, Mrs. Allen Rossman, Frederick J. Newey, Mrs. Willard H. Thayer, Lloyd Hollister, Dr. N. P. Colwell, Harry C. Kinne and George Turner. Wilmette Voters' Advisory committee. 3 Harry Herb was elected president of the Wilmette Golf club for 1929 at the annual meeting of the club members last week. Other officers chosen to serve with President Herb are 0. A. Bestel, vice-pre~ident; Lawrence G. Weaver, treasure, and George Dunham, secretary. Newly elected din~c tors are William ] . Marshall, Walter P. Barnes, and Clifton F. Walker. Postoffice Will Close New Year's Day-Shantz The Wilmette postoffice will be closed all · day next Tuesday, New Year's day. Postmaster Shantz announced this week that one collection of mail would be made in the afternoon, but there will be no deliveries. "Speciah" will be delivered as usual. The mails will close at 5 p. m. · NEW YEAR'S COMMUNION Two Communion services will be observed in St. Jphn's Lutheran church at the passing of the Old Year and the beginning of the New Year. The first service will be held New Year's Eve beginning at 7 :15 o'clock, and the second celebration New Year's morning at 9 :45 o'clock. English Lutheran Church Plans Sixth Anniversary The sixth anniversary of the dedication of the bungalow-chapel of the \Vilmette English Lutheran church will he observed at services Sunday morning, January 6. Dr. K. E. Irvin, Synodical pastor, will be the speaker at the anniversary service. The annual Congregational meeting of the church will be held \Vednesday evening, Januarv 9, at which time the reports of var~ous departments of the church fqr the year just closed will be heard and there will be the election of church councilmen. and the rest is his adventures in this land of wickedness and bright lights. 'Pnder North Shore Theatre Guild handling, "The ' Old Homestead" will be produced in the ·style of 1890, with authentic costuming and incidental music of the period. Old songs will be revived, songs not heard for many vears, and it is certain the Guild au-· ~liences will contain many who will remr mher. seeing the play and hearing the songs when the play was the biggest hit of the American stage. The cast of the play is large, and t 11e Guild will take advantage of the opport,,. so seldom afforded to develop some of the new talent v·;hich is so plenteous on the north shore. In Wilmette January 22 Tuesday, January 22, is the eveninr of the Wilmette performance of "The Dummy." It will be given in the 'Nilmctte \Voman's club. Mrs. Robert Stoddard, guild chairman in . Wilmette, is always ready to supply information about the Guild and its activities, and any who are interested either from the standpoint of attendance or of particination are invited to get in touch with her. ( TURN At the turn of the · year-turn to the . t CLASSIFIED AD PAGES where it's always your turn to share tn opportunities. P: Edgar Stanton, Jr., and Francis Stanton, 30 Locu3t road, Winnetka arrived home ]ast Friday from Yal~ for the holidays.