-."t.,*^ tK^'mmi^^^
 

CHAPTER VIII
 

Fight to Remove Women's Hats in Theatres -
Crusade Against Feathered Songsters Worn as
Ornaments - A Sheaf of Old Theatre Programs -
"East Lynne" - "Daniel Rochat" - "The Old Home¬
stead" - "Hazel Kirke," Etc.
 

/^LD theatre goers will recall with no little amusement
^"^ the tremendous conflict that raged over the question
of ladies removing their hats in the theatre. Readers of
today will no doubt smile to think that such a question re¬
quired any such contest as actually happened. Neverthe¬
less the removal of the hat was strenuously opposed by its
fair adherents and it was a long time before the contro¬
versy was settled and the new custom firmly established.

During the reign of the big theatre hat. Bill Nye wrote
a letter to a New York newspaper in the following heart¬
rending terms, which helped the cause quite materially:
"If Shakespeare could pick up his pen today he would say
'All the world's a stage, and nobody but the women in the
high hat can see what is going on upon it'.

"Not long ago I had the pleasure of atte'nding one of
Mr. Booth's performances in which he took the part of
Hamlet with great credit to himself, as I afterwards
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