Seebach And The Agent

The following story, which was published ia Germán in connection with the death of Marie Seebach, the noted Germán actress, shows very well the conception of American affairs which still prevails in Germany to a certain extent. Seebach was here more than 20 years ago, and it is scarcely possible that such an incident as is described wonld have taken place then, but many such stories are told in Germany today as illustrative of American enterprise. According to this reminiscence Marie Seebach one day received a message that a gentleman wished to see her. She told the servant to send him to her drawing room in the hotel, and when he arrived he iutroduced himself as a certain Colonel Sinith. Then he plunged at the object of nis visit and said that he represented a certain well known make of sewiug machines. "I have already heard, " he said, "that you are a great artist. I want to find out if you are a good business woman as well. Do you want to make some money?" "Oh, I've no objections to make to that, " she said, "if it is possible in a perfectly correct and dignified way. " "Oh, it's in the most. correct way possible that I propose," the visitor continued, "and I offer you $10,000 for doing it. ' ' "What have I to do in return?" asked Seebach. "Nothing in the vrorld, " the colonel replied, and as he noticed the expression of astonishment on her face he went on: "I told yon that I carne f rom a sewing machine company - one of the largest in the world. All that I demand of you in return for the $10,000 is that as Marguerite in the spinning wheel scène from 'Faust' you will use one of our sewing machines instead of the wheel, and just keep it in motion for a few seconds. Then we would let handbills drop from the gallery, saying that the machine used by Marie Seebach was made by our firm. " The actress is said to have hesitated for a second, but, in the end, her respect for Goethe 's tragedy is described as the feeling which saved her artistic reputation. This story is of a type that disappeared from general use 40 years ago. It is of the kind told about V. T. Barnum in the earlier days of his career, but stories of the kind still pass muster in Europe, although a press agent who attempted anything of the kind in this