The Actor, The Play, and the Lawsuit That Stopped the Show

A Post-Intelligencer reporter last evening called the attention of Mr. McKee Rankin to the dispatch concerning him and his play 'Old '49,' and that gentleman made the following statement: 'There must be some mistake about that dispatch. It was probably sent in some manner by Joaquin Miller, who is trying in every way to keep me from producing the play. Miller has no claim to the play whatever. I simply rented the privilege of using his name as author of the play, while the real authors were Leonard Grover, A. C. Gordon and myself. I paid him $1,000 for the use of his name as author of 'The Danites,' and he never touched pen to paper in the production of that play. In the play of 'Old '49' Miller helped to write one of the speeches, but as soon as he began to act mean, I cut even that out and used the manuscript of my own writing. I have paid for everything he can possibly have in return for my using his name, which claim I consider I have paid for fully. 'California Gold' and 'Old '49' are as different from each other as that chair is from the table. The play of 'Old '49' is taken from life in my own family, and was written mostly by myself. Old '49er McKee was my uncle, and was favorably known by all the people of Grass Valley.' When asked if he would pay the damages, Mr. Rankin replied: 'Why, of course I will. I don't owe any man in the world anything that I am not able to pay in full, and I will play 'Old '49' in spite of all the Miller lawsuits. I stood the money, and that ends it.'