Paul Powell, director for the D. W. Griffith Motion Picture Company arrived in Santa Cruz this morning with a company of twenty-four players for the purpose of staging a play to which the scenery and environments of this section are peculiarly fitting.

The play, which was written by Miss Mary K. O'Connor, formerly of this city, deals with the story of the big land and timber frauds which have been perpetrated in some of the western states and with the life of the legitimate settlers who want the land for actual settlement.

The first pictures were taken today at Aptos, which represents a frontier town on the edge of the woods, and for this scene about twenty local people were employed in addition to the regular actors.

From here the company will go to the San Vicente logging camp, where they will build a logging town and where they will install a carload of their own machinery. They expect to be in the woods about two weeks and while there will stop at the Gregory Ranch. Later there will be a scene of a battle in the mountains, at which a large number of local people will be employed.

The star of the company is Miss Constance Talmadge, one of the most talented actresses of the moving picture world.

An interesting incident in connection with Miss Talmadge's visit here is the fact that she received a telegram yesterday informing her that her sister, the celebrated Norma Talmadge, whom she has not seen for a long time, will arrive in San Francisco today on her wedding trip. Owing to the impossibility of Miss Talmadge going to San Francisco to meet her sister an effort is being made to have her visit Santa Cruz and the Gregory Ranch.

While here the company is stopping at the St. George.