The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-07-06 00:00:00

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THE ROYAL GENERAL THEATRICAL
FUND.

Mr_ J. L. Toole, the popular comedian, presided at the
anniversary festival of the Theatrical Fund, held on Tuesday
evening, at the Freemason's Tavern, London. The following
is an extract from the excellent speech he made in propos-
ing the toast of the evening—" Prosperity to the Royal
General Theatrical Fund :" .

Three years ago when my dear friend and old pro-
fessional comrade, Henry Irving—(cheers)—had the
heavy responsibility I have now to discharge, of pro-
posing from this chair the toast of the evening, he told
how, 20 years before, a boy had stood at the door of
the London Tavern, eagerly watching the guests as
they assembled for this fund's dinner, delighted when
he recoznised the face of some popular actc.r or
celebrated man. That boy was Irving himself,
who has continued his early hero-ship until he, too, has
become famous. I, gentlemen, have to ask your for-
bearance and sympathy for another boy—a different
kind of boy. My boy attended the first festival of the
Royal General Theatrical Fund, three-and-thirty
years ago, also held at the London Tavern, when the
late Mr. Charles Dickens presided, holding every one
spell-bound by his graceful allusions and charming
humour—every one except the common-place boy I
am i;introducing to you, who, in spite of his admira-
tion for acting and his early reverence for Mr.
Charles Dickens, was too busy cramming himself
with jellies and creams behind a screen to be spell-
bound. (Loud laughter.) He was the son of a
well-known City toastmaster, who was often taken by
his father to public banquets to sit in the gallery with
the ladies, or to be slily fed by a waiter in some secure
hiding-place within convenient distance of the sweets.
(Laughter.) That same boy has, in the way of busi-
ness, eaten a good deal of pasteboard food of a less
toothsome character since then, for the benefit of a
great variety of theatrical funds, and is now rather
bewildered at his own boldness in presuming to occupy
this chair, a position which he has seen filled by so
many distinguished men—(cheers)—and in having to
appeal to you seriously on behalf of the profession we
have met to serve. It is not fur a boy with this early
training—a jelly-boy, in fact—ahem! no connection
with Dickeu's Mrs. Jellyboy, and Booroboola Gha—
(laughter)—to attempt to take you over the
.ground
which has been so skilfully, so eloquently, and so
pathetically travelled by the illustrious men who have
preceded him. But this boy wishes to touch your
pockets through your hearts, and induce you to give
large subscriptions to a most admirable fund—a fund
which preserves self-respect by enabling the actor to
help himselt, and to make some provision ag.inst the
day of disaster and misfortune. ((leers.) Dropping
third-person metaphors, gentlemen, perhaps you
balm' out who my boy was as soon as I mentioned
him, for, as I left my cab this evenir,g, I heard a
voice from a little crowd at the door say, "That's
Toole!" and another voice reply, " In coorsa it is,
stoopid ; every body knows Toole." (Laughter and
cheers,)

Mr. Toole then related one or two other interesting steries,
and thus concluded his excellent specph :
Before sitting down I am reminded of a circurn-
cumstance that occurred to a celebrated comedian, the
late Mr. Harley. In the early part of his profes-
sional career, and before he came to London,
he took a long journey in a coach through Buxton
—I don't mean our old friend —(a laugh) but
Buxton in Derbyshire—before railways were known;
and he had as a fellow-traveller an elderly gentle-
man, who became greatly interested in the vivacity
and entertaining powers of Harley, who delighted
him with a fund of anecdote. At the end of the
journey the old gentleman shook hands with
Harley, heartily thanked him for his pleasant com-
panionship, and said he had never enj )yed travelling
so much. Well, as they say in dramas "time rolled
on," Harley never saw his fellow-traveller again, i'mt
during his first London engagement at; the English
Opera House, now the Lyceum, he learnt that the old
gentleman had died, bequeathing Harley a handsome
town house well furnished, and with a cellar fully
stocked with admirably selected wines. Now, gentle-
men, I assure you I have, ever since I heard this taory
now many years ago, from my friend Blanchard—
(cheers)—tried hard to make myself agreeable to all
elderly gentlemen I meet in my travels, but nothing
has yet come of it, and I am prepared to discount my
chances this evening—nay, this moment. (Cheers and
laughter.) If there be present any, I will not say
elderly, because I have shown that the glamour of
things theatrical prevents our growing old, but any
gentlemen, of any age, who has derived the faintest
s Antilla of amusement from anything he has heard
to-night, I implore him not to remember me
in his testamentary dispositions, but to gladden
my heart far more than that would do, by
giving now, this evening, while he is alive---
I think I may say all alive—as largely as his
means allow to the fund on whose behalf I most ear-
nestly appeal. (Loud cheers.) Following the example
of the great people at Berlin, we are now holding our
Congress— (laughter)—and I am a Plenipotentiary for
the Royal General Theatrical Fund. Gentlemen, it is
only by your liberal aid and generous co-operation
that our Congress cam ensure peace amid tranquility of
mind to the unhappy, help to the unfortunate, and
solace to the bereaved. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, it is in
your power to achieve these noble ends, and to make
me very happy as well. For let this Theatrical Con-
gress of 178 be quoted hereafter as having fulfilled its
mission handsomely and effectually, and I shall look
back upon my presidency with as deep a satisfac-
tion as Prince Bismarck, for you will have made me
feel that, inadequate as my best personal efforts have
been, your indulgence has overlooked my shortcomings
as a chairman and a speaker, while the claims, the
merits, and the usefulness of this Theatrical Fund have
like our great countryman, Lord Beaconsfield, driven
their points home—(hear, hear)—and have spoken to
your hearts and feelings the best kind of English with
vigour and success.
The subscriptions at the dinner amounted to about
£l,OOO, the Queen contributing £l.OO.