The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-12-30

"a hita very palPable ht.''
On Tins occasion John Quincy Adams
aa> present, and, in after years, has often
given his remlnscence OF The debut when
The hero had become 50 generally and ia
vurab!y known in this country.
4, thi. period, Mr.. Booth was bat eigh
teen years OF age, when a new light dawn
Cd upon him, and after some very short
engagements in the more important pro
yiucial towns, he was in,roluced 10 4 Lon
don audience, in 1914, at CUyent Garden
| Theatre.
In January Of that year, Edmund Keau
nad come forth in his glory and electrified
the London play-goers by his memorable
appearance in the part of ShyIock. On
the arrival OF Booth in London, The first
mentioned eminent genius was performing
at nrury Lane, drawing nightly crowded
audiences, the twore Of whose adninistra.
ton was at its zenith. Booth nothing
dauned by this apparently orerpowering
state of things, boldly entered the arena
and threw down The gauntlet, as it were,
by appearing in the same character (3lch-
ard the ThIrdl al the other house. That
the committee Of Drury Lane Theatre nc-
know ledged him as no mean rival IN The
contest for historical fame and public ia
yor, is sufficiently evidenced by the fact
that they made overtures to him, and at
length offered him terms sufficiently lib
efal. to induce him TO join their corps drd
matique, and TO alternate the first and Sc
coud parts with kean, particularly those ol
O,helo and lago. Now arose the struggle
between the two houses which resulted in
snch a serious riot. After few nights
had elapsed, in which Booth had added TO
the attractions Of Drury Lane, the proprie-
tors of Covent Garden succeeded in re-
claiming their 'erran, star" and he was
announced for one OF his great parts.
| II may be here well to remark, that. at
the date of which We write, these two psf.
en, theatres were the only ones OF any note
whatever, (saye the summer theatre, In the
| tia, market, which was sn establishment
per Se) and fierce rivalry existed between
them; and the public then drama loving
people, were almost universally interested
n the contest Booths conduct, in thus
transferring the attraction Of his talents
from house TO house, aud which would no,
now be thought anything Of, gave great Of
fence to "ihe gods," and alter what they
looked upon as his second treacherou.
detection, they determined he should not
play at all. and civil war commenced, the
lar, Of which was only exceeded by that OF
he ,amons q p riots. After various vain
appeals to the justice and fairness OF the
IpuDlIc, it was found necessary TO appease
hc popular Indignation by the exhibition
Il placards, bearing tho announcement.
Mr. Booth is withdrawn;n and the grea,
rasedian was compelled to leave The me-
tropolIta boards and seek the more oh.
scure field afforded him in the Provinces
until the feeling against him had subslded
Having purged his offence by long rust,
cation, he returned to London and became
considerable iavorte, though falsely said
10 be a servie im,ator Of Kean; but his ir-
Irregularities and eccentriciiies very earl,
exhibited themselves, and he never enjoy
ei the confidence and respect of the public
or, what YVES greater obstacle to his pro
tessonal ADVANCEMENT of the managers.
:, In one ofhis moments Of excitement, in
which he was accustomed TO act as (if he
were really no') an insane man, ho com
mitted an assault upon Antonio, rope
dancer, for some imaginary cause of jeaI
ousy. if we mistake moi, by firing plsto
at him, and fearing the consequences ol
this rash act, he left England and went Il
the Wes, Indies, whence he came, In or
about 1921, to the United States.
His first appearance on the American
stage was made the same year at Peters
burgh, in Virginia, under the Management
Of James ii. Caldwell, and in his great an'