The New York herald., 1863-04-24
Obituary.

.E. WILLIAM kUSUs BLAKE.
The brief telegram which we published yesterday has
already informed the public that william Rufus Bake,
tho popular actor del Wednesday afternoon, at tbe
Parker House, Beston, Of bilious conc ,ir. B'akes
death Is an almost rrcparabie os TO the theatrical
fess,on. Few sotors widely known In shs
voun.ry aud none more universally esteemed. MS
hisrionic talents his W.T. hancr aud conversational and
convisiai powers, nadc him equal favorite OF
the stage He kavcs wte--who N actress of BONE
ab,ty-and one son Dr. LOUIS Blake, surgeon In the
United States Army saivned a of the forts In this
har Dor.
William Rufus Blake born a Halifax, Nova scO,la.
In 1900 He Il Irish parentass, beiag desceuded
his fathers sAe from the bakes Of GALWAY and The
mothers side from ,hs Hggsops OF Kilkenny. HIS fashar
died when Blake quite young and le him 70 the
sfhs mother who gave him nns education. Mr.. msks
was inssnasd TOR Surgeon ssudisd The
s,oo under the Hon. Frzscs Garter Pike, a HALIFAX and
had some sxpesimsusx practice IN she hsaiins art On
occasion be used 10 ts be extracted The
tooth from poor woman, and this mistake made him
theatrical company came 10 Halifax just AZ ho
had become dsgns,sd with the medical profession " tho
abuse Of bis ll-ufed pa,icut and Ia sre OF the repf
msnds Of his mother his family and the bishop Of the
diocese young surgeon Determined 10 throw aside
scape and tho forcceIs and adopt the sock and butn
This deter rminaton was carried into eject when Tho
s,rolng company sgsln returned W Haax. and Tho
age OF seventeen Mr. Blake appeared the lrs tme
any stage In character o the Prince of Wales,
Richard the Third" He went with tbis company to
Kingston jamaica and there the yellow fever made an
opening for him by kilog o the 'cadns actor of tho
troupe. Thus advanced TO letter posncn, he played "a
all the gcntee comedies aud made quite hl IN ia.
called 'Thc Three singles During isr pro.
vneal apprenticeship he also csshyed oth-io, lsgo,
Richard the Third snd other shsg-peroan nsros and at
theatre Royal Halifax, he acted such fena'e chupo
ters as Miss Seville IN she stop 10 Conquer" and
Jenny, In "Ihe Road W Rum duTHg a scas"n
when ARTISTS were scarce. Iho-e whl .ny
member him for few years past, wbnn ne psye1 The
remarkable ior his obesity ana his talent, @i scarcely
believe this aDecdote Bat II s true, acseriheeS' for
he n that time very slim lsndsome and graceful, and
la 1875 Mr. Blake came " New York but. fiinr 70 "o
tain opening either At the PARK OF Old ciiaiham
theatres he accepted an onsasemopi Of Abany AID sp
pear.d there the strargof and In The three ~nsles
Rcturning here he soon pfocufs< az s casuo n, 'he
Chatham as Frederick Br~nihe The Pror euiirman "
well received but could not be engaged there yaz
no for him IN the COMPANY TIC nsxi srason. y~
ever IN 1891 be- tned tie q the Chatham, and
Mr. warinr an actress q the sane theatre
the sister of Harry and y m Pach' Bsks sudsed and
worked very hard and before ong beeainc cutie pcpssf
Boe,on and opeDed the new iremont thestfc pAying
pr. BopIy m "wlves as rney werem It's noied tuai
bu, tat he played tho very evening befre tie theatre
was converted into chuEch also that be vas tsled be
fore the curtain there Inl5tho lrg time, u said.
,ha, an artor ever received thai conPimea, N THIS
oounry Until 1899 he continued devoted 70 h pffos-
I
1880 be leased the Albany tbs,ro sr Dory tho
manager having been killed b. O1u liafnht %, ~ actor
With whom Mr.. inake hsd of'sn pafed andsf ~, nury
management. Charlotte CgshnAn sAs oLr y ba stock
actresses during hs lesseeship oi the Albany e,iss
in isro pls.e took peasure trip 20 Fsro,s md su.r
to1r,ns a throagh ireland and sCotsnd arrlnsed nth
Ben smln Webster ior appsafance o, the Haymsssi
and "a hs great surprise M Hike fossd that be cosi
not come the stage with rs fbree rnsss unl past
M anght The hour ~hen dtss ~e a. chsrcht srd.
tff leo III
q an and then threw NJ hb e-gagsDent fs
nsrt o6,assd the lease Dfsfy l..ss tbeais 1ui ~s
compelled resign 90 arc u tbs snegoos srpcnss
necessary W re1t the ediacs. Tbs babel ~ ht
cnsrta " gain furoTfan reputation, h. sei AL 80
plain Why he pevsr csred y e. bses y i6a oDss,fy,
sves -hsh hs Isrsl.riiy hefs ave hi5 Dssraisos -
tneaife ssng The AuAntc ossl 40 wAs sselsri
member of Burton's chamberN street coBifsay he
msnaged The Walnut strcst thestrs Fhsfe ms o
s,sse nsnaser ., The remeri, v-ton, art tho hrud
way New fork, and iof syreiA yetrs he wsr rgsrasf
as a. DdlsIsussbls fealare q W.ilsea lhsaIs rs
issz for tbs s.reht . ". Mos. siSee mn bs
sci-d wilh N-- fAara keesss o,@sssy. ra Tea
ace N Sss York y. . Ihsr.a.y .ess ~ %. :.
sosk fsrsrs bsncft, nd ye1 neyniey bls. 20 .tts
,~ .ams,ss,,ou q, rs-sy evening hs psysa peter
Ieag,e On wsin@-d&y ~ uas styetihsd " ag5~4r az
rto'a 10 . sstsy, b., ID esfoss the bor g psr
M, pls.ss srsssss ,harsciSrr w,rs hs ~ msn.
,h0urb 81 "A nsssa srcenirF sna oskrsy s.fit hs
u, tsibsny ASsslsis, nd hafdrssus. tbsl frsdy
~ s.s 80 pgsgh }. sit Clrag CT s1f Dguury D.
l.aae pfsai ofsnafstts' Whttfheaa p~'fr faayle
,eoff,j az nsbert e-nr.is r. poor Gsutlsn,an srs
pi,ffsg ~ Leat la - aui pfhcf "a W "a
Gise are b s .. lsss tnfai ~ bet ptst af
~ - ~. 49,, y',,s s,,. IN y. 49, 80 - @ \, ~ ~,
s.e1sre tts 0afh Ne sfnts N@r', afsrt.iion a
. Vefa.n % n - The rufnef fisaf spd b1f,csqss
And no F1fs ~ fr0rn Fspsy Hsusss nas ~ tbaf
"a W "a cs..rls n&xs<fs a ne pfssg ~ stJs ~
.silur D<lo~ ss1 pjsasiug aDgeutne q
t.sss- ssd a E4snsf fuhis gd dleaie tUt stsns