The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-25
The- London lines c9 Jonn Owens and


The London lines on John Owens and
-ssiSOIoEs- Es-AGA.ss.aAes--
Mr.. John E Owens, from the United
States, VINO is now playing st the Adelphi
is perhaps one of the most elaborate ar,
fists ever seen upon any stage, that OF
Paris not excluded. He represents an old
farmer from one of the Eastern States, pro-
badly New Jersey, who has his mouth
filed with tobacco whenever he appears
on the stage, and is evidently in state of
inahrietr .shinh hoe h~4ssssa 60 him
With small features, and a forehead
rendered abnormally large by artificial
means; with long, ill-ftting surtout that
looks az if 1t had been tossed upon him
with q pitchfork; with q hat, in which the
brim has lost the boundary mark, and
which is capable Of falling into the most
fantastic shapes, he presents q figure TO-
tally unlike anything that has hitherto
been seen on this side Of the Atlantic.
His talk is as odd as his sppearsncei he
does not indulge IN the strange imagery
which we have been accustomed to re-
gard as one of the offshoots proper TO New
England and the regions adjoining nor Is
his dialect that which we habitually pro-
nouuce TO be Yankee.
A new type is clearly before us. Wheth'
ar it corresponds TO anything in actual life,
or is 8 fantastic creation of the actor, we are
unable to Judge, but whatever be the origin
of the idea, il is carried out with consist
ency of detail that is really marvellous.
Tne rambling stories which the old man
tells about his father, who "ht In the rev.
olutiop," and about q certain barrel OF ci-
der called "spple Sass" Of which he has
been robbed or defrsuded, and the chuckle
bv which these narratives are sccomPs-
MED; and which is often suddenly exchsng-
ed tor a look of blank importance, seem to
arise from strange compound Of senlhtyi
low cunning, and muddle, which 1t Is ex-
tremely haTd 10 snslyze, but which most
singulsrlv msnifests itself In the concrete.
When this strange figure seats himself
with great difficulty, carefully gathering
un the tails of his unseemly coat, and Ut
tering an indescribsble squeak of triumph
when he is fairly "settled down" the ef-
feet upon the audience is most remarkable
| So hearty roar is seldom awakened py
| mere dumb show.
istob be much regretted that Mr.. o wens
of whose singular merits there can be nc
| doubt should have made his first appear
ance in such q wretched production as tht
| piece which is now called "SOlon Shingle,
this being the name of the character
plaved by Mr.. Owens, but which IN Amer
lea was entitled "The Peoples Lawyer.
A stupid story about two clerks, one
whom, to serve the purposes Of q vindlctlV
master, d-ops q watch into the pocket o
the other, and thus subjects him to Grim
inal trial, is gravely enacted before an aud
ience, who can only regard it with derisior
wondering that anything so utterly puerll
should ever have reached the boards OF
London thester.
With the plot of the miserable Piec
Solon Shingleh has nothing todo, and thoug
he makes his appearance in the trial ne
as independent of the proceedings as II
had stepped before the Duke OF Venlc
pending the great case Of Shylock vs. Al
touio.ss >.
That MIR. Owens is 8 consummate artl
there is no doubt, and it seems obvious tn
Solen is his own invention, and does n
proceed from the same source IS the pie
in which he appears. LetSolon, the
3 keep the floor, but let him lose no time
a providing himself with better "axings."