Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-12-27

They are out Of employment conslueI
able portion Of the year, especially IN
the summer when the season Is over,
and the theatcrs are closed, and this IN;
terval eats up the savings of the winter.
Some of the old stock actors OF this city
had sufficient talent to command perma-
nent engagements which were repeated
year after year. A long' these were
Gates, Fisher, Abbott, Chippendale,
Povey and others. Henry Placide rose
from the position of stock actor to that
of star, but did not reach this climax until
his latter day. lie was one of the finest
performers in frst-cass comedy of his
age. and has never been equalled. Of
all the players we have referred to, we
do not believe a single one left anything
for his family. As the poet says "Chill
penury repressed their noble rage, and
frose the genial current Of their soul.
OF the managers but little better re-
port can be made The Park was in the
hands of Simpson for many years, and,
after all his labors TO please the public,
he died poor. Simpson was sue
ceeded by Price, who in due time also
died poor. During the management Of
the latter the curious sight was once be-
held of an audience composed of cue IN
dividual, whose money was returned and
the doors closed. Price brought out
Fanny Elssler, but had to pay her such
enormous sums that even the crowded
houses failed to remuuerate him. During
Prices time the Park enjoyed the talents
of Charles Kean. who brought out
some of Shakspeare's comedies with
sDlendor never before witnessed. The
Park was for thirty years one OF the
most respectable theaters in New York,
and vet never made an actor or manager
rich We have witnessed on its boards
comedy. tragedy, and opera Of the most
fascinating and overcoming style. We
have seen Kean and Macready in their
best efforts, but the most striking OF all
its exhibitions was an engagement with
old Booth for week, during which he
gave Richard the Third as it has never
been presented since. After Price 5
death. Tom Hamlin leased the Park
theater and put it in fine order, and after
managing it for a, year gave a final exhi-
bition of splendid fireworks, which we
witnessed. In other words, the theater
took fire one evening, just at the time
for opening the doors, and burned to
ruin. A block of commercial ware
houses now stands on the spot, and Is
known as the Park Theater Stores.
The only one who ever made anything
on this spot was Astor. He bought it at
low rate, got good rent, and now it
Yields princely revenue to his heirs.
Hamblin had been a manager all his life,
but his field was the Bowery, which he
controlled a quarter of century, during
which it burned down twice. Among
other stars he brought out Miss jose
phine Clifton (by stage name). She was
the daughter Of the notorious Adeline
Miller, and died early, thus escaping a
| life of disgrace. Halhblin never at
tempted anything after the burning Of
the Park. He became Eery poor, and
died leaving a name to point moral.
He was of English birth, a man Of Won
derful beauty, and one of the most sue
cessfui corrupters Of the youth of both
sexes that eyer lived in this city. An
other popular manager was Mitchell
who made small fortune out OF the
Olympic. He was also an Englsnman
and introduced pieces Of brief ane
comic character, with prices to catch Tho
economical, boxes being twenty-five cent
and pit the old-fashioned shilling. lie
too. was licentious character, and attel
having retired rich lost all in some bac
speculation and died poor. 1t seems t.
Pie a testimony against such places tina
the managers as well as players come t
naught, while the play-houses are gener
ally burned We have seen the ParI
| and the National burn down once, an
the Bowery twice, since which the Win
ter Garden has also been consumed. Tn
best use we have ever known such
building put to was in the ease Of tn
old Chatham Street Theater, which be
came for time a church, aud Burton
Theater. which during the revival
So was used for MONDAY prayer meetin:
! Burton had often presented on thes
boards the play of the Serious Fan
2 ilv." in which all that is excellent
| character is caricatured and ridicuie'
f but on the occasion referred to the ser
e Gus character Of the assemblage was yer
e imposing, and was a fitting reply to I'll
o mendacious drama During our obse
f walton of the drama we have noticed Il
o death of six noted managers (BurtC
i and Wallack being added to our hr
h category and along with these has gol
;. a motley crowd of players of both sexe
e thus recalling the text with which
/ commenced all the world stage
r etc. Of all these memories none are
l. painful as that of the professed hume
70 st-Burton-we have referred to, and
2 this we may add the name Of IonK
g Hill, the most comieal of the sons
. Momus, but now gone to another see
re of vastly different charactc'. As we
a. member the bursts of laughter Which
,e extorted from the audiences Of when
re formed part, we ray exciaim, " All
is poor Yoriek !"