Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-15
"JANE SHORE"
An Amusing Instance OF the Great
Power Of Good Acting.

The occasion was the benefit night O;
Mrs. Phillips. That lady was playing JAM
SHORE, in Maturin's tragedy of that name.
The house-and the Front street theatre is
large one-was crowded. In the first
tier, on one side, in front seat of the box
adjoining the proscenium, was conspicuous
the burly form of a sailor, with large. red
face. He was well-known to many of the
audience as Captain Hugg, the prosperous
owner and master of an eastern shore ovs-
ter schooner. He was watching the play
with intense interest and feeling, as was
manifest from the tears that coursed down
his weathsr-beaten cheeks. He also fre-
quently Haced his right hand nervously
upon his left breast; but whether this ac-
ton had any connection with his sympathy
for the heroine of the play, or was the re.
suit of prudent concern for the wallet full
of Baltimore and Ohio railroad shinplasters
he was known TO carry in that region. the
sequel will show.
1t is proper to state here, that, although
the date of these occurrences was long after
the money panic of 1887 (known as the
"shinplaster era had subsidized, and the
banks had fully resumed specie-payments,
yet the Baltimore and Ohio railroad COM
pany, by some financial legerdemain, kept
the community flooded with its one and
two dollar bills, which were almost the
only currency used in the smaller trade
transactions of the city.
The play had proceeded to the scene in
the last act where Shores beauteous wife
(late the omnipotent mistress of Edward
the Fourth, but now by Gloster's cruel ed
let, an outcast wanderer in the streets with
none to give her food or shelter) comes
upon the stage, utters heart-renderino
monologue, and falls, exhausted with starv.
alton and fatigue, to the ground. As the
accomplished actress proceeded in the melt
ing relation OF her woes the audience were
so rapt by her beauty and misfortunes that
but few OF them observed the demonstra-
uons OF Capt. Hugg's passion. That gal
ient son OF Neptune rose slowly to his feet,
convulsed with the throes of q might sym
pathy, and with fearful eyes and bated
breath listened to James pitiful story
When, at length. she dropped to the ground,
seemingly in the last extremity of exhausted
nature, the captains compassion reached
climax, DE sprang from the box to the
stage, bent over her prostrate form. ierked
from his pocket his capacious wallet. tore
it open with trembling fingers. exposing
to view its piled-up treasure, and exclaim.
ed, In voice choked with sobs ndtremu-
lous with unfeigned emotion:
Look up, Mistress Shore, look up, By
Cd, madam, you shan't while I've Bal
timore and Ohio railroad shinplaster in INV
pocket-book"
What followed beggars description. For
a moment the vast audience remained hush
ed, as if from involuntary admiration of the
big-hearted sailors generosity and eallan-
try. Then, as the righteousness of the
scene seemed to fash suddenly upon them.
there arose such a clamor of stamping feet.
clapping hands, pounding of canes, shouts
roars, yells, shrieks, aud screams of laugh
ter, as never before or since shook the walls
of any theatre.
In the midst of the uproar, Manager We
myss made his appearance, politely ex
planned to the audience that Miss Shores
wants would be duly administered to. and
succeeded in leading him off the stage.
Several Intellectual attempts were made
to proceed with the tragedy, but the audi
ence was too thoroughly imbued with the
mirth occasioned by the sailors illusion to
settle down to anything serious. Each at
tempt of Mrs. Shore to regain their lost at
tention was only greeted with renewed con-
WILSON'S of laughter, and cries for Captain
Hugg, The shrewd manager only succeed
ed In restoring semblance of order by
starting the orchestra in full blast, and
ringing on the ballet, after which q roar
ing farce was tolerated.