The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-19

art which he should have made the study and |
practice of his life. Yet his excessive |
modesty, in spite of serious application, |
kept him from making his appearance
for several years, although he became a the
atrical manager in the mean time. Perhaps
he never would have made an appearance in
character, had il not been for a circumstance
which involved his keeping faith with the
public-a matter in which he was strictly
conscientious. This circumstance occurred in
1921, when he was managing theatre in
Washington. An unusually large audience
assembled one evening, when a play
was to be given in which the come
dian of the company was to be cast for the
leading part. While the orchestra played
the customary overture, and everything
seemed quiet and pleasant in front of the
curtain, there was great commotion behind
the scenes. The comedian was nowhere to
be found and Manager Jefferson was in de-
spair. Waiting until the last, unwilling to
make an apology or dismiss the audience and
urged to do so by all of the company, Mr..
Jefferson resolved to play the part of the
missing comedian The part was one which
Jefferson had studied before, but in which,
with the best preparation, he could never
make up his mind to appear. Yet, with no
preparation, but under the excitement of the
moment, he made his debut, and attained
marked success.
jefferson the Third was too improvident
and careless in business matters to succeed in
management. This hereditary misfortune,
which at last had the effect of closing his
Washington theatre, was offset by the most
genial disposition in the world The day
after his failure in Washington, personal
friend called at Jefferson's house to offer con-
dolence. He was informed that Mr. Jeffer-
son had gone out fishing Troubled with an
apprehension lest jefferson, overcome by his
losses, had resolved to do away with himself,
the friend went in search of him. He found
the ex-manager quietly reclining on the
banks of the Brandywine; his sketch-book
lying open at his side, and his fshing-rod
stretched out over the water.
"Why, jefferson" asked the friend in sur
prise, chow can you devote yourself to the
pleasures of art when your recent misfor-
tunes ought to be driving you to the verge of
despair"
'Confound it, old boy!" was the answer: 81
have lost everything, and am so poor, as
consequence, that / can't even afford to let
anything trouble me"
This characteristic love of art and nature,
! this fondness for sport and this imperturba-
! BILE ease of mind, were all bequeathed to JEFF
! ferson the Fourth the American comedian of
| to-day, who is the son of jefferson the Third
| and Mrs Burke, the celebrated vocalist and
| a half-brother of Charles Burke, who was also
O famous comedian of much the same style of
acting. A couple of incidents will serve to
| illustrate the fact to which allusion is made.
Jefferson is what some of his professional
| friends call ''spooney on art" He, too,
sketches, and, without making any preten-
sions, sketches passably well. His vacations
from professional duty are always spent in
the open country, and his companions are his
| gun, his fishing-rod, and his sketch-book.
| Some time ago, and before good old John
Seton passed to that bourne where he will
probably never play Jenny Twitcher" again,
| Jefferson saw him near his home in Paradise
valley, whittier the latter had gone upon one
of his summer trips. He found Seton with
his breeches and coat-sleeves both rolled up,
and standing in the middle of clear and shall
low stream, where one could scarcely step with
out spelling the sports of the brook trout which
sparkled through the crystal waters. Seton
stood in crouching attitude, watching with
mingled disappointment and good humor a
little pig which the stream was carrying down
its current, and which, pig-hke, had slipped
from the hands of its owner in its natural
aversion to being washed. Jefferson, with
the true instinct of an artist, dropped his
fishing tackle, and took his sketch book to
transfer the ludicrous scene to paper. Seton
appreciated the humor of the situation, and
only objected when Jefferson began to fill in
the background with a dilapidated old barn,
at which the old gentleman demurred on ac-
insisted that it was picturesque, however, and
proceeded to put it down. Seton had to sub
NIT, but he had his revenge by writing back
to New York that Jefferson is here, drawing
the worst houses l ever saw"
That Jefferson's love of art and indiffer-
ence to profit are as largely developed as were
his fathers, is proved by many of his invest
ments. Not many months since he bought o
panorama because he admired it, and put it
in charge of an agent who had been with him
a long time The panorama failed to attract
in spite of its merits, and the agent wrote
back that he despaired of ever doing anything
with it besides losing money. 'Never mind, F"
was Jetferson's answer: ''it will be gratifca-
ton for those who do go to see it, and you
may draw on me for what money you need. y
But the result was that the panoramic beau
ties now blush unseen in the garret of Phi
ladelphia theatre. The Philadelphia public
have not forgotten the tribute which Jeffer-
son paid to art in the production of 4 Md
summer Nights Dream. The piece was after
ward produced in the West, newly appointed
and in every way as complete, but it did not
meet with patronage equal to the money
that had been expended upon it. ''It is all
right" said Jefferson to the manager when
the attendance began to fall off; 1--WE have
done our duty and have made an artistic sue
cess of the piece. If the people will not come
to see it, it is more their misfortune than ours.
1t would be pleasant for the writer to dwell
upon the personal characteristics of Joseph
jefferson as illustrated in similar incidents,
and he believes that it would not be uninte-
resting to the reader. But this sketch could
scarcely plead the apology of conscientious
record did it not enter upon the professional
career of the fourth and greatest actor In the