The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-29
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.
exit" Mt the Walnut. '

All merit is comparative, and when we say
that the drama of KIT; or, the Arkansas Travel
Ter, produced at the Walnut last evening, with
Mr.. Chanfrau as the representative of the hero,
is pretty good piece of its kind we of course
will not be understood as judging it from the
standpoint of Hamlet, for instance.
1t is rather when we contrast it with some Of
Boucicault's most soul-harrowing sensations that
its good points become apparent in an eminent
degree. The plot, such as it is, appears to have
been borrowed from of the bloodthlrstiest
yarns of Emerson Bennett or Ned Buntline but
it is in the filing in that the attractiveness of
the piece rests; and here we must say that con-
siderable ingenuity has been displayed in cram
ming as much murder, villainy, and general de-
pravity into prologue and four acts as an ave-
rage audience can stomach or an average stock
company delineate in the course of two hours
and half The story is to the effect that the
wife and child of exit Redding," an Arkansas
backwoodsman, having been abducted by
villain named manuel Bond" he
determines to search through the world until
he finds them. After years of waiting he
discovers his daughter, grown to be q
handsome young lady, figuring as the ward
of the scoundrel "Bond, and he makes himself
known to her. Bond" however, endeavors to
frustrate the efforts of the father to regain pos
session of his child by blowing up the steamboat
upon which they are passengers. By one of
those marvellous occurrences that in dramas of
this class are as natural as eating ones dinner,
all hands escape, and the outraged father meets
the seducer of his wife and the abductor of his
child, and closes with him in a bowie-knife fight
of most exciting description. The burning of
exits" cabin, the scenes in the drinking-saoon
of ST. Louis hotel, q game of poker on the
steamboat, the explosion and burning of the
boat, the great bowie-znife combat, and other
incidentals, make the piece entertaining after
fashion, and it certainly possesses quite as many
of the elements of popularity as most of the
imported dramas of men of the Bouecault
stamp that fill the theatres every winter; and
judging from the heartiness of the applause last
night, it ought to be pecuniary success at least
Mr.. Chanfraus personation of exit Redding"
was marked by some fine touches of nature
that in better play would have been more
clearly recognized than they were by majority
of the audience last night. Mr.. Walcot gave
an excellent representation of the villain
Emanuel Bond" and the rest of the cast was
equal to the requirements of the piece. The
most amusing features, however, were a
couple of "bummers" respectively designated
"Judge Suggs" and "Major Squiggs," who were
represented in q capital style by Messrs, Bailey
and Chapman. These worthless had little to say
but their drinking capacity was unlimited
and they were early recognized as representa-
tive men, for whose originals it is not neces-
sary to seek very far.
The drama is placed upon the stage in credit
able style, with new and appropriate scenery.