The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-04
OBITUARY..
Edward Niles Thayer.

Weregret to announce the death of the vene-
rable actor, Edward N. Thayer, which took
place at his residence, No. 261 Madison street,
this morning at o'clock. Mr.. Thayer was an
old man, and for several years past he has not
appeared upon the stage, so that to the youngest
of the present generation of playgoers he was
unknown except by reputation. For many
years, however, he was q resident of this city,
and leading member of the stock companies
of the Old Chestnut, the Walnut, and the Arch,
and he was so intimately connected with plea
SAINT recollections of the stage of Philadelphia
that the intelligence of his death will occasion
a general regret.
Mr.. Thayer was born in Boston about the year
1897, and he was consequently in his 73d year
at the time of his death. When quite a yonth
he entered the United States navy as mdship-
man. He was on board the frigate Chesapeake
under Commodore Lawrence during the engage
ment with the British frigate Shannon in 1S13
and il is said that he was 80 frightened that he
ran below and hid himself in the hold during
the action. The rumor of his conduct on this
occasion was favorite subject of jest with
these who knew him, bat Mr.. Thayer always
took the railery at his want of courage in excel
lent part and was willing to treat the matter a
good Joke at his expense. 1t should be remem-
bered that at the time he was quite small boy,
and that neither then nor afterwards did he pro-
fess to be much of hero, except in the mimic
world, where he found both reputation and ap-
plause as the delineator of warriors rand
lofty-minded patriots. After the war of 1912
had ended Mr.. Thayer withdrew from the
navy, and for some time devoted himself
to business pursuits, but his predictions were
for the stage, and in 1921 he made his first ap-
pearance as an actor at the Federal Street The
>.
tragedy of Tancred and SigiSmulda. He
speedily made his mark as representative of
light comedy characters, and acquired local
reputation which secured him an engagement
at the old Chatham Street Theatre, New York :,
then under the management of Barrere. About
the year 1852 he came to Philadelphia as a men,
Der of the stock company of the old Chestnut
Street Theatre, and since then he always held
prominent position at either the old Chestnut,
the Walnut or the Arch, and he was one of
the best-known and most highly-respected of
the old stock actors of Philadelphia.
In his younger days Mr.. Thayer was a favo-
rite representative of the leading light comedy
characters. This, however, was before the
recollection of the majority of the playgoers of
the present day, and for many years previous to
his retirement he was considered one of the best
and most reliable ''old men" on the stage. He
and his esteemed wife were prominent members
of the Arch Street Company under the manage
ment of Wheatley ~ Drew, Wheatley, and
Wheatley q Clarke, when that theatre obtained
| a celebrity for the production of standard come
| dies such as it never had before or since,
About four years ago Mr.. Thayer retired
| from the stage, principally on account of
| deafness, which prevented him from attending
to the business of the stage in a manner satisfac
| tory to himself and his last appearance in pub
| lie was at a benefit given to him about three
| wears ago at the Academy of Music, when he
| came before the curtain and made a short
/ speech, thanking the audience for their attend
ance. Mr. Thayer was for many years regular
attendant at Grace Church (Episcopa), Twelfth
| and Cherry streets, of which his widow is a
| member He was man of pure and blameess
| life, and both as an actor and as q gentleman he
was in every way worthy of the high esteem in
| which he was held. His love for the profession
to which all the best years of his life were de-
voted never abated, and playgoers were glad to
see him constantly sitting before the curtain
| at the theatres watching the perform
ance with a critical but appreciatiye
eve, or to listen to his sage comments and COM
parisons between the way things are done now
and in the good old days when he was young
He was also tolerably regular attendant on the
courts, particularly when any case of interest
was on trial. and in this manner he was
wont to beguile the enforced leiSSre of his
age, and to find amusement in the study
of human nature. Mr. Thayer for some