The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-05-01


Richmond is the nursery Of extraordi-
nary men. She offers to the world examples
Of greatness and of the opposite extreme.
By way of illustration take the elder BOOTH
for the former and Mr.. GEORGE JONES Tor
the latter. Abhorring mediocrity she tn.
umpbs in the extremes. She brought to
the notice of the world GEORGE JONES, who
in his way is peerless. Starting with the
passport of Richmond, he rushed madly to
Europe, won his way to the hearts Of the
nobility, hob-nobbed with them, played
billiards with them, hunted and fished with
them, and with his nonsense about the
North American Indians humbugged the
LoNeaANs, who printed his book in red and
gold. This he dedicated to the Archbishop
| of Canterbury, who declined the honor, and
it was transferred to the King Of Bavaria,
1.-THE poor old fellow who died years since,
and who was didded by JONES and LOLA
MoNTEs), who acknowledged the compll'
ment and honored him with the title OF
Count JOHANNES.
But JONES is not lasting man. 1t is
]
He wore himself threadbare in Europe,
| and returned to America. He chose to re-
side in New York, where humbugs are
systemzed and kept in training, SO tnat
they fulfil some mission or other and So
ciety suffers not. There he aspired to legal
distinction, and, with black wig and
sober robes, he persistently danced attend
ance upon the courts, solemnly assalllng
first the highest, and lowering his preten-
sions by degrees until he settled down
upon the Tombs, where his thunders nave
for some time Mortified court and crlml-
mails.
We all know how he pressed himself by
the side of Mr.. OCoNNER as Mr.. DAV1s's
counsel. He has caught at successive eX-
elements as a drowning man does at float
ing bit of timber to keep himself afioat, but
finally rushes back mady to the stage,
which had fondly hoped never to bear his
grotesquelf-tragical or tragically-tarcical
figure again. He bored the manager OF
Niblo's Theatre until that gentleman yield
ed to his supplcations, and Saturday night
GEORGE JONES appeared as " Richard the
Ill" before a New York audience. The
manager had made proper announcement
of his distinguished star, and we are sure
his house was crammcd from pit to
dome. There are many in this city who
would have given pretty sum to be pres
ent. 1t wus no doubt the richest perform
ance that has happened for many seasons.
GEORGE not long ago played Hamlet in the
Academy of Music, and so intense was the
interest of the crowd that the curtain was
never dropped until the play ended, it being
deemed impious to interrupt the train OF
thought aroused by the originality OF the
GEORGE played as no man
ever did, and it may be hoped as no man
ever will.
So Richmond may be proud of her pro-
teee. She is great in producing the eN-
tremes of genius. Have we not had Col.
MCPHERSON, whose genius triumphed over
the dull business of currying leather, and
flashed out in this same RICHARD THE THIRD.
He, like JONES appealing to PALMER, ap-
pealed to GILBERT Chen manager here);
and GILBERT, like PALMER, yielded. The
house was jammed, and Mop. was crammed
with the grand conceits which he then and
there developed, to the uproarious mirth
of the appreciative audience. His great
feat was his fight and death. He fighting
fell, and falling, fought until poor RICHMOND
,iespaired, and threatened him with instant
death unless he died at once This he did.
But the boys wanted it repeated, and so
cheered and called for the renewal Of the
fight that Nc. arose and lifted his sword,
when RICHMOND, in no set or polite phrase,
ordered him to the floor again, on pain OF
being run through the body. Nc. there
upon drapped," and the curtain fell upon
the richest performance Of the day. We
suppose that the New Workers had similar
feast of fun and disorder Saturday night.
No one engaged seats, because that would
have been show of consideration for order
and decorum, of which there was no ex-
pectation.
GEORGE JONES is a rare case. We don't
know whether Richmond should feel fiat.
tered by her relation towards him or not
But certainly even abortions have unusual
fame when they start out from Richmond
We remember that vapid and stupid
book, written by Richmond man, pro-
voked sarcasm which could have been
elected nowhere else. The late 4 Federico
COLEMAN said he had rather be the author
of that book than OF any other save Shaks
peare. Upon being asked why, he replied
81 detest mediocrity. I desire to be the
"author Of the best or the meanest book
i" that ever was writtenH' He might have
said in the same spirit, "Let me be BooTH-
If not, then let me be GEORGE JONES'"
1t is well to rise early and take peer
through the loop-holes of the city. Satur.
day we were up and out ut Hollywood by
the street-car when our contemporaries
were fast asleep. We saw what was to
come, and fixed up Richmond in all its
glory, devoutly and practically, while we
thought we heard our neighbors snoring