Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-12-18
The Great E"ratic Actor.

He dressed himself for "Hamlet" one
Sunday morning, and, during the day, went
to Fog s. Stickney's circus, and mounted
one of the most vicious horses in the sta
ble-one, in fact, that no one but the own
er could approach with safety. The noble
animal. however, as if consci 'us of some
extraordinary performance, allowed Booth
to approach, conduct him out Of the stable,
mount without saddle, or bride, and ride
MIN through the streets. to the wonder and
astonishmant of the quiet citizens of Penn,
who were vending their way to church.
s'Lades and gentlemen said the crage-
dian to the passers by" 81 intend TO per-
form Hamlet tonight for the benefit Of the
poor land good play is worth forty sermons,
both for morals and reformation )" and
changing his voice to musical strain, he
sang:
''Oh, tbs nv delight,
Of shiny night,
In the season of the year,
To which he added the signitic. Int remark,
"Join chorus, Christians"
His friends had considerable difficulty
to overcome this strange caprice. H. was
taken to his farm at l}elair, and, by the
care of his family, he soon regained his
health.
Whenever Booth occupied off :ial sitna-
tons in the theatre, his industry was un-
.iring. When not otherwise eng tg ID, it
was his custom to Saunter among the fields
OF, hv
is the want of this system of aspiration
which proves the rock upon which the ma
,rity OF our actors are shipWrecked How
many years would it req lir- to com i'leteIy
understand such II character us Lar or
Hamlet ? What study it costs and what
time is requisite to Obtain "a tho ough
knowledge of the part! How many works
nave been written in the en'le0vOr to anal
va the single character Of NJ tcbath, and
what depth and intricacy of thought must
be imbhed in the creations of the INN 'rtal
b,rd to have puzzled the accumen of sue =
commentators as JOINS N, Stevens and
Malone ! -s..s.--s
In January, 1882, Mr.. Booth commenced
IiI iit+ l. ctt UiG
Chestnut street theatre. During the re-
mainder Of the year h. went on u profess
,ional tour to New Orleans. Mobile, ST
Louis, Louisville and Cincinnati; returned
to his farm in Maryland in the month of
June, and remained during the season Of
the cholera. In the Fall OF that year he
accepted an engagement from Dana t.
play in Bos: on, and was to receive twelve
hundred dollars for nine Lights perform
ances.~ Dana retained the proceeds Uf his
benefit, and Booth not to be paid any money
until he had played the stipulated number
If nights. On the ninth evening ''EvAlne"
and ''Amateurs and Actors" were to be
performed, Mr.. Booth being announced as
Ludoyico in the play, and Jetfry Muffincap
in the farce. During his performance Of
the former character, being imperfect in
the part, the audience manifested some
disapprobation, at which Mr.. Both step
ped forward to the foot lights and address
ed the spectators as follows:
s'Ladies and Gentlemen understand
you we'll. Wilson's the tragedy-boy for
you. You'd better get him to finish the
part, and he's good figure fol the tragedy
boy in the farce. I've other business to
attend to, so wish you ali Good night"
Wilson was the tragedian Of the opposi-
ton house, and a most Indifferent one,
having no qualifications for an actor Ma
ture, too, had 'marred his fair proportions
by making him excessively bow-legged.
Neither antreaties nor threats of law
suits could induce Mr.. Booth to Fl ,ish the
performance; but lie M ,de his exit at once,
and walked the entire distance to Ptoyi-
dence in a wretched state of mind and
bodily fatigue. He soon after left Provi
dence an arrived in New York, where he
formed an enga cement with Nj. HAmbliA
to perform il Richln md, Va.
Tley reac ned ? lila;lelplia in safety, but
Oh the Rad to B lItim ,re, W l5I alb vat two
miles from Boot IS Re id enc, ne stage
broke down and Richtrd, Il uni t, G 10 st.
Ophelia, Grave-tli ger ami Il 1T J tex" wara
all hu ltled pro n'scUnu;ly into one c. IL
mon pile Together. TIER exit from this
stage was S tnS cerem ,nie. I lere beng 10
opportunity or prospect of proceeding on
their journey until noon of the ensuing
day, Booth proposed to walk to his far II
rendering them all the accommodations
that his farm would allow. The offer was
acc pied, and the whole party arrived at
Booths residence, where the principal
room in the house was shared 10y MIS-.
Booth and Miss Vincent the servants va
eating theirs to Bno Ii and lEamblin.
Hamblin, who was subject to the asthma,
had an attack Of his complaint during the
| night, which prevented him from sleeping,
so, like u philosopher he pulled out his
pipe and stramonium. which he always
carried a preventive to the malady and
enveloped himself and Booth in II cloud Of
smoke. Occasionally he apologize d for
wrapping his ''anci 4nt' i'll u mist. but
''Iago" did not allow his desire for rep Sc
to interfere with his companion ell
deavor to rid himself Of his atfliction, al
though in his heart he cursed the unfoytu-
nate hour in which Hamblin contracted
the asthma. namblin, at last. concluded
to adopt another remedy, and called for
gin and water, in the hope of getting to
sleep; but Booth never allowed any alcohol
to be used at his farm. Mr.. Booth at
home and Mr.. Booth abroad were two diff
ferent personages. When at home he was
temperate, frug,l and Industrious, and
scrupulously particular in his habits and
methods of living. He practiced all the
manual exercises of the husbandman =
blowing, narrowing, sowing seed, and
l,;c b1oo w., =,