The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-10-22
The Elder Booth.

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Mr.. Booth was under middle size, and
his lower limbs were inelegantly formed,
but his face was eminently handsome,
his eyes were capable of assuming a
melting tenderness of expression, or of
darting Che most vivid flashes of intense
passion; and his voice was strong, music
al, and of the most varied intOnation.
The grandeur of his action, and the sub
limity of his elocution, destroyed all
thought of his diminutive size, and
crowned him for years the monarch of
the American stage. AS tragedian, in
his best moods, he has been scarcely SUR
passed by any who have graced our boards,
and then by Cooke and Kemble alone.
Charles Kefnble and Macready, with
their studied attitudes and enunciation,
were, in comparison, but as plodding,
wire-pulling critics. Booth was the indi-
vidual he represented; he imagined him.
self the very man, and the exquisite
modulations of his voice, the wonderful
nobility of his countenance, and the in
spiratiOn of his transcendent genius
thoroughly identified him with the
most diverse characters. In Richard,
Shylock, 1ago, Lear, Sir Giles Overreach,
Sir Edward Mortimer and Pescara, he
was allowed by universal suffrage to have
been tinrivalled here for near quarter
of a century; and in early life his Ham
let and Romeo were equally beautiful
specimens of art. His other parts, in
which he principally excelled, were Mac.
beth, Cassits, Gloster in "Jane Shore"
Luke in Riches" Pierre, Octaviah,
Oroonoko, Michael Ducas and the Stran-
ger. He sometimes degraded his talents
by appearing in low comedy--and in
Mawworm, Jerry Sneak, John Jump, and
Godfrey Muffincap, was capable of con-
vulsing an audience with laughter. His
education was of high order, and he
had acquired perfect mastery of the
French, German and Italian languages,
and a general familiarity with Others.
His performance of Oresti in the French
theater at New Orleans was attended
with complete success.
Mr.. Booth was thrice married, first, In
1914, to French lady at Brussels; Sec
ond, to Miss Holms, in 1921, who accom-
panied him to this country, and was the
mother of his son Junius; and third, to
an American lady (about 1S30) who sur
vived him, and is the mother of Edwin
Booth and John Wilkes Booth. A daugh-
ter is the wife of John S. Clarke, come
dian. ..t
In his earlier days his temper is said
to have been hasty, petulant and peevish,
and he unfortunately put the enemy in
his mouth, that not only stole away his
brains, but substituted instead those of a
demon. In his moments of inebriation
he knew not friend from foe; he forgot
his engagements with his managers, his
duty to the public and his respect for
himself
His drunken brawls were a terror to
his friends, and in one of them, while
making a violent assault ON the person
of companion, he received blow from
an andiron across his nose, which broke
the cartilage, and destroyed the manly
beauty of his countenance forever.
Though disappointed often and again,
so forgiving were our audiences, and SO
intense the admiration of his talents, that
up to his latest day, when he appeared
but as a battered and broken column, if
the public felt assured that he was chin
self again." they thronged to greet him
as in earlier years, when he was indeed
"the admired of all admirers" To the
last he retained their affection, if not
their respect.