Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-07
Something about ..Cei. sei,erS-

| "tleighton," the rscy Washington CORE
4 srCndeui OF the DO1lbigV NClrS. writes % that
! paper the following interesting gossip con
/ corning the Gildod Age" and Col. Sell
erS"
The play OF the "GIldod A ge" was drSt pro
| duced from Mark Twain'S book. b. a bur-
IaliSt named Dinsmore, of San Franclsca ,.
| ~ was very similar 10 what 10 now l..
Win The exception that S7lG'o- ipiRU0r.hy
WAS peTsonated and brought on the stage
| Inls IL was found did not work well. and
Twain, when he revampei the plav from his
DOCK: arranged The lines so as 10 refer only
70 DaItooythy. Mark Twain's original inten-
Ton was 10 throw in a large quantity OF pa-
thos, and with this view arrangeneatS were
lendlng with Edwin Booth and Lawrence
barrett At the time RaymOnd's a ttention WAS
drawn 10 the play. IL was al hts suggestion
much OF the present business OF the play
was put in The stove scene belongs 20 Twain
entirely. but putting his hand on the pipe
while Sctie7s explains the philosophy OF heat
belongs Ia Raymond. The turnip scene was
originally intended for pathos, but a slight
alteration In the lines gave IL its present
Imaginable aspect. Raymond never eat vege-
tables, and on the stage. instead OF eating
TIE iurnips at the turnip dinner, he eats APP
pies. On one occasion lac sent a turnip, with
his compliments, into private box of which
Chief Justice Waite and Others were occu-
pants, and subsequently, much TO Ssiier's
amu' ement. the turntp was cut into small
pieces and distributed among the audience
The phrase There's millions in e, which
Raymond gets of with such finished and con
rot 10 be found in "rhe Gilded Age" Col
Ray moDd assured me that he hal never read
any OF Mark Twsin's books. but hoped soon
based.
Tie hat with the ample brim which ne
wears during the play and whica increases
ms rsseLl olance 10 Secretary Seward, has
When Walter Montgomery, the Young ira
gedian. came TO san Francisco. he wore sucn
an outrageous bat that Colonel Raymond
prevailed upon him To purchase another.
and Montgomery handed his old hat to Ray
moLd, who rolled IL up, thrust IL ia his
pocket, and when he went TO hts rooms
tossed IL into one of his trunks, When Sec
rotary Seward reached san Francisco, by
an odd coincidence he wore a hat last like
mat which Montgomery had discarded. aud
which, through some friend, found It's way
also 10 Raymond. In preparing for the part
OF COi0.d Sellers, Raymond selected this
style of hat, but found only one in his trunk.
whether IL is the one Seward or Montgom-
cry wore he cannot tell. Not long ago when
coming east ne met the ex-Secretary's son.
Clarence, aad the hat was referred 20. Car
encc told the Colonel that hts brother FRED
erick would be able 20 settle the mystery,
but as yet Colonel Raymond has not met
him, and the mystery remains nightly upon
COiCHd SeliCTS' head, exciting Comment aud
lerforming its part in the most satisfactory
manner.
OF the profits of the play, Mark Twain gels
| one half, which is rather comfortable. Co
| lionel Raymond in one respect is without a
| peer as an actor, and the pride he DISPLAYS
bbde ldfI. which Is, a. ia
never smokes or chewS tobacco, or drinks
| liquor, would make mother OF twins dis
! guSted with herself.
Mrs. Raymond, who accompanied the
| Colonel az far as Washington, and took tue
mart of L0prd HG,rSiHS, IS q lady OF great
UeaUty and fine abilities. She is of Hebrew
extraction, and comes from Mobile. Ray
mond has great affection for the people OF
| The South, aud says the bappieSt days Oi his
| lie were spent among them.
In reply 10 the question, (Which do you
| regarc as the three really American play,?'
Colonel R2 ymoEd said ne looked upon Tue
| Gllded Age" as the principal one, aud then
| IN their order Rip Van Wrinkle" and "Davy
Crockett" He said the country cOntai ned
| any quantity OF CDORci .Se1erS and Senator
| IDGi'roTtkpS. No other country could produce
Them. Iney hadn't the material 10 work
| upon; the Tennessee lands, the appropriation.
| the glorious old flag, the reconstructed Con-
| fedeTate, The Mississippi steamboats,, aud the
American habit of specializing were ali
wanting in every other country under the
| sun. Plays like "Trip Van WlBkle" ani
''Davy Crockett" could not be multiplied.
| They must stop just where they are. They
| are purely American, with q hard limita-
zion, but every town could have its 81 HJgr-
Aus aud Colonel Sellers, and be sorry for IL. In
| connection with the play OF "Davy Crock
| elt,' Col. Raymond spoke in high terms OF
Master Buc kingham, OF this CITY, who per.
forms the part OF BOB CrOcke,f. He is a oOy
| OF say twelve or fourteen, aud acts as il born
TO the stage.