The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-28
From the st. Joseph, No., Daily Commercial,
Maggie Mitchell, 1.-The Gem Of the
Stage,

Stage.
There, is of course, natural curiosity |
in the minds of all amusement lovers to
know something about Maggie Mitchell,
who has pleased them so well and 30 often.
They want to know when she was born,
and where she was born, and what she has
done during her entire life, and all that
kind OF thing, and they won't rest satisfied
with anything else. We sympathize with
every one who desires to have their curiosity
gratified, and without giving the least lD-
timation as to where we gained the intelll-
gence, shall state frankly and candldly
what we know.
We'll, we know that Maggie Mitchell is
the most fascinating little sprite that ever
appeared upon the American stage-that
fact has been recognized most emph atical-
ly by the most refined and cultivated au-
diences in the United States. Personally
she isn't as large as fifty ladies we could
name in st. Joseph. but then it would puz
zle any Fifty ladies in our city to equal her
in graces of person as we'll as of mind.
Nature, in moulding her, paid far more at
tention to the perfection of the physical
system and the intellect than the mere size
of the frame and the superfuous tissue at
tached to it. She gave Maggie perfect
symmetry, fexibility, and adaptability.
She made here a perfect little gem of
grace and sprightliness, and the succeed
ing years have only served to develope
these faculties more completely.
Some inquisitive individual asks US how
many years ago Maggie Mitchell was born?
That we do not know. We do know this,
however, that less than two decades since
she was little auburn haired girl, pratt
ling nonsense among the neighbors down
10 Fulton street, New York, and even then
she had penchant for the stage, running
away from her parents to visit the old
Bowery Theatre whenever she had an OPP
portunity. She was always wild restless,
spritely little thing, who had her own
childish dreams mingled with the bashful
coyness Of girlhood. Her very artlessness
was artful; her simplicity, while natural,
seemed the creation Of the dramatic au-
thor. 1t was this very fact that probably
adapted her SO admirably for the peculiar
line of character she has since made her
own. Whatever the little Maggie" mag
have seemed to her Fulton street friends,
however, she is another Maggie" to day,
and what she is now she has made herself
grand in her own originality, forming her
own conceptions Of character and carrying
them out boldly and brilliantly; graceful as
child and still more graceful as a woman;
endowed with a genius that seemed almost
the work of inspiration aud taste that
was faultless, she has fought her own way
in the world, has received the homage of
all the cultivated and refined, and stands
| without a peer or a rival on the stage.
Isn't that enough for little brown haired
Fulton street girl to accomplish?
But where was Maggie Mitchell born
some inquisitiee individual will ask: We
will answer the question by saying she was
born in Fulton street, New York. And
we will say, further, that her first appear
ance was as "Oliver Twist" in the Old
Bowery Theatre She was but a wee
thing then, and the manager had the
greatest distrust as to her ability to carry
through the part He was disappointed,
and so we're the audience-both agreeably.
She had perfect triumph, and the audi
ence. like OLIVER" asked for more. From
that moment her success was assured, and
after playing in the Old Bowery one season,
she started out on Star" engagement,
visiting all the principal cities, playing the
French Spy and other smaller pieces,
| IucSlluB Will ptIleCt SuCCGSS.
1t was not until 1861 that Maggie Mitch,
ell, the little brown haired girl who had
started in the Old oxery, dreamed of ia
king Il higher position upon the stage
! And then the thought struck her that she
might play 'Fanchon." The idea came
like an Inspiration, and with it came
doubts. She might make a failure anC
bring down the Kisses and jeers of the au
dience. She was young girl, with bu
little stage experience, and the piece wa:
one most difficult of execution. 1t requir
ed versatility of talent that few actresse
had ever possessed, and managers are Away
exceedingly sensitive. She studied the char
acter, practi-ed il, studied it again, i7onderet
over the matter, hesitated, and finally con
cludcd to play it. On the 23d day of Feb
ruary, lS6l-just fourteen years ago yes
terday-Maggie Mitchell appeared in tn
= St. Charles Theatre in New Orleans to on
of the largest and most refined audience
that had ever appeared in that magni6cen
/ Temple Of the Muses.. The manager, Xix
the actress, had had his doubts-so muc
: SO that he thought it necessary to put
: popular farce on the bills in connectio
/ with the main piece. Long before Maggi
Mitchell had gone half way through wit
: "Fanchon," he discovered that the fare,
= was unnecessary. In every scene of ever
act the fair young actress was greete,
e with continued rounds of applause, and a
the end of the play she was called befor
the curtain and received perfect shove
D of compliments, 1t was q grand oyatio
e throughout, and but few cared to stay I
( see the farce" Since then the play c
0 "Fanchon" has changed considerably in it
e details the changes being simply improve
= ments-but the original idea of the autho
= has not been altered in the least.
''Fanchon has since been played oftene
a., and with greater success by the Httl
: brown haired Fulton street girl than an
other play has ever been rendered by an
! actor or actress in the United States-an
E the interest in it never diminishes
= In 1864 Miss Mitchell first produce
= Little Barefoot" and the Pearl OF Savoy
J, in Boston, and from the moment of the
9 introduction they were favorites. The
. struck one of those peculiar veins in tn
. popular heart that always gives respon
. sve throb, and they added immensely
q the fame already acquired by the actres;
ln 1871 she first appeared as Jane Eyre
in Chicago, where another laurel W;
>. added to the wreath she had won. Wit
:, these four pieces, studied to perfection
playing another at occasional intervals
Maggie Mitchell's fame has been built u
If solidly OF the stage In these she has I
!, !. rivals; indeed it would be useless for ar
one to attempt to rival her.
is This IS Maggie Mitchelps theatrical ca
reer. 1t has been written 10 the theatre
e of all the principal cities, and in the hear
&c of countless thousands of the most GUILTY.