The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-06
An Old stagar.

been interviewed by Times reporter, and
furnishes some interesting "reminiscences OF
the stage during bis fifty years service at the
Walnut: .I remember when old kean
came here first. 1t was In 1921 or 1922. he
was mighty fine ACTOR; but, Lord how be
| hated the 'supers.' The latter got mad at
him 10 turn, and used to bliss him from the
nit, and would have ruined him, too, II he
hadn't changed his tune. / tell you the
supers' WELD wonderful power in a
theatre, and woe betide the star that
incurs sheir dlspleasure. ! always
thought young Kesn was good
actor, too. When he played the Gamestsr
| there wouldn't be q dry eye in the house.
| yaudenneff aud Fanny Kemble came around
soon after the Keans. Fanny played at all
the theatres, but wherever she went; old
! Pierce Butler would be found in the orches.
ira, tooilng on the flute. Butler was dead
gone on her, and would lose bis head 50
| when she was about to appear that DIS oio
| flute would squeal like astuck pig, and make
all the other musicians pull out their hair
and cuss blue. She married him finally, to
| get rid of him j; but they disagreed on, the
slavery question, and guess had hot time
OF II.
- remember Barney Williams after he
| left my charge, and got s3 week. He was
here the other day aud made $500 in one
night. get the same that did fifty years
| apo." .H How much is that" asked the re-
| porter. breathiessly. "Twelve dollars q
week; and mighty little it is, too," replied
Mr.. Reed ia q despondent tone. "But
| was talking of Barney Williams. His name
| wasn't Williams in those days when he was
| .super.' 1t was Rsfferty-Barpey Rsfferty.
| When he got up in the world be discovered
that sR fferty' was not an attractive name
| on board-fepce, so he got the Legislature
to change it to Williams Everybody
| doesn't kuow this; butoips true.
"Yes and remember old Booth, too, A
| mighty fine ACTOR he was, now, tell you.
Did YOU ever hear bow he got his nose
| broke? Nof Then Pl tell you. You
/ have heard, of course, that the old man
| liked bis stod.' Very well; be used to
get on fearful benders, and do all sorts OF
funny things. One day ne took an old
'busfed' musket from the sreen-room, ana,
Jumping into one of Jake Peters's old coaches,
rode ten miles out in the country. lie was
Starring .Spartacus' at the time, and the play
| couldn't 20 on without bin; so the boys
closed the theatre and started out to hunt
| him up. After three days search we found
him sitting by the side of ditch, about fif-
teen miles out of town, trying to shoot an
| imaginary bull-frog. We brought him back,
and ever after that big fellow named Flynn
kept watch over him. Wherever he went
Flynn would 60 also. They would eat,
drink, and sleep together, and finally Flynn
got TO be az bad as the old man, and one
night while they were in Charleston Booth
trie, TO smother Flynn by stufhuga pillow
| in his mouth, and the latter defended himself
with poker, and broke the poor old mans
nose. Booth got 1925 week wherever he
| went. Young Ned isn't to be compared
with him. r.--.
Now, there was Wilkes. He Uas an ac-
tor. Just like the old man, too-as crsz7 as
bed bug. My, how he used to dressl l
heard him say once, about FIVE years before
! be shot the President, that he was going to
do something sone day that would startle
the world. What he meant you can judge Of
az well ss | can. Ever since Spapgler got
mixed up in that affair you can't get man
| to mold hor-e at the stage entrance Of
theatre. Two ldn't-not for 81 1000. re-.
| member Paddy Collirs, too, who came over
| to tnis country 'to charm the natives.' He
was good actor. but put on deal of style,
and the boys hssed him for it and drove him
out of the country. After him came old An
| derson, an English snob, aDd be tried to
make people believe he was some pumpkins,
too. Bui Robertson, who was then the pro.
perty msu' of the theatre, gave him brace
OF black eyes, and the lesson was so'effectiVe
that Anderson treated the 'supers' first-rate
ever alter, and of course made an immense
fortune ...,.
"H .ckett was tp.top fellow, and one Of
the best ACTORS Of his day. He used to set
up tie beer right lively, and the boys reci-
protaied by calling him out before the cur.
| tain, flying trained doves at him, and all that
| SORT OF thing, you know. Adams was good
fellow, TOO; and so was Barry Sullivan,
| when be was here twenty years ago. He
seemed better ac'or then, too. He thought
| he was treated badly this last time, however,
aud be turned sour, and couldn't act so well.
| "The best of the To-, though. was Ed win
| Forrest. Oh, be was an actor! What
fencer be was! My think hear him now
yelling at ne behind the curtain: Reed,
j:you old Bibe-hscked mummr, why don't
you put on YOUR hnlmetf' used to fence
with him. He has killed me regularly every
night for month. Old Dummy A!lt n-we
used to Call him dummy because he wss
desf- always dressed Forrest for the stage,
aud when The former was leaving the ooup.
try he'shook his cid servant sffectionately by
the band, and told HIM he'd leave bin some
thing in his will. But Dummy didn't take
much stock Ia promises, aud argued Forrest
into leaving him something on account.
| They're both desd now, though one died rich
and the other died a pensiener on the dra.
matte fund-aud il SIN correctly Informed
that fund is dead too"
nI3 Nrs lana q guisshalm the cole.