New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-02
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 1876.

Jenkins business Of the circus, and would
not 60 down now"
~ read in the Times the other day that
Sol Smith is still living In St. Louis, said
the Msjor.
"You mustn't mind that, !" said the Judge.
'Sol Smith died February IA, 1869, and was
buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis.
If he is living he must have lately come to
life."
"Well," said the Major, "as You are not
gong to build another theatre, will now
embrace the opportunity to drink the heal tn
of old Sol Smith, dead or alive"
The Judge smiled, and continued his his
tory:
1.-THE St. Charles opened Nov ember IL,
1853, with Ben DeBar as proprietor and
manager. The bill was School for Scandal
The next season opened November S, 1854
with Honeymoon and 'Toodles,' . bill
which Mr.. DeBar has since repeated many
times. He is probably the best Mock Duke
ON the stage. The season closed May 3,
1855, with wild OATS played with
picked cast from the Varieties and St.
CHARLES companies, for the benefit of the
American Dramatic fund. The next season.
commenced November IL, 1855, with Mrs.
Farren in the Stranger The co mpany
that year was . grand one, incl uding
Charles Pope, 8. B. Duf6eld, Mark Smith,
Ben DeBar, vining Bowers, ]. B. Studley
and Mary Gladstane."
"There have been worse companies since,"
chimed in the Major.
Certainly, SIR" said the Judge, "but We
do not drink here. Mrs. Farren also COM
| menced the next season, November IL,
1856. La Grange came, the Rave ls, and
| the Campbell minstrels closed the season.
November 9, 1857, another season COM
menced, with Mr.. and Mrs. John Wood.
Kate Reignalds was the leading lady.
During the season Of 1861 SO, Edwin Booth
played. He was not cousidered . great
actor then. Tho following season closed
April 10, 1860, with . French opera com.
pany. The last season before the war COM
menced November 8, 1860, with Nine
Points of Law The regular season
ended March 80, 1860. with Mrs. Emma
Waller - Lady Macbeth. A company from
Mobile, supporting Miss Joey Gou genheim,
then came and played two weeks. shall
never forget the last performance. It was
April IL, 1861, the very day that fighting
commenced in earnest. News came that
General Anderson would not surrender,
and that General Besuregsrd had opened
fire ON Fort Sumter. The town was wild
with excitement, and there was no more
theatre. The St. Charles remained closed,
or without company, for three long, terri
BILE years. Ben Butler"
"As you have closed the theatre" sug-
gested the Major, "it's time for another
drink. Here's to the health of the war"
The Judge looked musingly into space,
and scarcely noticed the triiing Major.
He finally said:
Louis in the fall of '63 to fix up the theatre.
He opened it temporarily January 4, 1864,
with . picked up company which played .
week for the benefit of the United States
sanitary commission, or something of that
sort. Lieutenant Lewis Morrison, who
has since become . star, acted Claude Mel
notte, and reckon he made the gardeners
son sick. February 6, 1864, the theatre was
opened with . regular company under the
management of T. w. Davey. He brought
Mary Gladstane and George D. Chaplin as
leading people. In March of that year John
Wilkes Booth played an engagement His
last appearance in New Orleans was March
Is, 1864, when he played Richard III. An
other April, and that man enacted Q tragedy
that shocked the civilized world, linking
infamy to his family name, and disgrsoing
manhooh. After Booth, the Martinez family,
Matilda Heron and little Emma Mad
dern played engagements. Miss Mad
dern 10 in the company here now.
She played the Maggie Mitchell style Of
pieces, and was one of the brightest little
actresses in the profession, and there are
but few better soubrettes to-day. A not
able event of the next season was the
first appearance in New Orleans Of
Miss Lotta, who afterward became .
great ,,favorite, land never will forg get Ben
DeBar's kindness in putting her forward.
The old man is playing with her now it St.
Louis. On Lotta's first night here, which
was March &c. 1865. she played in Andy
Blake Jenny Lind and Nan, the Good.
for-Nothing' She was great kicker then,
and worked the banjo we'll. The next sea-
son was under the management of Mr.. E.
Eddy, who recently died in the West
Indies. November 3, 1867, Ben DeBar was
| again at the helm, and opened the theatre
with Japanese troupe. The leading
man of the dramatic company was MI.
w. H. Riley. He was q fine actor,
but he died Of the yellow fever soon
| after he arrived. From that time on the
theater has been managed in the same old
wsy-as . star house entirely. Latterly
| the companies have been cheap and bad,
| - you know. The Old Drury has had in
| its day the best and worst companies, and
the manager has made and lost great
deal of money. Mr.. DeBar's record in the
profession has been an honorable one, and
We part from him regretfully, as from an
old friend, hoping he may live long and
prosper, and occasionally bring his Falstaf
back, as something to lean upon in his old
age, and amuse us as q star at another
house. So runs the world away. Major"
said the Judge, "during my little story of
the old theatre You ave made all the mo-
tions toward drinking. have now some
thing TO say in that direction. Allow me
| to propose the success of the new proprie-
<nr in n 6iffarenf lima of hna;noeo