, 1877-11-11
4 Great Social and Theatrical Event
The SWEETEST of Swell Crowds.
Dundreary Eclipsed, and sothern the
Idol of the Hour With
DostonianS.
The Count Joannes' Portraiture
---Otlaer Hits" and
"Points."
An Old Veteran Who Might Have
Been King Of Us All
Loo1s On
Another King, and His Just Estimates
Daniel Webster Rehabilitated.

From Our On1s Correspondent
BosToS, Nor. S.-The most interesting event
Of late not only iu dramatic circles, but in :
large portion Of the best society, was the Edwit
Adams benefit, when Sothern brought the Parl
Theatre company on from New York by specia
train to assist in the play Of 1.-THE Crushet
Iragedlan.'' It was very swell crowd thai
gathered that morning in the carly hours,-fo
isn't it in the carly hours on these Octobel
days when q theatre opens at 9:30 and the GU:
tain rises at 10 O'Clock in the morning! But Il
was the only chance OF seeing So1hcrn this sea
son; and the whole arrangement WAS so novel
so delightfully."- out OF the ordinary, that tnl
entertainment became ao event before its per
formance. and the tickets, at $1.50 for all parts
Of the house, sold readily until the parquet
and the balconies were taken. The AUDIENCE
begun to Gather carly, though some wise
ones fingered outside as tho news reached
them that there had been 4 delay on the
train. At 10 O'Clock, however, the hour adver-
tiscd for the curtain to rise promptly, the seats
were nearly all occupied, aud anxious waiting
began. Ten minutes past, fifteen minutes past,
and the gan1ins in the gallery began to express
the in npatience Of The crowd underneath them.
~ DELAY ON THE ROAD"
was whispered about. Twenty minutes past,
aud, just as feeling OF uucasiucss was finding
vent i'll some despairing souls by the croak
@'Don't believe they'll come, after ell,n the cur-
tain rolled suddenly up and everybody was
happy. Those OF lis who had known all about
the delay; who knew that only few moments
before the curtain rose the expected company
had entered the theatre aud had barely time to
dress and to snatch cup Of coffee, felt sure
that they would show signs Of their hasty Jour-
ney, which left them no brcathing-space for
rest But before the second act, VIC had given
up all such nonsense. From Sothern down to
the small boy who played the part Of *call-boy
at the Po1ygon,'' nothing could have been
freshcr and frecr from all signs Of fatigue or
haste. Sotllern, always = fayorite in Boston,
. was
AN IDOL FOR THIs H0CR-
Many and many time have Boston theatre
goers spent an evening Of laughter over his
O4narec7y, aud thought, as they laughed aud
as they recalled the points, that nothing could
eclipse that performance But / think they
have changed their minds now, for, as point
after point Of this inimitab1e - Crushed Trasc-
dian developed, TIE round upon round of ap-
plausc that ''Eoared and rang,'' and clappcd
and pounded, over the great theatre was of 4
~A@AAAA
1heatre-coer said in my hearing, s'Thcrc always
seemed something little unworthy and un-
equal in parts of Dundraary for so finished an
actor as Mr. Sothern, but in the new play-this
Crushed Tragedian there is nothing of this
WEAKNESS he does not play it more perfectly
than the earlier play, but it is a stronger,
better sustained character in itself. and
the play is greater play" This is
TACT which must be appreciable bg everybody,
II not at the first hearing by the impression
which will remain after performance. It. will
be remembered that certain individual known
rs the Count J0anucs has entered suit
against Mr.: Sothcrn for ALLEGED Imitation, with
intent to burlcsque the Counts natural or
acquired style OF manner and dress, not to say
character. This Of itself tells the story Of MI
Sothernss success as comedian to anybody who
knows anything OF the Count. Joannes, as he
calls himself. used to be considered q half
cracked fellow, wLo had established himself on
the outskirts Of society BY virtue Of
HIS AUDAc1TY AND ABSURD pRE-ESs1oSs.-
snrt of ~aricaturc himself, naturally of human
weakness which society accepted as too good
to be lost. The title Count, with the trans
formation Of Jones into Joannes, he ACCOM-
plishcd By some wild fight OF his iraa1ina-
Len.-a fancy whose root mo fellow can find
oui." Mr.. Sothcru, I have heard, distinctly de-
MICS the i,nputation Of intent to honor the
Count by inlita1ing his absuruities. But those
VINO are familiar With the high flourish Of the
aforesaid gentleman sflake their heads in de-
lighted disbelief of this denial. You c.n never
:.l:lkc them believe that the figure they have |
l,=ea 70 familiar will, about Boston has not in
rs pe7r%Tlnalions photographed itself upon
Mr.. Sother1l's fun-apprcc;atiDS mind. The |
play, as aIl dramatic people are By this time
."2re, is an adaptation Of Byron's ''Promp-
:ers Box But the original play has been SO
@'adac;cd'' to Mr.. Sotllern by Mr.. Sothcrn |
himself that 1t is IN entirely different affair. |
lac '.points'' which are continually made by |
.ns kln! of cemedians are constantly out !
RI ri IF
tue Immediate moment Take, Tor in |
stance, the conyulsng little by-play
wien he comes forward to receive "a |
osat!on ot flowers. With .hat sublime carl
rolling y ana looking daGgc7s at the audience, |
who arr roaring witt! laughter, he takes one by |
one tue great floral tributes, and at last with
still more tragic air reaches forward aud scizes
THE EMPTY GREEN PAPER BOX
1om which the last bouquet las been delivered
bc Que ot the orchestra and, with his left arm
and shoulder piled high with the magnificent
1owcrs- holds in his right hand outstrntched tri-
'nnphantly rs it ue held the great treasure Of
all-the paper toz, in which attitude he bows
profoundly to the audience and stalks nlajes-
these hits which, thrown out from that mock
gloom ol Hammer, prove SO Irresistible. It was
pleasant to sec in the audience of that morning
inc Museums 1onG-estabiistlci fayoritc, "Waf-
.ren," as he is always called, with
shakspcarcali orey1y. A comedian VINO has
beeu on The boards for thirty-tivc or forty years
Ii!1 always man 0l marked genius, who brings
down the house ut this late day With look, it
was interesting to note hts close attention tn
Els younger rivals performance. EVERYBODY in
New England who is At all familiar with the
1,lav-housts knows Warren and lis ini,nit ohlc
acting. When looked upon
HIS lSSClUTABLE FACE
1here IN thu pasquct,-a face On which a}l the
odu gr1n1accs which belong to the odd side
splitting characters be has made his ow1, for so
many years seemed to have united. and united
III ptuaucliiy most remarkable couDtenant.n
lhat was like protcau 1nask,-wncn I,i,!:ed
Upon thas, which now aud then took unon it's
pro{ean shape i swift, faint smile wondered
"r1s Mha' IN ls nmost heart was the the old play-
eslnnate OF the younger mans pcr-
tc1n3Ic naucc- It is the fashion Of to-day, ana
t'l;.h e1olc e an easier thing to atron,-
ol,si !or ;ne actor of any ability to strikc n,,t
.o4 n.'hseh IN special plays and MAKE q hit ons
s-ar ana Speciality, in his own proner narsnn
n .u.aen, the nue. old veteran, is Nth IN ,,nnn
~ scars' aod splen did fellow now who iaaa
loI ioos over :W Yet, with more abl;tv tha,s
Aaii or quarter OF the actors of 1ot1sr uIa
maxi their Special hits and thus star {t",1 wv
se1'es into name and fame and fort17na Ia kn
Eept ~ the old rut OF his youth,-thc jea1;sa ~
coultulan Ut one theatre Of 4 COUNTLESS r.e
t,c5 o. parts wonder, therefore, when he saas
Tue newer men of greater or less ah;I;t ~ 20
cou15ared with each other who hoye sn;7aa5.h as
opportunity Of the GAY, and are now r1a;ns a;e |
A:Sn unon the wave Of popular favor uith 3
woriC-Wice reputation, If he does nor +hin1
And might have been 'D'1A'
EISG OF f0r,