The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-08-18
MAYNE REIDIN AMERICA.
Failing As Lawyer, Actor And Re.
por,er, He Turns TO soldering.


From the Covington (Kyl Commonwealth
Thomas Mayne Reid was notable
example among the army of Behemisns
whom fate dritted to the Queen City,
and VINO WAS driven from Ii by pros
pective starvation. About thirty-tVe year
ago Mayne Reid, who had studied law
in Liverpool, England, then very young
man, came to this country, and after
vain endeavor to obtain professional en-
plovment in New Orleans, where he nrst
landed, he accepted situation IN the
American Threatre, under Ludlow "
Smiths management, Us one OF the little
people," and made his First appearance
upon any stage" rs the Duke Ct WeLtang-
tom in the snowy military drama Of the
Battle of Waterloo" Subse quently he
went with the company to st. Louis,
where bis early literary productions,
entitled ''Scenes in the West Indies
were furnished con anOre to an evening
paper, and were complimented by beng
copied in several prominent exchanges.
Some time alter, fortune, or rather
misfortune, brought him to Cincinnati,
where, at the time, George Benntt, the late
local OF the EnqulreT, was running the
the National Theatre, and again sue
ceeded IN obtaining position Tor
general utility la the mean time
William Shires had erected summer
threatre in garden upon which the
Burnet House now stands and 1t was
opened under the management OF Mr..
Logan, who engaged Reid for a more
prominent lire of business than he had
yet filed. The opening play was
CHARLES the Second, or Merry Mon
arch" IN which Eliza Logan sustained
the character of Mary CoPp while Reid
attempted the character Of the Fart Of
Rochester. We say attempted, for ne
WAS about rs sorry an actor rs ever
assayed to achieve fame within that
mimic world behind the lootlights, and
TINS conviction being forced upon him
during the short and unsuccessful season
which followed, he determined to cut
histronics rs q profession.
Reid, who had given up ell idea OF the
pursuit of the lega profession, naturally
turned to journalism, and rs ne had upon
several occasions contributed divers ar-
ticles for the daily press, he concluded
that it would not be difficult to obtain a
position upon one of the papers. But IN
this he WAS mistaken; his services were
not in request, and although he offered
them At the smallest remuneration posi-
bic for the sustenance OF body and the
.nalntenances OF decent appearance, he
tailed IN obtaining foothold IN the
Cincinnati press, in either an editorial or
reportorial capacity Meanwhile his
finances were dwinding to An intini-
tiesimal figure and the prospect WAS about
- gloomy as it could be, when Coll
Martin whose name will be familiar TO
the old c.tizen-prcvided him with free
pass upon one of the Pittsburgh packets
10 that port, from whence he succeeded
in getting to New York, where his
ability rs writer WAS recognized by Mr..
Porter, the Tall Son of York" aud
proprietor of the old Spirit Of the Times,
who placed him upon the editorial staff
Of that paper.
La due time came the war with Mexico,
and Reid, rs volunteer, served under
General Scott. In the campaign which
followed he so distinguished himself As to
attract the attention of the veteran COM
ander, who promoted hun to n captalncy
and made special mention OF him IN his
dispatches. The war ended, he once
more betook himself to literature this
time in higher and more lucrative
channel and he soon became known TO
the reading public as q successful
novelist. HIS stories OF Western lite
are graphic pen paintings OF wild scenes
and incidents in the experience OF adven-
turous and hardy irontiersmen. Like the
historical novels of Sir Walter Scott,
there is n blending OF fact and fiction
which combines solid and instructive
reality with the charm OF romance
Reid is now in London, where he Is
permanently located, and happily Tar
beyond the necessity OF craving I'M
appreclative publishers of newspapers to
1--WE him chance To earn his daily bread.
The great Snowman, z. L. Barnum, is
negotiating for him to dramatic his own
works. so that 2. I. b. may have the
monopoly OF their representation, but the
magazine contributions are so acceptable
and So well paid for That it is doubtful If
Barnum will succeed in inducing him to
undertake the task In letter written
To n friend in this country Reid, in
abiding to his adventures IN Cincinnati,
refers to that perold rs the most depress
ing in his lite The city Is 10 hun u
Jete noir. and he declares his belle. that
had The immortal Boz" himself dritted
thitherNard he would, unless for the
lnterposition Of another Coil Martin
have starved to desth.