The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-09-07


mir of gloves, SO that might appear
nicely before the audience. I'll
In 1894. we think 1t was, our revered b
raiiov citizen, James A. Caldwell, y
vent to England In quest of talent, anu Il
brought Ben DeBar to this city, Ben y
making his first appearance here, III a
Mt the old Camp Street theatre u
on the spot occupied by Messrs: II. NJ. j
& B. J. Montgomery, the auc.ioneefs Z
He soon became a great favorite. I.
al met him afterwards in 1886, " says
one who knew him intimately, cat
the National Theatre, New York, then
under the management OF Jas. n.
Wallack, He was II handsome young
man then, dressed elegantly, was
snlen6lid dancer and fine swordsInnn
He appeared in singing and Walking
gentleman. He again joined Caldweu
and remained with the company nntii
the st. Charles Theatre was purheu
down in 1912. nis line then was light
comedy and nelodramatic characters.
HE f1rst hits were AZ Topaz, In the
j drama of "Cherry and Fair Star" and
Kasrac. in ssAlladdin )" also as the
drunken corporal in the ttMountain |
Robber.O DeBar joined Caldwell again |
iafter the reconstruction of the st.
Char,es. and re,nained with him until
j. caldwell died. He then Joined Lud-
low and Sol Smith,, who succeeded
Caldwell, with whom he remained
several seasons. Ben Denal snfst WE
,vas a Mrs. Conduct, very pretty
:. woman. a fine comic actress anu excel.
liant singer. She sang at the Park
,Tht,,ter in New York, supporting MIS-.
ia Joseph Wood, the great English prlma
d dorta. A quarrel between Mrs. Con-
dict and Mrs. Wood provoked the
Great excitement known as the Woou
Riots. for several nights at the Fark
Theatre, during which benches were
torn up and rotten eggs anu aPPtes
were thrown on the stage ut Mr.: w oou
who was said to be the cause o' az VIZ
trouble. Mrs. Connnct sasoe out VIC
.or;cus and left New York for New
orlaans. where she met and marrtc'
Ben psRaE, r b! c lbff9 s sfaTeh, !
the corner of Gravier and st. Charlie
streets, besides which she attended T
her duties on the stage. Their daugh
ter, Lizette DeEar, married in 81
Louis. Mr.. and Mrs. DeBar KEEP
house, aud worked very hard to elk
out n livelihood, until the latter dice
while on n trip on the Mississippi.
This was ii severe blow to Ben, TO
he was very much attached to- her
Ben's sister married the eldest son q
Lucius Junius Booth, by whom sh,
had a tlaughter-Blanche. She was t
have made her first appearance on tn,
stage under her proper name, but tn,
Wilkes BoOth~~traeetly brought he
before the public MS BlaMche DeBar.
Ben DeBar left New OrleanS and an
peared i'll all the great theatres OF w,
country. He was II great favorite Il
the stOld Buwery," New York, and a
one time was joint manager OF the oil,
Chatham Street theatre, New York
which proved to be n pccuniary failure
E After Frank Chanfrau had made sue
hit with his Nose, several actors too
to the character, among them John +
more Museum for tho part. Owens nc
keeping his engagement, DeBar ws
picked up to fill the bill, and made
fine hit himself. Ben, believing tn,
the thing would Mke in Epgland,we
over to London and opened in the par
The result was that the English publ
could not see the point; the charact
was not understood, and poor Be
found himself o few hundred poun,
short by the venture. Ben then turn'
his eyes towards his old love, can
back to New Orleans and assumed Il
management Of the st. Charles.
Fortune now began to smile upt
him. He married again, his secor
wife being Mile. Henrietta Vallc, n Fl,
tlanseuse In her time. Ben had ma,
enough money to buy himself hon
on Baronne street, between Girod al
Julia next he bought the theatre I
Pine street, st. Louis. Money roll,
In, and Ben was jolly and happy. IT
late unpleasantness came on and B,
gave up the st. Charles for several Sc
sons aud confined his labors TO S
Louis. Ben was Southerner in hes
: aud talk, and many poor Confedera
soldier found a friend in him. ttMas
q Time" says one who knew hin
tswhen we were in company in t
saloon under his theatre, in st. Lou
have heard him say, Il am 4 Lou
lana Englishman. / landed in Nc
Orleans with my toes out of my sho'