Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-09-20
Communicated
n AND OTHERS.

Every one has heard ofthe comedy oil
the "Hunchback "and many in Eureka
have seen it. Not many. however,
can recall Fanny Kemble's Julia, nor
her fathers Master Walter, and we
doubt II one of the ssgebrush rangers
has ever seen the author save only as
the writer. A long time ago, lord
knows how long" as Burns says, we
were . pupil in the Irish academy, or
rather an academy in Ireland, and a
gentleman. Mr.. Knowles, was an
nOunced to lecture on elocution. We
listened from a back "form" to a
very prosy and tiresome lecture, H.
Illustrated ny very slow recitation;
among others Young Norval and
Marc Anthony's address over the
body of Caesar. The lecturer was an
ungainly man., with 81 affected utter
ance. His dress was very striking
The high collar and sti6 padded stock
and pleted and ruffied shirt of the
time; altogether = weak imitation of
what we called in that country "a
gentleman" Some ten years later
we saw him on the stage in America
~ Master Walter in his own immortal
comedy, but we car only recall his
funny stage walk, in which the knees
bent forward at every step. Such was
James Sheridan Knowles as we re-
member him. He became in later
years . Baptist preacher and died IN
the odor of sanctity.
In III of the scrap books the fol-
lowing card has q place: "Mr. and
Mrs. Wood request the pleasure of
Mr.. F-'s company to dinner on
Thursday evening, 26th inst, at 6
o'clock. To visit Mr.. Lover. r. 8. v.
p, 1852 Chancellor street." Let us
say by way of explanation that Mr..
Wood, author Of u very celebrated
memoir of a long stage life, was an old
actor, manager and author, and
the best Iago that ever trod the
boards. Mr.. Lover was Sam. Lover,
author Of Handy Andy, and a thou
sand humorous sketches and songs,
who was playing an engagement in
Philadelphia. 1t would be impossible
to give the details of that dinner party.
Among the guests were William
Wheatly, Edwin Forrest. Judge Con-
rad, author of Jack Cade, George M.
Dallas. w. A. Chapman, Geo. Fl. Baker,
late Minister to Russia, and a number
OF others whom we q not recall.
We have spent many q jolly hour. but
as q feast Of reason and flow of
SOUL" the memory Of that dinner at
BILLY Woods" is a prominent feature
in the memories Of q long life. Sam.
Lover was q small man of the Tom.
Moore type, with q bright eye, a we'll
developed head, and q strikingly Irish
face. He was q failure as an actor,
but as Burns says, "set him down
with two OF three guild fellows vie
have" in a word, put his legs under
the mahogany, and sam, with his rich
Irish brogpe, which, by the way, was
usually assumed, and his fund of
Irish wit could keep the table in a
roar" as long as men were sober
enough to listen. Sam. gave direc-
tons as to the compounding of punch,
and instructions as to drinking it,
sang some of his own songs, and told
stories Till every side ached, and the
gray of the morning seen a happy
company dispense, never to meet again
in this world, for a few months later
Mr.. Wood died, and shortly after.
ward Mr.. Dallas. Conrad is long
dead, Forrest is no more, Wheatly is a
gray haired old man, Geo. Baker,
author of "Calaynos," has just re.
turned from Russia, w. A. Chapman
is . Jersey farmer and low comedian
at the Walnut Street Theater, Sam.
Lover has long since passed away,
Mrs. Wood is the wife of an eminent
lawyer, and the writer is way up
among the Nevadas. Sic transit gloria
aa..ny;