The New York herald., 1877-10-09
EDWIN ADAMS BENEFIT.

EDWIN ADAMS BENEFIT.
SALE OF BOXES AND SEATS AT THE ACADEMY OF
MUSIC By AMATEUR AUcTIoNEERs-A GREAT
crowd pREsENT-LETTER FROM EDWIN ADAMS
A host OF well dressed people poured into the
Academy OF Music yesterday afternoon 10 attend tho
sale OF boxes and reserved seats for the benefit OF
Edwin Adams. the actor As there was charge for
admission and Sothern and Florence were an
bounced as auciionecrs everybody about town who
had any leisure tmc hand put in an appearance
anticipating uncommon treat in the way oil amusc-
mani with the justfying reflection that II was all In
the line OF sympathy and Dencvolcnco Tor tne
stricken actor. The house was ms iuli as on
q benefit night and The stage overho"ou WIN
members OF tho profession. Many wen known
actresses present ana OF actors IN all INES u
popular entertainment there could hardy DO ic"er
than couple OF hundred The stage, auditorium ana
balcony were occupied the last seat but the seconu
circle and gallery empty. as was only na.ul"
10 expcc, for nobody n those regions OF the
house could well compete in tho auction or ca'cn 'no
run that was TRANSPORTING. dozen or more ohairs
were dstrbutcd about the front OF tho stage and on
oue Of these Billy Florence mounted precisely AZ
three O'Clock 10 open the proceedings His appearance
gas the signal tor applause, but ~ must DO
said that when he made tho announcements
that Mr. Sothcrn could not be present. owing 70 'no
fact that he had gone TO Philadelphia 10 wait oy We
bedside OF his sick friend Edwin Adams, a iecns y
disappointment came over the entire audience. hoio
shan halt tho enjoyment appeared to oo spohed Out
rhen Florence stated that Billy Backus OF the san
Francisco Minstres, had kindly consented 10 act as
,ubstute in Dundreary's place the tone OF anticipa
orv de,,oht was restored IL must have occurred TO
most OF those present that good actor makes only
nor auctionecr and TO ship suddenly out OF
ope calling into another with success requires
,are genius There seemed TO be quite rich field for
happy and spontaneous humor on the part OF the auc
toneer; but Billy was clearly IN dlstraught ana
melancholy mood aud though his old vivacity and
righteousness came at intervals 1t was evident his
thoughts were far away where his yoke fellow IN
many merry conces was seated by the bedside OF the
PROSTATE and helpless actor, Edwin Adams.
THE DEVOTION THE PROFESSION.
II was q circumstance that the auctioneer evidently
took 10 heart that the great outside pubic who filled
the auditorium made no bids for the boxes ana that
Inc profession almost exclusively did the bidding and
pouant The boxes Certainly after the event Of yester
day be admitted that no class oi people stana
10 each otner with more sell sacrincins anu cnsai-
ytrated in the sale OF the boxes, all OF which were
bought by people moro or less dentined Win the
f1 BARpwnLL sLorE AS AN AucrloNEER.
Aner Hon. Bardweli slote had related the unayod-
abe absence of Lord Dundrcary he began tho busi-
by putting up box Y, the best in The house, 10
the highest bidder and the bids ran up rapidly IN sue
sss SIS $780, $780, s4so sc s5 $500
wnen the bidding touched tho latter hsure tnere was
great applause The aucuoneer paused ior moment
man who hesitales is lost. $500, gong Quite
among the theatrical people on the stage:
resumed the % auo,oncer "wny the advertisement IS
worth ~, ,00o." Then voice from the rear oil the
thc oner CRIED ~ win give $3.50 myself, and ifsoihern
WAS here would break his heart TO see II going 30
cheann Then somebody said $500" ana the
dnrIa arad hnf N
ten dollar BIDS "Wnere's the Count JoannesY' he
CRED. in meodrama,lc voice, out no response
came He turned round and round and hnaily mp
pealed 10 the ladies' but however enthusiastic they
might have felt they were evidently abashed IN the
lar lips was forthcoming Finally the box was
knocked down TO Mr. Henry Wall for $780, who acted
lor $3.50 aud when the next box (M, put up
Florence said that this his first appearance IN the
character OF an auconeer "and now, ne ae,exs ex.
Tor the choice" at which price II was
knocked down to Mr.. Henry E. Abbey. inc next box
L) rau $75, $50 $780, and AT the latter hgure became
!he properly lor The benefit night OF Mr. harry Wall.
Now said the auctioneer looking over the diagram
Dt the boxes, ''we've got down TO L thel Much
laughter ana hal hall ! see the spsculatars
ing, and let 'em ceme, and hope II will put some lew
s. e 70 me- on nv
perch; 500 Tor the choice Why, church people
1und here Bardwel Slote took on q sorrowful iacc)
VII sorts OF things in the namo Of charity and shall
Il be said that we havo not charity enough 10 sue.
poor actor -" This was left unfinished and
gave embarrassment, put Maggie Mitchell bid 100
once and secured the box letter +. fne auctionecr
himself bought the next box letter 3, aud said as he
Tor S75 Box went tor S55 30 W. r. Dcutscb. Mr.
Laouctte box Tor $50 After this the nuctioneer
cried out "The first outsider that buys box We'll
rive him three cheers Box went TO E. g. Gilmore
Tor $50 L. A. Buck took box Tor $50 Miss kale
singleton had soS or NJ $40 so,bsn DR. Gnorlss onss
bis agent, donated his box TO the fund, and 1t
again sold for $l25 Al tnis point there was great
augh a solemn looking reporter, who sat over tho
Iootghts Florence saying that The Sothern box,
which again up for sac, had been originally dis
reporter VINO sitting near; and Florence, turning
suddenly round, cried, "Pm bid $500" which littc
TO the great discontinue oil the reporter
CHARLEY BAcKUs
When Florence bad disposed OF all the boxes, cgh-
teen in NUMBER and realizing about 81, 0O0 he
stepped down and gave way TO Charley Backus, who
was received with considerable applause, which he
very abruptly checked by crying out IN great deep
bass voice. s.Hold may not be success, but VIII
pner to you wnat is left" Charley, too, failed 10 put
in operation those extraordinary acultes that make
irresistible IN burnt cork, and 10 the case OF
oimsef and Flor nee II was made evident that an
actor in the role OF PLAIN private c,tzen y not an
tho boxes In the first aud second circles and the
reserved seats IN the auditorium. He sold iew of
first and few OF the latter and then 1t grew pan
that the hard Times were around, Tor very
few responses made to the high figures
for select seats in the body OF the house.
and tho affair terminated IN people coming
ON the stage and buying from tho treasurer OF Wal
lacks Theatre the choice seats At an advance OF hty
per cent premium the regular price. The entire sale
realized about S5, 000 and the benefit night Is cx-
pected to realize nearly os much more Reports
reached tho city late in the afternoon that Adams
was dying, and there was much evidently heartfelt
sympathy expressed for him by members OF the pro-
fcssion.
Tho programme Of the performance for his benefit
has undergone several alterations since II was hrst
pubhshed, and nov IL Is understood that Owens anc
Harry Beckett have been cast s.Box and Cox, "
and that place rs been found tor Mrs. John 4. Ray
mond, who was eh out In the original cast. The bon
EFT will certainly draw m extraordinary house.
meeting OF the benefit committee was held yestcr-
day afternoon, at which the following resolution was
unanimously adopted
Resolved That the proceeds OF the Edwin Adams test
onia benefit shall aud shall be paid TO his wife
MRS Adams and that this benefit is with the fu
OF Mr. Edwin Adams rendered 10 her.
and that proceeds the benefit shall be exclusives
her private property.
LITTER FROM EDWIN ADAMS.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct s, 1877.