Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-26
Rambling Talk of Actors and the
Stage---HOw Daily Went Back on
the Fair Fanny Davenport.

New York Star. N
Clara Morris is fast acquiring a rep
utation as shrewd and cunning ad- |
vertiser. "She is a downy cove, as
Joe Jefferson said of Nelson when |
she entertained him with her big eyes
and her charming humbug one day at
the Walnut Street Theater in Phil
adelphia. Nelson has all along been
considered the most artful woman Oh
the stage in the way of advertising
herself; but she must now take the
second place to Miss Morris. The
latter lady has tried all sorts Of origi-
nal gags and devices to keep her
name in a sensational aspect before
the public She went to Paris, and
the news came back of her yivisection.
Correspondents dwelt on the agony of
the great emotional actress, trans6xed
with bars of red-hot iron and pune
tured with thousand melting needles.
This was the homeopathic treatment
of Paris physicians for dullness Of
spirits and a weak back She return
ed all right, however, and played a
fine engagement Then she had her
team run away with her, and narrowly
escaped with her life; just before each
of her engagements, devised some new
accident, or submitted to some horri-
BILE surgical operation in order to
pique curiosity and to make business
good.p Finally, having exhausted the
materia medica, and run to the end of
her surgical invention, she found her
self the other day about to begin a
San Francisco engagement without a
new story to stir up the public interest
What does she do then but drag her
unprofessional husband out of his re-
tirement and make an advertisement
lofhim. A shocking story Of cruelty,
married misery and poverty was
poured into the ear of an editor. 1t
was printed there was a great excite
ment; the husband few into a passion /;
the wife denied her words; lawsuits
were threatened, cards written, and
the affair dropped. Meantime the
"downy cove" had advertised herself
through the newspapers and by the
tongue of every gossip on the CONT
nent. This style of things pays in
money, and if it is not art, it is at
least artful.
The position Of the husband of q
great artiste is not enviable under the
best circumstances. If she be great
actress, he is likely to be handed out
before the world at any time to be
made an advertisement of. If she bt
great prima dona, he must submit t.
having his home made an hospital anC
his wife nursing her voice or fightinl
off colds with toothache drops, hot
footbaths and liniment He must b(
content to see her swathed in hannel
and her head tied up in chloroform
saturated towels Ia favorite antidote t,
neuralgia )-all this for five days in tn,
week in order that she may be charm
ing the other two when she sings he
roles in the opera. This is pleasant t
the professional man who find
himself thus obliged to sacrifice him
self to art and submit to being ealle
\" the husband OF Mile Something 0
other."
Austin DAILY, although a rumor ha
stated to the contrary, is to assume tn
management of Sadler's Wells Thea
ter, London, for Mrs. Bateman. PR
vate letters to his friends here so state
IL is his aim to run a London theate
on the American plan, with an Amer
can company, free programmes, an
free-and-easy high polite" manner
as regards the wearing of bonnets an
the discarding of full evening dres
Like all theatrical people, DAILY
superstitious, and will gather aboU
him as many as possible of the men
bers of the old company with whom /
made his original hit at the Fift
Avenue Theater. To make his succe'
certain he would need carrying ou
the superstition) George Clarke, } Jamt
Lewis, Davidge, Fisher, Geo. Parke
De We're, Agnes Ethel, Clara Morri
Fanny Davenport, Kate Claxton, an
Roberta Norwood. These would d.
and their presence would make hi
happy but, although such a compar
would be far ahead of anything ]
London, it could not break down ii
prejudice against Yankee actors. The
are not just to our artistes over ther
while we are lenient totheir sticks
over here a.
When Miss Davenport concluded
go out starring" she declined usir
any of Mr.. Days pieces, although
gave her the right to them witho
exacting any pay She preferred to
to London and buy for three thousaI
dollars Willis drama Olivia. viii,
has proved dead failure, and
which she has lost much money Du
ing her engagement lately at the Pa
T6eater, Brooklyn, she was obliged
fall back on one of Days piect
Pique, which carried her through su
cessfully, and she has been playing
and several others since with gre
profit. He heard of this, and in ge
nine "pique" "cabled" her on THU
day, "Pay Mr. Henry, my counsel o
hundred and fifty dollars for use
Pique in Brooklyn. Mr.. Henry
forms her that twenty-five dollars ?
night will be the charge for each
Mr.. Days plays that she may U
hereafter. Miss Davenport falls ba
on woman's logic and says she thin
this is real mean,