The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-06-09
Surprised at william Shakepeare's
Snap,


THE nationally gratifying fact that
Edwin Booth has just made so palpable
q hit in London in Richelieu calls to mind
little story told by our leading star to
the writer during his last visit here,
while taking look at the Golden Gate
from the Point Bonita lighthouse.
"Once during the days of my early
struggles in the profession" said Booth,
'and while we were barn storming
down in Virginia, an odd thing hap
which the poor player was then put in
order to get along: We were playing
showing they called it then-one night
at little place named Lees Landing,
and the tobacco warehouse we had i'm
provised into thea;er was crowded by
the planters for miles around. We had
arranged to take the weekly steamer
which they expected would touch there
late that night, and between the acts
were all busy packing up. The play was
the .The Merchant of Venice and we
were just going on for the court scene,
where the Jew insists on his pound of
flesh, when we heard whistle blow, and
the manager came running in to say
that the steamer had arrived ahead of
time and would leave again in ten min
utes.
"As that was our only chance of get
ting down the Chesapeake, we were nat
urally in terrible quandary. If we
stop right here and EXPLAIN said the
manager, the audience will think they
are being cheated, and go in for a free
fight. The only thing we can do is for
you fellows to get up some sort of a nat
ural-like, impromptu ending for the
piece and ring down the drop. Go right
ahead, ladies and gentlemen, and take
your cue from Ned here,' and he hur-
ried away to get the luggage on board.
If it had been in any other quarter
of the country l wouldn't have had the
assurance to do as he said, but the igno-
rance of the ordinary Virginians OF
those days was something marvellous
so, when old George Ruggles, who was
doing Shylock, got to where he sharp
ems his knife on his shoes, walked SOL
smnly up to him and said:
"'You're bound to have the flesh, are
you?'
"'You bet your life,' said George,
under the impression that he was i'm
provising very skillfully indeed.
"'Now, I'll make you one more
dicker,' l continued; 'in addition to
this bag of ducats, I'll throw in two
kegs of niggerhead terback, shotgun,
and couple of the best coon dogs in
the State
"'I'm blamed if / don't do it, said
Shylock, much to the appreciation OF
the audience, who were tobacco raisers
and coon hunters from the ground up.
"'And to show that there is no hard
feeling said Portia, tucking up her
regal gown, 'we'll windup with Vir-
ginny reel
"And as the prompter struck up
money Musk ON his fiddle we danced
a couple of figures, and made break for
the boat as the curtain fell, amid thun-
ders of applause.
"When we got on board, the steam
er's Captain, who had witnessed the
conclusion of the play with great de-
| light, rendered the troupe the compli-
ment of a hot supper, and remarked, as
| we sat down to what was rare treat in
those 'palmy days of the drama
| "I'd like to see the whole of that
play some time, gentlemen. I'm blamed
| if thought that fellow Shakespeare
had so much snap to him.'-,San Fran.
| cisco NeWS Letter.