Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-09-06
John E. Owens, Comedian.

How many Americans mention this
name with merry twinkle of the eye
and laughing memory of joyous
Iby-gOne time when, under the witchery
of genuine comic genius, all cares were
| forgotten IN the wantOn humor of its
original. In Boston the Athenians
were won't to roar at him. When
Longfellow was of middle age and fre-
quented the play. .house with Field, DIR.
Holmes, Louis Agassiz, FELTON,, and
others of the old Atlantic coterie, Ow-
ems was their choice favorite. In New
Orleans 1.-THE Varlete Club" in its ante
bellum wealth, glory, and extravagance,
over q score of years ago, demanded
Owens at any cost, as the rarest wit and
raciest humorist of the stage. John
was captain there of "The Cocktail
Guards" then merry company of hi
larious young fellows, who reveled in
the commands of q leader that possessed
much of the wit of Falstaff with the
gallantry and manhood of Prince Hal.
Many Of the gay spirits of that day
knew the comedian afterward much
better in the time of sorrow and suffer-
ing that came with civil strife, and he
never failed to respond generously
when calls were made on him from any
of the prisons by the captured victims
of the war.
1t was said by DIR. Johnson of Garrick
that his death "eclipsed the gaiety of
nations" One may well comprehend
this and understand by It how many Of
our pleasant hours are made up of mo-
ments of merriment which came spon-
taneously, as it were, from a favorite
comedian. Mr.. Owens began his artis.
tic career as boy, and has been making
US laugh for near forty years. He has
acted more nights than any comedian
America has ever known, and is yet in
the meridian of his wonderful powers.
Here in Baltimore, many of US recall,
more than fourth of q century ago,
the madcap humOr of the boy comedian,
who was considered second then only
to Burton. We knew him later as pro-
prietor of the Museum, where now the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
is raising massive and monumental
walls for its offices, its archives and its
treasure. We remember the romance
of his marriage with an acknowledged
belle and beauty of the Eastern Shore,
and how he sought a home for her in
vale that he named after the homestead
of his Welsh ancestry, '.Aigburth,"
and built princely abode there for that
bride. 1t ia within vale, not ''shut
OUT from the ruOe WOrlO Dy Alpine
hills" but by the peaks of Towson.
We have known the genial Owens
since in variety of living prototypes of
humorous character, in extent never
surpassed by any comedian on any
stage. His DIR. Ollapod, Toodles, Paul
Pry, SOlon Shingle, Caleb Plummer,
Live Indian, John Unit, and almost
countless others, are each fresh in the
memory. We have laughed at him un-
til we cried when he was on the rtage.
We cannot now meet him anywhere
without smile. which makes us more
genial in our own nature afterward
than we felt before. Thinking of him
as one who did us much good in many
ways, we would not, if we could re-
press the delight that the announce
ment of his return to the stage gives US.
We will be at Ford's to aid to welcome
him, because of the debt of gratitude
due him, to recognize the obligation by
more laughter and increase the indebt-
edness by, getting additional pleasure
beyond what our time and our money
will be an equivalent for.-Baltimore
Gazette.