The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-25
How Anna Dickin son Tried to
Get Drunk.

eyes said an old English friend Of
mine, 81 have seen all the actors OF
any note who have been on the
boards during the last fifty years;
have listened to most of the great
singers and musical artists during
the time; and / believe there is bat
one person, besides myself, in Chi.
cage, who has ever listened to Pagan
ini's divine tones. I believe any in
telligent person, although he may
not be q newspaper man, is able 10
form pretty correct judE ment after
that number Of years experience and
observation. You remember that I
told you tina. Anna Dickinson would
never be more than q curiosity as
Hamlet when the announcement was
first made that she would appear in
that part. Now. my reason for that
was that, although Anna is, in many
ways. really 8 nice fellow, sbe is not
altogether virile and manly. I don't
believe I ever told you tis story Of
her attempt to get drunk. Well,
whenever she wishes TO express an
opinion upon any subject, either pri-
vately or in public, she makes herself
practically the master, as far as POD
sible, OF experiments and sxperien-
Gee, giving her nearly absolute
knowledge in the matter. Some
years ago she was interested in the
subject of intern persnce, First she
read up the subject thoroughly from
scientific ethical and social stand
point. Then she secured male attire
and passed days and nights. not only
in the fashionable resorts of vice and
intempersnce, bu! in and about the
lowest dives of New York and Phila-
delphis. Not satisfied with aeeing all
tkat could be seen of drunkenness
and its results, she concluded to 60 to
work systematically and get drunk
herself. At this time she was board
ing at the Continental, in the latter
city. Ghe got one or two confden-
tial friends IN her room, arranged
to have physician within
call, and then, ordered liquors, Get
about getting chock full in a most
methodicel fashion. First she drank
freely of the lighter wines. These
had no effect upon her, when she rs
sorted to stronger liquors, She drank
on until she had taken about every
thing from olaret to straight old
crow, and enough altogether to have
sent 8 dozen registering Scotohmen
under the table. Still she was not
drunk. All OF sudden, however,
Miss Anna Jumped about four fee:
IN the air, clasped her head in her
banda wildly, and gave a very
womsnly sort of a shrek. The doctor
was Immediately called, and declared
that one glass more OF liquor would
have surely had fatal effect. She
Was promptly pumped out, and the
result Was several weeks illness. But
mind you, she did not get drunk"
Nov" continued the old gentle
man, his eyes twinkling with merri.
ment The reasons why Anna
Dickinson can't play Hamlet are
identical with those why she can't
get drunk-snd a fellows no fellow
at ell, you know. il he cant get full
she simply can't do itP'
I subsequently learned from a
hotel clerk in this city, who was for.
merly at the Continental, that this
statement regarding Miss Dickinson's
experiment with liquor was true, and
that it came very near being the
cause, at one time, of very unjust ac-
cusations against Miss Dickinson's
haraeter.-C Chicago Letter.