Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-15
Franz; MorddWnt in "Old Shtpndtes' =
The Plot.

The lot of ''Old Shipmates" in which
Frank Mordaunt appears at the opera
house on Monday, Tuesday and Wednes-
day of the present week is startling and
strong. 1t may be succinctly stated as
follows Captain Lane, of the ship
Harriet Lane, left his little daughter
Harriet in charge of Capt. Ned Whitman,
a New York ship chandler, on the eve OF
his depa rture for the sea. He gave also,
s2O, 900 worth of United States bonds to
Captain Witham, to be used for her in
the event of accident, or on her coming
OF age. Captain Marine Weathergage,
who was an old shipmate of both both
CAPTAIN Lane and Captain Witham, is q
sailor in the prime of life, who has always
loved little Hattie, and returns home in
time to find that she has grown up a
charming young woman, and is in danger
of losing her hand and her fortune through
the Vaccinations Of her avariciouS uncle
and qua rdian, Captain Witham. He
(Weathe rgage) is not cognizant OF the
facts of the trust deposit, etc., but his
boat sted rer, Dan, is, and Captain With
am discovers this very soon. In conse-
quence thereof he tries to possess himself
of a receipt telling the whole story
which Dan found in the cabin Of the old
Harriet Lane A struggle follows in
which Dan is slain by Captain Witham,
who calls all hands to help him, but not
before he seizes the receipt from the hand
of the expiring boat steerer. The third
and fourth acts show the old mans en-
deavor to marry his ward to his son de-
spite her dislike of him and the Opposi
ton of the Commodore, his true hearted
old sister, who went to sea for twenty
eight years herself. Captain Weathergage
and Hattie soon come to an understand
ing, and by means of fragment of an old
log book obtain clue to Captain With
ANS secret motive and wiles. Then
Captain Weathergage goes to work to
circumvent HIM, and on board the cabin
of the good ship Aurora Borealis gets him
lust where he wants him. Then follows
tremendous scene between thetwo cap
tains, in which Capsain Witham is made
to dlsgor ge, give up the bonds and allow
Harriet to marry Captain Wheathergage.
This is but brief outline of the main in
cidents of the plot, which is filed out and
colored with varied incidents of an anus
ing character. The Commodore and Miss
Jennie, the pert and amorous hired girl,
are very necessary to the development OF
the scheme and help to throw pleasant
lights up on dark places and evoke laugh
ter.
The pa rt of the piece is given below:
Capt Marline Weathergage. Frank Mordaunt
Capt. Ned. Witham . Hudson Liston
Dan Denny Observation-Disclosures. Chas. B. Waite
Counsellor Witham.. Sidney Drew
Harriet .ane. ... Miss Radulle Renard
Mrs. Abigail Coffin. go. Miss Emma Frank
Jennie Hunter. Miss Joan Goodrich
Rafferty,, boatswain. .............H Il. Graham
Oleson, coXswain. ...............T. Atkinson
The Buffalo EgpresS says of it:
sold Shipmates'' was written for Mr..
Frank Mordaunt, very able actor, and in the
role of Captain Marine Weathergage he ap-
pears to excellent advantage. 1t is a good
character, admirably delineated, showing the
master of the whaling ship Aurora Borealis, a
big, open hearted, jovial and determined salt,
who can be impressibly tender in his love-mak-
ing, and prompt and unfinching when danger
threatens. HOWELL such partagrees with Mr..
Mordaunt, those who have some acquaintance
with him rs an actor can readily understand
He can be truly pathetic, and, in turn, strong
and rough enough to meet any case, while the
bit of comedy that falls to him is sure to be
nicely done. He was literally applauded, and
the curtain was called up at the close of each
act.