Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-07
RAYMOND,s "REMINISCENCES,
An Hour Behind the Scenes stIn Para
dlse.c

dIse.',
A TALK WITH MAJOR BOB BELTRR IN HIS DRESSING
Ro0M-soME INTERESTING RECoLLBCTIoNs OF LIN
COLN-MR RAYMoND's ExPERIENCE IN WASHING
TON THEATBRs-HOw HE CAME TO BE CONFINED IN
THE OLD CAPITOL PRISON, sc.
STAR reporter meeting Mr. John T. Raymond
at the door of the National Theater as the shades
of night were falling. and actors who have en-
gagements were vending their way to the green
room, accepted an invitation to have chat with
the popular comedian in his own dressing room,
before the curtain was rung up for the evenings
performance SO THE STAR man followed him
through the stage entrance and past the hobgob-
lin region presided over by the property man to
the cosy little box or den partitOned on as the
star performers dressing room Here on a row OF
pegs were hung Major Bob Belter's shuck hat, his
boots and the rest Of the wardrobe Of the IRE
pressible editor OF the Paradise Eagle Scream.
vERITABLE PARADISE.
81 have been driving around the city to-day -
said Mr.. Raymond to the representative OF THE
STAR, as he dlveste1 himself of his hat and coat
1.-THE change has been wonderful l remembe r
the city when 1t wasn't much better than a mud
hole. Now sir, it is fairy land. Then look at the
people who come here. The city Is becoming In
fact has become, the winter Newport or Saratoga
a, great resort, indeed. man who once comes to
pulled off boot, "a man who once comes to
Washington can never get away. 1t is something
like our profession II a man once rubs himself
against two flats he can never leave the stage. He
Is there for life. When man comes to this city
In official position, he stays If he comes to Con-
greSs-nO matter how Insignificant he may be
II he gets a taste OF Washington life, he remains
here He will take any sort OF official place as an
excuse. Then there is singular class here.
the decayed dignity" Mr.. Raymond here paused,
thrust his right hand With pOmpous flourish
into his shirt bosom, and drew down the muscles
OF his face into comical expression of awful i'm
portance and dignity
1.-THE people, at my hotel tell me-" he began
again that they are always there They hold
have beens' They set there thinking how much
better they could run the government if they had
chance: There is pathos in 1t, Sir. 10 me IL l S
"Your experience with Washington and Wash
ington theaters dates back many years7" said THE
STAR reporter during pause that followed the
operation OF pulling on Major Better's boots.
STUCK IN WASHINGTON.
"This," said Mr.. Raymond, IT'S the first town, l
ever got stuck Into use slang term. came
here In 1855 with company known as the Rou-
zeau or Roussett ssters-I forget how they spelled
it. They were dancers. The receipts were so
small that the manager ran away and left US
all IN lurch. man who is here now
guess"Joe sessfordsheped Jed us 1a OUT In n' Chose
days. as now, tickets were left at the hotels to be
sold This scalawag OF a manager had not col
lected the money from the hotels before he went
away We held sort OF meeting at the box Of
to think OF the money at the hotels He went
around and collected 1t, getting s25 or $50 in ALL
Thls was divided pro rata, and got to Baltimore.
Der OF the STOCK company at Carusi's Old the
alter, which is now the Theater Comiaue 1t
was was a legitimate theater then: That was the
only theater here at that time until Ford
built the new place on 10th street. l think the
Natlonal mad been burned down. Twas here when
tne war broke out and fortunately had money
enough to get out Of town Everybody thought,
you know, that the whole thing was going to the
devil: Carusi offered me the theater. If l would
take 1T and manage it, but 1 refused didn't
think any one would want to 90 to theater.
One man named Humphrey Bland remained be-
mind, because he had no money 10 get away with.
OF courSe-there was nothing else for him to do
and he made 100000 out of it. He went to New
YORK afterwards and lost 1t all He thought 1t was
his able management that had made money for
him. out the fact was he couldn't have helped
making 1t II he had tried. 1t was the only theater
The actor was now engaged at mirror COM
plet1ng his make up," and Mr. Raymond was
rapidly giving place to Major Bob Better, Sab
MR.. LINCOLN AS A THEATER-GoER.
~ was manager there afterwards under Glenn"
he continued, facing about fer minute. "By the
way, Mr.. Lincoln would often come down there at
night and sit in the Office There's a point for
you If you want 1t. He would come in, sit there
Tor an hour and chat, and very often go through
the stage entrance into his box, Sit there quietly
and unobserved, see the performance and then go
lighted to get away from business and take an
hour OF recreation at the theater The character
lstlcs OF Ihe man were so noble, so simple and
theater, his freedom from business and cares Of
state.
~ remember" he ran on, zone night we were
playing Pocahont, g., a burlesque with Mrs John
WOOD. In those days, when they caught pick
pocket IN the streets here the soldiers would ,a-
around the streets to the tune of the 'Rogue's
March, SO the people would know him, and we
were burlesqulng that on the stage. Little Tad
poor boy! a jolly little fellow everybody liked
him-came down very often with his father, and
he was there that night He was hanging around
In ragged dress and set him on the stage In the
MOB m IN one OF the scenes. Mr.. Lincoln, who was
heartily and long, threw his hands up in the
air and let one OF them drop over the side of the
box: The audience saw the hand and recognized
Lincoln's-so long and bony. They recognized it
and shouted for him. He had to come to the front
OF the box and bow. When Tad. went into the
tne scene between the father and the boy was
most delightful. The pleasure, the affection Of
1ns WAS IS so h and
anybody had wanted to seize Mr. Lincoln they
could have done it readily. He most always came
to the theater alone He would go to the box once
and then pass on In Sometimes he would stand
on the stage a few minutes. He seemed to enjoy
everything he saw, and Was q most hearty
Laughter. 1t seems sad that he should have met
his death in a theater."
"D1d you have much experience with him as
story teller?' inquired the reporter.
son, yes, heard him tell lots of stories I can.
not remember the stories now OF course He was
always pleasant and CHEEKY He had knack of
Illustrating his points by some comparison which
was always effective. Everything he said had
meaning In IL, and was expressed so that 1T would
bring Its full meaning home to the most ignorant
person. He WaS-if can use such an EXPRESSION
the most illustrative man l ever met in my life
HE could illustrate by jest or a little anecdOte
which would have volume OF significance"
"Purltanical!" exclaimed the gentleman who
was now half Mr.. Raymond and half Major Boo as
ne turned around from the mirror at a suggestion
OF The reporter that some people thought Mr. Lin
coin auStere and puritanical.
"There was nothing OF the kind In him. He loved
lie ana It's innocent pleasures. He was one OF the
most liberal and at the same time most thorough
men liz every respect He was splendid company.
and always jolly and pleasant on the stage He
was interested in everything he saw, and always
hfd KIND word for everybody. He was friendly
with all the actors. think he used to entertain
Hackett at the White House. He was a warm
patron or the theater, and seemed to love it. When
he came down IL always seemed to me that he
wanted TO get away and be alone. He would sit
In his box often when the audience had no sIlsDi-
ciOn tina he was there. l remember his coming
down TO the theater to see the same play that he
went 10 see at Ford's when he was assassinated-
our American Cousin"
Had q. Lincoln seen much Of the theater In his