The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-11-21
AN OLD SHOWN YARN.
JAMES HENEAGE CARTER PARA.
LYZED BUT FULL OF VIM.
lie Recalls His Enrly Experience with
Clara Morris aud Other Theatrical
Celebrities.

A little old man bent nearly double
and withered, apparently with age, sat
III back room on the third floor of q
house in Pleecker street listening to
music produced from violin and piccolo
III the Ii nds Of two boys of eighteen and
fifteen respectively. The old man was
James Hen age Carter, better known as
the originator OF the famous Carter
Zouavc Troupe, which secured such
worldwide reputation during the days
OF the war.
Yes, l am in splendid health" said
MIR. Carter toa reporter of the World,
and he hobbled to II window rs best he
could, considering his paralyzed condi-
ton, as If to refute the statement. II
shall never be what | was thirty years
ago, though. Oh, those were good old
days. II was in 1913 that reached
this country from England. / was a
mechanic, and first went to Cleveland,
where / earned my first dollar in the
capacity Of jouneyman painter. When
painting became slack began deliver
ing lectures on Artificial Memory
did not succeed very well, so packed
my traps and steered for New York. On
arriving there / entered the employ of
Rufus Porter, the founder of the Scion
tifc American. AT the time he was ell
gagged constructing flying machine to
take people to California in three days.
We soon found that the railroads and
steamers would eventually reach there
MS quickly as we could with our inven.
ton, and 1t was accordingly abandoned.
] then turned to the stage. / sang Mt
the Old Broaday Theatre in 1850 with
the Segum Opera Company, and also
played with Lester Wallack in Monte
Christie MS super. Oh, he was crack
actor. Never has an audience seen his
superior on the stage.
sTARTING OUT FOR HIMSELF.
81 then thought would start out for
myself. l obtained the services of n
Mexican Indian Giant With him and
IL dwarf | formed the Garter Curiosity
Shop. For several years | travelled
with them, visiting every State in the
country and making several visits to
Europe. In 1857 | cleared in eight
months alone m Texas S., 900 with this
chow. The following winter went to
Cuba, as my giant could speak Spanish
well, aud cleared $1,000 with two ex.
hibitions Then / started out with nv
American Entertainment presented
the most magnificent panorama the
world had ever seen at that time. /
personatcd the yankee, negro, fireman,
waiter, newsboy, and Indian. The
scenes were laid in New York, the South
/ and the wi)ds of the West. Ibegan the
entertainment in England to standing
room only 1t was an immense sue.
cess until | was seized with rheumatism,
from which l have not even now recoy-
cred.
"Then the war broke out here, and
from the fame of Colonel Ellsworth and
his Zouaves conceived the idea of get
ting up n Zouave drill, the principal at
fractions being that the participants
were little girls instead of men. l re.
turned to America and began selecting
my company. In N. Y. city obtained
seven little girls from seven to eleven
years of age. l equipped them with
muskcts and Iouave dress. They ac-
quired so much skill that Mt their debut
at the Green street Theatre in Albany
in 1861 they made great hit. | had
letters of congratulNtion from the Mayor
ex- Mayor, Erastus Corning and other
prominent citizens, and for one month
the houses were packed nightly. Then
showed them in the principal cities
throughout the country. There was not
greater sensation created during the
war in the stage line.
MEETING CLARA NORRIS,
"Right here letme tell you m interest.
ing episode: in 1862, in the carly days of
my girl troupe, brought the girl
Zouaves to Cleveland to open the old
theatre now called the Comique In the
same house Mt which we boarded there
were two girls about fifteen years of
age. These girls became quite intimate
with those belonging to my company
and begged hard to be allowed to go be-
hind the scenes while the performance
progressed. consented and the two
girls becoming Infatuated expressed n
desire to become actresses. One of the
mothers said no. but the other said
yes The girl whose mother said yes
became the eminent and favorite ira.
gedienne Clara Morris. The other girl,
! | believe, is the wife of master black
7 smith and is the mother of ten children
and resides on the Pacific slope.
at was only little after, too, that ]
popped the question to young lady
from Painsville, o., and she said yes
We were accordingly married Mt once,
and the result of that marriage was these
boys whose music you have just listened
to. .o,o 49,,
"On the 9th of November, 1868, TOOK
passage with my troupe for Cupa; from
there I took them through New Englano,
and their success was immense. added
brass instruments to the combination
and organized the first female brass
band in the United States. The music,
they rendered was pronounced some Oh
the best ever heard.
THE LATEST ATTRACTIONS.
"a little later Sol Smith Russell was
glad as q greenhorn to ask me for
situation, and he was given one as sort
Of specially artist. He thanks me to-day
for the start gave him. AT the same
time took the Berger family in band
and had them taught to perform upon
the instruments with which they have
acquired such reputation. With this
family made big hit. l have Just
been to see Annie Berger myself. But
then success had been too much for me.
Financial reverses and ill-health came,
and am reduced to the position in
which you now see me. I went to o
water.cure and become victim to NAL
practice. l then tried the Hot Springs,
Ark. and the treatment there only ag.
gravated my malady. ! was paralyzed
ten years ago while writinga letter ~
Washington, and I have never recovered
from the shock; still am well and ready
to enter the ring again. For some lm'