Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-27

I believe Palmer always held me response.
bic, but which / assure you on my honor
was the purest accident so far as was con.
cerned. 1t occurred when Barry Sulliyan's
engagement with us began. As he was a
famous Irishman there was no Improperly
in giving him an Irish reception. Colonel
Cavanaugh, Of the gallant Sixty ninth
grew enthusiastic over the idea, and agreed
to bring his regiment to the theater on the
opening night. / provided seats for the
whole regiment in the balcony, and the
men marched down Broadway in fine sty lie
to the most
INsPIRITING OF IRISH AIRS.
I took care to go along marching side by
side with the Colonel, for how did | know
but some other manager might seek to en-
trap the regiment. Once inside the thea
ter, arranged with the leader of the band
to strike up See, the Conquering Hero
Comes the moment that Barry was called
before the curtain, as he was bound to be
by the enthusiastic audience. | watched
that band pretty closely, but | couldn't be
in more than ten different parts of the
house at the same time. 1t so happened
that at the moment when Hsmlet's Ghost
appeared | was engaged on the stage. The
Ghost stalked solemnly out on the boards,
and, to my horror, no sooner did he come
to halt than that leader passed the word
around and the band struck up See, the
Conquering Hero Comes The audience
fairly shrieked with laughter, and well,
| went hurriedly around to the Fifth.
Avenue Hotel to get coffee bean, with
Palmer tearing mad and in hot pursuit.
"The first speech that Wilkie Collins ever
made IN this country was made on the
stage of DAILY 5 old theater, in Broadway.
We offered Mr.. Collins box to enable
him to be present and see the production
of his Woman in White When the
ushers and supers and others in the audi.
ence learned of his presence of course they
began to clamor for him to come forward.
One could step from the box upon the
stage, and at the proper moment invited
Mr.. Collins down TO the stage on some pre-.
text, and then gently edged him along int
the view of the audience. The result was
very happy speech from
THE DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR
OF about fifteen minutes duration. The
idea of inviting people of note to our thea
ter originated with US. Florence and l.,
when we were managing Wallack's old
theater, had General Cochrane and General
Thomas F. Meagher with US one night.
The war feeling was at its hight, and both
men were very popular. The audience de-
manded that Meagher should come forward
and show himself. He did so, and made
one of his most fiery speeches. OF course,
such incidents were commented upon in
the newspapers, and people gradually be-
gan to look for something out of the ordi-
nary at our theater. Make money? Oh,
yes, we made lots of money out of such
little incidents. You've got to keep up the
excitement and interest in your tbeater all
the time to make it pay. Never lose a
point. The professional matinee was
another idea. II has been copied all over
the country. When Julius Cesar was
on at Booths sent ticket to every actor
and actress of note in the city for certain
afternoon performance. Of course the fact
was not allowed to pass unnOticed by the
newspapers. The actors and actresses
came, went on exhibition, as it were, and
were pointed out and admired by the big
audience that came to see julius Caesar.
Salvini has since done the same thing at
the same theater. OF course if all the
actors and actresses didn't use their tickets
themselves that was not the fault of the
management. Frankly speaking, it was a
matter of indifference to us. We always
managed to keep Booths ablaze with ex-
citement of one kind or another-fags,
red fire, anything to catch