The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-03-28
cellanen1ls.
The Booth Family.

TTuHb ItStte huyuStHG lOT April COnldlns
an interesting account of the Booth Family
in Maryland, written by Mr.. Walter Edgar
Mccain, of the Baltimore Fleming Neaos. Ju.
MUS Brutus Booth the celebrated actor, ar.
rived at Norfolk, Va, from England, in June
1921, and played his first engagement on this
side of the water in Richmond, making O
profound impression. Professional triumphs
had lost their charms for him and haunted by
the longing for n life of solitude he applied
for the position of keeper of the lighthouse
at Cape Hatteras.
"Nothing came of this, but he was still in
the same frame of mind when he arrived at
Baltimore in the Summer of 1929. Hearing
of farm for sale near Bel Air, in Hartford
county, about twenty-five miles from the
city, he visited the place, was pleased with
its isolated and romantic situation, and i'm
mediately purchased it.
"Bel Air is curious and rather patriarch
al town, and the Booth farm lies about three
miles away, on the Churchvile road. The
drive out is pretty and interesting. The
tragedan's purchase embraced about $50
acres of dense woodland. He would never
allow tree to be cut, but since then the for
est has been somewhat thinned. The ap-
proach to the house was by a crooked lane,
winding among oaks and poplars hut they
road, bordcred by buckwheat and cornfields.
The little dwelling was nothing more ambi-
tious than log cabin, with four rooms and
long passage; but its appearance was some
what remarkable, nasmuch as it was white
washed on the outside, except the window
shutters, sashes and doors, which were red.
This quaint house had formerly stood on an
adjoining farm, and had been removed by
Mr.. Booth across several fields on rollers; q
proceeding that caused the greatest excite
ment, and is still wildly remembered by
some in the neghborhood
"Mrs Clarke, the daughter of the tragcdi-
an, describes the scenery around the log
cabin, as she remembers it in her girlhood,
rs romantic and beautiful, and her little pic
ture represents, for the most part quite faith.
fully, the present aspect of the spot. There
are she says, huge rocks with tiny cas-
cades, streams and springs fdelightful water
gushing out in the most remote places. Nat
ural bowers of Towering vines, and groves of
tall, and intcrlacing trees, wild flowers OF
every shape and hue, from the simple field.
violet to the spotted lily and scarlet lobelia
of the marsh. Long cOpscs of hazel bushes
and old English hips and haws, and nuts of
various kinds, abound. Away off in the
great forest, where tie light seldom pene-
trates, is the dismal swamp covered with
gorgeous lilies and bright grasses, and here
on the smooth sward are those magical fairy
rings on which no grass ever grows. Here,
too, is the old wel-trodden fOotpath of the
Algonquin Indian, and winding far away
through the dark, still woods, the ground is
strcwn with memories of those lovers of war
fare and the chase. Arrow-heads of every
dimension, ax.heads and tomahawks, and
curiously cut stones, are thickly buried in
the marshy ground as if for all time those
solemn woods should keep their memory
Here in those wild forests my father made
his home, far removed from the turmoil OF
city life, and surrounded by his growing fam
lily and faithful servants, among whom he
labored with the zealof an anxious farmer
at is rather doubtful if Mr. Booth-at
least when he began-knew much about
farming, and the interruptions of his profess
sion made it impossible for him TO be, even
after considerable experience, very success
full agriculturist But a notable circumstance
connected with his memory in this associ8-
ton is, that he was the first person in Hartford
county, if not in the State, 10 use bones as
fertilizer He was at least very industrious
1.-THE household at the farm was singular
one Mrs. Booth, whom he had not long
married, was young and beautiful girl, pas
sionately devoted to him. 1t is said that in
all their life together she never once ques
toned anything he said TO her-and some Of
his behests were at times eXtravagant-
he in his turn had the most implicit and
child like confidence in her. At the time
their housekeeping began Mrs. Booth was as
unsophsticated upon some domestic subjects
as it is possible for young lady to be, and
an amusing story is told of visitors from the
neighborhood one evening and there being
after long and rather awkward waiting, nc
signs OF making ready for their rejection, al
length Booth himself mounted his pony and
went to the spring for water, and set about
the preparation of the nectar.
1.-THE pony, which was named Peacock
was famous character-scarcely less SO than
the negro, Joe. Peacock was diminutive and
piebald, and had first made his owners ac
quaintance at Deal. Booth was warmly de-
voted to him, and they seemed to understand
| each other completely. Joe, the colored re
tainer, was the most faithful of servants, ant
| his reverence for his master and affection fol
| the family were unbounded The singular
attachment between the three-the grea
tragedian, the poor darkey and the comica
pony, although il had its laghable side, wa.
also most touching, and nothing could show
better the actors simple nature and kind
| heart.
"On the farm, rs might be supposed with
so eccentric a head To the establishment
some of the rules were peculiar. In addition
to the law that no trees should be felled
there was another that nothing should b,
| killed on the premises and no meat eaten
This latter clause proved sometimes very in
convenient, and to the servants and laborers
who did not share Mr. Booths brahminica
notions, extremely distasteful but when Ii
he was Mt home he was very rigid in enforc
ing it. He loved flowers, birds, dogs, chill
dren- every living thing that took refug
with him found his wild hermilagea sanctu
airy.
"When the tragedian first took up his sci
Element he seems to have been little mis-
trustful of so solitary n retreat. lie kept al
ways at hand two enormous blunder.buss
es,' and the house was guarded by night b.
three large and fierce dogs. By day thes,
animals were chained up, but sometime
they escaped, and their particular antipath,
seems to have been hogs They ranges
thrnilp tina country killing all the hooe tho,