Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-01
Joseph Jefferson.

The Nashville papers have been
telling us about 10 Jefferson play
ing at Gallatin a long time ago.
There are many, now living here,
who remember very well all about
it. It was about 1S4l, or '42-'43.
10 was then quite youth. The
company was a strOliing one. In
old times, it was the custom of
theatrical companies TO play their
plays in the cities during the win
ter season, and i'm the spring and
summer to take the country. There
were no railroads then, and stages
few and they had to see to their
own transportation. They hired
wagons and other vehicles to go
from town to town-mOst generally
wagons. The ladies were furnished
with some easier vehicles, but the
male actors took Walkers Line"
and footed it. There were seldOm
any printed announcements of their
coming, and they often entered a
town without much notice. There
were but few country papers then.
and besides. they seldom had prin-
ted posters, or small bills. The
most skillful pensman of the troupe
wrote them upon narrow strips OF
white printers paper, with small
brush, and pasted them horizontally
upon the walls of houses and fences.
Occasionally he used various color
ed inks, and made them quite
snowy. We remember to have
seen them stretched out ten to TWEEN
ty feet upon the walls. Such was
the style of the theatrical poster
business of that day.
The company we are now
writing about embraced Joseph
Jefferson, ST., and Mrs. Jefferson,
the father and mother OF 10. Jr. /;
Alexander Mackenzine, who mar
ried JOS sister, who was also in
the troupe: Charlie Burke, then a
capital cOinmedIan, and afterwards
a greater one. Burke was, we be-
lieve, JOS cousin. Jefferson, the
elder, was a famous actor in London
before he came to America. We
canot now recall the names of many
more of the actors, but we believe
little 10. B. Roberts was one OF them.
He subsequently became a TRACE
dian Of very great merit, but never
succeeded in becoming great one,
he came in a hair's-breadth of
it-but didn't reach the top round.
There were several others, who af-
forwards became we'll known. The
company stopped at Johnny Stew
arts tavern in the lower part of
town, which burnt down nearly
twenty years ago. The theatre was
Jacob turner's old shop, fronting
ON Smith street, and opposite the
late g. S. Gray. 1t was long ram
bling one story frame house, and
then disposed to careen over. 1t
did not take long to put the scenery
and drop in position. A few wagon
loads of plank with the aid of a few
rough carpenters became elevated
seat. On one side in front OF the
drop curtain was the orchestra, a
flute, violin and cornOpean, and the
names of the members were our
well known F. A. Sporer, Carl
Sporer, his younger brother, and
"WiIlie"-we never heard his 9TH
err, name. And they made the
must exquisite music from the lead
ing operas. They were all finished
of the best European
schools, and we have never heard
as good music in Gallatin since. We
wish that we could recall the plays
performed but cannot. They re-
a week or two. The pro-
gramme always consisted of trag-
edy, or good comedy, concluding
with roaring farce. We do re-
that the "Bride of Lam
was one of the pieces, and
that Jefferson, the elder, was Caleb
Osbaldistone. 10 did not cut much
figure as he was very young. He
was in minor parts suitable to his
age. But he gave then indication
of the wonderful powers which
have made him so famous, although
he would have been a wise prophet
who could have then predicted that
his name would fill the trump of
tame wherever the English Ian
guage Is spoken. Mr.. Jefferson
preserves lively and pleasant rec
objection of his first visit to Gala
tin, and never fails to enquire about
US whenever he meets with one who
is old enough to remember his ex-
perience in our country town.