St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-28
"Reminiscences Of An old Actor.


The gift hy Miss Mary G.. Caldwell. a
young lady in New York, of $500, 900 to the
Picuary council, lately in session in Balti-
more, fur the foundation Of a Catholic Uni
vers,iy, has excited very general interest
but &C mparatively little has been stated con-
cernins Mss "a va h:rsrlf or her antece-
dents. IL now transpircs that her paternal
grandfather was James II. Caldwell. an ac-
tor of high repute from 1916 TO ls43 He
was born in England In 1898, and
his first appearance CD the stage las child
was in tie Manchester tncatcr He
came 10 America 10 1916 with Mana
ger Holman. and made his Amer
lean debut at Charleston, S. C., in November
of thai year He was a man OF won Ierfu
encrgs, an had many ups aud downs, both
as act.r an manager. 10 1917 be managed n
theater Ina tue city ol WAsain ston; 10 1918 he
buii the ltcr in Pet,rs5u-g, Va, where
Juniu> B7utus BIath pliyel IN 1921: in Jan
AIRY, 1922, ne eng Ir.l the Fr.ncl theatpr In
New ORGANS an gave the first season of
English performances In that city acting
himself all the leading high comedy
roles, such as B-lcourt, DOrirourt Dakc
Aranza, Brnedirk, Young Winding. Charles
surface, Felix, GOssamer, etc. lie COM
mcDeed the erection of the first English the
alter there in 1922, and opened il January l,
/ 1924 He had Junigs Bruius BOuih for his
stage manager there and ElWin Forrest as
an actor In 1926 he built the Nashville
/ thcaier; in 1927 he altered building into a
theater in 81. Louis; in 1928 he completed a
theater ia Nsichez, Miss. and IN 1892
] nfsff ffnIfa fssfl
einnati. He commenced the drst
and finest theater on the site Of the pres
/ ent ST. Charles theater, New Orleans. on the
5in uf May, 1885, aud opened IL on the 3)th
OF November OF The same year. He retired
! from the stage on the l4th of January. iSf3
! appearing as ''Napid" in ''The Dramatist -
! In the interval between 1920 and 1888 be
butt other theaters busidrs those named, in
/ Guiding one al Huntsville, Ala, and proba-
bly, al Savannah, Ga. and Mobile, Ala.
Toe circuit held by him was sold to Russell Il
Rove, Theatrical managers in those days,
the Former being the father OF the famous
actress, Mrs. Farren. Although brset by all
the trials an misfortunes of such an adven-
furious and uncertain business career, Mr.
Caldwell preserved the highest character for
probily, and IN the end ius.iied the
confidence OF bis friends by bis business sue
{ NSso- ~ was Nfil luuu "a puOnC I've, anu
became a leading citizen in New Orl"aus
he Was the first president Of the gas light
company, which be established there He
Was in Baltimore in 1918. when Mr.. Rcm-
brandt Peale began the manufacturing Of
illuminating gas at tie old museum. alter
ward the city hall, on North Holiday street,
aud gave great attention 10 the process Of
gas making. His experience here evidently
led him eventually 10 his successful effort %
iptrudure IL in New Orleans. which he did In
1888 thus laying the foundation OF the great
fortune that was b, Qurathed 10 bis son with
the Significant name. william Shakespeare
Caldwell" and by the latter to his two
daughters. Mr.. James II. Caldwell was twice
married--hrst 10 Mrs. TwOmley, OF Fredericks-
burg, Va, snd afterward to Miss Rive,
daughter Of Manager Rowe. He cuniinued
TO reside in New Dreams until 1868, when,
chafng under tue rule of Gen. Batter, be left
there and went To New York, where he died,
at the aye OF 40. Sept. IL. 1868. His grand
daughter, Mary, was b0rn the same year.
The writer Of tris sketch met him In the
Crescent City in the winter Of 1928, but a
lev years after his retirement from tie stage,
in the prime of his manhood. already oou-
lent, useful aud full Of advanced business
ideas that hal ait=rwarJ rich fruitiou, rnao-
ling his granddaughter at this day to lay the
foundations of school of theological learn
ling the good results Of which viii doubtless
extend TO the end Of time.