The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-10-13
NOSE AND LICE.
THE BUTCHER, BOY FIREMAN.
Interesting "Reminiscences in tho Career
of Prank Chanfrau, the Delineator OF
Peculiar Mountaineering
Id Rise as an Actor.

these latter Frank Chanirau was con- |
spicuous illustration. An accidental 10.
cal catch-penny hit, included in the dis
tribution of characters Nose, a fire lad
die and rough of the period, whose pecu
liar!ties ofperson and dress were soap
locks, a "jerky" mannerism of speech,
a"long nine 'ceegar," elevated at an an
gle of twenty degrees at one corner of
the mouth; shiny silk hat, with
"Helen Jewett' mourning band of bonn
bazine about it; bright red flannel
shirt, pantaloons rolled up at the bot
TOM TOM, "gallus" high heeled
which silently conveyed TO the intent
citizen that he was in the presence of
b'hoy who "run with old Live Oak" and
skilled for kizer.n This part was as
signed Frank Chanfrau. From the low
ebh his tide sprang TO food. He was in
imitable in the personation OF Nose.
His success grew very much ms South.
ern's did after his accidental interpreter
ton of Dundreary, that gave his name
publicity.
Frank Chanfrau was typical Amer
lean, and older than he looked, for,
while to the ineNpert eye he appeared a
man of forty-iive, he was born in this
city, on the corner of the Bowery and
Pell street, in what was known as the
Old Tree House, in 1872. lie was New
York boy, naturally quick, and educated
in the street. Poverty forced him
very early TO snatch his crust where he
could find it. In the very lowest rank
and tine last row of supers he began,
without cent to his name, and no
name TO speak of. To the veteran, Ben
Baker, now secretary Of tho Actors
Fund association, he was indebted for
his start. He had run "wid der ma
chine" himself lie was a fire laddie
par excellence. He understood the
way, the dress, the gait, the manner and
the peculiar phraseology that charac
terized those rough but ever ready citi-
zens of New York. lie was fond of Civ
ing, IN an humble way, limitations Of
them, and Bon Baker, the prompter in
the Olympic, wrote sketch for him
called "a Glance at New York" In il
Chanfrau as Nose made the hit of the
evening, and later on when Mary
Taylor had written for her
by Baker tho part of Lie, and
charmed her audience in q neat calico
gown aud clean white collar, the piece
was played in two theatres each night
in this c.Ay for six months, drawing to
each a tremendous audience. Mr.. Chan
frau had native good sense, as well as
artistic ability. In the line of character
delineation his Brother Sam, his Nose
and hit viii 1--we long in tho memory of
the theatre-gOcrs not alone of New
York, but OF the country ut large.
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES,
a number of interesting incidents
were told at the time of his first spring
ing into the public eve as Nose. Ii
seems that Manager Mitchell, who at
first was greatly opposed To the pre-
sentation of the sketch, realized 500 o
from its production. After its
run two friends Of Chanfrau
leased tho National theatre and
shared II with the actor, who PLAYED
Nose at the beginning of tho evening at
the Olympic on Broadway, and al the
close IN the National ON Chatham street.
II poured money into the pockets of
them all. Throughout al Chaufrau's
representations old timers recognized a
Nose suggestion. The original Nose "a
said to have been man by the name of
Nose Humphreys, a printer who belong.
ed To Engine company No. 40, a noted
apparatus which was endeared to lis
owners, the butcher boys of Center Mar.
ket, by the term OF the Mulberry Street
Gnost ON one occasion, after fight
the authorities punished the members oi
No. 40 by selling their apparatus and
Y locking Il i'm the corporation yard. IL 81
CHANGED that Alderman Bard, who had
brass foundry IN Canal street, found
his cellars Hooded one day, and he sent
up TO the corporation yard for an engine
To pump them out concerning which
the following Is reported:
A CHARACTERISTIC CONvERs ATIuN.
Shortly alter the alderman's return
market all az i,er, t,i,nol a1po ''', teuu .
grim bne NJ salinas Wien G,o'.l w. IL, Ui''
INTO tLo ,nrtv an a,c;,ni .,.'S "t"N wv
who screaned. So-,.o, I'm ~. i,
know vyhera la. ,hnSt - 81 ~ S"'
"Wbv s6eis IN ,ier COL WI
would she hoo" '''
"No. she amt, sbo,s dcu.r {, r,,,,
street n sucLin, a collar - III '"i'"
Fancy this information givar y.,.h al
tina cnntnmnt which tho , -, S.' 49,
az Tho hrichcr'I,,,, Wv, , NY ahu ltei'@
concerned howl wont ~, a,,l ,,,t.,..- -.
mendous ontbs ,Thio IL MAY "'
mo Srn,, L1, ,i,orn o'u"ili.
ouslv sirr,igcs,,t w. '"'
thois colli,,s, E,.aS,. IA luIIlls I
damn S1n,ns cra ~ ","h hlahhS5u !
whole nnrtv stertnd 70 fn,. t,suoIH, unu u
named Nv ihe %crgoc ~ ounai Ssreg., u
nifty mi upon ,Ga' AZ ~ 'H,'ll
Hamphrevs wns in tho ,,am Mu'
nent thcy coil -, ~ ~ a '' ~ u VA
numning rnntoJ H., Wy, " .iut' VIM wei
hood and we've drn ,v v,,.' ~ hu.su,neo
home. whom Sl6nr,S,ss, al9 nlachlt
and tbreatsno5 ~ h ,''"n ~, baIu nIpear,
many nnt i'm the Ton,hs Wy wnui , Ho,
heen Unmnbrevs VIZ -, ~ h'"s' NV
stnmn noinfing }.o,,, Wy, Mitn l" cig
owe mi his no go ~ i'S , .il"u1u 20 u
fsce and said al oab o 'Iio ~ ~ lorIiiai'
Ghost emit snol, no no,i T. nul1, uoss, ~, I
An aldermen hsT 40 s .aaS' S Siio o"is''
thorit1 than a 10 soou uval oi ny
mined IN baIo liz o ,,,,s , U,e Wa uete
no Womb have go, - ,,, Wy, ~ .t sWo
ro., 1912 ~ Nv V,ety hlah OF then q
i N"fN"i AtVi SUI
Worus, humphreys compromised ma
ters in this authoritative STYLE, shakil
his finger under the alderman's nose,
suclt vour collar l,,, IL ,."i, st'o "
sucl, no other mans cnnar -,