The Mineral argus., 1884-08-07

4ou a Male Professional Beauty Went
Prom BAD to Worse.
Now York Letter to the New Orleans Times
Democrat
IF YOU recall him at all, it is as a
splendid specimen Of young manhood.
He was only fairly expert in acting but
vas so remarkably pleasant to look at
that audiences liked him. had a slight
acouaintance with him in those days.
He was an educated fellow, refined in
his tastes and inclined towards literary
pursuits. He thought that he had nat
ural talent in the direction of fiction,
and was at one time at work on q novel,
as to which I have no more distinct idea
than that it was neither good enough or
bad enough to make a lasting impress
sion. I do not suppose it was
ever published, though it may have
found a place in ephemeral magazine
pages. He was the object of dis
tinguished regard by the girls of
blithesome immaturity wherever he
appeared. His daily mail was chiefly
composed of sentimental missives. He
was an actual Grosvenor, on whom the
adulation of love-sick maidens palled.
There was no affectation about it.
George took no delight in the admira-
ton which his beauty excited, but rath-
err saw in it IN indication that he was
effeminate. He desired to play parts
in which his face would be disfigured,
but there were two business-like rea-
sons why the managers would not graft
fly him. His good looks were too at
t~ractive to be wasted, and he lacked
b skill of what was called character
roles. Well, the other night in stroll
ing up Broadway a friend suggested
that we should inspect the newest of
the wicked concert halls. There is
always a worst one among this kind of
New York resorts. The pre- eminence
is short, because the proprietor gets
into the penitentiary after a little while.
Jake Berry, Sandy Spencer. Owney
Geoghegan and Billy McGlory are
illustrious names Oh the roll of infamy.
Each prospered for a season in
the maintenance of a theater in
which the audiences were more
offensive than the performances. Tom
Gould's Souci theater-or Gould's
Sassy, as phrased by its frequenters-
is at present in the enjoyment Of the
patronage which ends in disaster. We
found the place crowded by men and
girls, who got their diversion by alter
nate attention to the beverages served
to them at little round tables and to
the singing and dancing that was being
done on the stage. An architectural fea-
ture of the house was a row of boxes
along three sides of the auditorium and
In which seats cost half a dollar, the
rest of the premises being free in theo-
ry, though in practice the walters
seemed to be making it unpleasant for
those who did not disburse freely for
drinks. We took places in one of
those boxes.
manifestly was engaged in a resolute
effort to be CHEEKY; show are your"
and it called me by name. I dropped
my eyes and saw leaning against the
front of the box, which was just high
enough to bring his head to a level
with the rail, a frowsy, bleary, sodden
wretch.
"Come, come" exclaimed a waiter,
grabbing him roughly by the arm, you
mustn't annoy the gentleman. Bounce
right out"
The tramp drew himself up into a pose
of dramatic dignity, but held it only for
an instant, and then shrunk down to alb
jectness.
Don't you remember me?" he
said, piteously; I'm George Middle
ton"
So he was. The gallant Romeo of ten
years ago had become this miserable
outcast. He was in quest of employ
ment on Tom Gould's stage, and he was
willing to accept whisky in full payment
for his services, but they wouldn't have
him even on those terms. I subsequent
ly saw him draining stale beer from kegs
into a tomato can in front of a saloon, =.
which, I believe, is a resort for members
of his profession.