, 1885-02-12
GENIUS CONQUERS.
A Cosby Letter from Denver
About Clara Morris.
An Interesting Interview Described
by Will visscher.
The Life and characteristics Of the
Great Actress.

~
al apology-it is simply a reason.
There are so many great men. this sea-
son, that they have become monotonous
and it is n delight to turn to a great wo-
man, and that too, a woman who has
more real greatness than that Of two
thirds Of the great men, Of this day. COM
bined.
Last Sunday morning there arrived in
this city over the X. P. road, Col. Thos.
II. Wicks' private palace car, Traveller"
and the car is all hat may be implied by
this sentence. 1t is a rich combination
of ease. luxury and art, on wheels, and it
contained the famous actress, Clara Nor
MS, her husband. Mr.. L. @. Harriott, and
her manager. Mr.. Frank Goodwin, her
cook and maid and a special porter, and
thus cnsconed Miss Morris lives, ever in
this city of good hotels.
| am a worshiper of this queen Of
drama, this embodiment Of art, this gem
of genius, Clara Morris, the greatest Of
actresses, living or dead, and feeling that
with the inspiration Of such admiration, 1
might interest your readers, l sought out
one who knows all about the subject and
who also knows how to tell it, to get
points concerning Miss Morris which have
not been written of in the steroetyped way;
that one is Jno. W. Mckinney, her bust
ness manager.
Mckinney is interesting too. He is the
ideal Of advance agents, a distinguished
looking, well-dressed man, with blue eyes
gray hair, fine head, graceful, brown mus
tache, and a fund Of information, on sub
jects pertaining to the road and the show
business, which is simply wonderful.
That man knows the qualifications of every
railroad on this side the big water; he is
on familiar terms with railroad presidents,
superintendents and officers generally, and
when he goes for something he gets H.
If a railway company has set apart, for
Miss Morris use, a special car. and there
is a handsomer or better one in the pos
session Of that company, even if it is the
private car Of the president, Mckinney
holds forth his Establishments, plays his
gentle and seductive voice and manner as
a right bower" and takes the trick. He
regards Miss Morris MS a sovereign to
whom he e a leal and aIl-absorbing
fealty, and he is as enthusiastic concern
ing her genius and as proud Of his bust
ness alliance with her. and his admiration
for her, as woman and actress, are equal
and unbounded. Over a delicious lunch
with him yesterday in his handsome
apartments at the Windsor, 1 asked him
to tell me some interesting things about
her.
Interesting things2' said he. why
that woman is all interest. She's an in
valid, and in all Of her journeys, short or
long. requires constant and delicate care
and attention. She reclines all the time
except when at work on the stage. and
with all her suffering she has a DISPOSE
ton like an angel, and has the same
sweet smile, gentle voice, and winning
manner for the highest and the lowest
with whom she comes in contact. She
delights to hear interesting people talk
and is able to find points of interest in
people whom no one else ever supposed
to be possessed of such a quality. Be-
sides being an admirable listener, she is a
remarkably good talker, and no wonder,
for she is an omniverous reader.
Being an invalid, therefore very fee
bic, how does she manage to act with
such power" l asked.
She's bundle of nerves" replied
Mr.. Mckinney. Il have frequently seen
her carried to her stage entrance, and as
the dialogue began to approach her cue,
she would begin to tremble and clinch her
little hands and gather herself together,
and at the word, spring onto the stage
and act in the way by which she has cleo
triied great audiences all over the Eng
lish speaking world, and when the cur
tain went down, fall, pale, limp and APP
parently lifeless upon the stage. Con-
troll Why man, she even controls the
circulation Of the blood in her face and is
able. at will, to look as if she were a mar
Bile statue. =
How is her health nov compared to
what it has been since she has won her
fame?'
''It is better than she has known for
fifteen years. My friends told me when l
took my engagement with her that l was
foolish for giving up a good place to 90
with her; because. they said, she would
not be able to remain on the road more
than two or three weeks, and could not
stand travel. She was out twenty-three
weeks last season and this season she
started for New York, went to Brooklyn,
thence to Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis,
where she had u brilliant reception at the
hands of Vice President Hendricks; thence
to st. Louis, and from there, through
her memorable tour Of the South, ending
at New Orleans, thence to a number Of
the principal cities Of Texas, where she
was received with ardent enthusiasm by
the culture and refinement Of that state.
Thence to Little Rock, Memphis, Kansas
City and Denver. Travel really helps
her. The easy molten of the palace car,
change Of scene and all that, give her
pleasure and increase her vigor, and es-
p%ecially in the South, a section in which
the geniality Of the climate and the court
illness Of such Of the people as call upon
her have deeply impressed her"
what is her history" I ventured to
ask.
''She was born in an Ohio village and