Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-16
A TALK WITH FLORENCE.
The Genial Billy Gives Out Some
Pointers ON Plays-The EN-.
peror of China and aPar.
Tor Observation-Disclosures.
cence of S0thern.

cence of S0thern.
On the register of the Continental hotel
last night, says the Philadelphia Times,
was signature that nobody could read.
1t looked like a fac smile of Chinese
Laundry check, and opposite the hero
glyphic scrawl was written plainly, "and
servant" and the register showed that
rooms 2 and IA had been assigned 70
the owner of the mysterious signature and
his valet. Chief Clerk Anderson was
asked by half a hundred curious people
during the evening who was stopping in
room No. 2. Clerk Anderson got very
tired answering the same question, and
told good many that it was foreign
dignitary travelling incognito. A facetious
actor, who stood near the register, told
one man in confidential way that it was
the Emperor of China, and that he had
forty-two trunks and seventeen servants.
By 8 o'clock nearly everybody in the cor
ridors OF the hotel had heard in casual
way that the Emperor of China was up
stairs, and everybody wondered what his
royal topknot was doing in Philadelphia.
A Times reporter who knocked at the door
of No. 2, expecting in moment to stand
before the Emperor of the fowery king
dom, was told to come in, and, sitting at
table with the manuscript of "No Thor
oughfare" in his hand, sat w. j. Flor
ence, the actor, Familiarity known as the
Hon. Bardwell Slote.
is the Emperor of China imp was
asked.
''No, SIR" said the actor seriously.
ellis royal quiets has gone out to take d
Russian bath; but what do you mean :?
Why do you ask for the Emperor Of
Gilman"
After he had been told about the curl
osity his signature had aroused, the actor
said 'Hum, so I'm the Emperor of
China. Well, Thomas" he continued,
looking at his valet, Ego and tell the
head waiter to have supper ready for the
Emperor of China at ten sharp; a Chinese
supper, Thomas" The valet did as he
was told, and the valet had to go to the
head clerk to find out what the Emperor
of China was likely to crave.
CARE YOU A PARLoR MATCH?"
Mr.. Florence left New York yesterday
afternoon on the Washington express.
There were four theatrical companies on
the train: Florence's, Mile. Rhea's, q
michael Strogofs' combination and
Evans and Hoey's "Parlor Match"
troupe. The conductor of the train in col
lecting the transportation slips of the diff
ferent theatrical companies got very
much mixed, and tapping Florence on
the shoulder inquired in troubled voice ::
care you parlor match?"
s"Thara are no norlOr carS IN tho train
l tried to get compartment, replied
the actor, mistaking the conductor.
ooh, l know there amt any parlor
cars on the train; I want to know if you're
a parlor match?" said the conductor.
"No, haven't a single MATCH" said
the actor, producing an empty match
safe.
81 don't want match; I want to know
if you're parlor match-I'm trying to
count them. There's twenty-five on this
train and can only account for twenty
four" said the conductor, looking at his
list.
'sDo look like parlor match ?' asked
the actor ri weigh over 200 pounds. "
"You don't understand me. Do you
belong to the Parlor Match company of
actors? That's what I'd like to know"
said the conductor, his face lighting up.
Oh! the Parlor Match company of ac-
tors? No! Pm not a parlor match. Pm
member of Mr.. Florence's company, !"
replied the actor, as the conductor started
on through the train to find the missing
parlor match.
"Bless me-" continued Florence to a
friend, 81 couldn't understand why the
hot n
match" The passengers in the rear
seats reared Then the actor laughed a
Bardwell Slote guffaw and the passengers
laughed again.
A "REMINISCENCES OF SOTHERN.
"Do you know" said the actor, as he
threw the manuscript of "No Thorough
fare" down on the table, "that 1 was
thinking of Ned Sothern a little while
ago? Two years ago got letter signed
Donnelly & Co., who gave their address
Carter street, Philadelphia. They wrote
that they were going to publish book Of
sketches written by actors of well known
men who had been on the stage and were
dead Donnelly & Co. asked me to con-
tribute sketch of Sothern. did. The
book was never published and I've never
seen my manuscript since. I've give a
good deal to find Donnelly & Co. and my
manuscript, because want to contribute
it to an actors series of books now being
published in New York. Sothern and ]
made tour of Scotland once. We were
not playing, and one night we stopped at
a place called Preston. proposed that
| we go to the theatre, and when we got tc
the box office | wanted to buy the seats
They were only two or three shillings
but Sothern said: No, we'll go in free.
At that time he was known all over Great
Britain. Walking up to the box office
window the following scene took place
between Sothern and the man inside:
sI'm Mr.. Sothern."
"Who's Mr. Sothern?"
'tDon't you know Mr.. Sothern?"
'sNo; don't"
GOOD heavens, Billy, here's mar
doesn't know mep
"What of Mr.. Sothern ?" inquired the
man at the box office.
Giles Lord Dundreary," replied Soth
ern.
COIL Well, that don't make any diff
ference Lords pay here, just the same
as common folks. What kind of tickets
do you want?"
eco to the devil, said Sothern, whip
ping out a half crown. Give us two
seats
FLORENCE TO HAVE A THEATRE OF III:
OWN.
"I'm going to Europe this spring,
went on the actor. sI don't know wha
1 shall play there. Next winter Pm goin.
to have a theatre of my own in New
York. Pm tired of travelling around
I've been on the stage since was II, ant
I'm A now, although don't feel "a. M.
| first professional appearance was in Rich
mond, Va, as Peter in The Stranger.