St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-09

the BlOOmlngtOn insane asylum,
where he was confined for
a number of weeks. The story of John
McCullough's life reads like a romance. In
1S49, at the age of 12 years, he reached
Philadelphia with exactly 81 cents in his
possession and no expectations. The name
of Mccullough On sign over a store in the
Quaker City led him to discover distant
relative in the proprietor. The latter Sc
cured him employment as an apprentice to
a charmaker. In the same shop was a
stagestruck fellow named Burke, greatly
given to spouting Shakespeare. who imbued
his young companion with a fondness for
the theater, and the result was
membership in an amateur dra-
matte club. Next came entry to
the theater through the intercession of actor
friends, who got him on as ''super' at
% cents per night. Huddled in the wings
with others less studious than himself,
young John eagerly watched the perform
ances and mastered the rudiments of his
chosen art. So rapid was his advancement
that in two years he gained place in the
REGULAR STOCK COMPANY
in the old Arch Street theater, then man
aged by William Wheatley. His first
speaking part was that of servant in the
Bellies Stratagem," and his Salary was
then the princely sum of Sc per week, but
was rapidly increased as he showed his
capacity for more responsible business.
An accidental meeting with Edwin For
rest opened the royal road to fame to
the young actor, then % years of age. At
Forests solicitation Mccullough went to
Boston and played second with him..
McCullough's first appearance there was in
Damon and Pythias," and he related that
he was so nervous that he went to the thea
ter and dressed for the performance at 4
o'clock in the afternoon. For several years
he supported the grand old actor, who be-
came warmly attached to him and accom-
panied him to San Francisco in 1867. For
rest was not certain that he would act
again on his return East so Mr.. McCul-
Tough. who had gained tremendous per-
Sonal following, remained in San Francisco
as leading man of Maguire's company and
starred in several notable tragic revivals.
Upon the opening of the California theater
in 1869 Mr.. Mccullough became sole lessee,
and was very successful in its management.
LAWRENCE BARRETT
was subsequently his business partner. In
1878 Mr.. Mccullough determined to star
and opened at the Olympic theater, st.
Louis. Sept % of that year, as ''Corio-
lanus." scoring a triumph. Thus en-
couraged he proceeded to fill dates all over
the country. He was most successful in
"Virginius, " ''Richard Ill, )" King Lear"
and as Spartacus in the Gladiator" His
last public appearance on the stage was at
McVicker'S theater in Chicago, Sept. 49,
1884. and no one that attended the perform
ance will ever forget the pitiful details of
a tragedy more touching in its infinitely
Il
any of the plays which the genius
of the chief actor had illumined in
the maturity of his magnificent powers.
The curtain went up in the well-known
scene, but the mind of tine great actor was
tottering. The painful effort to remember
his lines, the Kisses of the craven few, who
perhaps did not appreciate the painful cir
cumstances, crushed the tragedian and he
retired to the wings. Noble minds in the
audience called the once great actor to the
footIights, but his manner was humble, eye
daZed and
INTELLIGENCE OVERCOME.
That ended McCullough's career. Every
one knows how he wandered about the
country making engagements that
were never fulfilled, spending money
lavishly, wasting the savings of his
years of toll, of his subsequent incarcera-
ton in lunatc asylum, and final death on
an inebriate's bed. When he left the stage
his friends asserted that he was worth
500. 600. but either this sum was much ex-
aggerated or the extravagances Of a weak
mind led to the expenditure of more than
three quarters of the amount. as the TRACE
dians estate will not produce more than
$50. 600. A death more tragic than ever
Mccullough interpreted on the stage has
overtaken him. Generous and kind
hearted, it would indeed be bitter pen
that pursued him after death to expose his
weaknesses