Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-10-07
A BLoODHoUND'S DIARY.
Extracts from the Book of Life of an Old
Actor In the q. T. Cabin Drama.


Actor In the q. T. Cabin Drama.
am poor Siberian bloodhound OF
American descent. am an old actor
in an "Uncle Toms Cabin" company,
and l am very much in the scar and
yellow leaf.
am an actor of the old school, and
1t pains me to see people come in out
of the corn-feld and gag part as they
do nowadays. have been taught to
study part carefully, and bring oui
every thing in it. That is the way ]
learned to act. To be true to nature is
my hobby. In my enthusiasm l have
several times fed myself with fragments
of Eliza's baby and got myself disliked
| for that reason, but that is better than
to fall short of the part and to under
play it. "
That is where | disagree with the
gentleman who plays the jackass in
our company. He believes in calm,
dignified stage presence, and counts on
that almost solely, while / am in favor
of an enthusiastic Interpretation of my
part regardless of dignity and post
ureS.
/ belong to family of actors. We
extend back as far as the eye can reach
We love the generous approval of the
public, and we thrive on applause. To
bound upon the stage with a deep
chested bark and eat portion o.
Eliza's borrowed child, is meat and
drink to me. For twenty years | have
been on the stage, playing one nigh
stands and watching little Eva as she
passes gently up the flume. Twenty
years | have seen Mr.. st. Clair climt
into two-dollar death-bed with his
boots on and die painless death on {
small salary.
Life is indeed but a span. How
short time it seems since | joined the
company, a mere pup. Then l wa
full Of hope. l also had a full set o
teeth. Now my front teeth are arti
fetal, and / can not read fine print.
have seen the world, and have fount
out, also, how hollow it is. | hav'
been levied on by the sheriff. and
have walked, many weary mile will
my red Siberian tongue hanging out il
the gentle air of spring. Ihave Learned
to distrust mankind. and to rely upol
nothing mundane.
One thing | desire to say in this lit
tie diary, SO that in case l should di
suddenly in a railroad accident TIN
public and my generous patrons, es
pecially, may know the truth. 1t
this: l am not what [ seem! / liv
dual life! My stage appearance
and my true home life are entirely ant
distinctly separate and dissimilar il
every way. I......... .+,.... al.
At heart l am not fierce. l do no
care for warm blood three times day
If l could be assured one rectangula
meal of cold corn beef with smashe
potatoes on the side would enter int
a recognizance never to kill and ca
another human being. . ~
| have been constantly misundeI
stood and misapprehended by the pub
lie because my stage manner has bee
naughty and hungry. This effect ha
been heightened, also, by the fact tha
the manager has compelled me t
wear muzzle during the day. | d
not wear a muzzle at all when l al
at home. l do not need it. | can &c
along for weeks without a muzzle.
| shall soon leave the stage, however
My voice is failing me, and | can nc
walk ten miles to one-night stand i
time for rehearsal as once coult
When my voice is gone it will be a
up with me. No one wants a BLOOD
hound with a cracked voice.
| can see the gentleman who play
the jackass in our company is going
hold out much longer than can, b,
cause he has saved himself. He hs
taken life easily and thrown less fervC
and enthusiasm into his part than
, have. For awhile he wanted to pla
st. Claire so that he could have be
to retire into during one act. / nevt
saw gentleman who took so muc
!, dramatic ease as he does. He h;
more repose than any other perso
in the profession with whom | am a
quainted. n ai ea8 s1Htf p"
! / have done much for the play, b'
! that / did not intend to speak q
. People who have carefully compare
Uncle Tom. as it is written with n
, Interpretation aud presentation of
, will hardly recognize 1t as the san
, piece. H-'7"''e l'''a
In my own conception, the bloc
hound is made to do many pleasant
1 ferocious things which the author d
: not introduce. These improvement
are due solely to me. Among Others
. might point to the feature of bringir
out the ferocious brute on an enco
: with fragments of colored child in /
= mouth. This never fails to arouse
. the audience wild tumult of rein,
= horror. f1t. .N4 ill"
!. Somehow | am impressed with Il
!. idea that l have made my last appea
4 ance on the stage. We have just te
!. minated a highly successful TT
. through the West and got home Ia
!. evening footsore, but proud al
= happy. a
. Our manager wants us to go wi
a him to Europe next season, but sh'
not make the journey. shall send
r water spaniel in my place. He has
4 good voice, and he is a better S;
q water pedestrian than am.-Biu N,
"a in Boston Globe.