Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-29

filled il with silvery laughter and cauli-
flower and mirth, and various other groc.
cries which the audience throw In from
time to time, thus making IL more Of a
spectacular piece than IL is under the con-
sentative management Of such old-school
men as Booth, who seem to think that
Hamlet should be soaked full OF sadness.
i went to see Hamlet, thinking that
would DO welcome, for my sympathies
were with James when | heard that Mr..
Booth was picking on him md seeking TO
ipjure him. I went to the box office and
explained who l was, and stated that |
bad been detailed to come and see Mr..
O'Connor act, also that in what ! might
say afterwards my instructions were TO
giveit to Booth and Barrett il / found that
they had tempered with the audience in
any way.
The man in the box office did not recog-
nizs ME, but said that Mr.. Fox would ex-
tend 10 me the usual courtesies. Iasked
where Mr.. Fox could be found, and he said
inside. / thin started to 20 inside, but
ran against a total stranger, who was ION
the door" as we say. He was feeding red
and yellow tickets into q large tin oven,
and looking far, far away. l conversed
with him In low, passionate tones, and
asked him where Mr.. Fox could he found.
He did not know, but thought he was still
in Europe. / went back and told the box
Office that Mr.. Fox YVES in Europe. He
said no, ! would find him inside. well,
but how will l get inside" ! asked eagerly,
for I could already, ! fancied, hear the Or
chestra beginning to twang its Tyre.
Walk ip," said he, taking in 81 and
giving back so cents in change 10 o mar
with q dead cat in his overcoat pocket.
/ went back, and ~springipg lightly over
the iron railing while the gatekeeper was
thinking over his glorious past, / went all
around over the theatre looking for Mr..
Fox. / found him hsgglipg over the price
of come vegetables which be was selling at
the stage door and which had been con-
tributed by admirers and old subscribers TO
Mr.. O'Connor at o previous performance.
When Mr.. Fox got through with that I
presented 10 him my card, which is as
good q piece Of job work in colors as was
ever done west Of the Missouri river and
to which I frequently point with pride.
Mr.. Fox said he was sorry, but that Mr..
O'Connor had instructed him TO extend no
courtesies to the press whatever. The
press, he claimed, had said something de-
rogatory to Mr. O'Connor az q tragedian,
and while he personally would be tickled
to death to give me two divans and q fold
ing bed near the large fiddle, he must do
as Mr.. O'Connor had bid-or babe him, /
forget which; and 30, keeping back his
tears with great difficulty, he sent me
back to the box Office, and although I was
already admitted in o general way, I went
to the box Office and purchased q seat. 1
believe now that Mr.. Fox thought be had
virtually excluded me from the house
when he told me / would have to pay in
order to get in.
thought n seat in the parquet and went
in. The audience was not large and there
were not over q dozen ladies present.
Pretty soon the orchestra began TO ocze
in through a little opening under the stage.
Then the overture was given. II was
called "Egmont." The curtain now arose
on a scene in Denmark. ! had asked an
usher TO take q note TO Mr.. O'Copnor re-
questing an audience, but the hoy had re-
turned with the statement thst Mr.. O'Con-
nor was busy rehearsiDg his soliloquy and
removing a shined egg from his hAlidome.
He ALEC said he could not promise an au-
dience to any one. 1t was oil he could do
TO get enough himself for O mess.
So the play went on. Elsinore, where
the first act takes place, Is In front Of o
large stone water tank, where two gentle
men armed with long-handied hay knives
are on guard.
Ali at once s ghoet who walks with IN
everstrung Cbickering action and stif,
Waterbury movement, comes In, wearing
a dark mosquito net over his head-so that
harsh critics cannot truly say thee are any
flies on him. I presume. When the ghost
enters most every one enjoys II. Nobody
seems to be frightened ut sll. Iknew.it
was not o ghost rs quick ~ I looked ut II.
One man in the gallery hit the ghost on
the head with q soda cracker, which made
him jump and feel Of his ear; % / knew
then that It was only q man made up 10
look like . presence.
One Of the guards, whose name, / think,
Is Smith, has . droop to his Leg and an
instability about the knees which ere high
ly enjoyable. He walks like . frozen-toed
hen, and stands fist on one foot and then
on the other with almost human intelli-
gence. His support 10 abopt ~ poor -
O'Connor's.
After q while tho ghost yanishes with
what Ia called q stately tread, but I would
regard il more ~ Q territorial tread. Ho-
ratio did quite well, and the audience fro.
quently listened 10 him. Still, be wm
about the only one who did NOT receive
crackers or cheese sa slight testimonial d
regard from admirers in the sudiencs.
Finally, Mr.. James Owen o. Connor en-
tered. Il was fully fise minutes before hs
could be heard, and sven then h could
not. His mouth moved now and than md
Q gesture would suddenly buut forth, but
I did not hear what he aid At least ]
could not hear distinctly what hs snid.
After awhile, n people eot tired and went
away, I could hear batter.
Nj. OConnor introduces into III Ham
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