Wichita eagle., 1888-09-01
hartley CAMPBELL.
THE FATAL SUCCESS OF AN
AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT.

and his great successes overwhelmed him
When he found money rolling in in fashion
that promised really great wealth in very
few years he seemed to have sought excite
ment of a different kind, which should bal
ance the exhilaration and surprise that be
found in the splendid change of fortune that
came in night. The safeguard for men of
Campbells temperament at such times is the
family, and he had charming one. But he
sent his to Europe, and although he lavished
all the money they needed upon them, yet he
was beyond the restraining influences Of do
mesticity, and it is no doubt partially due to
this that he is now dead, as he has been intel
lectually dead for two years or more.
We suppose that Campbell's career will be-
come historic as that of the one American
not an actor who made distinct pecuniary
success as a playwright. 1t is, indeed, O pity
that he should have collapsed on the thresh-
old of career which, with man of sterner
resolve and greater self control, might per-
hapS have paralleled that Of any Of the win
ners Of great pecuniary prizes in dramatic
composition. The fact that Campbell actu-
ally became famous and stepped over the
threshold which divides poverty from wealth
in one night is known to every one. But
there are some interesting and highly sug
gestive incidents connected herewith, which
it is now possible to tell for the first time.
In the early spring of 1879 Campbell turned
up in New York almost In extremity. He
was indebted to friends for the bed on which
he slept, and when he did not meet friend
he was frequently compelled to go hungry.
he haunted ono or two newspaper Offices,
and sold q little matter, and was extremely
grateful for the aid thereby obtained. But
great GS was his poverty, he had char
acteristic Irish way of living in the clouds
and never betraying any of the servility or
dependency which usually beset the person
who is far to the bad pecuniarily.
One day in June, 1879, Campbell met
friend on Broadway. The day was warm,
and yet Campbells coat-he always wore a
long tailed coat-was buttoned up to the
chin All sorts Of reflections were possible at
this queer midsummer garb, but Campbell
was as light and trifling as though he had
bank book in his pocket and breakfast in
his stomach. The friend pretended that he
was just going to lunch and invited Camp
bell to go with him II the playwright did
not understand the delicacy of the invitation
when it was given, he could not have failed
to do so when he saw the lunch, and he paid
his entertainer tho compliment of eating O
tenderloin steak as if he were hungry. As
they separated Campbell's friend said: II
suspect your ship hasn't come in, BARLEY,
and | want you to take this to remember me
by" The "this' was s. bill Campbell
took it with easy grace, smiled, declared he
would return it with interest, and he did He
afterward said that this IS bill was the turn
ing point in his fortune. With it he bought
some paper and couple Of lead pencils. The
paper was OF the cheapest kind of white
wrapping paper, and on it in two days time
he wrote that act of my Partner" which
made his fortune
With wad of this paper in his pocket he
sailed out of his lodgings to find Louis
Aldrich, who had won repute in Joaquin
Miller's play Of "The Danites." Aldrich
gave sigh of resignation when Campbell
cornered him, and thought the easiest way to
rid himself of what he feared would be bore
was to permit Campbell to read the play.
The playwright, with his flimsy sheets In
hand, began. At first Aldrich was bored,
then entertained, then interested, then ex-
cited, and then, with dramatic enthusiasm,
embraced the collarless playwright. Aldricb
became more enthusiastic than Campbell.
and promised at once to buy tho play and
gave the playwright some earnest money on
the spot. So enthusiastic was AIdrich that
he wanted to mount the play and produce it
at once
Behold, then, on the next morning an ambi-
tious author with some money and strrig-
Cling playwright with none bound for STAN
ford, Conn. to see A. NJ. Palmer The man
ager also sighed when he saw them, and de-
clined peremptorily to listen to any PROPOSE
ton respecting the production OF play. He
was tired, he said. He wanted to take his
summer vacation in peace. Besides, he was
on the point Of going to New York and could
not listen to them. Campbelrs spirits came
TO the rescue you'll have an hour on the
train," he said, ''and nothing to do You
can hear the play and pass the time away.
anyway" They secured two seats in the
car, turning them SO they would face Pal
mer sat in tho rear one and Campbell and
Aldrich faced him. The expression on Pal
nler 'sface would have appalled, a moro tinid
man than Campbell. But he began to read.
Palmer listened indiferently at first, but he
ended by wiping his eyes. He was affected
to tears the first time and last time in his ex-
perience as manager. Said he, when they
reached New York, ''You may have the
Union Square theatre if you viii mount and
produce the play. viii risk the rental on
the success of it."
rSCampbell said to the writer when he
narrated the above history in 1882 that a
week. after that play was produced he had
received propositions for plays which, could
he shave entertained them, would have
brought him $4,000 in cash. He also de-
clared that during no season since the play
was produced up to that time, the winter OF
1882, bad his cash receipts been less than
$4,000, and at one season he had made
nearly double that. He declared that be had
S60, 600 invested il securities, which could be
turned into cash on tie spot, and he esti-
mated himself to be worth at least $50, 600.
He then expected to mako $500, 900 within
FIVE years, but said that he had determined
to take all the profits of his play himself
and not allow actors or managers to take the
cream Mr.. Palmer thinks that Campbell,
had he possessed good business sense and
moral strength, would very likely have real /
lied this sum. He had caught the public /
ear. Ho had discovered exactly what the |
great masses of theatrogoers like and knew
how to utilize it, and he had gained sufficient /
capital TO carry on his enterprises, but he is
another one Of those who endure the sor-
rows End trials OF poverty with far create. 1
success than the excitement Of prosperity
New York Evening Sun