Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-11
BARLEY CAMPBELL.
THE FATAL SUCCESS OF AN
AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT.

How Wealth and Fame Grew Out of a
Roll of Wrapping Paper and a Couple
of Lead Penciis-The Story of MY
Partner"
BARLEY Campbell bad about four years of
such exquisite enjoyment as is permitted to
very few men But he lacked moral fiber
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 different kind, which should bal
ance the exhilaration and surprise that he
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 a 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 CampbellS career will be
come historic that of the one American
not an actor who made a distinct pecuniary
success as playwright 1t is, indeed, 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 paraleled 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 tho
threshold which divides poverty from wealth
=
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 one OF two newspaper offices,
| and sold little matter, and was extremely
| grateful for the aid thereby obtained. But
| great as was his poverty, he had a 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, 1872, Campbell met
friend on Broadway The day was warm,
and yet Campbell'S coat-he ALWAYS wore a
| long tailed coat--was buttnned up to the
chin. All sorts of reflections were possible at
this queer midsummer garb, but Campbell
was as light and trifjng as though he had a
bank book in his pocket and a breakfast in
his stomach. The friend pretended that he
| was just going to lunch and invited Camp
bell to go with him. If 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 be paid
his entertainer the compliment of eating a
tenderlon steak as if he were hungry. As
they separated Campbell's friend said: 81
suspect your ship hasn't come in, BARLEY,
and l want You to take this to remember me
| by" The this was a 81 bill Campbell
took it with easy grace. smiled, declared he
would return it with interest, and he did. He
| afterward said that this s. bill was the turn
| ing point in his fortune With it he bought
some paper and n coupleof 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 Ny Partner which
made his fortune
| With q 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 Danitesn Aldrich
gave n sigh of resignation when Campbell
cornered him, and thought the easiest way to
| rid himself of what be feared would be a bore
was to permit Campbell To read the play,
| The playwright, with his himSy sheets in
hand, began At first Aldrieh was bored
then entertained then interested, then ex-
| cited, and then, with dramatic enthusiasm.
embraced the collarless playwright Aldrich
became more enthusiastic than Campbell,
and promised at once 10 buy the play and
gave the playwright some earnest money on
the spot. So enthusiastic was Aldrich that
he wanted to mount the play and produce il
at once
Behold, then on the next morning an ambi.
tious author with some money and strug
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 hi:
summer vacatl-4 in peace. Besides, he wa.
on the point of going to New York and could
not listen to them. Campbels spirits can't
to the rescue You'll have an hour on tn.
train he said ''and nothing TO do Yot
can hear the play and pass the time away
anyway" They secured two seats in tn,
car, turning them so they would face Pal
mer sat in the rear one and Campbell ant
Aldrich faced him. The expression on Pal
mer's face would have appalled, more timit
man than Campbell But he began to read
Palmer listened indfferentlv at first, but b.
ended by wiping his eyes. He was affecte,
to tears the first time and last time in his ex
perience as manager. Said he when the
reached New York, You may have tn
Union Square theatre if you will mount an,
produce the play. | will risk the rental o.
the success of it.
Mr. Campbell said to the writer when b
narrated the above history in 1882 that
week after that play was produced he ha
; received propositions for plays which, coul
, | he have entertained them, would hav
) brought him $4,000 in cash. He also d,
| clared that during no season since the pla
was produced up TO that time, the winter {
, 1882, had his cash receipts been less tina
$4,000, and at one season he had mad
3 nearly double that He declared that he ha
7 SEQ 900 invested in securities, which could /
r turned into cash on the spot, and be est
D mated himself to be worth at least $50, 90
l He then expected to make $500, 600 with
g five years, but said that he had determine
(. to take all the profits Of his play himse
: and not allow actors or managers to take Il
l cream Mr. Palmer thinks that Campbell
j had he possessed good business sense al
moral strength, would very likely have rea
+ lied this sum. He had caught the publ
n ear He had discovered exactly what tt
3 great masses of theatregoers like and kne
g how to utilize it, and he had gained sufficiel
: capital to carry on his enterprises, but he
II another one OF those who endure the so
5 rows and trials of poverty with far great
n success than the excitement of prosperity.
g New York Evening Sun.
. Steamed Potatoes Are Best.
' Professor Wagner publishes analyses
:, support of his conclusion that steamed pot
toes are far more nutritious than boil