Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-27
Better Revis. Ser "Best Friends 3,

To the Editor of the Gazette.
Miss Abbott's side of the controversy in tie
Nashville Episode. The attack and her reply
to 1t. A glowing tribute 70 won of the stage.
The congratulations which have been ahowered
upon her.
In your issue Of February IL you copy
from the Atlanta Constitution, under the
above heading, an interview with Miss
Abbott. As to that part of the interview
referring to her controversy with Mr.
Gambler, shall say nothing at present
among other hings, the actress says:
at will be found by consultation with
the records that 1t is the good, pure, en-
nobling plays which last and sre success-
full. Did anybody ever see or hear bad
sentiment spplsufed In theater. The
audience epplauds She triumph ,of virtue.
The good plays AreIthe ones that succeed"
In connection with the foregoing state
ments wish to place the following para
graph from biographical sketch OF Ed
win Booth, which appeared in the Nash
vile American of January %:
Booth, having the pride of MS art fore
most IN his heart, rsTed the finest Thea
ter on this continent, at the cost of over
81 1000, 000-sEid to have surpassed the
Grand opera house in Paris-but
the public did not secoud
the movement. The most elaborate seen
cry, the finest compspy-in fact, no ex-
pense, detail, not labor was lacking.
Such actors as Theodore Hamilton, E.
win Adams, Dave Anderson, William Z
Sheridan-in fact, he had the best OF the
profession to sustain his plays. He pro-
duced ''R)meo and Juliet" from the or
iginsl text. 1t was on the 3O;h of Feb
ruary, 1869, that he fl at pulled up the
curtain to his great enterprise. The re-
suit was failure. He lost his valuable time
and money trying to educate the public
up to proper appreciation of what the
stage should be but in vain. He pro-
ducedi play after play 10 beggarlv ac-
count OF empty boxes. He was obliged
to succumb to the "Blsck Crook" snd
song-And-dance men and kicking artists,
who crowded other places of amusement.
But this was not the only m stake in this
direction. Charles Kean, Charles 4 N
BILE, and William Macresdy made the
same error in former days. His nightly
expenses were $500. and many night
he did not receive 5000 at the doors
Again this interview Is concluded with
the statement that among the best friends
the actress ever had are such eminent d.
vines as Dr.. Talmsge, DR.. Beecher, Mr..
Spurgeon and others, and am sure thai
none OF these thought that my prof ssion
had dangers to one who followed it con-
scientiously. AS regards Mr.. Spurgeon's
friendship for Miss abbott, he has this to
say, ia note from London, dated Jan.
"a, 1885:
$50 far as 1 can charge my memory
have never before heard of Miss Abbott.
am decidedly of the opinion that the
stage is the enemy both OF good morals
and religion. 1t has not improved this
isdy's truthfuluess if she mentioned me
as enrolled among her friends. She may
be very excellent person, but 1 know
nothing of her"
1t would appear from the above state
ment of an "eminent divine" that the
actress will be under the necessity of re-
visiDg her list Of "oest friends"
W. M, SHELTON.
Sherman, Tex, Feb. %, 1888.