, 1888-09-20

~despondency which usually beSet the person
who is far to the bad pecuniarily.
One day in June, 1879, Campbell met a
friend on Broadway. The day was warm,
and yet CamFbell's 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 trifing as though he had q
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 he paid
his entertainer the compliment of eating a
tenderloin steak as if he were hungry. As
they separated Campbell's friend said: ~
suspect your ship hasn't come in, BARLEY,
and l want o to take this to remember me
by" The ''this'' was a So bill. Gamble
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 a 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 a 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 a sigh of resignation when Campbell
cornered him, and thought the easiest way to
rid himself of what he feared would be a bore
was to permit Campbell to read the play.
The playwright, with his fimsy sheets in
hand, began. AT first Aldrich was bored.
then entertained, then interested, then ex.
rifaI o,,I fHn, With 49,
embraced the collarless playwright. Aldrich
became more enthusiastic than Campbell.
and promised at once to 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 it
at once.
Behold, then, on the next morning an ambi-
tious author with some money and a strug-
Cling playwright with none bound for Siam
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 a 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. Campbell's spirits came
to the rescue. you'll have an hour on the
train" he said, land 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 the rear one and Campbell and
Aldrich faced him. The expression on Pal
mer's face would have appalled, a more timid
man than Campbell. But he began to read.
Palmer listened indifferently 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 a manager Said he, when they
reached New York, "You may have the
Union Square theatre if you will mount and
produce the play. will risk the rental on
the success of it.n
Mr. Campbell 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 Lhave entertained them, would nave
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
10000, and at one season he had made
nearly double that. He declared that he had
$60,000 invested in securities, which could be
turned into cash on the spot, and he esti-
mated himself to be worth at least $50, 900.
He then expected to make $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 nave real
fzed this sum. He had Caught the public
ear. He had discovered exactly what the
great masses of theatrcgoers Ike 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-