The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-08-02
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
BOOTHS THEATRE VICTIMS.

A Remarkable Record of Misfortunes
Connected With the Once Famous
Playhouse What is Going on at the
Democratic Headquarters = Millions
of Tariff Documents-Btight Outlook
in Ohio-"Doing" New York City, &c
From oatr Special Correspondent.
New YORK, July goth, 1888.
In one of the busiest parts of this
city is a large, stately brick building
with history bound up in singular
succession of misfortunes. Years ago
when the great Edwin Booth was in
the flush of young manhood, he con-
ceived the idea of establishing in the
Metropolis permanent home for the
highest grade OF histrionic produc-
tions. Acting upon this idea he built
the Shakespearian temple to which he
gave his name, and which very effect
ually dissipated the financial fruits of
his notable professional achievements.
Other theatrical people took up the
theatre and sunk fortunes in an en-
deavor to make it paying institution.
They shared the experience of It's
founder and while some Of the bright
est stars of the dramatic profession first
shone out upon an admirlng world
from the armament of Booths Theatre,
it Is associated with probably more fl
nancial distress than any other play
house in the country.
After running in the teeth OF fate
for awhile Booths Theatre closed its
doors to the amusement public, and
the Temple of Tragedy was trans
formed into an immense shop where
ladies have since haggied over ribbons
and feathers and all sorts Of feminine
apl ar.l and jimcrAcks. The men
who bought the property and rehabIll-
tated it for trade purposes were among
the richest in New York City. They
were lanes d. Fish, president Of the
Marine Bank, ard Ferdinand Ward,
the original Wall street Napoleon
of blessed memory. The legend
81 D. F." still looks down IN mock
ery from the front wall of the hand
some structure. Its owner, though, IS
no longer rich and prosperous. With
the Weight Of nearly seventy years on
his feeble frame, and his hair bleached
by shame and sorrow, he is ending his
DAYS in a cell at Auburn prison.
Broker Ward, his dashing partner who
supplied the young blood and the py-
rotechnics of the combination, is pass
ing his enforced ten years vacation IN
Sing Sing.
The old Booths Theatre shop
keepers, Conkling and Chiyvis, after
building up great fortune in less
pretentious store, got INTO trouble al
most Immediately after taking up theil
new quarters. They struggled for g
few years, were finally half burned ou
and shortly afterwards disappeared be
low the horizon. Their successor II
trade was one of the richest and mos
prosperous merchant princes of the
metropolis-Levi NJ. Bates. Less thar
a wear at the fated stand has been sui
ficient to sweep away the earnings o
} life time, and the papers are full 0
the accounts of his failure. The il
) luck OF the place seems about as hare
: TO down as the ghost of Banqut
which used to rattle around It's pre-
, Cincts.
, The Wall street friends of railroad
, wrecker Ives were astonished at tn
news that he and partner Stayner ha'
f come out of the. Canadian North an'
| delivered themselves up to the Gin
! cinnati authorities, who want then
S for grand larceny. The prevailing
J impression is that Ives luck will site
b.. to him and that he will escape tn
= penealty of his sins. After the man
1 ner of the old-tim who is alleged t
Y have built his fame on the smokln
! ruins of Dianna's Temple, probabl
] no man of these times has broade
; claims to distinction than the youn
DIUDStI WIZ III StA }SoAo AOoS AAOAA
: ten dollar a-week clerkship to becom
/ the destroyer of property worth mil
: ions Of dollars.
: NOTES OF THE CAMPAIGN.
!, At the National Democratic Head
Il quarters an order has been given ft
printing j million tariff documents fe
= immediate use in this State. The X
+. publican managers here and in Ne
;. Jersey and Connecticut are runnln
d the campaign on the single issue {
Free Trade-that is they are endea'
!" oring to make the mechanics, factor
II hands, ETC., believe that the success
the Democratic ticket means the IN
: mediate closing OF The factories al
A. workshops. Chairmen Barnuna an
Brice propose to block this. game
the very start. Mr.. Barnum says
will have no difficulty in conviacir
.ba ,,orl-iron,er, that such tariff xeyl