The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-02-09
BROADBRIM'S N. Y. LETTER


Shakespeare.
On Friday last at Leavetts' Art Rooms on
Broadway, the poithumous remains of Les
ter Wallack passed under the anctioneer's
hammer. There have been many greater
and better men, men Of larger requirements,
men whose lives haYe left q more marked
impress on the age and body of the time,
but there are few in his own country who
have held so conspicuous a place In the
public eye and who succeeded in getting
such an ample reward for whatever talent
he might possess. He came from race of
actors; the acting instinct was in his blood.
and 1t never left him on or off the stage
He was always on poiss and as careful OF
discussing bis pate at Delmonico's as he was
while figuring on the stage Of his own the
atre in Rosedale or Don Caesar. His vanity
never deserted him; tottering towards sew
enty In his afternoon walks along the west
side Of Broadway he strove by artificial aid
10 keep the same erect port as when he di-
yidsd the honors Of the pave with the hand
some George Jordan forty years ago. De
Jordan's stormy tide have coguizance Of
the things that go on in this little planet of
ours9 If they do, Lester Wallacks ghost
must haYe passed an exceedingly uncom-
Portable afternoon last week as he saw his
Vrscious vestments and relics knocked off
for less than is usually bid for second
class hand-me-down. Imagine Don Cesar
after his transformation, gallant in silks,
velvets and feathers, booted and spurred,
bis Andre Ferrara cleaning by his side.
All, mel 1t was. indeed, gallant sight
AZ close my eyes l can see him now;
can hear the ringing cheer that greets his
coming; 1 can almost hear the heart beats
Of the delighted maidens who exclaim: ooh,
ohl amt he too sweet for anythingp' And
80 he was, prince Of the blood in his
realm. Think of all this splendid garniture
seven dollsrsl Mercy on me, but it's a ter.
rible ialll Don Felix for FIVE dollars; Eli.
ett Grey for seven dollars and seventy-fivs
cents; Hamlet for two and a quarter. /,
1t possible? is it possiblss Why, ITecolecl
the time, and that not so many years ago
when one of his old shoes or a ragged peck
et-handkerchief belonging to him woulC
have brought more than this, when sighini
Young maidens and even married ladies hat
bis photo framed in GOLD upon their dress
ing cases, and it was said some of them haC
little affairs made where candles were KEEP
constantly burning before his loved efigy
The gaping crowd stood around and exam
ined each article critically; there was nj
sentiment In it whatever, not the least
they wanted their moneys worth and the,
got 1t. Occasionally there was a slight rip
pie among the crowd, which was mostl,
composed of actors and old clo' men, whel
some relic was put up linked with the gold
en- pasta dagger of Edwin Forests,
sword of Kean's, a doublst that belonge,
TO George Frederick Cook and some relic
of the elder Wallack. But enthusiasm va
deAd-dead a. Wallack himself-and th
entire lot that had cost thousands upol
thousands Of dollars, costumes which tn
fAysrite Sctor had racked the resources @
his fertile brain in designing, brought les
than paltry seven hundred.
And so passes another marked characte
from the stage Of our daily life. The thre
theatres that once bore his name bear it n
more; the first has given way TO the de
mands of commerce and it's site 10 coYere
by magnificent wholesale dry goods storei
The other haa changed ita name to the Stal
and the last, which was built expressly fC
him and was intended to be the abidin
home of fashionable drama, passed frol
his hands after a series Of financial disa
ters which brought him to the verge of ruiz
So that after Successional professional lii
of over forty years, during which he r
ceiyed greater rewards for his services tina
the people of the United States pay the
President, he was only saved from want
his lsttsr days by the eonslderate kindne
Of professional friends, who. hearing of h
needs, got him up monster benefit while
was responded to by a grateful public al
secured him those comforts at his deal
which he might otherwise have lacked.
did not share in the popular sympathy
laviBhinglY expended on the fayorite act
IN his latter days. Ny reasons were that
thought be had received ample compens
tIon for everything he had ever done,
personal rscsipts from his profession bsiI
esFtainly ret lee thah halt q million Of dC