Democratic messenger., 1889-11-09
RICHARD ~ UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
Booth Had tn stick the iSiiis because the
Bili Posters Drank up tho Paste.

Dtu AoAterA BtAuR VI tho A'hhtes
One night recently Edwin Booth sat
down TO a coy little supper with
manager Dan Frohman, OF the Ly.
ccum, and actor Edward Sothern, and
during the little supper the conversa-
ton came around TO Mr.. Booths cxpe-
riences rs u manager. and in Snswer
10 q question Mr.. Booth gave quaint
little bit Of autobiography which was
too good TO keep, and tho story is GO
ing the rounds among the profession.
"About my first experience as q
manager" said Mr.. Booth, "was in
the year 1854. and four others were
on our way TO Australia 10 I'LL pro-
fessional engagement. Two OF the
party were ID. G. Anderson and his
wife. We were in u slow old sailing
ship, and We were compelled 10 stop
ut the Sandwich Islands for supplies
and 10 make some repairs to the ship.
We found, TO our surprise, that Homo
lulu had a rude sort OF theatre, and as
we were TO be detained there for SOW
eral days we thought we might earn a
few dollars by giving performance.
We were told that the king-Kame-
hamcha, I think his royal name was
was an enlightened monarch, who
had visited Europe and come back
with great admiration for the drama,
and that hc would graciously patron.
izc our performance.
I'VE determined TO give Richard
Ill, and was elected manager Now,
the full strength Of the company was
exactly five, and there arc about
twenty-five parts in tho tragedy, as
you know, TO say nothing Of the lords
and ladies of the courts, citizens, muir
derers, messengers and the two armies
of Gloster and Richmond. So YOU can
understand that the manager had no
easy task OF it. ! was to play Richard,
and by an ingenious scheme of doub.
ling up, by which each of the others
was u play at least two parts, wo man
aged TO arrange for some sort OF per.
formancc until suddenly discovered
that had no Lady Anne. Mrs. An.
derson was tho only lady in our COM
pany, and sho had TO do two parts
the Duchess of York and Elizabeth.
II was almost in despair until
learned that there was white man in
the town who, as / was told, had once
been an actor in humble way and
would be glad 10 help us out, and that
rs he was an under sized man he might
do to dress up as woman. So sent
for him.
Meantime ! had another trouble.
We had some bills printed with a
brush and marking ink. and ! sent
some natives out TO bill the town. But
flour was entirely too scarce and high
priced in thcSandwich islapds To make
paste of, and as a substitute was adj
vised to buy some stuff called poi poi,
the sticky juice of some tropical plant
Of which it appears the natives make
an Intoxicating drink. innoccntly
gave this stuff to the bill stickcrs.
But tic rascally natives, instead OF
using the stuff rs had intended, drank
up oil tho paste, got drunk, and didn't
post q bill At the last moment had
10 take pail and brush and bundle
OF bills and go through the town pyst.
ing the bills myself.
''Thc new member of the company
who was to do Lady Anne almost gave
me spasm when / saw him. lie was
about four feet high, a stumpy fellow
with handy legs, cross eyed. and with
all his front teeth gone. He chewcd
tobacco furiously. and he spoke with
German accent. His only know.
ledge Of the stage proved to have come
from once working us grip behind
the scenes of some theatre in tho
States
:. But there was no help for il, and |
y 10 engage him, after cxacting his
nan promise that hc would never
4hat he was royal princess of
ID. and not squirt tobacco juice
.agc during the play.
h.pevcr forget that perform
''ard III Its like was
% nor since. Tho two
zero made up Of native
GERS, and To see the fol-
..eiiard and of Richmond
ale battle of Bosworth Field
fnt cork was something never
ATTEMPTED on any stage
tho Lady Anne! | regret to
Il her appearance when made
"aS something worse than gro.
que. Ii she had been homcly in
mans attire she was hidcous in skirts,
and when / had made ardent love to
+ her as
"'Swcct saint"-'tlivinc perfection
Of woman fairor than tongue can
name thee. and tell her Of her beauty
which did haunt me in nv slccp. |
thought | should burst with mortiiica.
ton, for her handy legged wa!ldlc,
her cross eyed lccr. her toothless
mouth and German accent were some.
thing Understandable. And, horror Of
horrors. while she stood mourning ut
her dead husbands bier, her ladyship
had broken her solemn pledge and was
actually chewing tobacco!
"Oh, there never was such per.
formancc rs that. We shortened the
play great deal and left II good deal
to the imagination Of the audience.
but / was in cold pcrspiraiion until
it was over But our audience was
good naturcd and by no means criii
cal. We had big house aud they
;ccmcd well pleased"
"But there WIS u curious sequel To
the performance, addcd Mr.. Booth.
".lf,cr the play, while WAS dressing,
King kanfchamclla was uslicrcd into
my room. He proved Ia he Il very
pleasant. we'll informed gentleman. He
had been educated in Europe aud had
travelled extensively. lie spoke kind
ly of our Richard. and lic surprised mo
greatly by exclainiin%. us hc pattcd
me fainiiarly cn the back:
Mr. Booth. ! saw Your father play
Richard IN New York twenty years
ago. New Ior.; Herald.
A pair Of horses were stolen from
an Iowa City woman and taken 10 u
town eighty miles distant. The men
who took them were arrested ON sus.
piclon, and 10 lind the horses, owner
tho animals We're turned loosely the
officers and followed back tothc lady's
barn.
This chicken is awfully tough"
"l'm sorry; but its your fault You
put II hard boiled egg in the last lot
hatchcd - llarpcr's Bazar.