The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-03-13
AN ACTORS LIFE.
FRED WREN, NOW MAKING BRICK
GROWS REMINISCENT.

Thirty-three Years Experience Makes
Young Man a veteran--A Family Of
Actors who Early Utilize Their ITalents.
"Harks'' and the Bloodhounds.
WAS I ever bit by bloodhoundsr' echoed
Fred Wren, the veteran comedian, as he and a
Newsreporter chatted together the other day;
''loolz here, and here, see the scarss have
marks all over my body from them, and yet
never got scratch from them in earnest.
have two big holes in my right leg, but I got
them by interfering in a fight between two
bloodhounds One made grab at the other
dog and caught me. The others are from
snaps made at canes umbrellas and so on"
YES he replied, in answer to question,
81 have quit the show business, and I'm going
to make brick.n
Mr.. Wren sat in his Office at eight White
building. Some years ago he bought farm
at Lancaster, and finding that brick clay
bed lay beneath the surface soil, has organized
a company, and the merry Marks promises to
make as much money in brick ns he made in
his long theatrical career.
"How did you come to buy farInsa he
was asked.
THE yEARNING FOR A HOME.
home was any use to me, for was hardly
ever home. But all actors have the same
longing. They all like to speak of home.
They say my homei with q tremor in their
voice when thousands of miles away. 1t is
one of the bright spots in their memory. Joe
jefferson with all his wealth and his beautiful
home finds it no home to him, for he's there
but rarely. What are Booth and Barrett and
all the rest but tramps- wanderer on the face
Of the eartha tell you I'm tired of it all, and
I've settled down here In my home and going
to make brick. I've got nice home, nice
wife, nice children, nice cook and nurse girl,
and I'm going to enjoy the rest of my life"
How old are your
about 40.n Then falling into Renaissance
Mr.. Wren continues: "It's long time ago
since took to the stage. Father had good
business here as vessel painter. Old residents
will remember him. There were nine of us
and all but Will took to the stage. My
brother George ran away to Cincinnati and
headed q company with Barney McAuley.
He came back in two years and father for
gave him, and then gave him permission to
put up a little stage in the barn. That was
on Seventh street, above Maryland; don't
know but the old barn stands there vet. Our
first play was sBombastes Furioso,' then we
played Timothy Toodles,' Burton's old play,
and he afterwards took me and taught me 1t
well. The Swan family were with us, and
tell you we played to crowded houses, for ii
was cheap. That went on for year; then,
in tho winter of '55 and '56, George conceived
theidea of taking us ON the road. We played
sToodles,' loan of Lover, Crossing the
Line MILDLY Ashore Jenny jones' "A
Tinker and Tailor and several other English
comedies of the day. We went through Cam
ada and Michigan, doing well, got back home
and started out again. That company was
the Wren Juvenile comedians, eight of the
Wren family in it, and we had good show.
We played before President Buchanan's
cabinet In the winter OF 81 and 49,
HIS t'LEGIrIMATEp CAREER.
Mr.. Wren talked away entertainingly
about his theatrical career before the war,
told of his appearance In Barnum's museum
that was burned after Lincoln was killed; of
the long run made In Laura Kean's theatre
with midsummer Nights Dream. y with Fred
| as Puck. Ii was run of four months, the
longest then known in this country. Then
he told Of his enlistment as drummer boy
on his twelfth birthday in the Sixty-frsi
| New York, of how he was disabled at Nal
vern Hill and spent three months at Car,
.sta,. e..a - ~" 40 "ei' 'n'o WV
''', s4 :. ~. a., 10 a. 's. ~ ~ 0uv
NJ, p.n,o ~ ,.,1 ,sels, y
as..s-.s ~ 800 - ,4t. psol W.
1 sra Mot;,da 49, ~, ue . exon ooo =
Cass,;ro ,,"da 10. a., mno .V S "a ~ -
s Sal,e, ii''''0 Aei AisV sie"' niO in 'n'
e'i 0n see hofo., X, so,..oo,, a. al .,
DSaoi q ~ ~ ssoe vuo ai'u won'
~. 800, - s'o.o ~ .ess,n ~, " 70 4.
~, puo iisido ~ ye,u was DUCK Lex, ~
' sat,a .ss a ~, ie,l ~
,4s .sss .,. .ne IS,,,. sno s'e" .sns nm
h;a NV .no i,,."i lou0u s.o sn''t ~.
ls - al ... av, WY uuelt .l'
Aoaao,n w., - .I,,s o,t, hS NV, -, 49,, ~,
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