Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-10
JOE JEFFERsoN's PLAYHOUSE.
The Comedian Tells of His Iioyhood's
S~urroundiugs aud Ills First liay.

q theatre Al all events my earliest
r~ccollrrlioUN are entirely connected
with uun II was a uCicty oil frame
building with d broad gable. facing on
a wide nyruiy, and situated iu the
city Dt WASHINGTON. The door from
our back cIitTy opened upon the stage,
and us n t1ddiug little chap ma short
frocE was allowed full rum uI The
place. So behind tie scenes WAS my
first playhouse. And whata playhouse
IL was. filled with all sorts ol material
for the exercise OF my youthful i'm
%aginlilOu. At the back was the hay
of Naples, with It's conventional blue
sky Just family cloudcd with the dis
tanl smoke of slumberiug Nesuvius.
Upon one side stood longand stately
rows Of Corinthiau columns, a. tri-
umphal arch, and next 10 that a
Roman palace. These marvcls Of
ancient architecture were all lean.
ing mp against the wall, not only
in an uncomfortable position, but
at a dangerous angle. looking as
though they had been toppled over
during the last daysof Pompeii. Upon
the other side, heaped in a compact
mass, were many scenes Of various
countnes-there a five story brown
stone front with modern improve
meuts, and here a tiny matched cot
tage of the Eighteenth century. with
a lovely little door in it just large
enough for me 10 90 in and GU of,
slamming il after me and pretending
it Was mine. Then there IA that dear
little white paling fence, exactly two
feet high, no legitimate theatre Of the
old school could possibly be complete
without this curiosity, and nobody
ever saw such a thing anywhere else.
Then came the throne steps, with two
Gothic armchairs set thereon for the
king and queen, and in front of these
the old familiar green bank from
which stray babies are usually stolen
when left there BY aifectionate but
careless mothers. Upon the top of this
were two Hat swans hitched in double
harness TO a shell for travelling fairy
queens.
A little farther down there stood a
low and dismal vault having a square,
dark opening With some mysterious
letters painted over il, setting forth, as
i learned in after years, that il was the
private Tomb Of the Capulets." Close
10 this vas another piece of real estate
belonging 10 the same family and
known as "Juliet's balcony" In n
dark corner stood a robbers cave with
an opening through which old Ali
Bahia used 10 lug the bags Of gold
he had stolen from the Forty
Thieves. Through the narrow and
secluded pathway Of behind the
scenes ] have often wandered out
upon the open stage and wondered al
this grove Of wings and Hats, and i
couldsee that many ropes wee hang
ing from above 10 which were fastened
boats and baskets, tubs and chande-
hers, and those sure tokens of bad
weather, the thunder drum and rain
box.
These were the kind Of objects that
my childish eyes were wont to look
upon. and in this huge and dusty toy
shop, made for children of Il larger
growth, | got my first experience. ]
had seen many rehcarSais and some
times got a peep at the play, having
been taken ON I'm arms as ii property
child in groups of happy plasantry.
Naturally, therefore, | was Stage
struck at an early age; aud, IS | had a
Theatre stocked with scenery and prop
critics, ! could indulge my passion at
a small expense, especially IS my
stock company were volunteers con
sisling 90 two little boys and their SIS
Ter, who used 10 play with Inc on sat
urdays, This was before the star sys-
TEN lad ST in, and ut Il period when
combinations were unknown
or course | va, Stage manager by
right OF posse, ion, and had 10 compile
all 81 the plays. The plots were very
simple and made 10 conform with
what sci pieces we could get at. or
what properties we could secure aud
hide during the absence Of the prop
erty man. II the set cottage Mas
handy | would come out Of the door
as an old man ,tAc age represented by
u ollil4l hllNiAlbll WIN 1h1A Itti tAih
a market basket; old man cross,
daughter rebellious; old man locks
daughter in cottage, goes off TO
market shaking his fist spine
still weak. The favored lover
enters, claps his hands three
times, daughter appears at win
dow, kisses her hand old man coughs
outside. favored lover ]conceals him
self, enter old man with market bas-
ket full Of gilded pasteboard goblets,
accompanied by unfavored lover; they
sit down and drink wine out Of COB
lets till overcome. Favored lover
steals key from old mans pocket, re-
leases rcbellious daughter; the sleep
ers awaken, general pursuit favored
lover and rebclliOus daughter escape
over bridge. old nan aud uufayored
lover fall into the water. Curtain.
Then there were the private boxes
20 play hide-and-seek in, with mysteri-
Gus hooks and ample curtains 10 creep
into, aud such chances TO kiss the lit.
lie girl in the dark. | am quite con
vinccd that there is no such play
ground rs a deserted theatre in the
daytime. Century.