The Somerset reporter., 1889-11-21
A Story Of Joseph Jefferson's
Youth.

From the autobiography of Joseph
Jefferson begun in tae November Century
we quote the following. "Springtield be-
ing the capital of Illinois, it was deter
mined to devote the entire season TO the
entertainments of the members of the legis-
lature. Having made money for several
weeks previous to our arrival here, the
management resolved to hire a lot and
build a theater. This sounds like large
undertaking, and perhaps with their lin
tied means it was rash step. | fancy
that my father rather shrunk from this
bold enterprise, but the senior partner
(Mckenze) was made of sterner stuff,
and his energy being quite equal TO his
ambition. the ground was broken and the
temple erected.
The building of a theater in those
days did not require the amount of CAPT
tai that it does now. Folding opera
chairs were unknown. Gas was an occult
mystery, not yet acknow ledged as fact
by the unscientihc world in the West:
second-class quality of sperm oil was the
height of any managers ambition. The
footlights of the theaters in the Western
country were composed of lamps set in
''tloat" with the counter weights. When
a dark stage was required, or lamps need
ed trimming or rellling, this mechanical
continuance was made to sink under the
stage. | believe it the theater. or devils
workshop As it was sometimes called,
had suddenly been Illuminated with the
same material now in use, its enemies
would have declared that the light was
furnished from the "Old Boys private
gasometer.
The new theater, when completed,
was about ninety feet deep and forty feet
wide. No attempt was made at ornamen-
tation and Us it was implanted, the sim
Pile line of architecture upon which it
was constructed gave it the appearance
of large dry-goods box with a roof. |
do not think my father, or Mckenzie,
ever owned anything with a roof until
now, 50 they were naturally proud of
their possession.
"In the midst of their rising fortunes
a heavy blow fell upon them. relig-
ious revival was in progress at the time,
and the fathers of the church not only
launched forth against Us in their ser
mons, but by some political vancouver
got the city to pass new law enjoining
heavy license against out ''unholy'' cali
ing; | forget the amount, but i: was
large enough to be prohibtory Here
was a terrible condition of ahairs-all
our available funds invested, the legisla-
ture in session, the town full of people,
and by heavy license denied the priv
ilege of opening the new theater!
'ln the midst of their trouble young
lawyer called on the managerf. He had
heard of the injustice, and offerd, if they
would place the matter in his hands,to
have the license, taken or declaring that
he only desired to see fair play, and he
would accept no fee whether he failed or
succeeded. The young lawyer began his
harangue. He handled the subject with
tact. skill, and humor, tracing the his
tory of the drama from the time when
Thespis acted in cart on the stage of
to-day. He illustrated his speech with n
number of anecdotes, and kept the coun-
ell in a roar of laughter; his good-hu
NOR prevailed, and the eXorbitant tax
was taken of,
This young lawyer was very popular
in Springfield, and was honored and be-
loved by all who knew him, and, after the
time of which write, he held rather an
important position in the Government OF
the United States. He now lies buried
near Springfield under a monument com
menorating his greatness, and his virtues
and his name was Abraham Lincoln -