Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-12
HALF A CENTURY.


"reminiscences Of One Who Has Been
| that Long About the Theater.
s'How long have you been connected with
theaters?" asked q STAB reporter Of the door
keeper at Albaush's last night
s'weil," said Mr.. Buckingham, or Buck a.
he is familiarly called, 81 am sixty-one years
old to-day, and, take IL altogether, have been
about the theater for forty-nine years. There
have been some periods of two or three years
when have laid by, but its forty-nine years
since first commenced TO be about theater."
''You must have begun when you were very
young" suggested THE STAR man.
eyes began at the old Front street theater
| in Baltimore, as call boy. was call boy for
Mr.. Booth, the father of Edwin; for Charles
Kean, and Miss Ellen Tree, when they arst
| came to this country; for Macready, Gustavus
grew up began to take tickets, and have
been doing that in Baltimore and this city ever
! since"
''was Booth as much addicted to intsmper-
ance as is reported?"
Eyes, indeed. but the audiences always were
1enient toward him. In those daysthe evening
performance commenced at haif-paat seven,
but many a time we had to wait until alf-past
eight during Mr.. Booths engagement. I re-
member the last time saw him. He was play
! ing at the Holiday street. and went to see
him as Sir Edscdrd Mortimer in the .'Iron
Chest" l was learning my trade then and
wasn't taking tickets, but I went round to the
stage door and asked to see him. The man at
the door wasn't going to let me in, but told
| him to
GIVE MY NAME TO MR. BOOTH,
and he Immediately sent for me. He remem-
| bered me as the little fellow who used to carry
his basket, and he was very glad to see me. I
told him just wanted to bid him good by, for
| 1t was the last night of his engagement He
told me to be sure and call on him when he re-
turned Poor man, he went down to New Or
leans. and only returned when brought back o
| corpse. He was one of the most kind and con-
siderate men toward all who were about him
him. I think he was the greatest actor I have
ever seen: Edgo was one of his great parts,
just as it is now the best character that Edwin
| Booth plays. 1t was in Richard III' and
Macbeth" that he became most excited, and
! in the fight he never knew when to stop. Very
few men would play Richmond or MacdsF with
| him.
'Do you remember G. v. Brooke?"
VERY well. OtelO was his greatest char
acter, and in the scene with Idgo he was terri
BILE in his rage. Then there was Macresdy. who
| was great actor. He was very exacting in re-
gard to the production of his plays and in
sisted upon having his directions followed to
| the letter. Anderson and John r. Scott were
noted actors in the forties. I remember Scott
formed partnership with Herr Driesbach. the
called 'Mungo Park in which Driesbach in
troduced tame lion and tiger. They had
great men in the stock companies in those
old days. Charlie Burke, old man Blake, Joe
Jeffersons father, Gus Adams and others, who
have since become famous, were in the stock.
Charlie Burke was the first who played Rip
Van Wrinkle, and he played it gloriously, too.
! Edwin Forrest was then in the full vigor Of his
power. and was q wonderful favorite in Balti-
| more"
| AT FORD's TENTH-sTRERT THEATER.
"When did you come to Washington, and
what theater we're you first connected with
here?'
Il came here in 1861, and kept the door at
FOrds l0th-street theater. I stayed there until
! after the assassination Of President Lincoln,
and you know there was never a performance
in that building after that terrible night. Then
l went to the Oxford. which was on the site of
the present Bijou, then to the National, and
then here. Oh, was at the Old Washington
theater which was the predecessor Of the
present Comique, for a while.
You have had an opportunity Of seeing the
| very best stage talent within half a century,"
| said The STAR reporter.
II have indeed, and could mention names
that once had great drawing power, but which
would hardly be recognized by those Of the
presentgeneration. Beside those have already
referred to there were Cooke. an English
actor Of great ability; Charlotte Cushman,
Mime. Celeste. E. L: Davenport, J. W. Wallack,
| jr.. John Owens, Mrs. Farren, Edwin Adams,
Jas. II. Hackett, Chas. Matthews, AN English
commedian. who married Lizzie Weston, the
former wife of Dolly Davenport, Joe Proctor,
Frank Goodall, who was the greatest Ed,cdrd
Middleton, in The Drunkard,'I ever saw and
| who, poor fellow, died on account Of too great
devotion to the bottle; Dan Setchell, Mary
| Gladstane, Charlotte Champion. John Sleeper
Clarke, pretty Mary Devlin, who was Edwin
Booths first wife; Geo. Bennett, Barney Will
| Jams and his wife, and many others whom I
cannot just now recall.
| SPEAKING OF JOHN OWENS,
| he had an idea at first that he was tragedian,
and I remember that he played Richard III
| one nigh. in Baltimore. He commenced in
| dead earnest, but before the third act the piece
had degenerated into q burlesque, and it was
| finished in that way, the audience enjoying the
fun. He afterward, as you know, became q
celebrated comedian. The actors of to-day
| don't have the schooling in their profession
that they did years ago when the stock COM
panies were in vogue. Then man was COM
night-to-night it might be comedy and to-
morrow night tragedy-and he had to play
| them all equally well. Now many man don't
learn but one part in season. rarely talk Of
those old times, for most Of those whom have
| ihcuticuou W sOu tO-ulSut are uOW numbered
with the dead, and of course there is q certain
sadness which tinges even the pleasantest
recollections Of them. / have talked more
with you tonight about old times than I have
| with any one on the same subject for many
years. l suppose it's because it's my birth
| day."
Mr.. Buckingham is vigorous and hearty, and
looks as If he was good for another half century
Of service. The ushers Of the Opera-house
| presented him with fine silk hat as o birth
day gift, and that style Of hat now adorns his
head for the first time in thirty years. He
| says the tall hat will come into play for the
| Inauguration parade, when he will march with
| the East Washington republican,.
| always interesting annual convention Of far
mers will be held at the Sandy Spring lyceum,
Montgomery county, Md, Tuesday, January
| stracts from the proceedings Of the various
clubs, and reports OF committees, there will be
| discussions on the following questions: /. To
| should it be done? 2. Can farmers afford to
do without sufficient roof to shelter all crops?
3. Would cannery company within Is miles
| Of a good market prove a success? 4. Has not
| the time arrived for US to exchange our Jersey
| dairy? 8. What description of horse is best
suited for farm purposes2 The present capa-
BILE officers are Henry c. Hallowell, president,
| and H. II. Miller, and Francis Snowden, secre-
taries
TIE ELKs' SocIABLE.-The members Of WASH
iuCfOn TOdoe No tx Rapavolap& opd Dro<a.