Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-12-26
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

From the autobiography of j oseph JEFF
fevson begun in the November Century
the following is taken: s'Springfield
being the capital OF Illinois. it was de-
termined 10 devote the entire season to
the entertainment of the members of
the legislature. Having made money
several weeks previous TO our arrival
here, the management resolved to hire
lot and build u theatre. This sounds
like a large undertaking, and perhaps
with their means il was a rash step. |
fancy that my father rather shrunk from
this bold enterprise, but the senior part
ner (McKenzie) was made of sterner
stuff, and, his energy being quite equal
70 his ambition, the ground was broken
and the temple erected.
"rhe building of theater in those
| days did not require the amount of cap
| ital that it does now. Folding opera
chairs were unknown. Gas was an
occult mystery not yet acknowledged as
q fact by the unscientitic world in the
west; a second, class quantity of sperm
oil was the height of any managers am
hition. The footlights of the best thea
| tiers III the western countries were COM
posed of lamps set in a float, with tho
CONFERENCE.-The. When a dark stage
was required or the lamps needed trim
ming or reiilling this mechanical con-
trivance was made to sink under the
stage. believe if 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
fstts ,1ul.A h.a II. Il
| gasometer.
The new theater, when completed,
was about ninety feet deep, and forty
feet wide No attempt was made at
ornamentation and as it was implanted
the simple line of architecture upon
which it was constructed gave it
the appearance of large dry goods box
with roof. do not think my father or
Mckenzie ever owned anything with
roof until now, so they were naturally
proud of tlier possession.
IN the midst of their rising fortunes
heavy blow fell upon them. A 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 maneuyer
got the city to pass a new law enjoining
heavy lleence against our 'unhOly'
calling; forgot the amount, but il was
large enough to DO prohibitory. Here
was terrible condition of affairs all
our available funds invested the legis-
| lature in session, the town full of peo-
pie, and by heavy license denied the
privilege of opening the new theater
I'm the midst of their trouble young
| lawyer called ON tho managers. He
had heard of the injustice, and offered,
if they would place the matter in his
hands, to have the license taken of,
declaring that he only desired to see
fair play, and he would accept no fee
whether he failed or succeeded. TIE
case was brought up before the council
! The young lawyer began his harangue.
He handled the sabject with tact, skill
and humor tracing the history of the
drama from the time when ThespiS
acted in a cart 10 the stage of to day
He illustrated his speech with number
of anecdotes. and kept the council in a
roar Of laughter; his good humor pre-
| vailed, and the eXhorbitant tax was
taken off.
This yourg lawyer was very popu
lar in Springfield, and was honored and
beloved 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
monument COMMUNICATING his great
ness and his virtueS-and his name
was Abraham Lincolnr