Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-13
THE TOPICAL IALKER.
An Incident That Shows How Big and How
Little the World Is-Mr. Barrett Was a
Good Running Mate for MIR. Booth

An Incident That Shows How Big and How
Little the World Is-Mr. BarreIr Was a
Good Running Mate for Mr.. Booth
Barnum's Show In England.
OVER and over again we say that the world is
very small, and once in while we find it
Is rather too large for convenience. Here's .
little incident from real life that shows at once
how large and how small the world is.
In 1879 the American colony OF artists In
Munich-it was pretty large Just then--cele-
brated the Centennial Fourth. of July with
great festivities. Among the artists who cele-
brated were Harry M. Chase, now we'll known
as Marine painter, Harry Chase, his brother
who died some years later, Walter Shirlaw,
Frank Duveneck, Frank x. Dengler, the sculp-
tor, who has also joined the great majority
since then, John w. Beatty, the artist Pittsburg
knows SO WE'LL and g. G. Mooar, then an art
student but now in journalism. 1t is with the
two last-named that we are concerned. Two
days after the glorious Fourth, Mr.. Mooar left
Munich after bidding farewell to his friends
in the American colony. He went to Florence
first and after stay there Of some two months
travelled on to Rome. When he was about to
take his leave of the Imperial City in NoVem-
Der, Mr.. Beatty, and another American artist,
Charles Post, of Gallon, O., came on to Rome
to bid their departing countryman godspeed on
his homeward journey. MIR. Mooar has vivid
remembrance of that leave taking. That was
thirteen years ago.
TWO or three days ago Mr.. Beatty happened
to enter the City room of THE DISPATCH,
and he was introduced to the city editor, Mr..
Mooar.
"MoOarr" repeated Mr.. Beatty, looking very
hard at that gentleman, Were you ever in
Munichf"
Eyes, I was a good many years ago." Mr..
Mooar replied.
"Why you know me, Beatty, don't your
The recognition was mutual, and a pleasant
interchange Of "reminiscences ensued. Mr..
Beatty said that for ten years he had been hop
ing to meet Mr.. Mooar, and had looked for him
in the artistic circles of half a dozen American
cities, of course without success. For the past
three years both men have been in Pittsburg,
but they never met until last Monday, Pitts
burg is a big enough place to get lost into say
nothing Of the world
FROM time to time have noticed that the
critics have deplored a tendency in Mr..
Edwin Booth to walk through his parts in
careless way Several times recently New
York papers have contained illusions to the
great actors lack of fire and enthusiasm. Per-
haps this little story may explain why Mr..
Booth does not take as much pains as usual
with his work
When Mr.. Lawrence Barrett severed his act
ing alliance with Mr.. Booth at the close Of the
season of lSSS-9 retaining only the business
partnership, he said to friend of mine: "YOu
will see falling of in Mr.. Booths work next
season, or shall be greatly surprised. AS long
as was acting with him he felt the stimulus Of
rivalry. Not for moment do pretend to
think that am rival of Mr. Booth, but there
are good many people in all the places we
visited who take an interest in my work, and
Mr.. Booth knew this. 1t acted upon him as a
stimulant to make him do his best to show his
wondrOus power as an actor Next season he
will not be brought into anything like competi- !
ton with Madame Modjeska. She will play |
characters which cannot be made to rival those |
in which Mr.. Booth appears. There will be no |
pressing reason for him to exert himself, and |
the consequence will be, as have said, that he |
will not let out all that is IN him."
This theoryis very reasonable, and it accounts |
for the phenomenon which so many Eastern |
dramatic critics have remarked. The |
influence of Mr.. Barrett was good upon Mr.. |
Booth in many ways beside the one indicated
above. Mr.. Barrett was his companion and
friend in the best sense; he checked Mr..
Booths appetite for cigars and high living-not
drinking, bear in mind, for Mr.. Booth is not in
as to late suppers and unwhole-
'ome habits in diet and so on. Next season, If
Barrett recovers his health fully, he will act
lgain with Booth, to the advantage of all con-
,erned,
4s+
oUIs E. COOKE, the well-known confidential
agent Of T. II. Barnum, was in the city yes
erday. He Is just back from England. He
ays that the Londoners never went wild over
anything as they have done Of the ''only' Bar
lum's circus. Long after the great hall in Ken
ington was filed crowds to the number of
thousands were at the doors trying to get in.
dr. Cooke confessed that there was great
loubt about the profit of the English trip, but
he response of London has been greater far
han they ever dared to expect
A TRUNKS WONDERFUL CAPACITY.