The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-28
DLLYJOEJEFFERSON
- Tells How He Wrote His
Autobiography.
NEVER KEPT A DIARY.
a..uip About Doodle Senator Brics--
ne Vacant Egyptian Mission
Burial of the Corean Queen.

T.
. "a made his appearance on the Ameri-
s. stage in Washington City theater.
ss;s vas when Jackson was president and
Title Joe jefferson boy of 4, was carried
4 The stage in bag by the famous min
<rel Rice, who was making hit by dane
4, Jim Grow. Rice CAME on the stage.
"a turning the bag upside down tumbled
nttle Joe Jefferson out, and then began to
1spce. The boy was dressed just like Rice,
IL face was blackened, and the two sang
,<rsc spari as they danced. As they i'm
tkel the song the audience were so delight
a that they threw dollars and half-dollars
4 the stage and little Jefferson received $24
IA that nights acting. He now receives,
q one bat his manager knows how much,
nd be is as well off as any actor on the
american stage. He is said to be worth
million, and he has sugur plantation in
louisiana, q beautiful country home in
xev Jersey, quaint seaside cottage on
Care Cod. and bonds and stocks and gold
nlore. Since he dropped down upon a
Washington stage until now, he has been
frkIing the sides and deiighting the souls
DIS fun-loying public, and every cent of
! is money has been well-earned by him
xlf and his great genius has been
,Id cheap to the people. He
hn children and grandchildren but
l is soul is as young now as
when he tumbled out of that bag, and his
Hue eyes are as merry and his voice as
theery as that of a boy. He will be 81 in
] February, but his acting is as good now as
! Il has ever been, and he enjoys a good
soTy, good laugh and good theater as
veil as any man in the country. He goes
b the theater whenever he can, and I
caught him at the hotel today just rs he
l vas about starting ont to see 1.-THE Lilli-
/ putiansn with Billy Florence. He is de-
ightful conyersationalist, and his voice
md his manner are as gentle and good
nasurcd as those Of Rip Van Wrinkle.
During the short chat I had with
him | asked him some questions
Is to his autobiography, which APP
peared in the Century magazine and
l Fhieh is now being sold over the book
/ counters. This book is one of the great
books of this generation. and it is the be-
lief Of many good judges that it will be one
I ofthe few books which will last. Its style
IEdelightful, and it has been wonderfully
successful in its magazine publication. 1t
kfull of bright descriptions and It's pic
lures are complete in all their details. /
nked Mr.. Jefferson as to whether it was
not made up from a diary. He replied:
NO; have never kept diary, and
have no notes. / am fortunate in having
! good memory, and wrote the entire
beck from it. l felt very doubtful about
Undertaking the book. 1t seems 10 me
that an actor attempting to take up the
iole of the literary man and to write a
book ismuch like the part of a literary man
who decides to go on the stage and makes
| his first appearance in the part of Hamlet,
lam glad TO see that my work is popular,
and 1t is a wonder to me that | succeeded
| N making it so. l have had the book in
my mind for long time and had intended
to have put the matter forth in book form
and not i'll magazine. My friend, Mr..
Glider, however, advised me that he could
give me wider circulation through the
magazine, and the result shows that he
FFas right.
did you have any regular habit of writ
ingf" asked.
No." replied Mr.. jefferson. 81 began
the book about three years ago, and wrote
ct it by fits and starts as the humor took
me. At first kept no notes at all, but
alter began my writing l found that my
memory of events and persons would be
very vivid at some times, and that could
not recall them at all ut others l then
carried q note book and made memoranda
OF material for the book wherever it struck
me. ltseemed curious to me the way my
al Y
middle OF the night from a sound sleep
Tor no reason that can see, and would
mink OF some part of my past experiences.
II went to sleep again | would find in
.he morning that I knew that 1
mad remembered something during the
night which intended to record when I
got up, but could not think what that
something was. After this had a pencil
and note book by my bedside, and at such
times as woke and thought of matter for
'he book would rise and write out the
material. In preparing the book finally /
iound these memoranda of great value,
ana mat IN most cases the first records
were better than anything that / could
~fite. think on the whole / am fortu-
aale IN not having kept diary. il might
nave caused me TO draw my story out to an
msaiierahle length, and | might have
nagnihed details which were better omit
sed am of course pleased that the book
aid succeed, and am told that the sale of
1t has been good.
The conversation here turned 10 litera-
Mre and actors, and Mr.. Jefferson spoke
very kindly of the memoirs Mr.. Florence
~ oh IL -.
iail OF interest. Mr.. jefferson said:
+, Go not see why an actor should not
nave natural bent toward literature, and
WY he should not write fluently and well.
ms whole life is made up of the intcrpre-
saon OF literature. He has TO study and
pay the classics. He has TO appreciate all
'near phases of thought and expression
ana IN the rendering of these great literary
PRODUCTIONS his whole life is TO a
oeftaln extent time of education. 1t
YOU'D be strange, indeed. If he did not
aosofo something. and he has also TO study
'ns people, and TO make his idea of his
paFts plain TO them. | feel delicacy in
saying anything about such subjects. |
ssa not professional writer, and doubt
a ! ever write again. had story to tell,
ss'u my life has been so eventful, and
naNe net so many men about whom
soa'o talk, that this is perhaps one of the
'eaSons of its success.
=, iaere are few better ''read" men than
~ ~. jefferson. lie possesses remarkable
ssstare, has done some work as an artist
which has been well spoken of by the art
a VIZ and he carries his paints and easel
Win aim during his acting. I was curious
= know how he found time for such q va
n.'s Of work. and ] asked him as 10
ssne'hes he had been systematic student
eafang his life time Beginning his ca
Ter as l.,. -, ~. ..s.-., CO. tho mast q ffv