The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-18
Jold Of Actors.
BRIGHT MEN WHO HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE VARIETY
sTAGE-THE DRURY LANE GREENROOM.

The variety show Is q good school for
comedians, to Judge by such graduates as
Francis Wilson, Henry Z. Dixey, N. C..
Goodwin, Edward HarriRan, James Pow
ers and many other funny and really
artistic actors, while z minstrelsy has
sent to the dramatic stage Neil Burgess,
Charles Reed, Frank Daniels n similarly
successful entertainers, says the New York
Sun. Powers talks autobiographically as
follows, and whether altogether era
iously is q matter between himself and
his conscience: "I'm a New Yorker by
birth. Al the age of thirteen my father
took me to see a performance by Bryant's
minstrels. Ibecame stage struck then and
there. ! thought of nothing else but that
performance. i couldn't study my lessons
and l was withdrawn from school, and
my father got employment for me to run
cable messages for the Western Union
from h Dey street office to Bowling
Green. One day a man came to the office
to send q message to England. 1t was
handed to me. l put 1t in my pocket and
two minutes later felt for II and couldn't
find il. Ten days afterward / found IL in
was a hole in the pocket. / absent
mindedly delivered it then to the man
who sent II. Complaint wa made at the
office and ! was discharged. A cousin of
mine was superintendent of the Pacific
tea company, n he hired me. i had a
good time with the pretty girl customers.
The head salesman didn't object.
He said my versatility would draw
trade. / also chatted with ome
After awhile i got to giving
them overweight. The boss discovered
il, and / was discharged. Next I was a
xIarl In fl.a h,.ttar anil rhnaco n~nbarua
was getting to be a big boy then. / was
stuck on my shape and imagined myself
destined to be q pugilist. Over the door
leading to my employers private Office l
placed a sandbag. / practiced often.
One day, just as i struck the sandbag a
violent blow, my employer appeared. A
collision occurred. l was IL then. l organ
lied q minstrel company. There were
eight of us and we had e between us.
Because l had a huge paste diamond and
patent leather shoes i was made man
ager. Our first stop was at Yonkers.
The receipts amounted TO Sl.95. We
admitted two boys for IS cents, be-
cause they were brothers. Next we went
TO P~oughkeepsie. We played to $3.50. The
PASS drum broke during the performance,
and as We hadn't enough money to get IL
repaired we had to disband. The follow
ing summer found me at Long Branch, A
clever young fellow named Carney and
myself joined a variety show there. Our
specially was singing and dancing. re-
manned with the company two years, and
then was engaged to be a clown in Van
Ambergh's circus.
1.-THE close of the circus season found
me lettering about the Rialto. II being
late IN the season, l had considerable dit
ficulty in securing an engagement. Fin
ally / accented an offer to be the villain
in wild Rose,' a blood curdling melo-
drama which was being murdered at a
theater i'm the Bowery. / found all the
members of the company on their uppers.
Their clothing was seedy and their
means scanty. IL was in marked con-
trast to the scene in the first act. II rep
resented q parlor on Fifth avenue. The
leading man said to the young lady, Have
she replied sweetly, No, Reginald didn',
go, as / felt indisposed; au revoir.' The
next act represented a dingy barroom.
The villain encounters Wild Rose. Then
| Kissed between my clenched teeth,
Gimme that will, Wild Cat, or I'll kill
"Wild Cat never gives mp nothin',' h re
piled triumphantly. receiving heavy gal
lery applause. Young woman,'I cry n
the top Of my voice at the same time
drawing a revolver and advancing e
within three feet of her. l will give yot
three minutes in which 10 make up you
mind. IL you refuse l will kill you,
Great h~eavens!' Wild Cat replies. have
only three minutes to live? Before 20,
kill me let me sing the song my mothe
taught me- The band strikes up, sh'
advances to the footlights n sings
Stick to -FOUR Mother, Tom 1t took he
six minutes to sing the song. she havinI
received three encores."
Powers soon left the company. Tn
role Of a villain did not suit a natura
born comedian. Ed Harrigan recon
mended him to Willie Edouin, and h
successfully enacted the role of police
man in 'Evangeline." 1t was a par
where young Powers displayed his hume
admirably, and from similar roles in fare