The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-17

mother in 1873. 1t has often been errone-
ously stated that Mr.. Boucicault was the
son of the famous DR.. Dionysius Lardner.
Dr. Lardner was his fathers oldest friend,
aid was the godfather OF Mr.. BOuccault,
who was christened Dion, not Dlonyslus.
DIR. Lardner naturally took great inter-
est in his gOdson, and, with his own son,
placed him under Stephenson, the famous
engineer. Boucicault was very promising
pupil, and rode on the first engine OF Ste
phenson's that ran between Liverpool and
Manchester. he became so
PROFICIENT IN ENGINEERING
That he sent plans to the Board of City
Works. London, for the drainage OF the
city His plans were approved, but when
he went before the board TO claim the posi-
ton of engineer they were surprised to see
so Young a man, and decided that 1t would
not be advisable to give such position to a
young man when there were older aspirants
for the place. -,
This decision naturally disguised him with
the engineering profession. He had attend
ed the London University, where he was the
intimate friend of Charles Lamb kenney,
the nephew of Charles Lamb. These TWO
young men were the best scholars In the
institution, ami it was there that he deyel-
Oped his literary taste.
4 tier abandoning the idea of becoming
an engineer he next became intimate with a
young man named Lee Murray.
The two started off in the country as ANA
teur actors. Mr.. BOuccault at that time as
sumiug the name OF Lee Morton. Under
this name he wrote some OF his carrier
sketches. Like most comedians, he thought
he was born TO be tragedian. lie appeared
as Richard III, as Hamlet and as SIT Giles
Overreach in "a New Way to Pay Old
Debts" and it will surprise many to learn
that he made a great success in the charac-
ter of Jack Sheppard in the towns OF Bristol
and Bath, England.
1t NAV be mentioned incidentally that his
mothers family were OF the Gulnnesses, the
ale brewers OF Dublin. About this time
Arthur Lee Guinness, cousin OF Mrs. Bou-
cicault proposed to adopt Boueicauls and
leave him his fortune. and on the strength
of this Boucicault commenced
HIS LONDON CAREER,
Though in very different way from what
Mr.. Guinness had intended.
Instead of diligently pursuing his collegi..
ate studies he started cab and tiger,
lived at Longs Hotel and gave generous
Shippers to his literary frends-in fact, 1t
may be said that his course of life did not
accord with Mr.. Guinness ideas OF intel
lectual progress. SO one morning Bouci-
cault received a letter from his patron stat
ing that as he had not followed his advice
he might consider himself cut oil from the
promised fortune.
Mr.. Boucieault paid his bill at Longs and
took lodgings in Craven street, the Strand.
He lived on the third foor in bachelors
chambers, or in what would here be called a
furnished-room house, the street being very
much like Blocker street used TO be twenty
years ago-a semi-geDteel neighbOrhood,
suitable for young m en- Of limited means.
Buucicault had raised a little ready
money by diSposing of his personal prop
erty; his dressing-case he sold to Mr. Boore
on the Strand next 10 Coutts' Bank, whose
place still exists. and who became his friend
from that day. Then he started to make
his living by writing newspaper articles on
all sorts of subjects, as we say, OF con
tempOraneous interest,"" in fact. anything
he could sell.
During this brief period he was literally a
bohemian, and could truthluHy join In the
refrain of Beranger:
The Jew tell
How Oft Pve pawned my watch
friend to feast
In attic cell.
At this time he was in the habit of asso-
ciating with the writers and artists on
Punch, Albert Smith, Douglas Jerr0ld,
Lamar Blanchard, John Oxenford and
James, commonly known as Jimmy Davl-
son, the well-known musical critic. When
he was very young he was
MARRIED TO AN IRISH LADY,
The widow of a Frenchman, and who was
very much older than himself. She had
some means, but was not woman OF for
tune. as | have seen it stated somewhere,
and she died four years after the marriage,
though the couple only lived together TWO
years.
Boucicault, however, attended her in her
last illness and was very kind. The Roman
Catholic clergyman who was with her
during her sickness afterward wrote charm
ing letters to B0ucicault, which | have,
acknowledging the kindness he had shown.
She died and was buried at AK, SwltZer-
land, in March. 1913
was married to Mr.. Bouccault in New
York in 1853 and we have had six children.
Ny eldest boy, Dion, born in New Orleans,
was killed by a railway train in January,
1866 Eva (Mrs. John ClaytuD) was born in
Fifteenth street. barley George (nOw called
I" Dot "),was also born in Fifteenth street.
Patrice was bora in Hereford House (the
name OF our residence) in London, which,
by the way. was one Of the houses where
Cromwell lived. Nina and Aubrey Robertson
Boucicault were born in Regent street,
London.
Dot" is now manager OF two theaters in
Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
Aubrey, who is just Of age, is acting at the
Criterion in London, and in literary ability
bids fair to show the genius Of his father.
Some people imagined that MIR. BOucicault
was Of a jovial, conyivial disposition, fond
of what men call "a good time" and lover
of jolly company. Possibly this idea was
suggested to many minds by the characters
he played on the stage, but that is poor
way to Judge of the real life and personality
OF all actor. MI. B0ucICaulL was
NOT OF CoNvIvIAL DISPOSITION.
He INDUCED so little in the use of ardent
spirits that you could scarcely say he drank
anything. He rarely drank wine, and that
favorite beverage, champagne, he hardly
ever touched.
When he was at his work, or felt fatigued
from over-exertiOn, he was literally fond Of
The cup
That cheers, but not inebriates.
lie was a great tea-drinker. He would
rather have good cup of tea than the best
liquor that you could set before him. He
was not luxurious in his eating. He kept a
very generous table, but he preferred good,
plain English cooking and relished roast
beef, beefsteak or chops more than fancy
French dishes. He was not at all q club
able" man nor what we should call a
s0ciable man, but in his home life he was q
most amiable and affectionate father.
People who only met him in business re-