St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-26

would speak to any one he met. l re-
member OnG>ight when he was playing
in Richmond-and. by the way, he was
an especial favOrite all through the
SOuth-he was standing in front of the
theater watching the people go in.
His eye was caught by an old, shabbily
dressed darby, who was eagerly peer
ing Into the lobby at the crowds getting
their tickets and going inside. Florence
called out to the Old chap aud asked
him why he didn't 90 to the show.
Well, sab, dere am three reasons be-
gan the old fellow somewhat ponder
ouslY. First, l amt got 10 money; sec
Ond. l.
g Stop right there said Florence; L
/ don't want to know anything about the
other IwO.'
Billy had planned to make his
farewell tour next season. He and his
wife were going to revive their old sue
| cesSeS. 'DOmbey.' The Mighty Dollar,
'Obenreiser,' and the rest of them.
Florence was the great Capt. Cutie of
this country, and his Bardwell SlOte
vii pass into history"
Perhaps no man in Chicago, except
one or two of his old crOnies who had
been III the business with him, knew
Mr.. Florence as intimately as Eugene
; Field, the well-knOwn poet and news
paper man.
Poor Billyr' said Field, when seen
yesterday. "Died suddenly, Just as he
always expected to do, though he
| thought apopleXy would take him of.
He was high liver, and gave away
much. He told me once that he closed
each season about even, and then Dor
rOwed $1,000 for his summer vacation.
/ He had some peculiar ideas OH eating,
and claimed to be the only man who
knew how to order the correct dinner.
The ideal dinner, according to Florence,
was stewed terrapin with Madeira, fol-
lowed by canvasback duck and cham
payne. Nothing mOre-unless you
chose to smoke a cigar. The terrapin
! should be served in a chafing-dish, so as
to be not. and the ducks should be SO
roasted that the blood would follow the
stroke of the knife.
BILLY always kept two rooms at the
Fifth Avenue hotel in New York, and
when he was away the rooms were
locked up. Here he had all his posses
siOns-books, wardroDes, land souvenirs
from all over the world. Among other
things there are five pewter spoons
which old William Z. Burton used when
he played Capt. Cutie. Florence picked
. them up at sale when Burton died, and
always used them himself when playing
the part. There were six IN the set orig
/ inaliy, but he gave me one, which now
have.
BILLY Florence was one of the
greatest iOkerS that ever lived, and, like
few men, was willing to play joke and
then never say word about it after
ward. That is what he did when he got
the Minneapolis papers to announce
4 1snf III -
scientist of South America. would shoot
of human rOcket'in front of Florence's
hotel. The papers all over the country
were full of it. and great crowd
gathered to see the captain sail sky
ward hitched to rOcket-Stiek. Of
course the whole thing was a hoax of
! 'Billy's', but he never told about it till
years after.
He and the elder Sothern. too, were
great friends, and dearly loved to get a
joke on each other. One time, some
years ago. Florence was playing The
Mighty Dollar at POpe'S theater in
St. LOuiS, and SOthern was doing Dun
dreary' at the Olympic. Dundreary,
YOU know. asks a lot of fool cOnun-
drums in one part Of the piece, and just
as he was doing this act one Saturday
matinee in walked FlOTance. right onto
the stage, with his full Bardwell Slote
costume, and, grasping Sotbern by the
hand exclaimed: Hello, Ed. my boy,
how are you? Well, I'm off, and away
he rushed. leaving Sothern all broken
up and the audience shrieking with
I laughter.
Florence feared that Sothern would
try to get back at him, and so gave posi-
tive orders to let no one behind the
scenes that night. About 10 o'clock.
/ hQyVpVpr Sothpru rot fbFOU Tl some WAY
and rushed OH the stage. where SlOte
was just proposing to Mrs. Gen. Giltiory,
/ and began asking his fool cOnundrums.
He wouldn't stop either until finally, in
! desperation, Florence picked him up
and carried him off the stage.
! Later, in New York, at a.time when
Einrrnce and Dion BnucieauIt Mrrs 4