davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

er. His experiences with him are ro-
nance, although they could hardly appear
so to the boy. as the eccentricities Of the
parent were often more dramatic than lu-
dicrous. To give incidents would add
nothing to the general story. except to re-
vive caprices that have passed into history
and been lost behind the great individual
ity which left its mark upon all the warp
and woOf Of our theatrical life for nearly 100
years. Forrest, Booth, Davenport, Wal
lack, Broughman and other great men az
we'll as illustrious women who dealt with
the primitive conditions of the stage life
of twenty-five years ago had talent enough
to carry a CARLOAD of follies and vet win.
Edwin Booth developed rapidly in his
artistic career. 1t would have been re-
markable had he not risen. He began life
with his father. and while yet boy
nificent representations from behind the
footlights and in a practical way. Had
he not imbibed much of his faith
er's spirit he would have been q
dull lad indeed. While John Wilkes
was regarded as the flower of the flock, be-
tween Edwin and his father there was
bond of sympathy such as never existed
between the younger genius of the family
and his parent. John Wilkes developed
too early and was too restless and en-
phatic TO suit the grand old man from
whose loins he sprang, and who caught
more satisfaction from an association with
the thoughtful Edwin than with the son
who was handsome, talented and capri
cious. It was quite natural then that the
last of the Booths as actors began his
career early. In 1s49 when he was 16 years
of age he appeared as Tressel in Richard
ILL.," at the Boston museum, his first real
work on any stage. His father thought he
had done very well, but was by no means
inclined to give the young actor much en-
enlargement.
In 1851 Mr.. Booth made his first appear
ance on the stage. His father was an
nounced to appear at the old National
theater in New York in Richard ILL.," At
the last moment he took caprice that he
would not play and ordered Edwin to go to
the theater and act the part While he had
seen it played many times, the proposition
startled him; but there was no other alter
native, as the father would not appear.
Edwin Booth acted the part TO the salts
faction of all concerned, and it is q general
ly accepted fact that the elder Booth sat
in the audience and witnessed the per-
Torrance. but did not let his son know
that he had seen his first attempt upon
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

ing business" Booth approached and he
asked him Il he would help him out.
Certainly, " said the treat trngedian.
III Forrest win play with mi"
~ how much do you want night {" sid
Fifty dollar" said Booth.
The terms were accepted. Forrest was
consulted. He gave booth the choice Of
characters, and the balance Of the engage
ment was played between these two great
men and Mr.. Thorne made 500 on the
venture.
At this time Edwin Booth was travelling
with his father. His penchant for the
PANIC broke out at all times. and one day
for the edifcation q his parent. a knock
came at the door. Come in. !" said Booth,
and in strobe Mr.. Forrest. Booth half
disconnected motioned Edwin to put the
banjo away. But Forrest objected and
said in thunderons tone:
Edwin, do you play Nellie Bly,
Yes, sir. was the response.
play Nellie Bly,, Them
The dignitied tragedian Of today thrum-
med Nellie Bly, Then Mr.. Forrest asked
him to play half dozen familiar melo-
dies, which Mr.. Booth did with great
do you play . negro jiss" said Mr..
~ o4A SdA0 Tic younger DOOtus
Play negro jig, then, Edwin.
At this time the elder Booth had been
standing half dazed, wondering that Mr..
Forrest would thus let down onhis dig
nifty. In : moment Edwin began to play
the negro Jig requested. Forrest stood il
for while, and then began to shake one
foot and then the other. The elder Booth
followed suit, and before he had finished
his melody both these great tragedians
were dancing breakdown in true Vir-
ginia style. Many such instances might
be piled up to illustrate the fact that the
lives OF the great actors of old were not
always tragic, but frequently frivolous.
Edwin Booth began to demonstrate the
family penchant for art in early life.
While he was still . school boy he and
John 8. Clarke, his brother-in-law, acted the
quarrel scene between Brutus and Caesius
at . wayside schoolhouse in Mary
land, and the elder Booth applauded
their work. He could not have
been more than IA years Of
age then. and almost Immediately
afterwards began travelling with his faith
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

sand tempting offers have been made him
TO do 50. Even the greatest men of the
United States have asked him to come and
act ct the capital of the nation. remem-
OCT once that Captain w. N. Common, who
managed John Mccullough in the heyday
of his prosperity, once said to me:
Edwin Booth will never again be seen
In the capital Of the country. He 10 too
sensitive to put himself in the wrong
place. think it is captious, but never
thcless az people should respect his senti-
ment without question:
A quiet talk with Captain Conner r.
calls some remarkable traditions Of the
stage 90 far as Washington is concerned.
Il is 80 many years ago that am almost
lost in the midst of forgetfulness since
Edwin Forrest played his last character on
the stage. He was invited by tlle presi-
dent OF the United States and all the as
sembled wisdom Of the country to come
to the capital Of the nation and play. He
accepted the invitation and, selected
Hamlet" His physical infirmities were
80 marked that some men with more vice
than wisdom Missed the great tragedian.
It broke the old mans heart, and he never
appeared in public again. Colonel John w.
torney was one of the chief features of
this last act Of great man, and never
forgave himself for inducing Mr.. Forrest
to return to the boards after his game was
played. Yet the temptation was great,
and the incident of hiss from some ordi-
nary citizen in one of the greatest audi
ences ever assembled to see an actor, broke
Forests heart.
John T. Ford managed the theater then
. few squares below his old playhouse,
where the youngest of the Booths assas-
sinated tho president of the United States.
Edwin Booth was not much of favorite
with his distinguished father. John
wilkes, slashing: brilliant and dramatic,
hoggcd the family creed, to use . theatrical
parIancc. Edwin was always too melan-
cholY and reserved to please the old ira
gedian. and he was serious, If not severe,
with him. While Edwin was proud of,
yet he was timid of his father, whose ca
prices of mind made him aggressive, and
rarely tender.
Consequently he was not always pleasant
to the thoughtful boy who dressed him in
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

the master, and stands out in bold relief
- the first actor Of the day and the central
figure Of wonderful combination that
wandered and acted by turns, just as the
humor struck them.
Out ofseven children born Of Mary Ann
Holmes, the flower girl of the Covent
Garden theater of 1921, only two have
made their mark on the stage, Edwin and
John Wilkes. None of the girls have been
actfesses, and even Edwin Booths daugh-
~ has not followed her fathers footsteps,
but has married = broker and is settled In
New York to . life of ease rather than of
hbor on the stage. Other actors have had
the same experience, for none of Mr.. Bar
sett's daughters married in the profession,
except the one who welded Mary Ander-
eon's brother, Joseph, who is a manager
other than an actor.
All this leads one to thoughtful con-
nlasions and lifts the curtain of life upon
Important scenes. The retrospect that
Esounes Of review Of Edwin Booths career
most interesting. He was evidently
IN under melancholy star. despite the
pt that as he first opened his eyes the
eevens welcomed him with meteor.
= 1888 these omens were regarded with
nppicion, and the date was noted with
nora or less care by tho countryside pco-
u Of Hartford county, Maryland, about
twenty miles from Baltimore, where this
g was made to the stage and to man.
kind. All the boys were queer lot
possessing more or less of their fathers
hlents as well as his eccentricities. Ed
VIM was by no means the favorite of his
peat sire. John Wilkes was always re-
eazded as the flower of the flock on the
aale side, and Mary Asia, who married
John s. Clarke. the comedian, wrote the
history of her father and brother, and was
1 hpower and purpose the big end of the
mmily SO far as the women were concerned.
y IS . remarkable fact that Wilkes
6ooth made more money in q
ensle season before and during
she war than any actor who has
ever lived in that time. John T. Ford,
Who managed him once, told me that his
income was $4,000 year for less work
NAN any man of his time ever drew. He
Nes heroic character and studied effects.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

his different characters and pandered to
his pendants as only dutiful son would.
Edwin Booth was well educated. Pri-
vate tutors taught him the theoretical. as
well as the thoughtful lessons of effort.
He inhcrited.the Booth talent for lam
guagcs and played the fiddle and the
banjo well. Many q good story Is
now told of the whims of his
father for the musical talents of his son.
He loved to hear Edwin play the violin;
but the banjo was his favorite. In his
dressing-roofn at the theater. or in his bed
chamber at his hotel, he was always de-
lighted to hear his SON play negro jig,
"Oid Zip Coon" or other old negro melo-
dies If there were no broader impulses
involved than the affection which their
caprices called out, it was enough to show
that the son was bred of great sire, and
that is enough for any man: no matter
how great one may grow in his maturcr
years.
Nv store of "reminiscences is filled with
tales Of the elder Booth and his boy, who
is lust now filling the public eye and yet
passing off the stage of action. Junius
Brutus Booth was timid of Forrest, and
the older Charlie Thorne told me story
recently which Stuart Robson, who played
in the cast at the time, elaborated after
wards. Here it is:
Thorne was managing the Chatham
street theater at that time, the chief play
house of the metropolis. He had engaged
Edwin Forrest, after whom the present
Booth is named, to play three weeks for
him. Forrest thought the time too long;
but Thorne did not, The first weeks busi-
ness was good. Nine hundred and fifty
dollars was taken at the box office. The
second week fell off and Thorne thought
he was going TO get into trouble. and told
Forrest he feared that he could not run
the three weeks out. The great tragedian
was harsh man, and every night after
the performance went TO the box office and
insisted on having his per diem: Twice. if
not more. he had a quarrel with Ihorne
about the percentage, and Thorne never
fnrgaye him. He had the same difficulty
with Joe jefferson, who played with him,
and Stuart Robson once told me that ne
was the harshest man whom he had ever
met although he regarded him as the
GREATEST actor Of the world.
How things have changed since then.
Think of Edwin Booth, Forrest and the
great Booth playing for Si25 night ana
a .O1D weeks good revenue. there Is
c,,ria tory how il came about. Ihorne
Thought he was in trouble, and while walk
ing IN the street dreary and desponoent.
met Nr. Booth. As he saw him coming
he said to himself: r.
III { could get Booth to play WITH FOR
rest can till ont these three weeks 70 pay
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05
TAIN RUNG DOWN.
~ Booth Leaving the Stage
After Forty Years.
|oRlEs OF 4 GREAT FAMILY.


- eminent man, now the relic 81 !
- household Of actors, il Just step
~ the stage tor good and all, a. his
s dies. While Edwin Booth IS not
ut representative of remarkable
be is the only one Of the present
ood generation of that kinship Who
10 remembered and mentioned In the
~ ahead of US. Joseph il an elder
the distinguished tragcdian known
1uins Brutus Booth, and he lives &
~ Branch where, among his towns
AZ Il rated like all the rest Of his
~ his eccentricities. He never had
snic aspirations like some Of his kin.
M ~ lived q settled life, but full Of
tot with those around him. It Is 4
11e fact that only two of all this blood
ord bred to the theatcr have achieved
lction on the stage. Junius Brutus.
tcee his fathers name, was better
A-keeper than an actor, although he
~ played, but he liked the occupation
bonifaco better than work be.
y the footlights. He owned = good ho-
q neutrality-suspicious. on the
cAusetts coast, where he died, and
eilliant widow, who afterwards mar
1ohn Schoeffel, now does the honors.
4Win and Joseph are alone LEFT =
- g household that for very many
esD played dominant part in the
1na and tragedy Of our national life.
Joseph does not play, Edwin is easily
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

out the messages. Many Of them
$3.50 49, % love, for he was : great
.svorlte With the fair sex, and at the
= moment when he assassinated Mr.. Lincoln
5 g Vas the afiinnced husband Of the
qeg4hter Of one Of the most distinguished
onIsed states senators then serving in
c0n8rcs Even after the crime her low
IVY VAS - great that she swore she would
naaily MIN at the foot Of the scaffold II
necessary.
= y perhaps serious view Of life to
,ntrude this story Of great crime; but it
becomes part Of tho adventure OF history
That this younger Of two sons of wonder
iul .are should have put q mark on his
brothers career that from that day to this
mas kept him from ever going to the
national capital. Il Is said that when
ychn Wilkes Booth killed the president
he would never again enter the national
capital - an actor. II this be true he has
Kept his word Notwithstanding . thou
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

the threshold OF romantic and dramatic
career.
1t is now forty years since Edwin Booth
entered into q contract with a manager in
Baltimore to play for S. week. His sue
cess was not very marked and he soon after
went with his father to California. The
struggles at that time with both father and
sons was very exciting. Junius Brutus,
named after the father, was in the casts in
those days, and the two sons and he made
up "a good part of the company. Life was
then gamble with them all. and Edwin,
on account of his retiring manners, Jared
worse than all. lie drifted off to Australia
and Honolulu, gathering much experience
but little money. He finally returned TO
California with Laura Keene his support.
He did very we'll in a round of characters
in San Francisco. hut finally driffed oil with
q company TO the mining towns. The VEN
turc was not very successful and there was
more or less of a battle from the beginning
to the end Of the tour. but before il had
ended Booth was established along the
Golden Gate, aud his departure for home
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

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The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

Liberal ASSOCIATION ne mas been OF great
use to his party. Lord Elgin has taken
great interest in the higher education of
Scotland, and has served on various COM
missions appointed to inquire into that
subject.
Maronis Of Lothian. who has been secre-
tary of state for Scotland during the pres
ent administration, and who has done ex-
celIent work in that capacity. He is very
far from being an orator; he IS not even a
fluent speaker, and his appearances on the
platform are even more painful to Others
than they seem to be to himself, He
has. however, proved himself a most
successful administrator, and has done a
great deal for Scotland during his tenure
of Office. He has especially shown an in
terest in the position and in the grievances
of the Highland crofters. He has twice
visited the Highlands and the islands in
order to make himself acquainted with
their condition and to inquire personally
into their wants In consequence of these
visits. he has been very active In pro-
moting the construction of harbors and
light railways for the development of local
industries He has also shown very
deep interest in education. Under his
regime the strict rules of the education
code have been relaxed; syseem of pen
sions for teachers has been carried ont. In
connection with the secondary schools
system of inspection by government
officials has been carried on for some
years, and to these there has lately
been added the leaving certificate
examinations, which are very useful in
marking the close of the school career and
also as 8 passport to professional employ
ment. Also under Lord Lothian's admin
istration an executive commission has
been formed to deal with university re-
form. That commission is now actively
encared ia its work, and important results
~ anticipated from it. Lord Lothian's
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-05

e Always made an effort to please the
vnen by doing dramatic things that
!, ~ a not always in the play. For instance
9 Richard ILL.,, which was one of his
~ ~. characters, he jumped twenty feet
~ -. sne rocks instead of coming down the
-. and the audience went Wild over the
~ as ne made it. As raphael" in
-. marble Heart" he achieved a still
&saser success, and women and men by
g uanureds would wait at the stage door
es..s aim so out, and would beg for q
n.,s, 70 touch the hem of his cloak.
a.ss a.'ne Edwin, he always studied the
Is1c. lie dressed himself faultlessly.
e-. tue ne wore kid gloves, and when his
& ~. vas not on, it lay over his arm. and
!. 80. pose along the street was as if
Ior picture. The day of the
s. ,sssassinated the president met
aiking down the street towards
era-hoase, where he got his mail.
b $50 still living in Baltimore, was
eox Office and handed
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-25
Handicap Of a Wardrobe.

+ E. . 8
Ihere is something interesting in
Mark Twain's moving, in the old days
before before he became q millionaire, with
the old pipe, the paper collar and the
necktle that constituted his worldly
wealth snugy slowed in a COLLAR box
under his arm; but the Little shifts OF
a Womans poverty are never SO
romantic. There was a general who
started for India with only cake Of
soap Tor luggage and a special cores
pendent who went to the Soudan
burdened with "a comb. But suppose
a newspaper woman were to be dis
patched tomorrow to Alaska to
study the condition of the Sitka
Indians what would be said of her if
she boasted. ~ set out with only
the half-worn dress I had on, one
small pocket handkerchief and
broken pince-nez?" A wardrobe is a
good deal of a handicap in time, in
mental energy and in money, but
wlthout,it a woman is hardly admit
ted to any competition. It is her
sine qua non ofrespectability What
ever else goes by the board she must
dress well, ~. -. ~
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-25
For the Farmer.

Atthe Michigan experiment station
hhe Fbest varieties cof green corn for
succession there pnove to be Cory,
Choshy, Concord, Stabler and Golden
Coin.
ElnoAn the Connectiautstation comes
the report that Cotton hull ashes OF
the best quality are the cheapest
source ofkp otash, free 6rom ,chloridess
to he found in our markets"
The corn crop OF 1890 was the
smallest reported in mime years in
proportion to the population, as the
previous .Qpe was the largest. As
stated by .aatistician Dodge, the
reduction is about 80 per cent.
The scale lice on the bark Of your
fruit trees will soon hatch out and
when they do he ready for them.
Wash the trees witch soap and water
or use whltewash with ashes. Be sure
and do it ION time"
The percentage Of tthe wheat crop Of
1890 remaining in the hands Of
growers is, according to the depart,
ment report, less by Us per cent than
the average OF the previous 10 years
and less by 33 per cent than the re-
serve following the big crop OF 1884.
Any cultivation which disturbs the
fine roots ofgrowing plants lis an in
jury. Deep cultivation, therefore,
after the roots have spread Through
the soil should be avoided. This
applies to everything that you grow.
Clean shallow cuitnre, and plenty Of
it, should be the rH]e.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-25
What to Dc With There

A nsw use has been found. bysa Cam
adam farmer for. surplus tomatoes.
He had about a Thousand lbusheks left
over after his market became glutted
and tried the experiment of feeding
this apparently worthless surplus to
his cows. 10 his surprise and graft
fcation the COWS took to Them greedily
with the result that the flow of milk
was largely Increased. Having an
idea, from some previous experience,
that he might, dispose Of his tomatoes,
green or ripe, in This way, he planted
them in a field into which he could
turn the COWS in the fall.
After the first frost he writes, we
pulled the tomato vines and collected
them in piles, with the green tomatoes
adhering, Where they remained a couple
Of weeks befoge we could let the cows
into the field. BY that time we found
that large percentage OF the greento
matoes had ripened and the tomato
leaves had cuRed. The COWS could not
be kept away from these tomato piles.
They rooted them over with noses
and horns, and cleaned up everything
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-25
Hints for the Cook,

RYE CAKES. -Four tablespoonful
OF rye flour, one pint of milk two eggs.
Bake In gempans.
GRAHAM GEMS. -One cupful offour,
two cupfuls Of Graham flour, little
molasses; soften with water; three
teaspoonfuls OF baking powder.
GRAHAM PUFFs. -One pint OF milk,
one egg, stir in the -four gradually to
form q smooth batter, a little salt.
Bake in gem pans.
DAT MEAL CAKES. Scald one pint
OF meal; add two eggs, one tablespoon
fnl of flour, milk enough for thin bat
ter. Bake in gempans.
INDIAN CAKE. One cupful OF flour,
two cupfuls Of Indian meal, one-half
cupful Of molasses, small piece Of
butter. Mix with cold water one and
one-hal teaspoonfuls ofyeast powder.
BERRY CAKE.-One egg, one-half
cupful OF sugar, three teaspoonfuls Q
yeast powder, small piece OF butter,
one quart Of flour, salt. one. pint
OF berries. Mix with milk.