Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-11-22
F0VIN BOOTH.
$50, ACTORS EXPERIENCE IN OLD
q ''''' TINS WHEELING.
=, prty to Permit Hin 10 Wear
y 70 r.,,.-Ln Odd Experiences With
D =. Pdntr--ln Interesting
Mans .lSOsy.

j - Pdntr--An Interesting
Mans .isO'y.
,,,s recently received from
TIE tRSoeoth's most intimate irlenoS
G6in P 1osve but little doubt as to the
ssD ,Igosias's determination to act
rsai u's Ar one time last spring, soon
!, gore Sssth OF his associate, Mr..
,rsr ne NJ Booth declared that be
Bailsiir retire from the stage LOT u. a year,
sou - the season Of 1928 would
%. i ils' osain before the public. Since
iint 3lu as apparently taken the advice
ben DC - - friends. and has wisely de-
o Dis ~ y bring his public career 10
iaa the word wisely after due con-
so'e. -, ~ Unouestioably IL is q wise
ti.I8'.'- Those Of his old admirers
s;l'ou.. AR Booth last winter must
so sS SIZED that the time had come
Sw step. The signs or decline
o' SUI roo evident. The splendid
f'ls an, nd color Of his great impersona-
gov a ,'sre gone; the fires Of enthusiasm
t'a' Sr-niBc out. Whatremained was
5'ls. Ing but colorless as compared
movements of the past ana
2 'le Pootb has set too high a stand
slh'"- 80 own art TO offer the public
81 -. ~ 20 but superlatively good
.. ,D- Such a career should end
''IG ,,,v The most applauded actor
time must leave the stage
~ - ,,lI of honors rather than run the
VI. w. N tagging superhuOus until the
90 ~. lives the signal for which he
tonid NOT have waited. IL must there
80 - s felt that Booth is right. de
~. 49, sfford to do otherwise.
.l IT, time has not yet come for
- - summing up Of Edwin Booths
w.. 49, II is probable that next
-.r,er we shall have some great
, ,'-,,, when the public may
~ S1rewell 10 its old favorite, and
~, rovlews will be In order. But such
--s,ronncement as this is likely 10
go n the surface Of journalism many
- .'-9 anecdotes Of interest. We New
y,-Esrs know chiefly the mature actor.
r, ba sure he made his first successes
80 having played Richard Ia our
y.,ionsl Theatre in 1852, but 1t was In
(. ,ss West and South that he acquired
n, real dramatic schooling. From the
.To now nearly twenty-five years ago,
Zen Booth sank a large fortune IL Civ
ry 70 New York its finest theatre, to
,ss D-esant. his career is fairly familiar
- New Workers. OF earlier days we
E,ov less. l never knew any one TO
,vs better account OF Booths early
',-ergles than the late Ben Baker, the
Ss,-stsry OF the Actors Benevolent
rBni-Uncle Ben, as he was called by
Nv The whole dramatic profession. Mr..
B,ker was Edwin Booths first man
lger
oWhen l first saw Edwin Booth, said
% Mr.. Baker, one day, lit was as Rich
ard at the old Chatham Street Theatre
h this city. He had gone on suddenly
substitute for his father. He was
only boy, but in spite of his lankiness
b made favorable impression. Old
Booth didn't want him TO be an actor,
but be usually kept the lad in his dress
lg-room TO help him on and of with his
clothes. In 1855, when Edwin was
tEenty-One years old, he came back
nom Australia with Dave Anderson,
where he had been starring in a vagrant
sort Of way, and landed in San Fran
cisco. At that time Sam COlville was
he manager OF the Sacramento
i.eatre, and I was stage manager, hav-
rg left Edwin Forrest 20 take the place.
While at the Bay as we used TO call
Frisco, in those days, Edwin and / be-
zane acquainted. We put our heads to-
,s,her and the result was that we went
70 Sacramento and took a theatre there,
being equally interested in the profits.
Edwin opened in Richard, and played
three or four weeks quite protitably.
Then several stars came along aud he
supported them. One was q woman
who had escaped from the MormOns
a. Salt Lake. Edwin acted
Claude 10 her Pauline and the house
was packed nightly. Among other in
uients was the engagement OF stage
struck dancing-maSter named ClapD.
lie played Hamlet and Edwin went on
Tor the Ghost, and managed to keep out
Of the way Of the dead cats aud decayed
vegetables that were hurled at Clapp;
og, il was lively and undignified dOdg-
Ing for the perturOed spirit of the Danes
father.
Edwin reached here in October,
lSj5. went to Boston TO see
Barry, whose theatre was then the
swell place there. He was dubious
shout my new star, but finally con-
'ented to play him and share equally
Alter $500 a night. But he couldn't
give Booth a chance until the following
March. So we posted of to Baltimore,
where John T-Ford presented Booth at
once at the old Front Street Theatre.
ne played a fine engagement, opening
10 klchelieu. Then we visited Washing
on, PlttSburg aud Wheeling. The
leatre In Wheeling was over carrirge
Makers shop. IL was a bare, bleak,
SnllewaShed place, heated in winter by
."o stoves in the parquette and one in
.Ge gallery. One bitter night Ted
l,l.ayed Richard. When ne went on for the
now Is the winter Of our discomfort
speech, be looked over the house, and
seeing nobody, came toward the prompt
ale and said TO me, Where's the audi
slce' ben| The few half-frozen people
present were not visible because they
we're huddled about the three stoves
Il'ng to keep warm. remember that
.ue stage was so dirty that l
wouldn't let Ted wear a new $50
. .g that We had recently bought and
q. ..a ~ We set great store by. made most
y. Tue costumes that be wore on that
..lr myself. After the performances l
, pouu Slt up for a couple Of hours in
&c ,uouoie-oedded room we always &C.
STsg'ed and sew like a good one, while