Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-06


attorney during the
presidency Of Mr.. John Quincy Adams.
think the house was built by him As 1 re-
member it years ago it was a plain three or
four-story brick. After the occupanv of Mr..
Swan an English minister lived there, and sub
sequently Mr.. Webster occupied it. When Mr..
Corcoran purchased it it was the only house on
the square and Mr. James Renwick the archi-
tect of the Smithsonian Institution. planned
the alterations and additions. which made it for
many years the most imposing private resi-
dence in Washington. Mr. Corcoran was very
liberal entertainer. and when he was abroad
during the war the Marquis de Montholon
sided there while French minister. During
that occupancy parties, dinners and balls sue
ceeded each other almost nightly and were re-
markable for the lavish entertainments at each
and all of them.
Senator Brice in assuming the host Of that
famed residence finds precedents for the hospi-
tality which has marked his residences in New
York and Ohio. and which will doubtless con-
tinue the we-earned fame OF the old mansion.
1 was interested to know if Mr.. Brice would
remove his library here, for it contains some of
the rarest specimens of books OF that age when
fortunes were spent in the bindings Of them.
Groiers are rare acquisitions and are generally
secured by governments. but Mr.. Brice is the
fortunate possessor of specimens which rival
those in the great European libraries. Mr..
Brice is a bibhomaniac of mild form and finds
time amid his. business and senatorial duties TO
devote time in adding to the rare collection he
has already secured. His purchases are made
with Judgment and knowledge of book lore.
RARE BINDING OF BOOKS.
Grolier was governor of Milan and the bind
ings done at that period. the early part of the
seventeenth century, under his patronage, took
his name, and those specimens which are in
oil
Francis II, it is said, designed some of them.
That was the age of the most lavish display of
taste and genius in that line and the examples
of some bindings executed for Diana OF Poitiers
are marvels of beauty. There is a very celebrated
though local binder of books in BROOKLYN who,
though retired from business. occupies him
self in rare and beautiful designs in that art,
and Mr.. Brice's library contains examples which
rival the more historical specimens preserved of
the former age. Mr.. Brice INDUCES in
mode of establishment of his favorite books with
taste and skill which only large wealth literally
expended could produce. For example. he has
Macaulays Lays of Ancient Rome" illustrated
on the margin of every page by water color
paintings, pencil drawings and portraits of the
contents of that page. The minute perfection
required to produce such establishment
only be attained by the most skillful artists.
He is now having embellished Gen. Grants
memoirs in like manner, with landscape draw
ings of the places mentioned, sketches of the
battles or some incident in them, portraits of
the heroes engaged in them and such other in
teAesting matter as will bear illustration. As
Senator Brice served through the whole war he
can aid his artists from his personal knowledge.
The Senator informs me he will bring selections
from his libraries in his two residences. New
York and Limas Ohio. and such an acquisition
VIII be fully appreciated by the literary and
artistic element which finds congenial resi-
dence in Washington. The Senator has leased
IL g. 4.
will find Inducements enough here to make him
permanent resident There is good deal of
interesting history connected with that square
and house. The grounds, which were very ex-
tensive for city residence. were laid
out by the famed landscape gardener,
Downing, who also superintendent and
designed the laying out of Lafayette Square,
which vas the first of the public squares or
reservations that were redeemed from almost
a state of nature. Mr.. Downing designed the
grounds of the Smithsonian Institution and was
to have continued his identifying labor on all
the principal reservations then in existence. for
until Gov. Shepherd disinterred from their
sleep of half century the plans of Gen. Wash
ington there were very few squares or reserva-
tions in existence, except as Tom Moore found
them. squares in morasses." Mr. Downing was
not fated to finish the work he had begun. He
lost his life On the steamer Henry Clay, which
was burned on the Hudson river The house,
as designed by Renwick. the architect of the
Smithsonian Institution. was built by Mr.. John
Sniffen of New York and our old citizen, Mr..
Job W. Angus.
SOME OLD PROGRAMS.
I am indebted to Mr. Leonard Monkey for an
hour or two enjoyment in looking over vol
ume of rare interest the play bills of the Amer
lean Theater from 1888 to its close also the
bills of the Holiday Street Theater and the
Front Street Ihenter. Baltimore, under the
management of Jefferson and Mckenzie. 1t
was treat indeed. The Mrs. Duff, Of whom
The STAR has spoken through a correspondent,
as the MARY of Tom Moore appeared here in
1833-34 and '35. Here is a bill, Nov. 10, 1884,
the play Macbeth Sheridan Knowles.
Macbeth and Mrs. Duff as Lady Macbeth, and
an earlier bill. Mrs. Duff s benefit, December 2,
1S33-''Ihe Rival Queensland other bills,
showing she played here the whole range of the
drama for several years. The company at the
Front Street was the same which played at the
American Theater, Louisiana avenue, for in the
casts l find Jefferson, Warren, Bill sherwood.
Jim Wills, Mrs. Chapman, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ingersoll and the rest. J. R.
Scott and Forrest were then almost rivals, but
there was a Mr.. Field, who played leading char
acters, and Charles Kemble Mason. who was
supported by Mrs. Chapman, and in a bill of
1.-The Stranger" Mr.. Mason played The Stranger
and Mrs. Richardson formerly Mrs. Chapman
played Mrs Haller, and in the farce The
Loan Of a Lover" she played Gertrude. Where
today can you find on the American stage an
actress, of such versatile talent? They don't
exist. Mrs. Chapman married after the death
of her first husband. who was a comedian of
talent, a lawyer of Baltimore, Mr.. Richardson,
and retired from the stage. She was daughter
of the elder Jefferson. Soon after her marriage
Mr.. Richardson was killed died suddenly,
and after time she returned to the
stage. Her temperance was an ovation.
She WAS wonderful actress. Tyrone Power
speaks of her as the rival of the great Mrs.
Nesbit and as one of the most versatile actresses
he had ever seen. When last saw her. a year
or two before her death. an aged woman in III
health, with no trace of the lovely actress had
seen in my boyhood, she asked me if remem-
bered the Jefferson family, and 1 recalling
them. spoke of Mrs. Chapman and her Rose
Redidad in the Robbers Wife, and Beatrice
and Gertrude and Carl and Mrs. Halter, the
memory Of which had never left me, she pulled
her veil over her face. and with tears and sobs
said II am the Rose Redidnd you remember SO
.well"
OLD MEMORIES EVOKED.
The only actress ever saw who played such