Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-07
rhe Eld.r nna Yoanrer salvInL.


Tommaso Salvini, the great Italian
actor, seems to be keenly enjoying his
present visit to America, which was
prompted by very natural desire to
witness the marriage OF his son Alex
ander, whose future on our stage seems
so full OF promise. Though he will
probably never act again he finds his
memory still green in the minds OF
lovers Of the stage and he Is the re-
cipient Of social attentions as numerous
as they are delightful.
One OF the striking impressions
SignOr Salvini makes on those who
meet him for the icst time is thai OF the
enormous power, physical as well as In
tellectual, Of the man. From bis boy
hood he was noted for his extreme mus
cular vigor, which an anecdote he re-
lates will serve to illustrate. When he
was a student at college there was, as
is often the case in other countries be-
sides Italy, q constant warfare between
the students and the towns-pe0ple. At
one time the lads had arrayed against
them, on account OF some real or
fancied insult, all the butchers and
butcher lads of the place. The latter
were not allowed by the authorities TO
carry knives or stilettos, so they sharp
ened their whetting steels at the point
until they made Of them most formid-
able weapons. Armed with these, they
one evening attacked body of stu
dents, among whom was the youthful
Salvini, who did yeomau's work for his
comrades, and bowled over with mis-
fist one butcher lad after another.
At length he found himself face to
face with the leader, and the others
paused a moment TO watch the result of
what was in reality duel between the
champions of the respective parties.
Salvini, after few passes, aimed tre-
mendous blow with his clenched fist at
his adverSary'S head; the latter at the
same moment struck upward with the
murderouS steel; the weapon, needle
pointed, passed clean through
Salyini's wrist, and stuck irremovabY
in bone and muscle. But this did not
seem TO stop t4e downward sweep OF
the Youngsters arm. The mighty fist
descended, carrying with it the steel,
and struck the butcher SO terrible
blow that he was knocked senseless,
and had to be carried to the hospital.
The trace Of the wound can be seen in
Salviui's wrist to-day.
Few men so widely known as Signor
Salvini are so simple and unOstenta-
tlous in their daily lie. In Floreuce,
il is true, be maintained large eSta5-
nShment, and his palace is one of the
finest in that city OF magnificent archi-
lecture, while his country villa is on
par with it, but even those are kept up
more for the sake of his family than
on his own account, and he himself
lives as simply as he does while away
from home. In New York he has quiet
apartments at the,Everett House, and ey-
cry morning has served in his rooms
slight breakfast. When that is over be
strblls down Broadway 10 the Star
Theatre, and for several hours assists
his son Alexander 10 rehearse and direct
the latters company. He takes the
keeneSt interest in his sons affairs and
almost nightly witnesses his acting in
some romantic part. He puts great
faith in AleSsandro, as he calls him,
and predicts great things for him when
time has matured anu ripened his art.
EBEN CLAYTON.