Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-02

week. This was IN
lue time Edwin Forrest
or & weeks engage
haracters. 1 was
The opening play
oosa, and ! was
'he oay We were
sick. and DIR. Nc
X OF General Ne
my going TO the
m Forrest came to
could not get q
my part; so l went
5st I could. In the fourth
sword fight with Forrest, in
Vas slain, he put his foot on me
ID 10 heroic attitude as the
went down. In doing this he
n me with unnecessary force. be
evidently lost himself in the ex-
nent OF the moment. After the
tain was we'll down, arose and said:
Mr.. Forrest, I came from sick
TO play this part, aud think you
I'D have at least some little consider
for an actor. though ne may not
great as YOURSELF
he only reponss 1 got was grunt,
~ angered me so that picked up
BIRD had dropped when supposed to
In, and threw it at his head. He
iged, and escaped serious injury.
Avery sngray, and exclaimed as
thrS,1 the weapon: That is for you,
sir, and lam responsible for IT.
"The next night be was cast for ''Da-
mon" and as "Pythias," but he noti-
EoH d ka n
with me. William Forrest took my
place, and eSsayed TO play the part, but
when be went on, the audience shouted:
Where's Thorne? Where's ThorRe"
and would not keep quiet. Mr.. Forrest
stepped to the iootlights, and said:
"'My brother. William Forrest, is
playing this part. Mr.. Thorne does
not pay it.
but this did not satisfy the audi
.enc4, and they kept up tumult that
nearly destroyed the play. After the
performance, l was standing In front OF
the theatre, when Mr. Forrest came
around and passed into the box Office to
settle his accounts. He was always
most exact in money matters, and got
his salary or per centage every night
after the performance, That was
an inexorable rule with him, When
be saw me he became very angry,
aud said had been the cause OF the
disturbance. / denied this, and said
wished no communication with him
whatever. We parted with this ill-feel-
Ing, and during the remainder OF his en-
gagement never went near the theatre
again. After he left, his brother came
and asked my wife and to return. We
did so, and played successful engage
ment. l then returned to New York,
and became manager Of the New Chat
ham Theatre. Mr. Forrest about this
time came 10 play at the Bowery Thea
ire, but his engagement there was
failure. One day received note from
him saying he would like TO see me at
two o'clock. Promptly at that hour he
appeared at my theatre, shook hands
with me, and said:
"'Mr. Thonne, have made failure
at the other house. want TO play an
engagement With you"
livery well. How much DO you
wantP'"
az will play a week for a thousand
dollars"
81 stepped TO my desk. wrote check
for the amount and handed II TO him
saying, you are engaged He came
and played with me a week, l support
ing him and casting the pieces in mag
-slfeent style. made money out OF the
engagement aud engaged him for sec
ond week for the same amount After
that we were always the best OF
friends"
A PRoTEGE OF THE ELDER BOOTH.
Over In Philadelphia the other day l
ran across another OF our oldest actors.
James b. Roberts. he was born In
Philadelphia in 1918, and is now profess
sor OF elocutiOn in a theological semin-
AIRY in that city. He made his bebut at
the Walnut street theatre in 1884, play
ing Richmond to Richard OF the elder
Booth Il have often wondered" said
Mr.. Roberts in recalling the incl
dent, "that l was not laughed of the
stage for l was dressed In a suit OF
armor that was a world too big for
my small figure. However, the audi
ence received me kindly, and Mr.. Booth,
after the performance, warmly praised
my efforts. he urged me to continue
nv studies, aud, following his advice,
/ studied for two years under Lemuel
G.. White, the preceptor OF Forrest.
Then, armed with q letter OF recon-
mendatlOn from Mr.. Booth, l secured
regular employment NJ the Walnut
street theatre, first supporting Forrest.
For the following fifteen years l was
connected with various stock cOmDa-
niles. There were giants in the pro-
fession in those days. Only the other
day l was looking over cast OF Ham
let, in which 1 appeared in 1871. For
rest was the Hamlet,and John r. Scott,
James w. Wallack, Edmund
:. Conner, William +. Bur
ton, John L. Owens. Josephine Cllt-
Ton aud Mrs George Jones, wife OF the
Count Joannes, were among the other
mem bers Of the cast. Every one VINO
played in IL Is dead except myself.
II first appeared as a star in 1851,
playing Richard and Hamlet starred
In America until 1856. Then l went TO
England and remained there for
eighteen months, playing at the Drury
Lane Theatre, London, and In Liver
pool, Manchester, Dublin, Limerick
and Belfast. In 1857 brought out
FAUST in Philadelphia, enacting Me-
phistOpheleSs, WITH Mrs. Anna COwell
as Marguerite. / played Faust for
nineteen successive seasons, aud since
1876 have played Hertzog ia the Black
Crook at intervals. During the season
OF 1892 / managed Miss Marie Sailer, a
pupil Of mine, but she married at the
end OF her first season, and | am now
L. l.. L. -. d