Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-03
A GREAT DRAMATIC CHARACTER.
cooper's "spy" and tho Efforts of booth
to Dramatic II.

Cooper's spy" and tho Efforts of booth
TO Dramatic II.
Especial Corrospondcncol
NEW YORK, June lq.-Bishop Potter Is
reported to have said that Edwin Booth
wrote English quite as well as he acted the
English masterpieces, and the brief essays
which Mr. Booth made into literature aro
regarded by competent critics "a entirely
jusufylng that opinion. Some effort will
be made 10 collect his letters, or such OF
them az would have permanent interest
md would reveal the man rs he was re-
vcnled 10 hls friends In private life. Booth
had not n large number Of correspondents,
but he possessed a few friends with whom
he corrcspondcd regularly and discussed
with much freedom and with wonderful
lucidity and purity Of English the great
actors and the great plays.
Mr. Booth was once disposed to play the
part Of the spy in Coopers novel of that
name, provided he was able to procure u
play which would adequately represent tho
spirit Of the story and not be mere tritG
meludrama, and It Is a singular fnct that
Joe jefferson has all his life or until late
years been tempted TO portray that char
Rctcr. which he regards az one Of the finest
In ilction, at least for stage purposes.
One Of the nblest editors OF the United
States some 10 or 70 years ago, meeting JET.
ierson in London, was surprised to hear the
great comedian say that II he could get %
play worthy in it's treatment Of the subject
as furnished by Coopcr's SPY he knew no
character In fiction which he would be moro
greatly tempted to try upon the stag than
that. Aud this editor then said that Mr.
Booth had told him practically the Same
thing jefferson urged this writer ~ at
tempt himself to drnmatizc the story, say.
ing that he would help him. aud he thought
together that they might turn out u play
which would be sufficient vehicle for tho
stage representation Of the pathetic, tragic
and high comedy elcmcnts az suggested by
tho character Of tho spy. The editor prom.
isod to undertake It, hut on his return ia
America he found himself 80 absorbed in
political and editorial work that he had no
time for a task which appealed to him very
strongly when IL wnH first suggested
Booths attention was called to this story
at the time when he had country resi-.
dencc not far from the scene Of the tale.
In 1860, or just about the time that Mr..
Booth was beginning TO produce Shake.
spearo at his own thcater in New York, he
bought country place near the quaint vii.
lagc Of Coacob, in Connecticut, only a fow
miles away from the New York line Tho
house was scarcely gunAhot away from a
building IN whiCh, according 20 tradition,
the spy used 20 stop in his mysterious or.
rands between New York and Washing.
toms camp, Cooper took tho hint Of "Th1
Spy from a real character, and this chur.
acter was socrctcd, according 60 tradition,
iorbuvcrul days under the bluT upon which
Mr.. Booths country place stood.
Booth, Ia the long summer days when ho
rested there, became greatly interested In
the traditions which were told him OF Tho
spy, and he spent some time In riding over
the country up In the valley OF the Bronx,
only q few miles away, which Cooper made
the scene OF most Of the spy's exploits. Thu
quaint old mill still in existence, down nj
the bottom Of uyinc, very near the Now
York line, where Washington had corn
ground FOR his army md where the spy
according 20 tradition. upon two OCCASION
met Washington, Booth visited and tried
to got from Romo OF the older inhabitants
some Of the traditions regarding the place
lie also drove TO the spot fixed by tradition
ns the place where Mr.. Hardy, the spy, wa,
entertained by the family Of retired gen
teman and whore Washington met hin,
and so interested did be become that II,
made many notes, his friends thought pos
sibly with view for his own entertain
meut Of collecting these traditions an,
perhaps making narrative Of them.
Very likely these notes will be fount
among bis literary effects, aud oven in tn
rough they ought to prove most interesting
reading
Mr. Jefferson also has visited this regioi
and has oppressed the belief that a. ia Der
haps richer in tradition that ~ fasclnatinl
aud romantic Of the Revolutionary time
than perhaps any other in tho country. /
IS only a few miles away that that mngnill
cent and tragic romance OF tho Revolution
the capture OF Major Andre, took place
Booth was not great reader OF romance.
and for the ordinary tale he cared nothing
but like Robert Louis Stevenson, an
among public men Tom Reed and the lat
Roscoe Conkling, he was n great admire
OF Dumas "Throe Gunrtsmonn and Is lal
| 10 have read and reroad Il for mental recr,
alton frequently when he was In thos
| gloomy moods which sometimes possesse,
him. He was OF course constant althoug
not q profound student Of Shakespeare. no
did no know SO much OF the carly com,
dies as Mr. jefferson, but OF Cooper he wa
great admircr aud oven found "a Cooper
tale, Lionel Lincoln, which has been N
garded IA the poorest Of Coopor's Rovol,
tlonary stories, much To admire, 1t wa
Booths belief thnt the time would com
when some great American romancer q
brilliant a. Dumas would set forth the IA
chatting romances Of carly American lii
50 that they would prove quito as attractiN
as the stories OF Scott or the great Fronc
writer Of romances. j.. J. EDWARDS.
,rt,o c..,.,t.. ,...t.