Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-23

and spent some time IN LonQons WnoIo
be was offered an engagement Al Drury
Lane, which he declined, pFefsrring to
postpone TIL q more fitting season his
first appearance before the English pub
lie. On his return to America be acted
as stage manager for John I. Ford, at
Richmond, for one season, and then
Joined Laura Keene's company at the
Olympic Theatre, New York. He had
now gained perfect and facile command
OF bis art. and though among the male
members Of Miss Keene's company were
Blake, Couldock, Sothern, Wheatleigh
and Stoddart, be achieved instant sue
cess and became an established metro
politan iaVorite. He remained with
Miss Keens for two seasons, after which
he went to the Winter Garden Theatre
and supported Dion Boucicault during
a season made historic by THE Octo-
room" and q number Of other famous
productions. In 1860 he journeyed to
California as a star, but the extraVagant
announcements OF his advance agent
led the San Francisco public 70 eIpsct
too much OF him, and bis engagement
proved comparative failure.
EXPERIENCES AS A STAR IN AUSTRALIA
AND ENGLAND.
His cold reception In California caused
him TO resolve to tempt fortune In Aus
tralis, and he accordingly took passage
on the first ship leaving San Francisco
Arrived in Sydney, he rented q theatre
and engaged a company, and was suc-
~ I ~ Ha
manned in Australia four years, playing
In the English comedies and gaining all
the time In reputation, fortune and skill
as an actor. When he regretfully left
Australia ID was TO visit New Zealand
aud 60 thence TO South America. AT
Panama he took ship for England with
out visiting the United States. On Sep
temheF 4, 1865, he made his London
debut as Rip Van Winkle, Charles
Burke had adapted Irving's famous
story, aud produced 1t In Philadelphia In
1850. In this production Mr.. Jefferson
played Seth, the inn-keeper. In his
charming autobiography be tells US that
be was lying On the hay In balm In
Paradise Valley, Pa, in the summer OF
1859, reading "IrvDg's Lille and Let
ters," when the idea first occurred to
him to lift Rip above the head OF the
tlpsy pumpkin Burke, Hackett and
other previous interpreters Of the char
acter had made him, and show the prac-
tica side Of drifting, dreaming yaga-
bond. Out Of BurKe's play be made a
play for himself. The second act,
which is wholly monologue, was en-
~
modelled play when first produced
met with Indifferent SUCCESS, but MT
jefferson still had faith in Rip, and on
his arrival in London in 1868. had the
play altered and rewritten by BOucl-
cault. His friends advised against It's
production, and predicted failure.
Nevertheless 1t was instantly successful
when produced az the Adelphi Theatre,
and ran for one hundred and fifty
nights.
On his return to America In 1866 Mr..
jefferson at once received recognition as
the first comedian Of his time, and all
his tours have been extraordinarily sue
cessful Rip Van Winkle is the part In
which he has been most frequently
seen, but in September, 1850, herevived
The Rivals" at the Arch Street
Theatre, Philadelphia, and he has
also occasionally given LEND Me
Five Shllings" and "The Cricket
on the Hearth" In 1875 and
1877 he again appeared IN London,
where he repeated his former success.
Since October, 1877. he has appeared
| only In this country. During the last
years Of the life OF William j. Flor
| ence Mr.. Jefferson was seen In con-
junction with that admired actor. Mr..
Jefferson, during his professional ca
reer, has appeared In over q hundred
! comedy parts, classic and famous In
themselves, some Of which would ably
sustain his name had he never essayed
! Gollghtly, Bob Acres, Caleb Plummer
! and Rip Van Wrinkle. For thirty
years the dramatic writer's have never
ceased to study him, and respect
! ful and kindly comment has always fol-
| lowed his presence. His dominant char
acteristlc as an actor is his power OF
mental concentration. In acting be
| lives for the moment In the character
! he Is interpreting; he not only speaks
its words. but thinks its thoughts,
bending all his energies to make his act
| ing of tonight better than the night
before. The public loves him because
he il in love with his work. II has
been truly said that his advent In GER
tain cities and towns is as eagerly an
tlclpated as the coming OF Spring OF
Thanksgiving Day.
JOSEPH JEFFERSON IN PRIVATE LIFE.
Mr.. Jefferson is undoubtedly the rich
est actor in this country to-day. He has
been a steady accumulation, and since be
began to make more than living as an
actor he has always saved some Of the
surplus. He has never specialized, and
his investments have all been safe and
profitable ones. He has long been rated
millionaire, and 1t can be said In hii
praise that he has always made wise and
noble use Of his money. For many
years Mr.. Jefferson made his home al
Hobokeu, n, j., but recently he has spent
his winters when lot professionally
| employed on his Louisiana plantation,
and his summers at Buzzard's Bay,
Mass. His Southern property, Orange
| Island, is an 8,000-acre estate on the
Bayou Teche. 1t was semi-tropical
forest when he purchased It, but he ha:
transformed it into an Arcadian gar
den. The ground rises In an ellipse
from the cypress swamps. Halt way
up the rise long hedgeroW gracefully
bounds the lawn. Above is huge oc'
tagonal white one-story house, crowned
with square cupola, ia the very centre
OF profusIon OF giant oaks, from which
hang long sweeping trains OF Spanish
moss as delicate as brides veil.
Such are Mr.. Jefferson's house and
grounds Here be usually resides from
December to April, permitting no busi
ness cares to interfere with the, role Of