The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-24
MARY ANDERSON.
The Part Taken by a Newspaper Woman
in Giving Her Start.

New Orleans Times-Democrat.
do you know" said an old-time New
Orleans newspaper man yesterday, Il read
Grifhth's story Of Mary Anderson's debut
In Louisville with a great deal of interest.
Not because l happen to know anything
about that particular event, but it recalls
her experience her in New Orleans.
Griffiths's recital illustrates Mary's per-
severance. What am about to tell goes
10 show that there is something in luck
after all 1t is pie for fatalsts, and will
come something like revelation to a
whole lot of people to know that Mrs. Nj.
r. Field, Catherine Cole and her charm
ing sister. now Mrs. Bessie Shields, large
~ contributed to Our Marys' success; in
fact. gave her such start in the his
trionic world that under the impetus she
went right along to fortune and fame.
"Griffiths's story leaves the gentle Mary
in Louisville playing to empty benches
after months of weary struggling to raise
the necessary four hundred to put up to
for her debut. My story begins with her
appearance at the St Charles Theater in
this city city Old p g. was as treasurer and
!ler or more genial gentleman never
handled the pasteboards in box-office.
Nobody ever thought of Stretching his
name out to its fullest extent.
Business had been simply awful at the
st. Charles. You couldn't haul em in with
derrick. Finally Mary was billed. and
p G. got the boys to work her up in
advance on her confederate ancestry rec
ord-her father was general or something
of that sort. Archie Boyd, since famous
In the old Homestead and the Country
Squire helped to make up the cast
Archie was member of the Souther ORA
matte Club, an amateur organization which
turned out some pretty good people in the
Negrotte. Redon and others. Oh. Yes.
was among the lot: but, after going the
rounds of everything. from circus TO barn
storming,. 1 drifted back into Journalism;
but that's another story as my friend
Rudyard would say.
The play was 'Evadne,' and of all the
gawkiest. OF course there was nobody in
the house. 1t was the worst case of play
bR en to th chairs th Syer sa and
TO mind 1t. but went right along in series
of fops which carried her all over the
stage at one time. Talk about hands and
feet; there didn't appear to be anything
else of her The performance over, we all
went out to guy p. G. There was WEIGH
Burtho of the Picayune; Baringer, of the
Democrat chat was long before the n.y.
phenation and the creation OF the big
morning paper of to-day, the Times-Demo-
craft; Tim Draper, of the Republican,; Cap
deville. of the Bee, and yours truly for
vile and me.
Up. e. held us up at the door. Boys
said he i have always been your friend.
You know have honored your passes right
along without a whimper when you were
running the old man too hard Now, do
what you can for the little lady. She's a
Southerner, and struggling as much for
bread as she is for fame. She has ability
only she hasn't had the chance to bring IL
out. Fix her up all right for tomorrow.
Let your hearts speak out in sympathy and
give the girl life.
WELL we did. That night at our desks
at the Central police station eve were all
local reporters, you know we laid it on
Mary so thick that il must have done her
POOR heart good to read, even if IL did not
convince the few that saw her that she
was the greatest actress on the American
stage. But that was all very we'll for one
night 1t would have been an awful drag
TO keep up the eulogistic gait for the ball
ance of the week, when. as the fates de-
creed IL, here came Catherine Cole her
tender heart moved to the deepest pity,
and asked me If | would abrogate my pre-
rogative and let her fix up Miss Anderson
for the remainder Of the week.
Aside from any desire to escape dis
adays talking Of seeing Mary Anderson a
disagreeable task), ] would have surren-
dered TO Catharine, for who could help
liking her; so she took the assignment
"Catharine dined with her father, Colonel
Smallwood, at the old City Hotel. where
Mary and her stepfather were sojourning.
The old men met; introductions followed
and Catharine and her sister were soon
fast friends with Miss Anderson. Then, in
articles on Mary Anderson which first at
tracted attention and then began filling the
house. business increased steadily. p. C. >
was happy. The bread he had cast upon
the waters was being returned 10 him.
'Just before the close of the week a
company billed for the Grand Opera House
failed TO keep its date. II meant closing.
and the break in the season would involve
serious pecunlary loss to the management.
Catherine Cole and her sister had been
booming Mary. and she had caught on suf-
hcientiy make her good enough TO fill
In. Mary was sought and her dates ahead
cancelled. admitting of her engagement for
the vacant time The veterans, Colonel
Richardson and Maj. III. II. Baker, of the
Washington Artillery interested themselves
tn Mary's behalf The boys of the battalion
hearkened unto the appeal and, true TO
their record. carried the rising young act
ress on TO victory. There was a badge pre-
sentation, floral offerings. reception COM
mittees and all that sort OF thing The
local militia We're enthused with admsra-
ton and patriotism and responded % a
man. Mary's week was an ovation and the
avant courier OF her fame. She left New
Orleans sustained by social and press in
dorsementS which time has verified and
thus began her success. And now the he
roic little woman who was among the first
10 discover Mary Andersons genius and
rightly tell the world of her possibilities
Is out of the race-rred out with her ef-
forts to do good"