The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-02
HANDWRITING o. AcToRs.
rs value 20 ssT8edradden Admirers" and
Other Collectors
Especial Correspondence-1

PROVIDENCE, Oct s5.-The auto
graphs Of celebrities Of the stage. like
those Of other notabilities, are constant
" rising in value, and those Of the IA
NOUS people now sstreading the boards
are not easy to obtain They understand
the motive in many cases prompting
their correspondents. have some idea Of
the commercial value OF their signatures
and many of the players decline to an
swer letters addressed to them by stran-
gers and will not comply with requests
for their signs manual
At a recent sale Of such curios in
this city the handwriting of Mrs. Sid
dons brought the handsome sum of $50,
while a note by Edwin Booth sold for
one-eleventh Of that amount. Henry
Irving's penmanship- is not always de-
cipherable, and the So paid for the one
sample produced may bring JOY to the
purchaser ssAdonis'' Dixey writes a
free hand now, valued at z 3 cents. but
it is said that when he was concealed IN
a heifer's hind legs he could not write
at all Naturally people seldom write
with their feet unless they are farm
less wonders. One or two queens Of
burlesque'' sign contracts with Cross
owing possibly to their religious tenn
permanent.
>
a superior recognition, and a sample is
worth s., while Charlotte Cushman's
signature has value of $15-
Mrs. Potter's irregular chirography IS
considered dear at 81 %, while the Lang
try is valued at 40 cents more. Bern
hardt's and Miss Terry's are rare and
command respectively the price Of
81 so and 81 Lester Wallack would not
write when he could avoid 1t, and his
autograph commands a good price
among collectors, an ordinary letter cost
ing about 81 Dion Boucicault wrote 50
much that his letters are only worth )
cents each, while those of Sims Reeves
and Wachtel the noted tenors, were
sold for so cents.
Arthur Sullivan's acceptance Of an
invitation to dinner was valued at 50,
and Nine PATHS regret at not being
able to eat the particular one designated
was considered TO be worth So The
lucky possessor Of these acknowledge
ments is sure Of a dinner for himself in
the future unless the tickle public
change The whims of fate condemn a
Charles Kemble to sell for Sd IS and a
Fanny Kemble for So 70, while Edmund
kean is rated at SIT. The wildly roar
ing Mexican Buchanan commanded only
the trife of So. %. Nine. A1bani brought
So, Mary Anderson So so, Edwin For
rest $s, while Nine Anna Bishop,
Marie Favari, Marie Colombier and
Anna Dickinson were rated at 81 each.
Among the minor valuations were J.
J. Bowling, 40 cents; Gallie- Marie, %
cents; Agnes Herndon, SO cents; Hor-
ace Lingard, z 5 cents; Charles Pope, %
cents; George Clarke, 10 cents, and
New York city's leading theatrical man
ayers from dime to a quarter apiece.
Minnie Hanks letter went for So.
Judic's bold hand at rs, while spec
linens of the writing of Charles Mat
tEews were readily taken at So, that
of Ofenbach $4. so, Of Ristori 81, of Ra-
chel $6, of Rhea So. rs, of Rossl So. of
Roussei1 81, of De Vries $1-25 and Of
Vattemare 81. 40
Letters from people of the stage are
therefore property of some financial val
ne, but they appear to have the most
collateral value when they can be as
signed to the agents in the box Office
and consequently converted into tick
cts. Some years ago the story was wide
ly circulated that Fanny Davenport re-
ceived a letter asking for her signature,
the writer promising to cherish it for
life She responded with a card on
which was written, Pass two-Fanny
Davenport, and the autograph was
found IN the box Office that evening.
An English paper has told precisely
the same story of Henry Irving, and
the episode was duplicated in the career
of Charles Matthews, who was informed
by a correspondent that his autograph
would be 'shoarded as a priceless treas
IRE and would solace the declining
years of a now bedridden admirer of his
inimirable genius. = The comedian, aft
er reading this letter to the great ac-
tress, Nine. Vestris, said, Every well,
we Will test my bedridden admirers
devotion. - and he Immediately sent by
messenger a sheet OF note paper on
which he had written: Pass two to the
upper boxes G. J. Matthews.
This priceless treasure was handed
IN at the box Office within fow hours
of its reception, and the ticket taker re-
ported to Mr.. Matthews that the inva-
lid stricken admirer ran up stairs, two
steps at a time, in his hurry to secure a
good seat.
The worst ingratitude for autographs
favors was bestowed ON a Brooklyn actor
while he was on a tour throughout the
west. He was solicited for his name
at hotel and courteOusly granted the
request. That night his agent, while
assisting the local manager in itemiz-
ing the receipts, found, among the evil
dences of deadhead attendance, this
identical autograph, with Pass two
good seats written in a different ink
above the signature The incident
taught the star salutary lesson.
ALBERT P. SoUTHwICK