Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-16

Comedy Company. of which my mother
was hacker and Jacob GOsche was
manager. Il. +. Mackey. stage man
ager. Year. 1881. The play was IL j.
Byron's "our Boys" played Iaioot
Champneys"
ster." said william il. Crane, with an
ability and likewise an appetite 70 as,
pose OF numerous slices Of bread ana
butter, and the possessor OF digestlve
organs capable Of masticating WASH
ington pie or tcn-penny nalls,-lt seems
to me now that one must have Deen
as bad as the other,-I was calico upon
10 make my first appearance on the
stage | was not hungry Tor the stag,
but I did lump at the opportunity Oh
becoming an actor and having sEe"
ness stamped upon my brow
"I was going to school at newton
Corners. about seven miles outside OF
Boston, and now called Newton, when
some OF my playfellows thought
would De great thing to get UP III III
atre. In my possession at the tllne Me5 5
a bass voice several fathoms deep anu AM
the boys invited me to Join them MA ia
become an actor. A loft over an ol1
stable was selected as our Tempe VI
art, and IL was decided TO charge three
cents for a seat on plank near wv
stage and two cents for the prlVllese
OF sitting near the door. on W. III IL,
tended to do things up In style VIZ a., a.,
'chlpped In" as we used TO say ~
those days, and purchased lot OF
brown wrapping paper for scenery. llt ~.
low was great when my brotner ~,
possession OF marking brush anu
a pot OF paint. Everybody hoWeN,v,, ~,
wanted to paint the scenery. w
brother was as anxious az uny a,
also In. nj ali events, he painted IL;
He was the biggest boy, anyhow, anu
that might have had something 10 ~
with IL. The wrapping paper was
stretched on frames, and u was ~
cred with doors, windows ana coauiI ,,a;
We also got n quantity OF cheap NAME irli
for curtain, and when we u.Ne,,,rI,t
in getting this to roll up we thou5"'
we had worked triumph IN art
Nobody knew anything about ihe
nlay 10 be given when we assempleu
for our first rehearsal The mere iaot
that we did not have pay ulu M NJ
bother any one. one boy SAID ne wVuiu .i
saw snch a thing, and that another boy
sho,,id make answer. In this way we
constructed and rehearscd our drama
our opening night we had Die huul,
once. with but few of our three-ceht
seats vacant OF course some OF tne
bows who were not asked 10 take paI.
were Jealous, and / think some OF thetl
were responsible for the statement thai
| tho performance "smelled to heaven
Personally / don't believe II did, even
II il did take place in stable. As for
myself. l don't think 1 made HIT ioi
| / was never asked to play again.
| after the performances we were u
| divide the proceeds but never ~
| any. and am still waiting for checl
| for my services on the Occasion OF ny
first appearance on any stage
"In searching through torBottei
trunk OF old costumes, not long ago,
said Otis skinner, Il came across th
| wiz I wore on the occasion OF my frs
professional appearance as Jim; an OLE
| negro. In the play OF Woodleigh, u
the philadelphia Museum. 1t wa
made OF coarse gray wool of the KIM
generally used In mattresses. sewn I
foundation of cotton cloth, with
front OF black calico. which Indicate
a high forehead to the mind of the In
genuous playgoer. | think ! also wor
a red velvet vest and pair OF rattle
odd patterned trousers, purchased