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

a convenient slop shop. together with
IA long. tnttered overcoat.
THUS uttired, l waited with beating F..
heart for my cue upon the eventtul ,
night My lines We're few but 1 mad |
studded them so determnedly that l |
had fairly studied them out of my
head. They had haunted me day and
night and were blazoned In letters Of
fire In my troubled dreams, but when
n needed them they apparently had
taken wings. How | got through l
don't know. 1t was all daze to me.
The stage manager said | was all
right and then completely ignored me.
No one else in the company noticed
me, but | went home that night think
ing that my debut In part of six
lines had been the most important
event in theatrical annals, II waste
me-"
The early experience OF Sol Smith
| Russell In pursuit OF his stage am
| billion would have extracted all the
| humor from an ordinary man. MIR,
| Russelra first attempt In a histrionlc
| way was in n cellarin ST Louis when he
was boy. He had seen In theatre
In that city an exciting drama called
"rhe Savage OF the Rocks OF Borneo,"
and his soul aspired 20 II. The two
l'boyg who We're respectively to act q
white maiden and u duslSy damsel quar-
relied aud fought. as boys VIII, and the
performance was effectually qucered.
Mr.. Russell was an apt student OF
minstrclsy. and he knew all the cur
rent Jokes and songs OF that profession
at nm early age. Thua equipped he
made his first public appearance at the
Defiance Theatre, Cairo. Ill.,, In 1862 At
the breaking out OF the war he followed
n company as a drummer boy, despite
the opposition OF his parents, which
prevented his formal enlistment Be.
fore hts appearance at Defiance MIR
! Russell had inspired the soldiers there
encamped by means OF his drum. His
application TO the theatre for employ.
ment had been refused by the man
ager. but that worthy once heard hin
sing comic song, and this ability
! added TO that OF n drummer, led /,
his public trial, He sang between tn,
$ plays and drummed In the orchestrl
= for six dollars n week. Paying NOR
d than half OF this for board withou
J. lodging, and sleeping on the propert,
d sofa, he was at last discovered by IN
g compassionate manager, who thence
i forth made the young comedian a
Y Inmate OF his own house, where he ha
n access 20 good dramatic library. Thi
10 kind manager was Tom Holland. Nj
r. Russells first regular part was that Z
y Pit-a-P0t. n negro girl, In '''rhe HE
l. den Hand" Between the plays h
! sang songs that suited the excite
e. patriotism OF the soldiers then e.
" camped at Cairo. Finally his duties
ie this company became very oncrOus
TO He appeared AS the villain with a
ly nl-httlng beard, In one act. and as
III village maiden In another. In additic
NJ to his work before mentioned. IL
IL wardrobe was limited, but his nmh
10 tlon was quenchleiis. Finally he WI
r. approached by a strolllng manag
at known as "Old Cary who exhibit,
~ with his family under tent, and VIII
~ with an eye 10 Russcll's Budding abb
OF ties as comedian, offered him IS
week provided he would add "a h
IN other accomplishments that Of waikiki
r. the slack wire. Russell tried the VIII
ce tell and failed, but his general aptltu'
,n was such that he was continued wi