The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-26
ONIONS SAVED HIM.
Karl Gardner Had Nervous Pros
tration and Ate Onions.
LAST NIGHT HE LOST HIS WATCH

Gardner thinks he owes his presence
on the stage today to onions He was
all broken down, and onions built him up
again.
81 played ninesy-fou weeks in success
siou,' said he last night. II played all
one summer and that made three seasons
as one. Last fall l was all played out
The doctors told me that I should stop
aud rest awhile OF l would be shipped
home in a box. Well, l worried over
this and finally broke down with nervous
prostitution. I went home and just made
up my mind to stay off all winter. The
doctor told me that | could take no better
medicine than to eat lots of onions every
night, and l did this for four months. l
never felt better in my life than l do
now feel as we'll as did twenty years
ago.
do you like The Prize Winner as
we'll as your other plays?"
"Oh. l can't say that like it as well IS
FatheFland.' Oh, that was nice piece
I am having a new play written now for
next season. 1t is French Canadian
dialect piece. l shall have a part as
singing comedian, of course. There has
been but one play of this French Cana
dian kind and Mckee Rankin presented
thing new for me. but l have tried the
dialect before. One of my pieces had
whole act of it in ii. l couldn't tell you
the name. 1t will be announced in the
Christmas dramatic papers.
II never sang anything that l liked
better than Lilacs,' though l think Ap-
pie Blossoms is very pretty. I sang
'Lilacs' i've years.
"My home is in Chicago, though l was
horn in lIripa York 40
years old and have been on the stage
thirty years Fourteen years of this time
| have been starring"
Mr. Gardner s short and heavy and his
hair is not nearly SO long as is the hair
Of the blond wig he wears.
Charles Gardner, jr played with the
company last night, but he has no am
bition to be an actor. He wants to be a
manager. Last ight was the third time
ne was ever on the stage to take a part
in his life, and he did well. He played
the 'heavy villain" and will continue 10
do so until the company reaches Omaha.
lie has been ahead OF the show, but was
called b eek to Newton 10 take ths place
of one of the actors who is sick.
\ Dung Gardner IS man much taller
than his father. He looks d great deal
lie II N in the face, and is young and
hand some.
- might drift into acting if I kept
playing this part, suppose" he said
las, nigh. "Ih.s part is all right, where
I get killed ia the third act and don't
have 10 go on any more. But when you
pay ell through The piece and then you
are avre5.ed IN the LIST acr, that's the
kind of deal | kick Oh. Somehow |
don't care 10 act. They SAID l did
better III Ibis part in Newton, where l
went on Without i rehearsal, tnan l have
since.
Your Turner's here are the best drill
ed taat i have seen. In Milwaukee, and
CA.c $50 and other places where we had
he pre- Turner's they could not touch
your people l. Is true that / have seen
better parallel bar ork, of course. but
these Turner's are the best in their
drills. They are simply fac The whole
company is talking about L."
There Was lot OF excitement behind
the scenes during the third act. Karl"
Gardner had taken his $125 watch from
ms belt and laid it down. inadvertently.
When he came OF he was una Ole to fad
il. Sergeant Elnson was quickly led
behind the scenes, bur the search was
cut short when Gardner, jr., came back
after being killed III the tnird act. lie
nd seen the watch and picked it up to
keep some one from stealing it,
A very fair audience was we'll pleased
with line Prize Winner" last night at
the Grand. Il Is a peculiar play. 1t has
more sentiment THAI scme of the come
dies II Is a story of life in the yro-
lean mountains and is a German play.
although the characters speak English.
The singing in the piece was excel
lent GARDENERS Yoice has had a long
rest and it blossoms out as fr sh ever
"A 0p.e Blossoms" is ma lie the feature of
ma perioTTD4uCe IhOuCn ia not naarlv
as pretty rs "L.lacs'
The music for Mr. Gardeners songs is
written by his musical director, Gustav
II. Kline. He wrote "Lilacs." Mrs.
Gardner writes the words. The comedian
made mis- greatest hit in his i'm persona
ton in The Flower Girl" song and with
his Jig aflerward. 1t was a good turn
for SO old man. 'Gesundheit" Your
Healthy was very pretty, ana the chorus
was heard in it with good effect
Kline has been with Dir Gardner ten
years, almost ever since he became a
; ar. III apple Blossoms Kline and
Mrs. Gardner are trying hard to dupli-
cate the success of "Lilacs'' in exactly
the same style. The words are almosl
identical in places, being simply trans
posed.
The Tyrolean trio gave some very good
native songs, and in the last act were en-
cored three times on their selections.
James McE.ern's low comedy was
good His laugh was especially funny.
A good feature was the wand drill
and marching during the second act by
the Topeka Turner's. L was finely exc
cuted
c. 4. Holden. who goes ahead of the
Holden comedy company, has been in
! Topeka during the last three days, and
will stay half of next week working up
business for his attraction he is a
! brother of Il. III. Holden, who plays the
leads in the pieces, and the two own the
organization. He used 10 De a conduct
or between Chicago and Kansas City,
but about eight years ago his brother
''invegled," as he expressed it, him into
the theater business.
The comnanH raonans the Crazfnrd