The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-16

The death of Alexander Salvini de- prives the American stage of a young actor of considerable achievement and much greater promise. He was the son of the famous Italian tragedian, Tom maso Salyini, and was born in Rome on the 21st of December, 1861. His school days were passed at Naples, and from there he went to Florence, where he entered the Technical Insti- ute and studied for two terms. His great desire at that time was to en- ter the Italian navy, and in spite of his fathers disapproval he contrived to get seven months of sea experience.
 In 1881 circumstances compelled him to leave Italy, and he came to the United States in the company of Chi2- zola, the veteran manager and trav- elIed over the country with Signor Rossi, who was then acting here. This | led him to try his own dramatic pow CTS, and he visited New York armed with a letter of introduction to A. M. Palmer, who engaged him to play George Duhamel, in Article A. to the Cora of Clara Morris.
 At this time he could speak but very little English, his strong Italian ac- cent making him almost untintelligible, but he played the part with such grace, fire, and passion as to convince all | spectators that he had inherited no small share of his fathers transcend ent genius. Not long after this, be- coming dissatisfied with his prospects, he accepted an offer from J. M. Hill to l ,o ,It Df ty a company of Margaret Mather. and he remained with that actress For two years playing Romeo, Claude Melnotte, Sir Thomas Clifford, Rudolph in 'Leah," and a number of other char acters In 1883 he was a member of a travelling company in which he played leading parts in "A Celebrated Case. D Lights of London" and "The Two Orphans" It was at this time that he made a decided hit in the part of Ma cari in Called Back" Two years later he joined his father, who was then starring in this country, supporting him in "The Gladiator" "Coriolanus, " "King Lear" and other plays.
 In the following year he returned to the management of A. M. Palmer, and l gave d Sll lhilio Iilb7ti e"IApiA OL iEAS 'ct
 satility by his performance of the character part of Baron Hartfelt in "Jim the Penman." Later on he acted Launcelot in a. version of Elaine" and made a gerat hit in the play of Part ners." In 1890 he set out as a star, de- | voting himself to such characters as Don Caesar de Bazan and D'Artagnan in the Three Musketeers," in which he was successful with the general pub lie, but failed to exhibit any artistic progress. In fact, his style showed evident signs of degeneration from the moment that he became the head of a company and learned to seek applause of the gallery by violent, eXtravagant and inartistic expedients which in his earlier days he most scrupulOusly avoided. Just before he left the United States on the trip to Italy which has ended so fatally he had played Hamlet and Othello with considerable success, and he was looking forward to a reappearanCe in those characters in New York. He had before him every promise of a brilliant career, and his death at the present time when the dearth of fresh ability on the stage is so marked, is particularly sad and dis | piriting.