River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-11-26

that could have been asse mbled in the
world. You probably have heard that
the great actor and Presi dent Cleve-
land are very warm personal friends,
and of course President and Mrs. Cleve-
land attended that performance. Mr.
jefferson always has large audiences
wherever he goes, but the fact that
the president WIS 10 attend naturally
induced many prominent people to wit
ness the performance who might not
otherwise have gone on tAat particular
occasion In box adjoining the stage
sat the president with his wife and sew
eral of her intimate lady friends. The
ether boxes were occupied by members
of the cabinet and their families. The
eecretary of state, the secretary of the
treasury and the secretary of the in
terror, with their families, occupied the
lower tier OF boxes. In the audience
there were all of the diplomats from
foreign count ries, a majority of the
senators and representa- tives, the chief
justice and associate justices of the
supreme court, and others OF national
reputation and distinction. 1t is sell
dom that any actor has such ar audi
ence.
The veteran performer has played
Rip Van Wrinkle for fully 80 years, but
never did he appear to better advantage
than upon the occa sion described. The
ease, grace, naturalness and climatic
power of the celebrated delineator of
the vagabond Rip brought forth round
after round of applause. In that mag
nificent scene wher. the old man pleads
for recognition ard finally compels
his daughter to remember her long
lost father, the Tctor brought tears to
all eyes, and Grover Cleveland was
obliged to rub his handkerchief over
his eyes, just like the rest of us. With
equal facility the actor caused the audi
ence II he convulsed with laughter in
tn humorous parts of the play. partic-
ularly when he tells his wife Gretchen
10 turn away the villain of the play.
give him cold potato and let him CO."
Mr.. jefferson will probably never again
give rendition of his celebrated
play; certainly never again to such an
audience.
Although this city is what the theat-
rical people call "a good theater town."
that is. city which literally patron
ICES the plays, there has never been a
first-class building in Washington I'M
til within the last year. OF course, the
opera houses and theaters have not
been common, but there has been none
to compare with the places of amuse-
ment in the great cities.
We now have a very handsome the
alter and it is built upon the site of the
late residence of james G. Blaine. 1t
is a historic place. For many years
the cid Washington club was there, and
in front of ii occurred the celebrated
tragedy Of 1859. when Daniel f. Sickles
killed Phil Barton Key. II was in the
same building that William II. Seward
resided as secretary OF state when the
assassin entered and almost killed him
on the night when President Lincoln
was killed While Blaine was seere-
tary of state ne resided there, and in
that house he died.
There was almost universal protest
against he transfer of the property to
new proprietors for the purpose of
building theater. but Mrs. Blaine pur-
sued her twn course. as she has done
all her life, regardless of the viii and
wishes of others. Consequently our
amusement-loving people find their
handsonest and best theafer on that
site. SMITH d. FRY.