The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-06
MICK OF THE WOODS"

The Curious Play III WnlCn the lIaIe
 Joseh Proctor Appeared for Many
 Years.
 When John F. Owens died solon Shingle, the quaint New England peo- ple's lawyer whose father fit in the Revolution-he driv a baggage wagon" :" and who came to Boston town with his barrell of apple sass died with him. With E. A. Sothern died Dundreary, with J. K. Emmett died Fritz, and with F. $. Chanfrau died Kit, though in all three cases the sons of the comedians endeavored, unsuccessfully to revive the glories of these character plays. There has been no acceptable Humpty- Dumpty since George L. Fox died, no Davy Crockett since Frank Mayo ceased playing the part, and no Enoch Arden since Edwin Adams ceased play ing it. In Boston, more than a week ago, Joseph Proctor died at an ad- vanced age, and with him died, proba- bly, for all time, one of the most curious of American melodramas, with the leading characters of which the name of MT. Proctor was inseparably identi- fled. It was the play of Nick of the Woods" more frequently called "The Jibbenainosay."
 It was an American drama The os- tensible author was a woman-Miss Medina-and it was produced first in Boston in 1S43. It was adapted from book by Robert Montgomery Bird, the author of Forests famous play "The Gladiator" As at that period there had been no civil war for the use of drama lists in the construction of military plays, as slavery was a theme not to be touched upon in any playhouse, and as the country's prowess at sea as shown in the war of 1912 could not, by reason of the mechanical deficiencies of the American stage at that time, be repro duced properly American playWrights desirous of national subjects were compelled to have recourse either to such patriotic memories as were shown in Putnam, the Iron Son of 76, Lex ington and the Shot Which Sounded Around the World" and Valley Forge and the Patriots Last Stand" or to lays with Indians in them. Nick of the Woods" was full of Indians and ev- J time, the leading character conforming to the Shakespearian formula that "one man in his time plays many parts" Mir. Proctor, the star of the entertain ment, played six parts, as follows: Nick of the Woods, the Jibbenainosay Bloody Nathan, the Spirit of the Water the Avenger, Reginald Ashburn.
 Here was case where the auditor got full value for his money, and if he was partial to sombre scenes, bloody encounters, exciting episodes and tenn | pestuous meetings, his cup of enjoy ! ment should have been filled to the brim and running over As Nick of the | Woods. MT. Proctor wore a deerSkir | hunting coat, deerskin leggings and | black shoes covered with deerskin a | broad d-brimmed hat, a long staff, and a hunting knife. As the Jibbenainosay he wore large Indian blanket and ar I Indian headdress of feathers, with g | black mask, and carried a tomahawk | As the Avenger he wore a large black cloak, with black slouch hat and un- | tanned shoes, and carried a SharI | knife. As Bloody Nathan he wa: | dressed in a hunting costume, with { | belt in which there were three knives
 and he also had a gun over his shoul- der, a powder pouch and a shot flask
 As Reginald Ashhurn he had Ga mar
 velous evidence of luxury and refine ment on the stage in those days) { | plain white shirt pale blue tights | black shoes, and small gaiters. As tht l Spirit of the Water he was dressed en
 tirely in white, with a flowing robe ant
 sandals, and he carried what seemed tt
 be a wand. The scene in which he ap
 peared as such, the fifth scene of the second act, was laid in Salt River, ant | this extract would show that thing'