The San Francisco call., 1897-01-04
JOSEPH MURPHY
HAS La GRIPPE
The Irish Comedian Con-
fined to Bed at the
Occidental.
All His Company Coughing and
Sneezing Result of a
Northern Tour.
The Star Hopes to B, Able to Go On
With the Performance Tonight.
Disappointed Portland.

Joseph Murphy, the Irish character
actor, arrived with his company from the
North yesterday morning and Mr.. Muir
ply himself went directly to bed at the
Occidental and remains there. He is suf-
ferlng from severe attack of grip, con-
tracted at Spokane, Wash, and it is very
doubtful if he Will be able to go on the
stage tonight. He is attended By DR..
Luke Robinson, who thinks it possible
that he may be in condition to meet his
means certain about 1t. The company
had to cut Portland out of their itinerary
on account OF the star s illness when they
reached that city.
They were billed for two nights and a
matinee there after their date ct Tacoma,
but, although the manager kicked" said
Mr.. Sheehan, member of the company,
"they had only to look at Joe, and they
threw up their hands"
The whole company is coughing and
wheeling as the result of their run through
the Northwest. but Mr.. Murphy has it
bad, and for little time was supposed to
be in a rather critical condition. How
ever, that is passed. and 1t is deemed
matter of few days only when he will be
bimself again.
I'VE came out over the Northern
Pacific" said Mr.. Murphy last evening
between wheeling and coughing. "Ail
through Dakota and Montana the ther-
mometer was away down, cold as blazes,
bnt everybody feeling fine, We PLAYING the
big houses. When we crossed the Rockies,
however, and got down TO Spokane, we
found the people suffering from a phe-
nomenon in the matter of weather.
dark, thick fog, through which you
couldn't see across the street. In the
midst OF it there was sort OF drizzling
rain. 1t hung over the city all the while
we were there and they said it had
occurred nightly fer week previous to
our arrival-a thing never seen there
before. Well, / began coughing and grew
worse right along until l had 10 give up at
Portland.
81 regretted that exceedingly" he con-
tinued. II had been anticipating with
pleasure appearing IN that city, for it was
in Portland that / made my first appear
ance as a star thirty-three years ago. /
have never been there since. 1t is not
hard TO under ,tand, therefore, what in
terest | felt in appearing there at this
time. Mysappearance there was in a play
called Born to Good Luck and l NAV
say that from that time TO date-tbis date
excepted, perhaps-I have never had
anything but good luck. In all these
years of uninterrupted touring the coun-
try l have never missed an engagement
until that at Portland, the return to Iny
starting point"
"Yes, sir" remarked w. T. Sheehan, as
his chief paused to cough a while, II have
been with Joe for eleven years. and in that
6me notwithstanding all the storms and
floods and accidents by water and rail that
people constantly OH the road must meet,
we have never until now failed to keep
our dates. 1t is rather remarka BILE, come
to think of it,"
Eyes, l am essentially a San Fran
cscan," said Murphy in answer to the
question. ~ came here in 1852. No, 1
wasn't on the stage then; l was a mere
rousta bout. Invent to the stage in variety
and burnt cork business at Gilbert's Melo-
deon and the Bella Union. was with
Burbank & Backus' Minstrels at Maguire's
Opera house. then on Washington street.
near Montgomery.
Il Ifray say that it was THE CALL that
led me into Irish character lines A bene-
fit was given to old Billy Chapman at the
New Idea, and in a play called Irish As
surance and Yankee Modesty' | took the
Irish character and Caroline Chapman
the opposite part. The next morning,
entirely unsolicited and unexpected, THE
CALL gave me column, advising me to
give over the burnt-cork business and 60
in for Irish character parts. / took III e
advice TO heart, began TO look about for
play and determined to try my luck as
star in Born to Good Luck My success
was such that | went right along from
that time.
1.-The play in which l have succeeded
best is Kerry Cow l lave played it con-
stantly for lwenty-three years. No other
play has such a record. And the wonder
of it is that it is as popular to-day in all
the large cities as it ever was. We have
just come from Chicago, where the
orchestra had TO be put under the stage.
Packed to the doors night after night. 1t
is so in all the large cities, from Boston o 4
Cincinnati and Philadelphia and Pitts
burg to st. Paul. Shaun Rhue' is not so
OLD by but two years, and remains equally
long-livei and popular"
Mrs. Murphy did not take the northern
route, but came here direct month q O,
and has been at the Occidental awaiting
her husbands arrival and since then has
been his attentive nurse.