Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-08-07
Copyright, 1882

reason or another, person becomes
dissatisfied with his name and changes
it, sometimes by an act of legislation,
but more often by simply deciding up
on his new designation and using and
answering to no other. Ladies and
gentlemen il the criminal walks of life
are given to most confusing changes
of this sort. Literary people often take
mons de plume, and when the work of
their imagination has brought fame to
the name of their fancy they are eager
to have their identity known. No
class is more generally given to assum-
ing imaginary names for professional
uses than the people of the stage, but
unlike the knights of the pen they
seem willing that their original iden-
tity should remain permanently un-
known.
A list OF stage names that are as
sumed would almost amount to the
atrical directory They are the rule
rather than the exception. In London
I knew a stage carpenter named
Brown who, when at work behind the
scenes in his shirt sleeves and over
alls, was known as Brooks, and his
wife, very estimable woman, who as
sisted in altering, sewing and keeping
the general wardrobe in repair, while
enveloped in the histrionic atmosphere
of patched tights, musty hauberks and
court dresses in the large store room
under the stage, was known by the
noff de theatre of Miss Mabel Moss
grove. Them man who looked after the
baggage and properties of a company
/ was with a few seasons ago was
known to history as Browning, while in
private life his name is Chamberlain.
OF course it is the artists whose
names come before the public who set
the example to those worthy if less
famous servants of Thespis. Assist
ant Postmaster Conlon, in charge of
Station ", Brooklyn, is a brother of
the late w. ]. Florence, as is also ex-
Superintendent Of Police Conlon, of
: New York city. John T. Raymond
was born O'Brien, but he went to the
trouble of making his change of name
matter of State legislation. The late
Frank Mayo's name was Mcclure. and
his son Edwin, finding the name his
father honored for so many years a
valuable heritage, has no thought of
changing it.
The third husband of Lillian Russell
(who was born Leonard) was Signor
Perugini, whose name is Chatterton.
When Charles Dickson, the light come
dian, was starring few seasons ago,
his brother a Mr.. Doblin, was his fin
hncial manager, and another brother,
Sam Dougherty, was his property
man. Charles Dickson's wife is Miss
Lillian Burkhardt.
Maurice Barrymore did not assume
that very picturesque stage name liz
order to avoid confusion with his bro
Their, Alfred Klein, De Wolf Hoprer's
genial little comedian because Alfred
Is not his brother, although the name
of both is Klein. Alfred isla brother
Y 81, iu6ueYS play
seldom change
y6eir names, aieii0dgh G. M. S. Nc
Clellan calls himself on the bills Hugh
Morton.
Two sisters, Anna Belmont and
Kathryn Ostermann, were members of
The same company last season.
Selma Delaro, a burlesGue actress
who came to this country long years
ago, had a name that seemed desirable
to three different women in the same
line Of stage work. One of them,
whose maiden name was Smith, chang
ID it to Hattie Delaro. The other
TWO. whose family names l do not re-
Dllect, are known to stage history re-
Irectively as Dickie Delaro and Elma
Delaro. A curious fact concerning
these ladies' is that all three, including
the original Miss Smith, married men
Of the name of Smith, so that, preserv-
ing harmony of taste in the matter OF
names to the end, the three Misses
Delaro became the three Mrs. Smith.
Colonel T. Allston Browns History
Of the American Stage" published in
1870, begins short biography OF the
late Lawrence Barrett in this way:
Barrett, Lawrence P. Right name
Larry Brannigan, born in New York in
1886" etc. This was an unintentional
injustice to Mr.. Barrett, whose real
name was Barrett, and as he was man
whose sense of personal dignity
amounted to a weakness the publlca-
ton of this error, which has been often
copied since, panied him deeply 1t
came about in this way: When Colo
mel Brown was compiling his history
he sent blank forms to all the actors
whom he wished to mention in his
book, asking them to fill out these
blanks with the important facts OF
their personal Or professional history
and return to him. These forms were
sent to the different theatres through
out the Country at which the actors
addressed We're at that time engaged
The one infedded for Barrett must
have fallen into the hands of some one
with a grievance against the proud
tragedian, for it was returned to Colo
mel Brown, with the biographical notice
that subsequently appeared in his
book. Beyond the Larry Brannigan'
part of it the sketch was a truthful
and not uncomplimentary summary Of
Barrett's history UP to that period, and
so aroused no suspicion from even Sc
careful a stage historian as Colonel L
Allston Brown.
William H. Crane, in recently pub
lished letter. says that he is the frs
OF his family to follow the stage, thai
his fathers name was Crane and thai
he never had a stage name. Stuart
Robson, whose name pops into ones
mind at the mention of Crane, although
but small portion of their stage life
was spent as professional partners
was born to the surname of Stuart. HI
has a brother who keeps hotel il
Georgia.