The Washington bee., 1898-01-29
MISS IRENE ACKERMAN.
ONE OF THE MOST GIFTED AND TAL-
ENTED WOMEN OF THE AGR.-AR.
TIST, JOURNALIST, ETC.

Sages often have said that Iack.of-
all-trades was generally master of
none. In speaking of Jacks these phi
losophers must certainly have referred
to the male sex, for certain il is that
since womankind gained foothold in
the arts and sciences she has caused
man to wonder at her extensive versa
tility. In fact, it is not at all uncon-
mon nowadays in studios to see a
woman who can turn deft hand tn two
or three or maybe half dozen differ
ent branches of art Again, If at all
wieldy with pen her very knowledge
of the different branches renders her
a severe an analytical critic, and the
first thing she knows she has stand
,ng in the literary world.
such a woman is Irene Ackerman,
the subject of this sketch, who in spite
of many obstacles in early life has be-
come known to the people of both
hemlsohereS. Born of the union of
two staid old Knickerbocker families
she found anything but encouragement
when she announced as a child that
she would become an actress. At that
age she was far from being stage
struck as she was built of different
metal. She simply was taken with
grandeur of the art and went to work
in busineSs-like manner to test her
possibilities of success in the path of
Shespis.
She possessed beauty and figure, but
above all voice of wonderful power
and richness. Instead of running about
hunting for dramatic tutors and scho, is
she went boldly to work. A classi al
education was the first prerogative and
this she found at Rutger college, at
that time next 20 VasSar, the foremost
female educational institution in the
land.
From thence, after graduating with
fitting honors, she made her way to
the Old Bowery theatre, that time-hon-
ored temple of amusement, which
stands to-day in all its pristine glory,
bu only hollow mockery of what 1t
was. Here she was entrusted with
small parts which she played accept
ably until her "little bits" attracted
the attention of Messrs. Fiske & Hark-
ins, at that time lesses of the Fifth
Avenue theatre, now SO widely known
throughout the country.
These two managers, both actors of
repute had then at the corner of 22d
street and Broadway, and here added
10 her laurels.
After several starring tours In the
legitimate drama and as an exponent
Of Dickens characters, Miss Acker-
man turned her attention to dramatic
literature, and the "Choir Girl, and a
dashlng comedy, entitled "Ricket
were the results of her labor, and were
produced with a promptrtude which
showed the confidence of managers in
this lutte lady's abilities. These were
shortly afterward followed by the
thrilling melodrama, The Gold
Mine, play familiar to all lovers of
the drama, and over the title of which
there was SO much litigation between
Miss Alderman on one side and Bron-
son Howard, George h. Jessop and
Nathaniel c. Goodwin on the other.
In March, 1882, Miss Ackerman be-
came the editor OF The Union, the
PRIME exponent of affairs in Harlem
and all that territory of New York
City lying between the Harlem river
and the city line on tine north. Here
for five years she labored arduously
and built the paper up to its present
proportions, for it is to-day one of the
best paying local weekly newspapers
properties in the metropolis.
This work wore upon her greatly,
and she soon afterwards sought travel
in her old capacity and accepted an
engagement with MeSsrs. Shook and
Palmer in their elaborate production
of the Lights of London" in which
which she appeared in the heavy part
of "Hetty Preene," in Chicago and
all the the principal western cities.
Since then she has played variety of
parts in the West, including "Merce-
des" in "Monte Cristo," athiIde, %
in the Strangers of Paris, ""Ogarta'
in 1.-The Sea of Ice" "Arte O'Neill''
in "The Shaughran." Lady Gay
Spanker" in London Assurance, %
and numerous other parts, besides
having a long and successful season
with Robson & Crane before these
inimitable comedians parted.
In 1892 Miss Ackerman turned her
attention TO art. Primarily she spent
two seasons laboring in the art class
at Cooper Union, and since then has
received two diplomas from the art de.
partment of the Young Woman's Chris.
tian Association of New York, one fol
J free hand illustration ard the other fol
proficiency in pastel and crayon work
: Her portraits of the late Benjamin
: Baker, Superintendent of the Actors
Fund of America, and Miss Georgia
) Cayvan were exhibited at the Actors
) Fund Fair at Madison Square Garden
while those of Chauncey M. Depew
: Henry Clews and Russell Sage have
won for her flattering Communications
Her pen sketches are also well known
and find ready market in the New
York Sunday newspapers.
Miss Ackerman's poems are vel
known to the readers of The illus
TRATED TINES. She has written som,
, four hundred, which have appeared il
newspapers throughout the country
and is about to publish them in vol
= ume.
Her mother, Mrs. Katherine Acker
man, is a writer of great ability, anC
besides being prominent member o
the Sorosis Society in New York, i:
, correspondent for several Western anC
: Southern newspapers.
Miss Ackerman is journalist ans
. poet of ability She is beautiful anC
: gifted with the power of speech. Sh.
, stands to-day among the leading writ
II n