Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-24
Stories of
The Stage

FREQ Du BOlS, manager or The
Heart of Maryland" tells the following
story: -. K. Emmett was hard man
to handle. l remember when he was
to play week with us in Fritz in
Ireland We received a telegram from
a manager in Buffalo, where Emmett
was then appearing. The telegram
said, If you want Emmett for next
week you lad better come on here and
get him in condition Our advance sale
was very large, and Mr.. Albaugh told
me to go to Buffalo, find r1mmet and
bring him to his senses. ESQ IL took
the next train out of Albany, and hunt
ed around Buffalo until / found him.
He was in a sanitarium, lying in bed,
while some fool of a friend fed him
whiskey. l sent the friend flying and
the bottle after him. Then said, Joe,
come along with me for a ride. He
said, Fred, I'll go you So after the
ride, when he was tolerable sane, i
asked him if he was going to fill his en-
gagement with us in Albany. He said:
Fred, you've interrupted me in the
midst of a good time, but bear you no
hard feeling. I'll play the Albany week
and then-and them
well, to cut long story short, En-
met came on, and we did big weeks
business He kept his head and con-
troled himself On Saturday night he
sent for me. l found min in his dres-
sing room eating peanuts he said,
Help yourself, old boy. AS l reached
for the bag it fell forward, and there
behind it was big demijohn. Fred
continued Joe, I've kept faith with you
and played the week out, and now I'm
going to finish that good time you
spoiled in Buffalo. 1 want you to keep
the company right here for two weeks
and pay them their salaries linen III
come back fit for work again. Ar
eument was useless with man of Joes
temperament, so l bowed my head and
told him l would do as he asked. Dl-
rectlv after the Saturday performance
he disappeared. The company grew
uneasy about the next stand, but their
anxiety vanished when they found that
they were to get their weekly salaries
while lying idle two weeks. At the
end of that period Emmett returned
fresh and blooming and continued his
tour"
Few actors and actresses in any line
of the profession have as interesting
histories as Charles J. Ross and his
wife. Mabel Fenton. Ross began life
as Jockey, and though he was a con-
slant attendant at the theatres, no one
suspected that he possessed talent LOT
the stage, not even Ross himself The
discovery was made one night ABOUT 10
years ago at stag social OF the New
York lodge of Elks. Every man pres.
ent was contributing to the informal
programme, and the evenings fun mad
begun to pail through too many clever
songs and recitations. A rank anna
teur or a man who could do nothing at
all was needed to break the mOnotony
and when some one spied the unsus-
Meeting little jockey tucked away in
corner, he was jumped upon without
delay as a shining mark.
The chairman announced that Mr..
Ross would entertain for a few mo-
ments, and the audience burst into ap-
plause. They didn't know who Mr..
Ross was, but they felt sure he'd
amuse if only because of his expected
embarrassment. But Ross didn't en-
barrass. He had never attempted
anything like an appearance before an
audience, and he was for moment at
a loss for what to do and say. Then it
occurred to him to give an imitation of
an actor he had recently seen at a
Bowery theatre. He forgot to an
nounce the actors name, but every
one recognized the imitation at once as
splendid one of Gus Williams. They
applauded in establishment and admir-
ation and Ross initiated Edward Har-
rigan. They wouldn't let him sit down
after this, and for an hour Ross held
the floor.
All the favorites Of the day had to
be initiated, and Ross went through
his list until he couldn't recollect any.
other actor he ever saw. The Elks
said he was the best fun they'd had in
a long time. and one Of them admired