The times., 1898-07-17

How did you come to go on the stage?"
was the question put TO William Inger-
SOIL the other night in one of those
Bohemian resorts. where the traditional
cheese sandwich and bottle of cold beer
may be varied with courses of the more
palatable spring chicken. The gentle
man in question took occasion 70 look
long and refectively at his cigar before
replying. II hardly know how to ac-
count for it myself" he said after a
pause. None of my family belong to
the theatrical business; and, indeed
most of them were terribly shocked
when I embraced it. With me. however
think il was merely the nature of the
beast While l was never stage-struck,
and seldom dreamed of ever seeing my
name on fences in letters three feet high,
and broad to match. I have been a mark
ed convert to Thespis ever since baby
hood My people lived in Lafayette, Ind,
at the time. and il may strike you as
funny that my father. who was Il physi-
clan. brought a well-known erstwhile To-
cal critic into the world. That man was
Paul Wilstach.
But 1 am depressing. Ny early days
were spent. therefore, in a locality where
the only show was the passing circus
and I put in great deal of time swinging
my legs over the seats at those perform
ances. After they were over, L would at
tempt to initiate the acrobats, and used
TO play at theater so much that my elder
brother Mortified my parents by boldly
urging me to adopt the stage as means
of livelihood I never had much applica-
ton, however and finally determined to
study mining engineering. To that end I
went to Denver, but shortly afterward
drifted back to learned Boston and the
effete East Gradually I became identi-
fed with the theaters there, and, from
spending half my time back of the cur
tain. became first a general utility man
and afterward a full-fledged player with
a company of that city. My first profess
sional appearance was made in 1885.
From that organization I drifted here
and there acting with a line of stars
that included Marie Wainwright and
many other notable people Finally
married, settled down and quit the stage
The old spirit remained, however, and af-
ter my wifes death 7 returned, ending
with the Nat G. Goodwin company. With
them | visited Australia, and with them
expect to knock about for some time yet.
Mr. Goodwin is, mosr cousiderate gem
tleman, I like my role in his new play
and for what more could a man of my
humble ability wish?'
Miss Wainwright once told me that
you were the best leading man on the
<tIltIlCdH StdSt, SuSScStGu IUS OFlSNldt
interrogation.
Mr.. Ingersoll positively blushed. "Well,
that is as it may be- he said modestIy.
lighting his cigar.
ThurIow Bergen local boy whose
ability as an actor has developed recently
and rapidly returned to Washington
last week after his season on the road
He began the year playing leading juve-
- Il
that stars season was over, entered
vaudeville as leading man for Rose
Coghlan In her sketch he impersonated
George Washington and was widely COM
plimented both for his acting in the
pant and fo- his detailed makeup, which
some critics spoke Of as beng superior
TO that of Logan Paul. who was the
original Abraham Lincoln in ''The En-
sign. This praise continued all over
the Keith circuit. reaching its height in
conservative Boston. where Mr.. Bergen's
study was declared unsurpassed. He