The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-24

candidly say she could not act. ElOcu-
tionists do not, as "A general thing, make
good actors. She did not feel in the
best of humor over the experience of
the previous night. Mrs. Siddons, with
a peculiarly affected drawl, said: 'Ah,
Mr.. Mcguire. / want to see you so bad
ly with reference to Miss Walters. All,
you know that / am 50 petite that Miss
Walters ov~ershadows me so that / am
placed at a great disadvantage. There
fore i must request of you to put
Miss Adams in the parts of the plays
to follow Romeo and Juliet as l I'M
derstand they are the parts which
would naturally fall to Miss Adams il
Miss Walters played my parts" Here
Mrs. Siddons was eminently correct.
Miss Adams (the mother of the now
famous Maude. then my baby a%ctress)
had played both Helen and Julia in the
"Hunchback." also the parts i'm Loves
Sacrifice" a beautiful play which ] had
selected to follow. BY Mrs. Siddons'
request | was, in so many words, told
that | must for the balance of the en-
gagement withdraw Jean Clara Wal
ters from the cast. or iddons would
close; this she could do by getting sick
and sending me a doctors certificate.
While I, knowing the amenities of my
profession could not as a manager de-
mand back a part from any actor, un-
less IL meant a discharge or a humilia-
tion to the party holding 1t. l was in
a dilemma how to approach Miss Wal
tiers, who was to me much more import
ant thar Mrs. Scott Siddons. l gently
preached to her the rouble, and re-
| GREETED how much / felt at having to
ask her To give up Helen in The
Hunchback"-a. part. by the way, in
which Miss Walters fairly reveled. and
had she been allowed to play it at that
particular time would nave nailed Sid
don to the cross. because a good Helen
always overshadows a bad Julia. After
much persuasion Miss Walters consent
ed to remain out of the bills during the
balance Of Mrs. Siddons' engagement.
] want to say that Annie Adams, who
was then engaged for my juvenile leads,
played the parts given up by Miss Wal
tiers and she not only took the cake but
the bakery off the hands of Mrs. Sid
dons. Miss Walters. however. got her
work in before the Siddons engage
ment closed.
There came Unexpectedly to Califor-
mia a great actress. The only woman
! ever knew who could come anywhere
near filling the place left vacant on the
American stage by, Charlotte Cushman.
Her name was Augusta Dargon. She
came out suddenly to California en-
en- route to Australia. Knowing her
since a previous visit to the coast |
wired her an offer to play with me in
Portland and Victoria. Terms were
agreed on and she accepted. In Miss
Dargon's plays there We're no parts
worthy Of Miss Walters, hold
ing the position she then did
of stock star in my company. However,
1t was on the last week of Mrs. Siddon's
engagement. Every person connected
with the theater in those good old stock
days had to report nightly. even If thew
were off the bill. The call was up and
the cast posted for the rehearsal Of
Leah the Forsaken.' which was Miss
Dargon's opening bill. 1t was abou
$50 p. IN. and il was raining outside
as 1t knows how TO rain in Oregon. Miss
Walters came into the green room
for frst-class theaters had green rooms
i'm those days. The company was all
assembled there. including Mrs. Scott
Siddons. Walters had one of those long
waterproof cloaks, with what looked
like a 'sairy CAMP umbrella. She was
reading the call. her back directly to-
ward Mrs. Siddons. The conversation
Immediately before her entrance was
on the coming star, Miss Daragon.
While Miss Walters was absorbed in
the call board Mrs. Siddons drawlcd
out d~eprecatingly: All. who is this
Miss Daragon?' Quick as a flash Wal
ters turned round. facing the Siddons,
and exclaimed. emphasizing the re-
mark by hitting the floor with the 'sairy
CAMP: She's an actress, by - The
Siddons vanished.
Jean Clara Walters has been in
Butte with Nat Goodwin on every visit
to this city. She is to-day the best
all-around actress on our stage, and
whether in eccentric comedy or grand
danes there is no one / know can be-
gin 60 compare with her. She is the
only woman that could lake Fanny
Morants' place in New York to-day
but what am | talking about New York
the biggest jay town in America
with few exceptions. the biggest lot NJ
jay managers in the country. or they
would snap up Walters and hold her
there where her kind are so much
needed"
Tomorrow night at Maguire's opera
house Mrs. Mary Sloan's benefit takes
place. If ever there was an object
worthy Of support deserving of Butte's
most liberal patronage this benefit is.
Losing the props of her house. her hus-
band and two sons. both boys brought
up in this city of Butte. and sacrificing
their lives i'm a public duty. IL will be
incumbent on the people of Butte TO see
that the widowed mother will receive
substantial recognition on tomorrow
evening. Manager John Mcguire has
obtained the orchestra, the ushers and
the stage hands to gratuitously render
their services. while the opera house
has been donates free of all expense.
1t is to be hoped that all unit and
city officials will take an active inter
est in this benefit and let their own and
their friends presence be conspicuous
at this performance. or the merits of
the entertainment 10 be given, a num-
Der of ladies and gentlemen will appear
whose united talent will make a mighty
strong performance. The most novel
and i'm a way the most attractive feat
ure viii be. however. the views Of that
all interesting country Ceylon by Vim
cent Tissera, who Is a native OF that