Evening star., 1898-04-23
Former Manager of the Great Humor.
list Relates Some Anecdotes.
bis LAST DAYS IN GREAT BRITAIN
No American Was Ever Accorded
More Attention There.
HIS TOAST TO. THE PRINCE

| cHileu 10 write d DOCK telllnS OF his expert
ences, might make a fortune and at the
same time be a lasting benefactor TO his
| feilow-man. I should rather say that such
book would be a great addition to the
| history of this country.
The first time that John Frederick SUIT
ton visited Washington he came as one of
the avant couriers of Jenny Lind. That
| was long while ago. He Is now more
| than seventy years of age, but he glides
| ABOUT from one city to another and looks
after his interests with the spryness and
| ease of many men much his junior.
John Frederick Sutton is native or
| London, but he came to America when he
| Was a very young man. In the SOS he
| worked at the printers case with the elder
| James Gordon Bennett on the New York
| Herald, when that paper was struggling
| sheet issued at Fulton and Nassau streets.
Mr.. Sutton was Artemus Wards mana
| ger In America and was with him a great
| deal during his marvellous lecturing career
IN England asked Sutton to tell ME some
| OF his experiences with Ward and he kind
| ly consented to do SO.
| My old friend z. T. Barnum was the
one who brought me into the show busi-
less sutton said. He took a liking to
me from the first time he saw me- 1 was
at the case in the Herald office when he
came In one day and said to Mr.. Bennett:
want
| "'You know replied Bennett who was
Barnums warmest friend in those days.
'tnat anything have is at your disposal
inat settled 1t, and l went into the show
But about Ward. Poor fellow, He was
one OF Gods noblemen. The first time 4
| ever met him was in San Francisco. / had
| peen TO Australia with Tom Thumb The
LIZ 49,: oay atter L returned 1 met +. r.
| Hihsston. who was then Wards manager
ana ne introduced me to the great humor-
| ~. kingston was about to return to the
east. ward learned that my managerial
suHHsasemeht with Tom Thumb ended in
| Frisco, and he asked me to look after his
interests on his way back to New York.
| at once took a liking to BrowneI
& ocn think ever called him Ward while
t WIN him-and we made a satisfac-
| ,cry deal. The result was that | was with
itiih constantly for eighteen months
happier eighteen months 1 never put in N
n"s lhdeed an oasis, l look at il now
| ~ -. .le desert or life of more than seven
~ years. Inc western portion of our conn
Try was entirely different then from what
| II Is now We played both small and large
'owhs MIS- ana business was always good
browne was We'll known in the min
ing towns of Colorado, or Montana, or
Nevada, as he was in New York or Wash
| ,nston. some OF the receptions accorded
MN IN that country would have made a
crcWhed head envious. Everywhere we
went Browne was welcomed with crowds
that more than filed the capacity of the
so-called theaters of that new conntr,,
@ but every one is familiar with the atten-
ticn given him in his own country His
career in England was meteoric one. The
people OF Great Britain rot only enioyed
his droll humor-they went fairly wild No
American was ever so lionized
Artemus Ward in London,
Upon reaching New York, Ward started
Tor his tour of Great Britain under the
management of his old friend Kingston
who had been through that country as AN
advance tour while L was bringing Ward
nack from Frisco. L became manager of
Professor Anderson, the Wizard of the
North as he was called who was also
alout to start for tour Of Great Britain
Both Anderson and Ward Went on the sa ma
beat. so We We're thrown together on the
trip. In England particularly there was
scarcely a day that i did not see Browne
and during the last few months of his
nie L made 1t a point TO spend as much
time with him 1 could.
Anderson was holding forth at St
James Hall In London at the same time
that Ward was lecturing at Egyptian Hall.
Picc&d;lly. There was no spirit of rivalry
Anderson did a good business. Ward did
business that has never been equaled L am
told, at Egyptian Hall. For months the
elite CT London turned out to hear his lee
trres. There was never a night that the
hall was hot packed and thousands of per-
sens were driven away because of inabili-
1.-THE queen honored him with her pres
ence, and occupied a box, while the Prince
of Wales, who at that time was president
OF the Savage Club, what would CORES
pend in this country to a press club, be-
came veritable chum. The pace was too
strong for Browne, and it killed him. 1
sometimes think that l hurried his end.
But what could 1 do? When he was sick,
he would send for me If 1 missed a day.
And while others of his friends were tell
ing him that he should be careful, he
would call me to his side and say. Sutton,
my old friend, go out and bring to me 4
bottle of good, old cognac.'
Il couldn't refuse him. / saw that the
stamp Of death was on him and 1t was only
matter of a short while before he would
leave this world. For nearly two months
before he gave up lecturing and took to his
bed he was practically incapable Of doing
the work. His doctors told him that he
must take a rest but he refused to accede
to their advice. And could you blame him?
He was the talk of London and all England.
No matter what he said, it was laughed at.
His personality was charming. To meet
him was to love him. So different from
many persons who achieve distinction in
calling, there was not the slightest su6-
eestion of affectation or ostentation.
Wards DrolIery.
ANY anecdotes about Ward? Hundreds
of them. but always feel sad when 1
think of those days. However 1 must tell
you of one little incident that came under
my observation.
eve were in the Savage Club one morn
ing about four o'clock. The Prince of
Wales was feeling particularly jovial and
he proposed to set them up to the entire |
membership and guests. We went in to the |
bar and drinks were arranged Some one |
suggested q toast to the prince. At once |
there was a call for Ward. He was modest |
at tho first. but when the demand was So |
great, he turned to the prince, glass In |
hand. and said:
"'Well, Albert Edward, here's my kind
regards. Gentlemen. your good health. |
Let's all live within our means, If We have
TO borrow the money to do 1t with.
You never saw a crowd of Bohemfans
display such appreciation. They shouted |
in laughter, and no one louder than the /
prince.
Browne was devotee at the shrine of |
brandy when he saw his physical strength |
waning. He apparently couldn't get /
enough. 1t became impossible for him to |
get through his lecture without stimulant,
and 1t was positively amusing, though sad,
the schemes he would resort to to get to
bottle. / had some spare time one night |
and called on the manager of Egyptian |
Hall. and he piloted me through the big