The times., 1898-09-11
TINY TALKS.

The audience outside had not finished
appiauding the noble sentiments Of Pierre
the cripple. and a dozen or more stage
hands were standing about waiting 10
set a scene for the act following when
a Times representative hailed Kate CIax-
ton the other evening. and. having in
formed her of the object of his visit.
followed the actress into the secIusion
of her dressing-room. There, amid the
usual litter of trunks and toilet articles,
he sat down 10 tempt her into an inter-
view.
Really she said. with modesty that
seemed far from being affected. I'D
rather you would talk with my husband.
He is not nearly so stupid as l. and his
memory for dates and incidents is some
thing wonderful Let me introduce you
10 him.
But The Times man had come for a
conversation with the star herself, and
finally managed 10 obtain il. Miss CIax-
ton is still handsome woman though her
face shows occasional signs OF age that
cannot be totally hidden, even by the
makeup OF q girl Of sixteen She talks
in a soft and welI-modulated voice that
has clearly been trained 10 express every
vagary OF the emotions Her sentences
are not only those OF carefully educated
woman. but they are framed with grace
and precision that is rare in the most ae-
complished- During the talk she did not
move her hands from her lap nor did she
show any of the distinctive personalities
of the stage so seldom absent from the
manner Of one long accustomed TO the
footlights. Miss Claxton is more the sort
of person whom one would associate with
the hearthstone.
THE Two Orphans is very old
play?" was the first suggestion made TO
her.
Yes replied the actress, "a much
older play than most people think 1t
was really an established success abroad
before Mr.. Palmer ever thought OF
bringing il 10 this country. Competent
actors had done it both in Paris and Lon
don with such gratifying results that I
do not feel that 1 deserve any credit for
it's vogue in America. The piece has
rather made me than given me room TO
make ii.
when was the production first staged
here?"
II do not exactly remember but it was
| either in 1874 or 1875 From that time
until this / have played the piece almost
continually, occasionally renting IL to
! stock companies in the West. Personal
| Iy. have Travelled about the country so
| long that / do not care TO go way out
There again The popular impression
seems 10 be that l have never done any
! thing else but D,Ennery's DRAMA This
/ is not correct During the last twenty
/ five years I have expended and have
made a great deal of money on new
pieces but I have yet to find play that
suits me so thoroughly and absolutely as
does this You must remember the pro-
| duction of Called Back which / offered
some time ago and have a'so at different
periods of my career presented Tne
/ Double Marriage. A Sea of Ice, Frou
Frou,' Camille. 'Arrah ia Pogue'-this
principally because my husband liked to
/ act the part of the heroic post boy
! Bottles Baby and Frank Harvey's The
/ World Against Her The last OF these
presentations occurred about seven years
ago and proved very fortunate / i'm
ported The World Against Her and pro-
! duced it at considerable cost
do you consider yourself essentially
I a melo-drama1ic actress?
/ II consider myself anything but that
Long ago. when I was playing with Au-
! gustin Dalys company. I begged fire.
! quently to be given chance in senti-
mental parts or even to understudy
/ them. but Mr.. Daily would not hear of it.
/ He had no faith in my work when II got
out of the limits of comedy"
You have / believe. had the ill-luck
| TO have acquired quite reputation as a
'hoodoo.' Several theaters. in which you
have played have been burned during
! the performances2
Only two; but in both cases the fires
were so disastrous that through them l
became the victim of great deal of un-
| pleasant notoriety. I wish / could tell
! you some of the queer things that have
been said 10 me, and the unique incidents
| through which / have passed. merely be-
| cause of supers.itionS concerning myself
| Why, / have met people who refused 10
sleep in the same hotel in which
lodged. for fear of being crenated during
| the night The two confagrations In
| which / was concerned occurred within
| such a short time thai popular opinion
| regarding the sevents connected them
| with my appearance at the theaters more
closely than 1t would have done other
| wise The fearful fire in ST. Louis hap
| pened only few months after that il
Brooklyn in which over 600 lives were
lost"
"Can you tell me something of that af
fair?''
Miss Claxton shuddered as though tbs