The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-20
LIKE OLD TIMES. :
Neil Burgess Much Pleased TO Be in
Providence Once More.
Compares 0d-Tlme Variety With Present
Vaudeville Performances.


his female apparel in his dressing room
at Keith's this morning. To be sure,
there Is "A good deal about the old days
that | can recall that al the time wasn't
altogether enjoyable. but at this dis
tance / can look back and enjoy a
hearty laugh over what at that time
was anything but laughable 90 me.
"Do you know | have found no little
satisfaction in looking out upon the aiI-
diences during the past week and rec
ognizing the faces OF old friends and
acquaintances of years ago. l can't re-
call the name in every case though in
many have done so; but the faces |
remember as If IL were yesterday that
was in the old stock company at the
Comique. And 1 have met a great
many on the street whom / knew then,
and some others whom l didn't remem-
ber at all have stopped me and shaken
hands very heartily
do YOU know / think Providence
people are notable for the effusiveness
Of their greeting of old friends and the
heartiness with which they welcome
actors who years before have held some
place i'm their favor. Certainly the au-
diences of the past week have mani
tested a great deal Of that disposition.
and | don't know when ] have more
thoroughly enjoyed a weeks work than
i'm this case.
But variety has taken some pretty
long strides in the process Of evolution
by which X has become the 'high-cla
vaudeville Of today. We old-timers can
see the difference very plainly. can as
sure yOI Everything about the the
"a In h.. al do -
when John Hopkins and Bob Morrow
ran the old Comique here, and there has
been lust as marked Il raising of the
standard behind the scenes as on the
stage | remember one time. when L
was stage manager at the Comique, "A
certain English performer kicked his
wife i'm the stomach after they had
finished their turn just because she
had slipped n,the slippery stage. not
having us ID resin on her slippers. Well,
sir before he knew what had happened,
one of the stage hands seized him by the
collar and fullness OF his trousers and
threw him through an open window,
from which HI fell on an awning i'm the
street. but he saved himself from any
injury by clutching the iron of the avn
ing as he fell and simply let himself
| down on the sidewalk. He entered q
| complaint to Chief of Police Winship,
| who inquired the facts of me and then
| said to the actor: We don't prosecute
a man i'm this country for avenging an
| insult or cruelty to "A woman. and they
don't generally get out of il as easy as
YOU did Now. if YOU open your head
| about this again, or If you touch hair
| of that woman's head, I'll jug you FOR
| assault
"That was in the old times. Now
| adays you wouldn't find an actor guilty
of anything of that kind, nor would
| such heroic treatment probably be ad-
! opted. Times have changed, but some
! times i think perhaps the old way Il
| the only adequate one for dealing with
| brutes like that.
| And talking about old times, this
\ sketch My Mother-in-L Law, which
| am going to put on this week, is the
very same one in which | made my
| first attempt to play female role, pe-
| ing called upon at the last minute &c
| take the place of an actress who was
| sick. l didn't like the part little BIT
| at that time. and ! rebelled vigorously
| for some time afterward; but, as II
| turned out. that was the making OF me
| that little turn of chance. That was the
| beginning of whatever success / have
| attained in my subsequent career
| though / little realized then what ar
| important turning point it was TO prove
in my professional life. The charactel
| of Mrs. Bibbs is quite different from
| that of Widow Bedott. and L dress
| IL much better and / quite expect tina
| IL will be rewarded with even more
laughter than last weeks sketch. 1t Il
| one of the very oldest of the old-fash
| toned farces, which has been done IL
various forms and under various names
year i'm and year out by one and an
| other and yet il seems TO be today JUS
| as strong a laught-producer as III eve
was. never failing To fulfil its purpos'
in that direction and 10 greater eN
tent than two-thirds of the modefi
vaudeville sketches.
Il see that your famous old horse
Dandy. who as Cold Molasses wa
such a feature i'm the Country Fair, !
dead" said the writer
Yes. dear old fellow, he's gone, wa
the response, and Mr. Burgess face
which before had been lighted up wit
genial smile. for which he is noteo
became suddenly grave. Yes. l be
lieve If ever a human being dled o
joy, that grand old horse did. An
what an intelligent fellow he was |
| is no exaggeration to say that hors
| possessed about every human instinc
| and faculty but the power OF speecf
| You see | hadn't seen him for over Nv
wears, and | hastened TO do so as 500
as possible after | got back from Eng
land. few weeks ago. AS soon as u
| neaIu IlN NOlNts it uANfi'' i''
whinny of joy. He rubbed his nos
against my cheek, and as he did so
could feel that his whole frame wa
uuivering with n nervous tremor. III
Tapped my hand and then rubbed IN
cheek again: and then, all OF suddei
he sank TO the floor at my side ana eN
pred almost before ! could stoop
caress him. 1t was a terrible shock
me. and IL doesn't seem as II l woul
ever altogether get over II.
"Why. dear old Dandys intelllgenC
was simply human. one time in III
County Fair, a platform slipped an
settled down on his back. | thought
was all up with the performance, Tor
saws hiS YES flash with what / kne
was anger / stepped over and soothe
him. and do you know for ten minute
that dear old horse stood there and he
up that platform. until the curtain te
and then he turned round ana Kick,
90 pieces everything within his reac
oh. he knew his business And Jea
| Gus! My! that horse was as capable
jealousy as you or me. When train,
! another Ginger 10 take his place Il
, first night put him on, Dandy let Z
| a.. hf,, t.ffb HE hraIa a - he WAS Lot 4