New-York tribune., 1899-06-08
Mr.. DALY'S CAREER.

- Ausustin DAILY was born In Plymouth. North
Carolina. on July 90 1888. but his childhood
and youth were passed in New-York. He began
bis career in 1860 at the age Of twenty-five, as
an editorial writer and dramatic critic for The
New-York Sunday Courier" but soon, without
r.iinquishing Journalism, he made his frs;
prominent adventure a playwright. On De-
cember s. 1882 his adaptation of Mosenthars
deborah" entitled Leah" was brought for
ward at the Boston Museum. with Miss Kate
Bateman as the leading woman. 1t made re-
markable hit and in January. 1863. Miss Bate
man brought it out at Niolo's Theatre, New
York. where 1t had run OF nine weeks. That
piece has kept the stage, and it is still occa-
sionaly acted.
In 1864 an adaptation of La Papillonne
made by Mr.. DAILY and Frank Wood. was pro-
duced at Laura Keene's Theatre. where II had
a run OF four weeks. Mrs. John Wood and Mr..
Frank Drew acted the chief parts. In the same
year Mr.. Daily adapted three plays. Leslie's
Wedding" Judith" and The Sorceress
Nine Methua- Scheller. dead. produced the
first of them at the Winter Garden, where It
was acted for two weeks: Avonia Jones, also
now dead produced the other two. at the same
theatre THE Sorceress' was grim and weird
play and strongly effective. In 1864 Mr.. DAILY
added 10 his occupations that Of dramatic critic
of The New-York Express" now The Mail
and Express." Two years later, 1896, he
brought out at the NewYork Theatre drama
On the subject of Charles Reade's novel OF
Griffith Gaunt," Miss Rose Eytinge playing the
wife of the jealous husband 1t ran for seven
weeks. In that year also Mr.. DAILY became dra-
matte critic OF THE NewYork Sum-
UNDER THE GAsLIGHT."
In 1867 he produced his first entirely original
play piece called Under the Gaslight," which
made an instant hit and had immediate run
OF thirteen weeks at the New-York Theatre.
four weeks in Boston. seven weeks in Pha-
delphia and five weeks in San Francisco. 1t
has since been acted throughout the country
and in Europe. Its chief stage effect. the pass
ing Of train Of cars and the rescue Of a
woman. whose enemies had bound her and laid
her upon the track was afterward borrowed by
Dion Boucicault in his drama called After
Dark" but Mr. Daily made good. in court OF
law, his claim to the invention of that expedient.
In 1867 Mr.. Daily became dramatic critic for
THE New-York Daily Times and also for The
New-York Weekly Citizen" and thus he was a
reviewer Of the acted drama for five newspapers
In New-York at the same time Those posi-
tions he one by resigned toward the close
OF that year. In 1867 he made play on the
basis of Henry Ward Beechers novel OF Nor
wccd." colaboring with another journalist, and
that piece had run of four weeks. In 1888 he
produced at the New-York Theatre his dramatic
version OF The Pickwick Papers" and an origi-
nal drama entitled "A Flash OF Lightning"
On August 16 1869. he began management.
opening his first Fifth Avenue Theatre. in
Twenty fourth-st, on the site Of the present
Madison Square Theatre That house had once
before been styled the Fifth Avenue Theatre,
when conducted by MIR. Thaddeus Glover. a
Journalist and experimental manager, now dead.
Mr.. DAILY opened 1t with T. w. Robertson s
comedy Of play" subsequently produced Olive
Logan's Surf" and presently began the reign
OF such French pieces "Frou-Frou' and Fer
nande" Twenty-thrce plays. three of them by
Shakespeare. were produced in the first season
The Fifth Avenue Theatre in Twenty fourth
st. was burned down on January l. 1878 Mr.
DAILY twenty days later opened his Fifth
Avenue Theatre. in Broadway. with an address
by John Brougham. and with Clara Morris in
Alike" That house was kept open until June
2S. 1873. the chief production effected there
after Alike" being "Madelen Morel," present