The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-29

performance which was given in her
honor. and in which she took her fare
we'll of the Paris public. On the same
evening she appeared as Sy1vette in
Les .Romanesques'' Jeanne Raymond
in lie Monde OH Pom s'ennuie,s' and
Suzel in ''L'Ami Fritz" one of her fa-
vorite parts. Signora Duse came from
Italy purposely to act in her honor, and
played an act of "Adrienne Lecouy-
reur.'' There were also recitations,
songs and some Greek dances. Mile.
Reichenberg was always favorite
with the public of Paris, from the
night of her debut till the night of her
farewell, and for the latter occasion the
entire house was sold long before the
day Of the performance.
Another old English actor, who bore
an excellent reputation in his day, has
just died. He was George Melville,
whose fame, although he played much
in London, was associated chiefly with
the famous company which made Bath
and Bristol theatrical centers thirty or
forty years ago. Many well known
players got much of their early training
in this organization. Among them may
be mentioned the Terry sisters, Arthur
Stirling (who died a few days ago.,
George Rignoqd, Lady Bancroft, Miss
Henrietta Hodson (now Mrs. Labou-
chere), Mrs. Kendall, the late John
Rouse, Arthur Wood, Emily Thorne,
Fanny and Cariotta Addison, Jane and
Susan Rignold, the Robertsons, the
Wiltons, Juliet Desborough, Charles
Coghlan and Louisa Thorne Mrs. Ken
dal was only seven years old when she
appeared as Eva in "Uncle Toms
Cabin at Bristol in 1855.
Baltimore Sun: An interesting doc
ument relating to the early days of the
Holiday street Theater was discovered
a few days ago by William F. Lucas,
Jr, while looking over the papers ard
old accounts of his father, the late
William F. Lucas. The document is
payroll of the theater. made out about
sixty years ago. 1t discloses several
matters of particular interest in rela-
ton to salaries of that date, and also
suggests that the financial affairs of
the old playhouse We're not always
what the stockholders would have
wished them to be. Mr.. and Mrs. JEFF
ferson received the joint weekly salary
Of forty dollars. Mr.. and Mrs. Duff
were entitled to thirty dollars,
and Mr.. Burke received the princely
salary of ten dollars a week. A close
inspection of the payroll discloses that
the actors did not receive all they were
entitled to, and the same was true of
nearly all the employees of the theater
With few exceptions, the most that
was paid that particular week was just
one-half what each person was entitled
to. This was enforced, even to the
boy who distributed the programs, for
which he was entitled to one dollar a
week, but was paid only fifty cents
On the margin of the payroll was
written by Mr. Lucas Payroll of Hol-
l;day-street Theater, about the year
1852 This would indicate that the
Mr.. Jefferson referred to is the pres
ent Mr.. Jefferson, whom all theater-
goers love. This view is not held by
William F. Lucas, Jr, who thinks the
document is several years older than
his father thought at the time he made
the marginal note This view is also
shared by Mrs. Jane Germon. a cousin
of Joseph Jefferson, who said that her
cousin had never played with either
Mr.. or Mrs. John Duff, and for that
reason she thinks the Mr. and Mrs.
Jefferson are her grandparents, the
parents of the present Mr.. Jefferson.
Samuel Glenn of Baltimore, an old
time actor, speaking of his early ex-
periences yesterday, said that he re-
membered when the present Mr.. Jeffer-
son played in Baltimore for a very
small salary.
All of our salaries We're small at
that time," he continued. II remem-
Der that the elder Booth only exacted
fifty dollars a week, and other actors
of equal reputation seldom received
more than sixty dollars. The man who
was able to demand 500 was regard
ed as being at the top of the ladder.
When Mr.. Jefferson returned from his
European tour he commanded a large
increase in his weekly pay. He asked
and received S400, and in addition was
entitled to half of the receipts on Fri
day nights With the old stock com
panies each of the prominent actors
was entitled to his benefit before the
close of his engagement, and as this
benefit was extensively advertised. it
usually added materially to his little
pile of money!
LIE Berceau," of NJ Brieux. which
has just been produced at the Theater
Francois, is as Enthusiastically French
a piece as could easily be imagined.
The object of it is to prove that divorces
ought not to be granted where there
ere children, proposition that clearly
0ra CT 10
Nine. Chantrel, who have been divorce
ed, meet, by accident, at the bedside of
their sick child. with the consent of the
lady's second husband After hover
ing on the brink of the grave for many
anxious days. the child RECEIVERS. and
the parents, in a paroxysm of feeling,
throw themselves into each others
arms. The second husband naturally
IS not we'll pleased with the situation,
especially when the lady admits that
her old love for her first husband has
revived. For a time there is a pros
pect of duel between the two men,
but the woman solves the problem by
declaring that hereafter she will have
nothing to do with either Of them, but
will devote herself to the care of her
child. And this is the situation upon
the fall of the curtain.
Fred Raymond wrote part of one act
Of THE Missouri GIRL then laid it
aside. About six months later, being
in need of a play on short notice, he
dug up the part already written,
started at a. m, and at IL D. M, had
completed the entire four acts. The
rlay was produced five davc later Mr.