Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-22

have a theatre IF her Cwn in London.
This information has been discounted
by the bad luck which has persistently
followed Mr.. Irving for two years or
more, eliminating in his serious illness
short time ago. He was then obliged
to abandon his tour, and little later
it was announced that he was anxious
to secure a lessee for the Lyceum the
alter in London. Miss Terry's retire
ment from the Irving company has
been one of the annual announcements
for the last decade, but those who
were in the know" were aware that
these rumors had no foundation in
fact. Last year, however, she really
did leave the company to attempt an
Independent starring tour, while Sir
Henry was not playing. 1t was gener-
ally understood at the time that the
experiment was made for the purpose
of ascertaining whether or not Miss
Terry, without her principal, would
have sufficient drawing power to war
rant her exploitation as star. The
experiment was satisfactory in every
respect, and it was then decided, ac-
cording to the best information at
hand, that she would leave Sir Henry
at the first favorable opportunity. 1t
has now came, and next season we may
expect to see the fair Ellen, who, by
the way, has we'll grown grand
children, playing many of the youthful
Shakespearean roles in this country.
Persons in the theatrical swim in this
country have long known that Mr.. r.
Wings finances were in bad way, but
the suggestion that benefit be ar
ranged for him was in the nature of a
shock to his thousands of friends and
admirers in this city. In reality it
is probable that Mr.. Irving is not in
such bad way as would seem to be
indicated by this suggestion, the idea
having been advanced principally to
demonstrate to him how deep was his
hold upon the affections of the theatre
going public in this country and Eng
land. 1t was thought that this would
be a great encouragement to the actor
and that he would thereby be better
equipped for the struggle which he has
manfully determined upon for the pur-
puse of recouping his once vast fortune.
In accordance with this arrangement
it is announced that he will make a
tour of the United States next season,
when all of his past successes and in
cidentally, probably, also some of his
failures will be presented. Irving GER
tainly has nothing to complain OF with
reference to America. He has never
made a tour of this country which has
not yielded enormous returns, and his
disasters have been brought about by
the failure of the English public to
patronize his ventures with anything
like the liberality accorded by the peo-
pie on this side of the water.
AS to the Lyceum theater, it has
been asserted upon apparently good
authority that Mr.. Irving was anxious
that Charles ITohman should under
take it's management, but that shrewd
little American fell that it might con-
fict with his other interests in Lon
don. Several other persons in this
city have been mentioned as probable
lessees, but nothing definite has yet
been determined. 1t is almost certain,
however, that the man to whom the
lease, which under proper circum-
stances ought to prove very valuable,
will be given will be an American, for
it is fact despite his aggressive
affectations and his i'll concealed opin-
ion that our cities are little more than
provincial towns, that Irving has the
most unbounded respect for the
shrewdness of the American theatrical
manager.
After all, when one reflects upon the
fortunes made by Irving, the enormous
amounts of money expended by him in
productions and the millions which
have DaSsed through his hands leaving
a goodly portion therein as his profit,
it is a sad commentary upon the capri
ciousness of the public, which in this
case means the London public, so far
as actors are concerned. Irving, at a
time of life when he should be indie
pendently wealthy, is now obliged to
start out with practically nothing save
reputation to win a new fortune, so
that he may pass his declining years in
comfort.