The times., 1899-09-10


months after leaving land came in view
again. We reached the coast and went
ashore, only to discover that the place
was unlnhabited as it was unknown to
navigators- The flag of the intel States
was raised and the spot given the name
of the Island of Navassa Finally / was
left on the strip as Governor with .por-
tion of the crew, while the Romance went
back for negroes to work the deposits we
had found Ours was a rather ticklish
position, for captaining a vessel then was
not what it is now and we were by no
means certain that we should ever be
picked up. In due course OF Incidents
however, the Romance returned with men
and Tools l remained in charge of the
Island of Nayassa until 1861, when | sailed
for home. The war had broken out and
there were trades that promised to be more
profitable than mercantile marining.
After the surrender of Genetal Lee my
brother and l went into the show business
We opened the Opera House. which is nov
known in Baltimore as the Monumental
Theatre, and there conducted variety per-
formances on a small scale. There were
only three other places of amusement in
the town and there seemed every prospect
for making money. The other three, By
the way, were Ford's, the Holiday Street,
and the Front Street, then in charge OF
Billy Sim, who died few days ago in
New York. AT the Opera House we played
many men and women who have since be-
come famous. Old Fritz Emmett appeared
with us almost Immediately after giving
UP painting for the stage. while among
those who followed him were Nat Good
win and Gus Williams. Tony Pastor. OF
Pastors Theatre, in New York, used to
come 10 Baltimore at that time as a clown
with a circus and Billy Sim had many
embryo celebrities on the boards at the
Front. The combination system had not
come in vogue then, however, and the pay
ment of salaries so reduced our receipts
that there was absolutely no cash in the
profession. All of us lost in Baltimore
and Colonel Sim was no luckier than the
rest.
I'm conjunction with Old Man Rogers
my brother and | came to Washington in
1872 and took the Comique-the house in
which We are now sitting. This lobby
had not been built in that year. however,
and the entrance TO the theatre was
c Street. The stage stood where the last
orchestra chairs now are and was on the
second floor. The Comique had been a
great place in its day Inaugu! alton balls
and other big festivals had been held
here, while several of the st-known of
American stars have trod the boards a most
where my first gallery is at present. Laura
Keene played here and SO did Edwin
Booth, the elder Sothern, Joseph Jeffer-
son, and other such men. Jim KEENAN,
and myself did a little of everything with
the structure. Audiences were not satis-
fed in 1872 unless performance was long
and varied. Our performances were both.
We presented on the same bill FIVE or six
specialties, ballet and melodrama that
may have run anywhere from eight to
twelve arts The of inY1la acta Oh
until l o'clock in the morning and if the
final curtain fell before midnight the crowd
felt that it deserved its money back
Some of the pieces We put on here
would be eycruciatingly funny to modern
assemblage. A great favorite was Jack
Sheppard work of unknown authorship
which literally ran blood. hanging scene
iE Stetson's Neck and Neck used to pro-
woke the widest enthusiasm. The scaffold
stood directly in the centre of the stage
and the rope was adjusted about a hook
fastened to the collar of the supposed viz
tim. One night l remember the aforesaid
victim writhed in great shape and we were
contemplating a raise in her salary when
we discovered that the iron had sippel
and that the hanging was being most real
isticly carried out. We had Just time
to ring down and drop the actress before
strangling her AS it was, I'll wager that
heroine never came nearer death until time
for her to die
Two years in Washington proved
enough for my brother and myself We
went back to the Opera House, which
burned down shortly after and was -ebult
as the Monumental. Along in 1876 or 1877
the combination system was ushered in
and it became possible for theatrical mana
gers to profit by their labors. During the
winter of 1876 Matt Morgan hit upon the
idea of clothing women in white tights and
| powdered wigs, grouping them artistically
and sending them out as Living Statues.
| He engaged me to take one OF these organi-
cations on the road. The statues were
really beautiful and not half so suggestive
| as many things one sees now, but they
! shocked the theatregoers of 1876. | was
arrested over a hundred times during my
| tour, but the news of each arrest only
! doomed business so that in spite of con-
stant fines, our profits were considerable.
when Jim Herman came back to Wash
| ington thirteen years ago, he resumed
| operations with this house and | was en-
gagged as his manager. He began branch
! ing out extensively about that time. The
Monumental was proving a money maker
and somewhat later he constructed the
| Auditorium, one of the most beautiful
vaudeville theatres in America. Prior to
| this he had taken charge of the Holiday
/ Street and was running it for melodra-
matte attractions. The Lyceum has always
| paid good dividends. l am really fond
| of the old place and, now that L have set
tied down here, shall probably stay during
| the remainder of my days. AS you may
have noted in the course OF this recital.
| mine has been an active life and l am
glad to be quiet at last.
Orchestral Director Wagner's rendering
of Il Don't Like No Cheap Man" had
given way to a Sousa march and the crowd
began coming out. Manager Herman had
not condensed the events of a busy half
century into a ten minute talk and the
| performance was over.
On Wednesday evening the Grand Opera
House was Illuminated for the benefit of
| a delegation of local newspaper men, who
| were invited TO inspect the changes that
have been wrought in the old theatre.
Managers Burke & Chase have really been
most liberal in their expenditures on the
building with the result that its present
| appearance is entirely at variance with
that which it assumed last year From the
entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue TO the
stage door on E Street every undesirable
feature of consequence has been eliminated
When the doors are opened tomorrow after
noon only the ultra-captious will be able
| to find any fault with the preparations
made for them.
The fashion in which the great arch or
the Avenue is decorated has probably been
noted by everyone who has passed the
structure during the current month. The
color scheme adopted is positive and yet
harmonious An electric sign, reading:
THE New Grand" has been added, and
completes the excellent effect produced
Salmon red is the predominating hue of the
lobby. the background being relieved by
! the nIacinr of raised wreaths and hangings