The Portland daily press., 1899-03-09
Relieves
Pain

lnoIe OF less bhht VI Ndpoieon, COquelln
determined at last TO usurp the throne
and become the Emperor himself.
In old times when the cirque of the
b oulevard du Temple presented military
| pieces every year in which the Imperial
| epopee was given out in Slices there were
plenty of Napoleons. The choice was the
only EN- barrassment. There were actors
who looked like Bonaparte when he was
| First Consul, others who looked like Ma
poleon at Wagram and Jena. and others
still who resembled Napoleon at Saint
| Helena. Almost all the young actors en-.
deavored to look like Napoleon, because a
warded by an engagement. few were
contsnted If they managed to look like
Junos, Murat or even Massens, but the Y
were the least ambitious. or men whose
statures were too tall or too low.
| The most celebrated of all the Napoleons
| was Colbert, an artist of considerable
talent, who had the good fortune to be
| born with features wonderfully like those
OF the victor of Eylau People who then
ramemb erd the Emperor said that the ac-
tor had even his very gait by constantly
/ playing the part he acquired the airs and
mannerisms of Napoleon. He might
| often be seen on the Boulevard walking
along with his hands behind his back and
saluting his friends in imperial style, In
truth he was the great mans double. In
private life he loved to talk like the hero.
When he had to appear in new piece he
would ay; Il hope this evening will be
my Austerlitz and not my Waterloo A nd
| when he spoke of retiring from the stage
he would always say, when l shall be at
saint HelenaP One evening, as he was
| passing through the Place Vendome he
stopped to gaze upon the great men in
| bronze, and one OF his friends heard him
murmur, We'll, no matter, my gray over
coat is more elegant than that fellows. "
Edmond Gallanu, who was admirable
in tho r ole Of Murat, commenced his
career on the stage by playing Napoleon,
| but he was too tall and never could as
sumo the classic pose. He was fond of
playing dominOes and when it was his
turn TO lead he would always give the
order "a cheyal messieuTs, "a chevaI."
In the company of the Cirque, in which
Galland was playing, there was an I'M
fortunate actor who had passion for
| 2 ambiing The moment he finished his
part he would run to the little coffee
house near by where he would lose all the
money he had and most Of what he ex-
peoted into the bargain lie used TO play
the part of an old grenadier who was
killed every evening about 10 O'Clock.
One evening, whom q big game was on
in the ooffee. house, he requested Galland
to hurry the piece a little and give him "A
chance to he in time for the card battle.
He was killed. ut about the usual time,
and lay dead upon the boards anx
iously waiting for the General in Chief,
Galland, to give the order for the removal
Of the dead bodies from the battlefield.
Galland gave the order as usual but
when the supers reached the body of the
RreDaidier Galland commanded them to
stand back. Don't touch that mani"
said he II DON believe he is dead II
"Oh, you" Missed the dead grenadier,
And you know ! am in hurry TO get
of r.
But Galland in solemn tones remaI ked:
at Is bad enough TO have 10 bury the
dead, without running the risk of bury
ing our heroes who still treathe'' The
supers went of astonished and during
the entire act the unfortunate gambler
had to remain grinding his teeth ON the
field of battle. When the drop fell he
rose in ~ rage and wanted to Kill the Gen
eral for making HIM late for game.
But 1t was not among the actors alone
that men wers found who endeavored to
look like Napoleon. On the boulevards
and in the streets people often laughed at
the fools who triei 10 ape Napoleon. In
the time of the second empire there was
u fellow in Paris who succeeded in copy
ing Napoleon III. in an extraordinary
manner. He not only wore the same kind
of mustache and imperial, but he man
aged co initiate the dreamy and vague ex-
preston OF his models eyes. When he
passed along the street, walking just like
the Emperor, people turned round to look
at him, thinking that his Majesty was
out for an airing. Nothing delighted the
fool more than to be saluted with respect
by people in the street. Even after the
4tn of september he stuck to his hobby
nd puzzled many Parisians.