The times., 1899-08-13
FROM Behind THE SCENES
New Workers. Queer Collection Of
Theatrical Properties.
Has Everything From Tripod
Lamp Used in ..The Wizard of the
Wore In "Hamiet,'' and Is still
Eninrging His Quaint Assortment.

New York, Aug. 12.-It is not quite true
that 'there is nothing new under the SUM-
One who takes the trouble OF searching
may find novelty every now and then.
without the worry of ardent pursuit fell
in with pronouncedly odd collection the
other day, and. since collections are gen.
orally confined to a beaten track. II occurs
TO me that the discovery is worthy OF being
described. The fall was an accident.
Lunch had just been finished and I was
walking over Long Acre Square when 1
I met an acquaintance of some staDiing--
John 7. Bentley. once property man for
/ David Henderson and other theatrical
| celebrities, but at present a confirmed gen.
/ tleman of leisure. Mr.. Bentley had often
| told me OF quaint hobby of his but it
was not until Wednesday that conversation
really ran TO the subject of such assort-
ments. aHd my vis-a-yis offered to escort
me to his home and curiosity shop in
Brooklyn.
On the way / was admitted into the his
tory of the aforesaid collection-a eoIIec-
tion of properties II had been begun IN a
small sort of fashion during the speakers
period of labor. He had frequently
brought to his house objects that he had
manufactured for stage use and which had
been handled by the celebrities OF the
1
work. however, that Mr.. Bentley learned
| that he was in possession OF the founda-
tion for regular museum and began
building. Professional friends and other
1 interested parties contributed letters found
their way to famous actors. trifinz thefts
we're committed, and finally my guide
I cOmpleted-in so far as ANYTHING ~ the
/ kind may be cOmpIeted-his assemblage.
! one alike odd, interesting, and rich in
"reminiscences.
| The cottage in which these eurios ara
held does not look promising from the out
side, being old and rather diIapldated. but
the interior merits great deal more space
than | can give it. The collection has
| been placed in three rooms and each OF
these is Uttered from top to bottom with
what at first appears 10 be congIomerate
mass OF worthless junk. The floors are
/ covered, the ceilings hung, and the walls
which have been ingeniously papered with
! seat checks, hidden by cartload after cart
load Of queer objects-objects ranging In
size from champagne cork 10 a wagon
wheel, in weight from an ostrich feather
10 lead balance, in beauty from an ivory
knife to a skull
Few OF the things I have preserved
Guoth Mr. Bentley, after we had prowled
, about bit, would have any value TO an
other man, but one or two Of them raav
De made exceptions to the rule. This stan
the speaker took from its corner a long.
straight pole-''was used by Mary Andersen
the first time she ever played AS You Like
II abroad. Her foreign debut as RosaIind
was accomplished on August %. 1885. in ths
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at STRAIT
ford-on-Avon, and this souvenir was OBJ
tanned from her manager some years later.
Here, too. is an iron cross worn in Rich
elieu, by Cooper, the second English trag-
edian to visit the United States and there
IZ a algaf Of a la
by Dion Boueieault during a performance
OF 'Arrah- Ma Pogue. This deaths head
was stolen for me by the stage carpenter
OF place OF amusement at which George
Owen OCOnnor. the burlesque actor OF
classic roles, gave Hamlet and most
precious OF all. this silk cord and tasseI
are those with which Edwin Booths fingers
once busted themselves while he was Ifv-
ing the same part. The bundle of cloth
nailed above the mantle has also served
Booth, having been used for d huncn in
The Fools Revenge Fannie Davenport
pushed this paper asp into her dress ev-
cry night OF her last season in Anthony
and Cleopatra these tiny plush trousers
would probably bring blush TO the cheeks
OF Elsie Leslie. leading woman with Joseph
Jefferson, were she told that she once
donned them regularly in Little Lord
Fauntleroy, and many an erstwhile chap
pie would give his head for that garter
hanging on the gas let for il once belonged
to Fanny Essler, the famous danseuse
Those are the most costly portions cf
my collection, when il is considered from a
mereenary viewpoint. but there are many
trifies that bear greater value in senti-
ment- Here IS a pressed rose for ex-
ample. Julia Marlowe wore it one afternoon
in Salt Lake City. Il dropped from a bou-
quet and fell over the footlights My lit
tie girl, who was sitting with me in the
first r1ru -na - =
dead now, and it is her memory and not
that of the renowned artist that makes the
flower priceless. In a similar manner this
American Beauty detached itself from the
bunch held by Viola Allen one evening
when The Christian was being given at
the Garden. That red kerchief once
enveleped the neck of j. X Emmett this
candle comes from the stick over which
James A. Herne goes TO sleep in Shore
Acres. the suspenders tied TO that easIe
held up Willie Cranes trousers in Our
Boarding House. the violin there and the
stool here have been used in 'Trilby'-one
by Robert Patton Gibbs and the other by
Virginia Harned-and this great beer glass
is that from which De Wolf Hoppar's eIe-
phant used to drink in Wang You viii
notice that the schooner has a hole in its
bottom. To this was attached a tube which
reached through the table, and by its
means the liquid was made to disappear
when the fake trunk was stuck into IL
I'm the corner there you NAV have
noticed three skirts The first belonged
TO ". s. Penley. and was donned nightly
in 'Charley's Aunt the second was worn
by Neil Burgess in The County Fair and
the third. which is handsome enough TO
have come from the wardrobe of a prin-
cess. graced the portly form OF Richard
Harlowe in 1892 For stationery have
this crumpled bit of paper, which was
handed TO Clara Morris on one of the
evenings she gave over to Camille. that
Iegal-looking screed from Held by the
Enemy pens which z. s. Willard used
to stuff behind his ear in The Professors
Love Story and this letter, which was
evidently the property of some player in
Pink Domfhoes.' who was not sufficiently
sure of his lines TO be above scrawIing
them the envelope. In my armory
here are MeCulloughs two bladed sword
familiar TO those who have seen the star
in 'Virginius' a dagger kept in the girylIe
OF Thomas keene when he was appearing
as Richard III; breastpIate used at the
Casino on that figure the moving OF which
so worried Francis Wilson in Erminie'.
a cartridge from which the bullet was sun
posed to have been bitten in Secret Ser
vice; foiis handled by Salvini in his dra
matte version of 'Cavalleria Rusticana'.
a pistol frequently held by Nat Goodwin
when he had become Bob Acres in The
Rivals and a gun which Mckee Rankin
once carried In The Danites'
Then. there are champagne bottles. a
rope, a chemical glass. and cane bought
by Richard Mansfield for a Partisan Ro-
nance The DEVILS Disciple .Dr. Jekvl
and Mr.. Hyde and Beau BrummeI':