The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-18
A GREAT HIT.
Wonderful Versatility Of Marshall P.
Wilder Makes Him a Favurita


"Do you know" said Marshall y.
Wilder, the merry entertainer who is
dellghting large audiences at keith's
this week. II never hear the name OF
Vanderbilt used thoughtiessly In a
stage joke without a feeling Of deep
regret. II those who do il had known
Cornelius Vanderbilt as did, they
would never be guilty of II. There was
a side Of his nature of which few people
knew anything. and that was his great
big heart, which impelled him TO ex-
pend more than million dollars every
year In genuine philanthropy and char
ity. knew of Il personally because for
twelve years was in receipt of reg
ular yearly salary--perhaps you might
more properly term IL a retainer-of
81, 400, to give entertainments at va
rious charitable institutions, hospitals
and the like And that was only one
very little incident of his generous
charities"
Probably no other entertainer"
who could have been selected could so
well have met the requirements Of Mr..
Wander bit , desires in this direction, for
IL must be realized that a very wide
variety Of forms of entertainment must
be provided to please equally the sick,
the blind, the insane. the poor. children
and adults OF al. ages and conditions
and tastes and varying intelligence.
Ii was a genuine tribute to Mr. Wild
er's versatility that he should be thus
selected. fe
Those who enjoy his storytelling at
Keiths really obtain very inadequate
idea OF his powers and re-
sources as an entertainer
for he is equally as clever as
magician. card manipulation, mu-
scian or mimic as he Is as a racon-
teur; and II would be simply impos-
sible TO place him where he could not.
on the spur of the moment and with
out previous preparation or Thought,
successfully entertain his auditors for
an hour and half, or even longer. This
remarkable versatility and almost
limitless fertility Of resource. the result
of long and intelligent study of every
form of entertainment as well as rare
natural gifts. are a great advantage
possessed by the jolly little Wilder over
other vaudeville monologuists, because
they enable him instantly to adapt him.
self 10 the varying character and tastes
OF HIS audiences from day to day; and
the result IL that no one ever hears him
give precisely.the same program twice.
His rst as'eMmpt At Mt a yorS w wbere was az tab m
leau was being given OF MARY, Queen
OF scots" and in order TO make IL re-
alistic they had obtained a genuine
butchers block and q cleaver. As the
executioner stood by the lights an
turned low. and his dreadful work in
progress. Wilder's shrill voice arose
from the darkened house: save me
spare-rib.'
His readiness In an emergency was
shown at Flint. Mich. when he was be-
fore an unresponsive audience. As
luck would have 1t, the gas suddenly
went out.
Never mind the gas he called to
the stage manager. They can see the
points Just as well In the dark After
that he was "all right"
In London, on the occasion of visit
of the Ancient and Honorable Artil-
lery. OF Boston, a big dinner was To be
given. and the American ambassador
and the Prince Of Wales were 10 be
there II received an invitation said
Mr. Wilder. Through my friend. Il. F.
Keith, who happened TO be In London.
The members stood In two long lines.
awaiting the coming OF the prince.
was dressed in my usual boy-size
clothes a small American flag stuck In
my Tuxedo coat. j walked around rest
lessly. The major-domo was n very
grand parsonage. with a1bearskin hat
on one end and long boots on the other.
He chased me 90 the rear OF the room
several TIM evidently not knowing
who was, but every time he turned l
would bob out again. The prince came.
and almost the FIRST thing he did was
TO walk across the floor to me and say:
Hello. little chap. l am glad TO see
YOU I had met him before. Then
Henry Irving bore down on me and
shook my hand, and so did Mr.. Depew
and others. BY this time the major
donro had shrunk In size.
WHO the Dickens II this little chap.
anyway? he asked.
"'Sh He belongs To the American
army. was the answer. He's n great
marshal or something over there"
Wilder ~ big-hearted. "The biggest
fee ever received" he said. was the
satisfaction saw depicted on poor
mans face. IL was on a railway tran.
A life-prisoner was being taken. after
n long man-hunt On Europe and Amer
lea. out 20 Kansas City. / never saw
80 detected face. | devoted four or
five hours 10 Frightening him up. and
when | left he was smiling all over.
had succeeded in making him forget