Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-11-21

Few people who night after night at
the Park theater laugh at Neil Bur-
CESS Abigail Prue know that but for
an accident he never would have es-
sayed the character, and there never
would have been County Fair" or
a widow Bedott."
The accident happened in Provi-
dence, when lady who did leading
business in farces was taken i'll and,
to please the manager Neil Burgess
played her part. Notwithstanding
that he had perfect horror of i'm
personating a woman, he made hit
and from that time on was fated, so
he says, to play female characters.
MI Burgess is on the shady side of
30 and it was about 20 years ago that
the public first discovered in him
comedian. The role which he attempt
ed in Providence was that of the con-
ventional old maid. Taking his orders
from the stage manager, who was OBJ
liged to find substitute for the lady
here referred to at a moments no.
tice, Neil Burgess donned female at
tire, rushed on the stage and, tripping
all over himself, attempted as best he
could to conceal the fact that the dress
before the footlights did it occur to
him that he had forgotten every line
of the text. In the spasmodic cudgel-
ing of his brain to recall something
OF the part, he pressed his cheek with
the tips of his fingers, simpered lit
tie and thus unconsciously struck a
pose and an expression that, in its
suggestiveness of the elderly spins
ter's demonstrative timidity, tickled
his audience
That pose and expression was the
key to Burgess fortune. The cue it
gave he made the best of by attitude
nizing and dipping into the dialogue
as much as he could, continuing the
simpering and the gurgling until the
house resounded with laughter and a
hit had been made. Two or three
nights later the actress recovered her
health and took up her task. but the
manager of the theater summarily
discharged her, claiming that she was
a failure.
The incident, meanwhile, had de-
termined Burgess future work. For
time he played female roles in
farces. Then somebody wrote for him
play, and later he constructed his
own VIM" but in neither had he
made money. Then it was that still
another chance proved lucky for him.
Among the audience who saw him
play vim" at Toledo theater one
night was a jolly-faced man, who
laughed with almost conspicuous Wig
or, and who. losing no time, secured
an introduction to the actor.
David r. Locke was that man. The
brilliant and versatile Petroleum V.
Nasby had some time before that
made comedy out of Mrs. Whicher's
''Widow Bedott's Papers," and Bur-
CESS came to him as a revelation. Out
of their consultations came THE Wid
ow Bedott," christened just about 20
years ago in Providence Nasby was a
partner in the venture. and travelled
with the company one season. That
was a remarkable tour, too. Nasby
was great on visiting newspaper Of
fees. Rarely, and then only by acci-
dent, did one of the craft escape him.
Burgess, who was indiscreet enough
to accompany him on some of these
visits, relates that the great politico-
satirist invariably drew about him a
crowd of listeners while he told stories
and cracked jokes, and incidentally
doomed the show. On each opening
night he was duly called before the
curtain, and he always made funny
speech of thanks. In fact. the tour
was nearly a Nasby ovation, as ex-
nensiYe as it WAS flattering