The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-25
HANDY DRESS SUIT
WORN BY FOUR ACTORS DURING
THE PROGRESS OF A SIM
GLE PLAY
WAS OWNED BY FELIX MORRIS

A Story OF the Early Struggles of
the Late English Actor to Win n
Name and Fame Upon the Amer
lean Stage - Attracted Notice of
jefferson and Came Rapidly to The
Front.
The late Felix Morris had quite varied
experience before he finally settled down
in his chosen profession. After receiv-
ing a good education he studied medicine.
shipped before the mast for whaling
voyage, on which he never sailed, worked
as one Of the hands in an iron foundry
and clerked in a drug store.
One of the first compliments he ever re-
ceived was from Joseph Jefferson, who
watched his performance from a box Ole
evening at the theater in Albany At
that time Mr.. Morris, who was playing
only utility parts, was the proud pos
SCISSOR of a dress suit a scarce article in
those days, for few utility men owned
such thing and this was common prop
erty with Morris and his fellow players.
One of his companions was a very tall
man; the other called "Reddy." a re-
AASNbiJ
middle aged, with a painful defect in one
eye. He had also large family and a
small salary and was driven to strange
expedients in his efforts to dress Mr..
Morris used to say that they all looked
up to the tall actor, for his age COM
manded respect and his fertility of IT.
vention was a constant source of aston
ishment. He could convert a sheet of
plain foolscap into a shirt bosom and
make collars and cuffs from ordinary
note paper.
On the night when Jefferson visited the
playhouse Yankee Locke was the star
and Mr.. Morris, In his precious dress
suit, embellished with the Order of ths
Bath and other decorations, represented
the governor. of Australia. Locke imper-
sonated an ingenious American, whose
object it was to introduce some patent
into Australia, and in the play the gov
ernor granted him an. interview, which
took place IN the front scene At the
first entrance stood the tall man in
soiled shirt sleeves, but with spotless
paper bosom, collars and cuffs. AS soon
as Mr.. Morris came off he wriggled out
of MS dress suit which the tall man Inn
mediately put on, and before the flats
were withdrawn he took his place In tha
halls Of the great, which the scene rep.
resented, and with q naughty air and a
stage swagger went gallantly up and
down the back of the stage, a lady on his
arm.
These two represented the nobility and
fashion required by the action of the
piece By keeping well up stage the
shortness Of sleeve and the glaring misflt
of the body of the borrowed garment
were not perceptible to the public In
the, next act the small man, after at
taching to the same coat red flannel
collar, and twisting some Dutch metal
around the buttons. appeared to great
advantage as a liveried footman.
Mr.. Jefferson was so pleased with Mr..
Morris work that he inquired who the
little man was who played the governor
of Australia. Not recognizing the nams
as one he had heard before, he sent word
to Mr. Morris that he was pleased with
the acting, adding: "Tell him to per-
severe and he is certain to be heard Of
hereafter" This was a ray of sunshine
to the young player, and the kind re-
mark encouraged him to continue to
work hard on his small parts.
When the actor was playing in Halifax
he was rendered a benefit by the officers
of the North Atlantic squadron, then In
the harbor, with the request that he
play William in "Black-Eyed Susan" To
make the production as realistic as pos
sible all the necessary uniforms were
furnished by the officers, together with a
boatswain and some twenty-five sailors.
The drama went along smoothly until the
scene was reached where William and his
mates are enjoying liberty ashore One
of the company sang Nancy Lee" the
sailors joining in the chorus with will.
But they would not stop. Vast heav>
lng!" shouted the bcatswain, but with
out effect His pipe whistled shrilly, BE
lay! belayr' but the song was favorite
and the tars saw their chance. The
audience applauded and the singing con-
tinued till from sheer lack of breath the
men quoted down, and then one of their
number danced the hornpipe. The sail
ors held the stage; the poor actors were
poWerless. At the conclusion of the
dance a big, brawny tar advanced to the
footlights and offered to whip the whole
audience, and it took all his available
comrades to get him away and allay his
excitement.