The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-27
SOL. SMITH BUSHELS BOOK.
He Is Writing One Dealing With His
Experiences.

experiences
Sol Smith Russell, in his temporarily
enforced retirement, has been spending
a great deal of his time here. He feels
vastly improved, and says that when he
resumes his work in the fall it will be
with his old-time vigOr, says a Wash
ington dispatch. He has been devoting
his time in work on a book of personal
"reminiscences. and believes that if he
has no setback it will be ready for the
printer in a short time One chapter
viii be devoted to Mr.. Russells first eX-
perience in theatricals. 1t is a new
story, he says. Here it is:
My first real debut" said the actor.
was in the capacity Of canal boat mule
with a travelling dog show, and it hap
pened at Chillicothe, Ohio. L had left my
home in Indiana at the age of IA, in 1862
determined to Join the Union army
sooner than become a minister. as my
family hoped. I was trying to get to
Cincinnati to enlist. but on the way fell
in with a bounder named Carter, who
had a small show outfit, which he was
taking around from village TO village I
could sing and dance a little, and aCrter
needed some one who could perform
such feats without demanding a high
salary. I was glad enough to get any
thing to do, and 50 we started out. Chill
IcOthe was the first town we struck.
This was some time early in 1852. Carter
was the owner. manager, star, advance
agent. bill poster. treasurer, scene shift
er, stage manager. scenic artist, herald,
property man ana stage carpenter He
was a sleek clown, who would do any
thing on earth to make his audience
laugh-that Is, when we had an audi
ence.
Garter had a mouth that reached
from ear to ear. He was a man abso-
lutely devoid of character, and had a
scent for a dollar as keen as a blood
hounds upon a trail. He played all
men for what they were worth, and be
lieved that the way to get at their
pocketbooks was to make them laugh,
no matter how. No trick was too cheap
for him, no joke too haclSneyed no ex-
hibition too disagreeable, no work too
hard. He would resort to any scheme
to bring people to his shOW-our show
a combination of human and animal in
telligence- I remember distinctly when
we reached ChillicOthe. our first stand,
Carter said to me:
. Russell my bOy-T was then IA
this is Chillicothe. We show here To-
night. and must do something to get an
audience together. / want you to
black up here at the depot, walk up
town through the middle of the street
and do a song and dance or two at the
hotel It viii be a big advertisement.
and viii be good thing in the way of
breaking you in, too. At intervals dur
ing the afternoon you can sing a few
comic songs, and get up a lively step or
street.
This struck me as not being just the
proper thing, for I had my own ideas
about the dignity of an actor. Carter
was 4 clown. merely, with low ideas,
while aspired to something higher. I
was a comic singer and dancer, but not
a low buffoon. So I objected, and We
had a row. He swore and insisted, but
wouldn't consent to appear on the
streets and do a monkey act in black
face
we walked up to the hotel. Carter
leading two of the dogs. and I the third
we only had three dogs, unless I count
myself, and to tell the truth my lot
might have been easier had I belonged
to the canine breed. We put in most Of
the afternoon rigging up the theater-a
room on the second floor of a brick
building known a. the Allison block, az
the head of Paint street The building
is still standing, and every time visit
ChillicOthe 1 visit this rOom-No-. s..
when the performance opened that |
night there were about 40 persons in
the audience. I think they were seated
on benches, though a few of them per
chestra was an old violin player whom
real name When not drunk San Diego /
furnished the music for US, but he was
usually drunk Carriers greatest act |
was standing on a chair and eating fire
burning cotton that he skillfully man
ipulated in his mouth. He would also /
pull yards or ribbon from his mouth, !