The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-15
STORY OF ROBSON
THE NOTED ACTOR WAS ONCE
 A PAGE IN CONGRESS.
An Interesting Account of the Youth of Prime Stage Favorite Related by His Repre-
 sentative.

', The other afternoon, in St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans" said Stuart Rob sons personal representative, William Raymond Sill, to an Advertiser reporter, In the lobby of the Exchange Hotel, MT. Robson told me something of his recol- lectlons of the great men of the South, and perhaps, briefly, some of them may be interesting. although l am poor hand at retailing other mems stories."
 Go ahead said The Advertiser re- porter
 quarter of what MT. Robson said" went on MT. Sill but I'll try if you'll be patient. l suppose you did not know that Mir Robson was page in the Hcase of Representatives in the Thir- tleth Congress, and that he owed his appointment to the kindness of Jefferson Davis, Daniel Webster and MT. Toombs of Georgia? No? We'll l didn't either seems he was boy fin Baltimore, just after the Mexican war, with an ambition for politics. and with Arthur Pue Cor man, he went to Washington, determin- ed to become q page in either the House or the Senate. Both succeeded. German has become a leader of the Democracy, while MT. Robson deserted the halls of legislation to ultimately take his place as Americas foremost comedian. But that is another story, as I believe a eer- tain writer of vigorous English has oc- casionally remarked"
 Tn talking over those early days. asked MT. Robson" resumed MT. Sill his recollection Of the great men of the day, and especially of Jefferson Da wis, and this, as nearly as I can now recall. were his words:
 "'Very distinctly, after those lapse of years do 1 recall those menEcWebster. gunner DGgsias of Gt ibe es stb CTay a greatly loved Webster greatly feared. Davis was young man comparatively, but most viyidly do l remember my first impression of him. I was a page in the House and had been sent into the Sen ate with q message from Georgia mem- Der to William H. Seward of New York. stir iC debate was on, and, rather than interrupt, l paused and glanced
 mber My gaze fell upon q man whom I, in my boys mind, recall as one nf the handsomest men had ever seen from the waist up He was seated at his desk, and more magnificent trunk l never saw on a man. l thought that should he stand he would tower abnve six feet four inches. His eyes were hidden by blue goggles-the famous blue goggles which were afterward so widely caricatured by the papers of the North. but which glasses he earned by gallant service in the Mexican war. Presently he stood up. and I was amazed to see that his heighth was meagre, but the beauty of his countenance and the splendid development of his chest, shoul- ders and mead, left an indelible impress sion on my mind. As he arose to reply to the speaker. he said a few words in a voice that was gentle, but which was distinctly audlDIe' where stoou' Tar back in the chamber and then he walked tn where two men were standing. One was a splendid man with a kind face, vet full of power. The other was a wee hit of d man with a leonine head. MT. Davis placed himself on the right of the taller man. and he did so, this cen- tral figure placed one arm about the neck of Mir. Davis and another about the neck of the little man, and so they stood for several minutes, scarce moving while they listened to a thunderous speech from the lips of Daniel Webster: To my dying day, l will never forget that Senate. for the central figure was, Henry CIav' the little man was stephen A Douglas and the other. was the we'll beloved Jefferson Davis.' "
 MT. Robson paused for several min utes" resumed Mir. Sill. and then he went on to tell of the invariable kind ness and consideratlon of the leader of