Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
week and his board. with the great added

week and his board with the great added
privilege of attending school. Ben cared
for two horses, waited on the doctors wife
and daughters and did a lot OF other mental
work: but he stuck IL out until he grad
uated from Cleveland High School. Then
he went to Birmingham. Ala. and paid MS
way for year in Howard College by ring
ing the college bell, acting as agent for a
laundry and doing chores. From Alabama
he went to Colorado and secured work I'm
STATIONS great Independence mine in
SSirinple Creek. earning enough TO enable
MN TO progress I'm his studies In Colorado
Couese Colorado Springs. Then came a
miners strike and he lost his job.
On the Road.
Scoville went next to Chicago. where he
failed to find employment, and sold his
watch to pay railroad fare TO Cleveland
From Cleveland he walked TO Batavia N
Y, where he earned enough by washing
the windows OF the Y. NJ c. A building TO
carry him to Lyons. At Lyons the Rev.
Mr. ostrander became interested I'm him,
ana secured him church collection. Sim
llar assistance was given him i'm Port BY
ron, and from there he went to BOSTON.
run or hope, Ben then applied to Man
aser FRANK w. Hale of the New England
conservatory. and begged admission as a
student In elacution and oratory An ar
arrangement was made whereby he could
earn his tuition fees and expenses by work
ing six to ten hours a dav IN the model
he applied himself closely, and was grad
uated with honors in December. 1896
he then began his professional career
ror time he supported himself I'm Syra-
cuse as a reciter. then Travelled about the
country until he met The Sign of the
Gross company at Peoria and Joined n
,,', men mhSon barrett took him 10 England
with his English company ana Scoyilla
hau wide stage experience on the other
slIe paying such diverse parts as Tubal I'm
The Merchant of Venice" Duncan I'm
Ina L..
Nero In The Sign of the Cross Sir To-
seph Porter in "Pinafore" and Queen or
Fairies in Jack and the BeanstaIlx ne
was was Tor time assistant stage manager for
Robespiere' with Henry Irying's com
pany. In Manchester Scoville met and fen
IN love with a girl whom he married at
the termination OF his engagement with
lrvings company They came to this coun-
try and he got a position as professor of
eiocution In the high school at Galveston
Tex. On the day of the flood ne was In
the high school building and. with others
was penned there by the water All the
next day he searched for his wife and in
the evening he found her body in the
ruins.
In Missionary Work
Grief-stunned and without ambition. SEQ
vile came to New York and wandered
aimlessly about the city. BY chance he
went into a missionary meeting where a
former opera singer was holding special
ihoe'iiisS' anu ueclueu TO join the mission
airy work. He is now taking the regular
course. and intends to work not only among
the stage folk. but among those who have
failed to establish themselves on the stage
and are drifting or have drifted into dis
solute ways Of life. OF New York the
Mecca of the stage-struck, he recently
wrote to a friend:
Il believe a great work can be done
among actors and actresses, especially
among those that have been Disappointed
In the life of the < nd
something Of themselves and get into
respectable way of living before they grad
uate down on the Bowery and Water
street. L hope that God will open up the
way for me to start this neglected good
work. And now if you know any young
men or women who are starting in on the
stage, tell them to stay ont of New York
city, for it is overrun; but il they must
seek the metropolis, let them be sure and
secure return ticket and take good care
of it."