The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-29

made millions laugh and weep m unlson with the varying moods of his matchless art is at B wars of age in spiTl. .ai,, ana :, whose individuality is indissolubly linked in the minds of the American people with that delightful character-dear old Rlp.
 Mir. Jefferson with part of his family MT. Charles B. Jefferson and MT. William Jefferson and his charming wife-reached Montgomery on the early Plant system train yesterday morning They came from Palm Beach, the palattal flagler resort where they have been spending the winter, and a few dollars. At u:lo the party went on to Mobile where the balance of the company and MT. Je1er- sons private car will meet them tooay' Monday night they open Tn Mobile with Rip Van Winkle' as the bill and that is the beginning of the spring tour. MT. Jefferson never overtaxes himself and his fall tour opens in October, continuing a month or so after which he rests until the opening of the spring tour in April Tuesday night they will be at the Mont- gomery Theatre, MT. Jefferson appearing in his inimitable character creation of Bob Acres in ''The Rivals, Sheridan famous story. From Montgomery the company goes on up the line, the spring tour winding up at New York
 Never has a more delightfully."- enter taining half hour been spent than the one an Advertiser representative enjoyed with the Jefferson party yesterday morn- ing. and from the incessant twinkling and ripples of laughter in his kindly eyes it seemed to afford the old man as much pleasure in relating his "reminiscences as 1t most assuredly did the nearer in hs- tening to them.
 My first appearance on the American stage was some seventy years ago." said MT. Jefferson. 'I was about three years old, and when child was neded in the play-it was my fathers stock company l was put on. 1 shall never forget my experience on a raft or rather fiatboat. he continued. We had reached Nashville and the Cumberland River was so low that 1t was impossible for a steamboat to run in it. We were on our way to New Orleans and as railroads were prac- tically unknown quantities In those days, we had to rely on steamboats entirely. We'll there we were in Nashville with no chance of getting steamboat to Mem phis and the Mississippi, so we secured a large fatboat and rigged up some tents and cabins on 1t. In this manner we slowly and tortuously-or tortoisely- wended our way down the Cumberland, into the Ohio and down the Mississippi to Memphis. At Memphis we got a steam boat through to New Orleans, but tt was with great regret that l gave up my raft think it was one of the most delightful journeys that in all my life have ever taken.
 When did | play The Rivals in Mont gomery last? It was about fifteen years ago. l think. Mrs. John Drew was Mrs. Malaprop, MT. Frank Robinson Sir An thony Absolute. Nr. Charles Wayerly Sir Lucius O'Trigger and Miss Viola Allen Lydia Languish. These were the prin- cipals and none of them had then reach ed the zenith of the fame that has since come to some of them, except, perhaps. Mrs. Drew and myself. Miss Allen was then barely 70 years Of age-she was Tn Montgomery not long ago, think. as the star in company presenting Stanley Weyman's beautiful story, In the Palace of the King When we left for Atlanta another experience was added to my long hst-such a thing as chartering a Pull man sleeping car was so preposterous an idea as not even to be thought of. and such almost mythical things as private cars were solely for the use of those lofty personages, railroad presidents, The best we could do was to get an ordinary day coach. fit it up with lot of cots, mattresses pillows, etc. and convert IL
 into fairly comfortable t',aI, sleeping car, on that trip?'' he asked turning to his son, MT. Charles R. Jefferson who by the way is the manager of the company
 .'Ar WayerIy." he said explaining, had an alarm clock under his pillow and just