The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-18

I met a newspaper man the first day
was in Melbourne, and became a reporte
on The Age, and 1 worked on newspa
pers till / left Australia. I was told Off tt
report a police case on a Chinese lottery
fer the Sydney Herald.
I Viewed it entirely from its humorous
side. with the result that 1 was always as
signed to Police Court work. until at last
| grew sick of it. and came back to Eng.
land. 1 worked r;y way home as third
pocket NV dear father was dead and there
was no one L cared much for, and I had
no ship to go on.
ENGAGED BY HARRINGTON
FOR LIGHT COMEDY PARTS.
Seated the next morning in the hotel cof-
fee room. feeling lonely and miserable, ]
came across an advertisement in the Daily
Telegraph from a man named Charles
Darlington, who wanted a light comedian
in "Clancarty.' to act with Helen Barry.
l went down TO the Adelphi. cutting of
my gold uniform buttons and having some
plain ones put in their stead. Curiously
enough. Hr. Darlington never asked me di-
rectly il had been on the stage.
Where have you rome FROM" said he.
Australia" l replied.
Pretty hard work there, isn't it? Change
their bill pretty often? Lots Of experience.
eh?"
Heaps" said I; every kind, which was
true enough.
He engaged me at a salary of $40 a week,
and 1 signed under my Christian name,
Harold kyrle.'' Ten laws later 1 was
playing as Lord Woodstock in ''Clancarty"
at Brighton. L thought it a jolly easy way
of earning a living. Then l found myself in
Dublin in Led Astray." l was cast for the
leading heavy part. Then Dion Boucicault
wired me to go at once to London, but I
couldn't get away.
Shortly after the whole company got
stranded in tockton-on-Tees, Helen Barry,
1 must say, had left US. One night after the
performance /, being stage manager. found
: myself. with no money in the rill, confront
ed by a lot of raw. angry Geordies. who had
worked for US as 'supers.," clamoring very
naturally for their pay.
A snowy, moonlit night it sas. I can new
er forget it. We had to fly! One of the
company. the son Of a publican in West
minster-David Honysett-lent me my third
class fare to London.
| Arrived there. 1 went straight to Dion
Boucicauit. He recognized me at once and
gave me a letter to ]. B. Blackstone at the
10 aAu i 81 va 49, GO $4,000
man in Tom Taylor's Anne Boieyn."
Forbes Robertson. Charles Warner and
Harry Conway were all acting in this piece.
1t so happened Charles Warner threw
down his part. and so Tom Taylor said:
let one of your young men Just read the
part" l was picked out. / read It for all
l was worth.
READING PLEASED MISS
NELSON.
Adelaide Nelson liked my reading. and
so Tom Taylor gave 1t TO me. Clement
Scott. l remember. gave me a compliment
airy notice for this. Thai same week Ban
croft eng sed me to take the leading juve-
nile part in Wrinkles" by H. ]. Byron.
my part being that of the young MILDLY.
But my first big '.fiuae' came in W. S.
Gilbert's Engaged" Gilbert could not get
several big men to play a certain part with
perfect seriousness.
l was called in to read the part. As it
happened 1 didn't know anything of the
other parts. l studied my own earnestly
and came on and played it as a heavy viii |
lain. which was just what Gilbert wanted.
He was delighted, and SO. unconsciously, / |
made a great hit. |
Then. in 1878, l went with Irving for two |
years, but he didn't give me much to do, |
and so l Joined Miss Litton at the Imperial |
Theater. and succeeded well az Orlando in
You Like It."
Then she rebuilt the Glasgow Theater
Royal. and gave up the Imperial. I re-
fused. however. to go to the Provinces. my
engagement being for London only. She
took me into court and 1 lost the case.
At this ~juncture Palmer telegraphed me
from New York to go and play for him.
IlnYninoY1t uunrnpi ma IN no C1Yaf1l 4
Have you signed your contract?' said he
Mind you don't until you have seen your
part" Sure enough. when / had journeyed
out to New York 1 went straight to Mr..
office. He never lifted his eyes
thing after its failure in Paris"
from the paper he was reading. What do
you WANT" l replied: Well. 1 should
rather say, what do you want? 1t was
you who sent for me, not / for you"
He handed me a part in Diana" PLAY
But. surely" said I. you won't play this
Are you manager or am To- he replied.
You must play that part"
1 refused to entertain the proposition.
PLAYED GEORGE AIRY
1 n THE BUSYBODY."
Lester Wailack wired me that very morn
ing to go to lunch with him at once. j
so, aid he offered me an engagement as
leading man for his new theater. soon to
be opened. ! returned to London for a
time to find that Miss Litton's lawyer was
me notices to attend rehearsals at
every new piece she put on. / walked one
day on to the stage at the Gaiety.
I've come to rehearsal" said I. She
was delighted. I played Sir George Airy
in '1The ~Busybody." We got on very well,
and 1 played all her leading parts until she
lied.
waIIack- in the meantime had r,t nm
some of the big Dfury lane successes-
and the like, which 1 hated, so 1
play for him. For a time was
Edgar Bruce at the Prince Of wales's.
ill one day Wallack telegraphed me to go
10 America On a two years contract.
and We had a big success.
Suddenly one day came a telegraph sum-
mons from George Edwardes. asking me 10
play in Civil War" at the Gaiety. with
Mrs. Brown Potter. / refused at first. as 1
to go yachting.
However. Abbey persuaded me to accept,