Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-11-01
house and the children acted juvenile

mousse anu Tue CulIuLSn aStSu JufShAiS
parts.
transforming through Missouri and
Texas, with many hardships, fills the
next chapter in their history, finally
bringing them up in Matamoras, Mex
leo, where they had been inveigled by
wild tales of the fortunes Of war. Sol
diers, gamblers and the ''rag-tag and
bob-taiI' that usually follow i'll the
wake of an army, composed the audi
ence. But soon the soldiers were or
dered away-the town deserted and
the theater closed Something had to
be done to make money, so young JEFF
ferson and another stranded actor
opened a coffee and cake stand in a
bar-room called 1.-The Grand Spanish
Saloon" Picturing the great Jefferson
running a lunch counter for gamblers
and desperadoes is enough to make
ones imagination lame from over
stretching. The venture was a success
financially, but the novelty of lodging
bullets while passing cup Of hot
coffee across the counter without spill
ing drop having somewhat worn off,
the business was sold and the com
pany returned to the States.
Mr.. Jefferson then Joined his half
brother, Edmund Burke, at the Arch
Street Theater. Philadelphia, and the
following years were less invested
with such hardships as had come to
him up to that time. He acted vari-
ously-in legitimate work-as a stock
member, star and manager, and was
associated at different times with most
Of the famous artists of the stage.
Nor was his experience bounded by
the limits of our own shores, for in
1861 he sailed from San Francisco,
spending four years in successfully
touring Australia. New Zealand and
Tasmania. The return trip was made
via South America, after a long stay
i'll London On arrival in London, he
met Dion Boucicault, who asked him
If he intended to act, and what ma
terial he had. Mr.. Jefferson replied
that he intended to act If there was
good opening, and said that he had a
great part in an Indifferent play called
Rip Van Wrinkle.
The result was the reconstruction Of
the play by Boucicault and a run. OF
more than ITO nights in London-the
play opening on Sept 5, 1865.
The idea of using the quaint old
character first came TO him during the
summer of 1859, when, one rainy
afternoon, he had climbed to the loft
Of the barn at his country home to
read 1.-THE Life cad Letters Of Wash
ingtox Irving" Much to his astonish-
ment, he found himself mentioned in
the book, and, impressed by the COM
pliment OF the author, his mind dwelt
upon a list of his books. As he thought
of "The Sketch Book" there was some
thing In the rhythm of Rip Van Win
kle that riyeted his interest like magic,
and from that moment he never lost
interest in the character.
Dramatizations of the sketch had
been played by Yates, Hackett and
Burke, but they had met with indif-
ferent success, and II was not until
the happy meeting in London when
Bcucicault riveted with his master
skill the structure that Jefferson him
self had made that its success was as
sured. Just before the opening in
London, Mr.. Jefferson found himself
in a curious situation as a result Of
his absorbing enthusiasm Of the char
acter. Having procured the white
wig. beard and dress that had stood
twenty years of hard weather on the
mountains, be began a dress rehearsal
in front Of bis mirror in its rooning
house. Not long after. he was inter-
rupted by the chambermaid, who said
that the police were insisting that a
lunatic was in his room. And. looking
into the street he saw large crowd
that. TO him, looked ike the entire
population Of London. taking in his
performanee-for he had forgotten to
pull down the blind.
Mr.. Jefferson is now at Palm Beach,
the beautiful plantation home that he
purchased many years ago. Nature.
always lavish Of her verdure gifts IN
Southern climes, wa especially gener-
Gus To her ornamenAtion Of this de-
lightfll Eden.