The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-06

euced offenbach's THE Princess Trebi
zonde," with John O'TooIe. Nellie Fare:
and Constance Rosebv in the principe.
roles. The translated book of the Opera
was very weak. and to strengthen It, thi:
clever trio of funmakers was given per
mission to introduce specialties, a privi
lege unknown in those DAYS of conserva,
| tive old England. This. saws Mr.. Leigh.
was the origin of musical comedy.
John Toole is the onlv member of the
original company still living. Nellie Far
rem died recently. and John HolIingshcad
died only three weeks ago.
The innovation introduced at the Gaiety
was enormously successful. and soon was
IN vogue in other theaters. Managers and
actors found reason for new license in the
production OF old works and new enter
tainment was written to conform to the
new standard.
The revival of Siberia at Havlln's
Theater recalls the pathetic career OF
Barley Campbell, the author. He was a
poor man before his plays earned him
money and fame. and he was poor when
he died. In the interim of prosperity he
literally threw his m~oney>away. He was
liberal. a spendthrift and a good fel-
Iowa combination of characteristics
which depletes the purse and makes the
heart ache.
He failed disastrously as a IN fo-
he lacked the reasoning power which con-
ducts a man safely between accomplish
mert and speculation. He speculated and
lost.
In his time America possessed few dram
atists. He died July 30. 1888. after a
career Of authorship that lasted little
more than sixteen years. During that
period dramatis.s usually depended for a
living upon some more lucrative profess
sion than playwriting.
Barley Campbell vas above all n pro
fess onai American dramatist, and what
ever success his career brought to hin
came solely from the writing of Plays.
Bronson Howard, whose talent is finer
and truer than C~ampbe.rs. and Frederick
Marsden. were then the only dramat.sts
in this country who were content to write
plays and nothing else. Other writer's for
the stage made their labors a part issue.
and were either lawyers, actors. mana
gers-notably Augustin Daly-or had an
AiiutpCiuCltt WHICH III nut I1dhC pldy-
writing necessary for a living.
BARLEY Campbell set himself to one
task, earnestly. boldly, and. within certain
rapid limits. triumphantly. He wrote
twenty-one plays, all together. My Part
ner" was one of the famous dramas of
the time. The Galley Slave has been
popular and 'The White Slave hardly
less so. Siberia still pieases and has
the longest record of all his plays for
continuous years Of performance.
BARLEY Campbell was a rapid and su-
p~erficial worker, and had his failures.
He gave himself credit for thought. care
and realism in the preparation of his
plays. His success was not the result of
patient and industrious effort. His brain
was sensitive. his vanity excessive, and he
took life easy-perheps because he had
taken it SO hard previously.
H was born in Allegheny. At 13 he
was a student in a lawyers Office in Pitts
burg. He became a exporter, an editor and
finally official reporter for the House of
Representatives of Louisiana. and it was
in New Orleans that he began to write
plays. His first piece was Through Fire
and Water" and it vas acted -four weeks.
Other plays by him were: MY Geral-
dine" Fairfax The virginian," 1.-THE
Big Bonanza" THE Vigilantes." Friend
and Foe" "Paauita" and Separation"
Barley Campbell was over s feet in
height and bore a remarkable resemblance
to Artemus Ward. He was an excellent
conversationalist. always ready in re-
partee.
Henry Clay Barnabec's former under
study. Jack Martin, long a principal in
the Bostorians. has Joined the Hayes
Louisiana" Martin plays the Gendarme