The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11

my voice IN oratory in behalf of Abra-
lam Lincoln. Through the Influence Of
Sheridan Shook. 7 became secretary Of
the Republican central committee &C
the state OF New York. The mutations
of politics dropped me from this POSI-
tor Then I found very conseniai
employment as librarian OF the Mer-
camille library.
%About this time Mr.. Shook. Who was
engaged in many outside specUlati0ns
INDUCED in a theatrical venture in
partnership with man named Butler.
leased the Union Square theater. and IN
i prosecuted 4 variety performance.
This experiment continued. If [ remem-
Ter right. for about one year and re-
suited in a very heavy loss. Mr. Shook
knew I had a great fondness for the
theater and that the warm friends.
such as Billy Florence and Ben Bryant,
had in the dramatic profession had
il culcated in me a keen and dlscrimi-
mating taste for the drama When
Butler failed TO achieve success. Mr..
Shook looked about him for some one
who could manage the Union Square
enterprise His knowledge Of my dra-
matte penchant made HIM think of the
Union Square theater.
Il determined upon a radical deDar-
ture IN the conduct of the affairs Of
that establishment, and selected the
best stock company that money could
procure. I need only mention the names
of Charles r. Thorne, Sarah Jewett,
James II. Stoddart. John PaTcelie. Nc
Kee Rankin. Rose Eytinge. Stuart Roo
son and Mary Wilkins to give an idea
or the character OF the company which
termed the basis of the famous Union
Square successes. I followed this Win
Ming departure with a series of matt
nees. in which Clara Morris appeared
IS the star and young Salvini made his
first American appearance"
Just the other day a man said dur
ing discussion on the merits of pres
ent day dramatic criticism: II believe
that if another William Hazlitt could
appear he would create a sensation"
Possibly he would for he was a most
sensible and most entertaining writer
For instance. note his remarks upon the
work OF the play reviewer. as published
when he was the most prominent and
distinguished OF British critics:
"A person who undertakes 10 give an
account OF the acted drama may be
supposed 20 be led to this by some
fondness for and some knowledge of
the stage He praises the
good, he holds out a warning to the
bad. The last may have cause to com
pain, but the first do not thank YOU a
I bit the more. You cheer them in the
tpath of glory, show them where 10
pluck fresh laurels. 80 teach them to
shun the preeipice on which their
hopes may be dashed 10 pieces: YOU
devote your time and attention to
them; are romantic, gay. witty. pro-
found. in adjoining their art with every
establishment you have in store. to
make it interesting 10 others: you oc-
cupy The ears and the eyes of the town
with their pames and affairs: weigh
their merits and defects in daily. week
~, monthly scales. with as much prep
alton and fOrmality as if the fate OF
the world depended on their failure or
success: and yet they seem TO suppose
that Your whole business and only OBJ
Ject are 10 degrade and villify them in
public estimation. What YOU saw i'm
praise of any individual is set down to
the scOrn Of his merit: what you say
otherwise, in common justice 20 your
self, is considered as a mere effusiOn OF
| spleen, stupidity and spite-as If you
took particular pleasure in torturing
his feelings"