The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-05-05
JOE JEFFERSON SIDE LIGHTS
ANECDOTES TOLD ABOUT oRlel.
NAToR OF RIP VAN WlNKLE.
INTERVIEWING AN INTERVIEWER

Tables on a Reporter - Why He
Drew the Line on a Tank In the
Drama.
The last illness of the late Joseph
Jefferson led to the telling OF lnnn
merable anecdotes The aged actor had
an eventful life, possessed a keen sense
Of bumor and was very FOND Of re-
counting his adventures. says the Phil
sdelphIa Public Ledger. Stories, there
fore, were told by him as frequently as
OF him
IL have been told that you are very
shy Of interviewers and very hard to
interview" asked u reporter OF MIR
Jefferson some time ago
THAT all depends upon the manner
In which ! am approached" replied the
actor. THAT reminds me OF an expert
ence ! had some years ago in q western
city. A card was brought to me, and
went down into the parlor TO zee the
sender. As l entered the room = tall
youth, with long hair pushed OF his
forehead and turned behind his ears.
surveyed me with a cool and patronix-
ing mir was really quite embarraSs-
cd by his lofty aud superior mannsr.
"'You desire to see msr asked. He
pursed ny his lips and, with another
cool survey. gave me a patronizing nod
without IA word.
by this time was quite crushcd.
He leaned back In his chair and, tax
Ing a notebook and pencil from bis poe
ket, prepared to put down what might
have to say. His unruffied manner was
now quite intolerable, and determin-
Cd TO be revenged upon the earliest OPP
portunity.
His first question, without looking
at me, was, How old are your
"l replied at once, Ninety two
"He had TO look at me now. and a
faint Rlimmer of sympathetic surprise
overspread his hitherto immovabls
face.
"'Ninety-two,' he said. You really
don't look it.
mo; carry my age very we'll And
how old are your
This came so suddenly upon him
that he was quite taken aback and re-
piled, 'Twentyfour.'
"Indeedv said |. You don't look It. ;
/ now took out my notebook and pen
Gil and FREQ off list OF questions that
fairly took his breath away. In less
than five minutes I had drawn from
him the population of the town, its
principal products, the name OF the
mayor and the general statistics relat-
ing TO its prosperity. then bade him
good evening"
Jefferson had prejudice against
elaborate scenic effects. Not 80 his
son, Charles B. Jefferson, who was for
merly his manager. That gentleman
is an apostle of realism. More than
that, he introduced the tank IN the
drama. 1.-THE Dark Secret" languished
until he put tank in it. That one ex-
perience made Charles Jefferson u firm
believer in the business policy of CIV
ing the public whatever 1t demanded.
good or bad, on the stage.
When he broached the subject Of the
tank TO his father the latter looked at
him in silent disgust. A few days la
ter, when the old comedian heard the
scenes read in which the tank was to
figure, he sighed and said:
"Well, my boy, it's bad. very bad, but
I'm afraid they will have to go and see
It. It's too bad, too bad. suppose
the public must suffer. They can't
help themselves"
And then when they went to look at
the tank, very much against the actors
inclination. and the younger man, In
his zeal in showing how the thing
worked, fell In and had TO swim out,
Joseph Jefferson said II was q just
punishment. He then and there wash
Cd his hands Of the tank. A few
months later Charles cornered his ia
tber alone one day and told him he
had an important proposition to make
'T have an idea" said he, 'of how
we can rejuvenate Rip and make II
one Of the most popular successes Of
the day"
more Of your DonsenseT
"No nonsense at all. You say your.
self that a play, to be perfectly don~,
the story OF the play should be CON-
pletely acted. Now In Rip part Of the
story is told and not acted"
what do you meanT
why, Rip tells you know, how he
crosses the river. jumps in and saves
the girl from drowning. Now, why NOT
act that instead Of tell III We could
have tank; you could come out In d
boat and dive In TO rescue the girl The
sight Of Joe Jefferson climbing up a
bank out Of real water with a wst
and limp girl in his arms would draw
the public like a magnet What dc
you think OF itT'
Joe Jefferson said he thought II waA
the biggest piece OF impudence II had
been his misfortune to hear for a long
| time.
'I really think father was angry
with me for the suggestion" said the
manager as he laughed over the re