Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-10-21
Hall Game S
Tribute to Irving

- IR HENRY IRVING would hava
y visited San Francisco next year
had he lived, and Manager Pyper
would have left no stone unturned
10 induce tho famous actor 10 give at
least one performance In salt Lake, He
was one Of the very few stars Of the
brightest magnitude who never visited
this city.
How great a loss the stage has sus-
tanned In Sir Henry's death, is well told
by Hall Game the novelist, In the
New York Herald. The following is an
extract from an extended tribute;
II he had any selhshness It was only
In the possession OF rare ana beautiful
objects-priceless books, objects Of art
and relics Of great men-and the people
who had such things to sell were quick
to learn where It was best to sell them.
| His rooms in Grafton street and M
the theater were full Of treasures, and
even in his most prosperous days, one
way or other his money too often went
| through his hands Ike water lie loved
| 10 live and during the best of his life
| he lived wildly every day and every
| hour Of Il.
Such was The natural man, and II az
| later period his character seemed TO de.
| velcp for q While a certain bitterness
| the change Yves not to be wondered at,
| in the light of the butfating he suffered
| AT the hands ~ an nscrutable fate The
old tavorte Of the footlghts seemed to
| lose his hold the public appauded but
| no longer followed him. lie had never
| been q practical man In the commercial
| sense. and just as In his prosperous
| times he had sometimes spent more on
| some Of his productions than could pos
| siblv return 10 rim n he filled his thea
| ter TO the utmost capacity on every
| night Of his season, so in his declining
| DAVIS he continued 10 present plays
| which the public did not want
had times came on rapidlv: his treas
! ures had 10 be disposed Of and his rare
books hnd to he sold as part Of the
library Of a gentleman" At last. with
| hts other possessions, his thaater it.
SELF PASSED out OF his hands. and then
the head of the profession. the chiof Of
Fncllsh actors, the one rlaver IN Eng
laud perhans In tho world who had be-
come famous outside lhs own Wink Of
llfo and ona ~ the men Of the ape.
! l''''Ffi ~ AIl I"Fi''H anu IN'.N Nil N'l'''f
his time became rambler without
a home.
LONDON'S GREAT TRIBUTE.
Small wonder IL his temper sometimes
got the better Of him and he said BIT
ter things Of the publc-especially the
play-going public-who ran after The
plays and the puppets he desplsed and
set 80 little store by the ideals OF dra
matte art TO which he has consecratel
his life, But the bitterness soon passed
and his last days We're sweetened by
the sense Of a possession that must
have been mere precious 10 him than
many tOrtupCs-the possession Of the
heart Of the public
Nobody WHO was present at II will
ever forget the last hour Of the last
night Of Henry lrylngg last engage.
ment IN London. The vast area Of Dru-
ry Lane Theatcr was packed with peo-
p,c-hls people, every one Of them. At
the fall Of the curtain he made a lit 8
speech, very tender and touching and
beautifully spoken. The audience list
, ened breathlessly and then, as though
divining that this was the last they
were ever TO see Of their old friend
, and favorite, they broke into tumul uous
] cheers
The cheering went on for nearly halt
an hour and II seemed us If 1t would
never stop. | think II was next dag
, that | met irving alone on the empty
stage, ana after thanking him for a
reference that had come closely home
TO me / tried I'm some feeble way tl
say what a priceless thing It was "a
J have won the love of a public that
could express itself M a scene like that
II was worth everything else a man.
I NHIt IL
, SO terveut so afcCtonite, so deep 50
true. / think ] was good deal moved
when ] said this and | am sure that
Irving was moved as he listened 10 It
There was the faint clouding OF tho
eyeglasses, the slightest tremble Of tn,
lips, the perceptble motion IN the
, throat and then he turned a little aside
I and said In a voice that could barely
! support itself Yes, II is something tc
have lived for, isn't ST."
. That Is not quite my last memory OF
Henry Irving. for he sent me his love
and good wishes a few days before
sailed FOR New York, but ! prefer &c
: think OF Il as my last, for II leave.
him for me IN the position he liked best
! to illl-that of the loyal and grateful
! and devoted servant OF the public. And
now, having recovered from the shock
Of his death, ! do not lament his sud.
% | den end. He died I'm the fulness OF
time, at the height OF his fame anc
In the midst Of the work he loved tn,
. best There is nothing to regret but
much 70 be glad OF and to be proud
Of ana TO rejoice In. That a great
> man IN any walk Of life should dc
when his work Is done is not terrible al
all, but fact that robs death OF nearly
E oll rs terror Such was Irvng's case
: and, speaking as one Of his Oldest sur.
T vvine friends, much as / shall miss
his at'ectionate comradeship, shall moi
: allow myself to be sorry that after his
] long Journey end his heavy day the
! tired traveller has lain down Ia rest.
? lie has cone and there f. no one 10
? take his place--no one either In Eng.
= land or America, A great tree has
fallen In the forest and Il has left d
; great clearing HIS work is only a
record now, for It Is the fatality OF this