Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-29
THEATRICAL
 CHATTER

hardsMps of which were made endur- able, only by the unflagging spirits of Jefferson's father.
 In Springfield. Ill, during one of the excursions Mir Jefferson's father and partner built n little theater of rough boards. but just as it was about to be opened the religious aldermen of the town passed n license law that was prohibitive in its effect. Abraham Lin coin, then young lawyer, came to the rescue of the Thespians and delivered before the aldermen such tactful and humorous speech that the exorbitant tax was removed.
 Amid scenes of that kind young lief ferson learned to be an actor, and aside from barely three months at school which he once enjoyed that was the only kind of training he ever re- ceived.
 From the west the little company went south, encOuntering all sorts of the elder Jefferson. After that young Jefferson and his sister played chil. dren's part in the theater, Joseph also grinding colors in the paint room at a salary of $6 per week each, and to help out matters Mrs Jefferson opened q boarding house. In the course of this southern experience Mir Jefferson acted in support of James Wallack, with i hacready i'll Werner and acted Samp
 son in The Iron Chest with the elder Booth. At Clarksville, Tenn, in the course of more transforming. he act ed Glavis in The Lady of Lyons. and felt as he has said that he was ''get- ting on." Soon after he was acting at the St Charles theater, New Orleans, where Mir and Mrs Charles Kean, Anna Cora Mowatt. and James H. Hackett were among the stars. After following ! with the company the army in Mexico, where he for time kept a lunch cOun- ter in saloon. Jefferson finally drifted to New Orleans, where he saw John F. Owens in farce. which stirred in him his first great ambition to be success. full actor. His next professional ell. gagement was at the Arch street thea" ter in Philadelphia, then under the management of w. E.. Burton. After and acting for the first time as star in Cumberland. following this. in the fall of 1S49, during which Jefferson re- | ceived the sad news of his mothers death in Philadelphia. he returned to that city and became an actor at the Amphftheater at $2O week, having varied experience in such productions as Captain Kidd, Dick Turpin, Mazep- pa, St George, and The Dragon, etc,
 Jefferson began an engagement at Chanfrau's New National theater in
 New York, on September 10, 1S49, ap- bearing as Jack Rackbottle in Jona. than Bradford. The Poor Soldier was also acted that night, Margaret Gle
 ment LOckyer an. English actress eigh-
 teen years old. appearing as Norah.
 Miss Lockyer became Mrs Joseph Jef-
 ferson on May, 19, 1850, the wedding occurring at the old church in Oliver street, Barney Williams acting as groOmsman and Jefferson's sister as
 bridesmaid. The season at the New
 National lasted to July 6, 1850, and
 among the players with whom Jeffer-
 son was associated during that time were Mrs D. r. Bowers, Sarah Crock
 CT, Frank s. Chanfrau, Anna Cruse, ] Fanny Herring, Emily Mestayer, Bar
 ney Williams. Harry Watkins and Oth- I CTS. The elder Booth also acted at the | National in those days, and Edwin
 Booth made his first New York ap-
 pearance there. In the autumn of 1859
 Jefferson and his wife went to Mitch ells Olympic. In the season of 1S51-o2 | he was with the Irish comedian Hud-
 son at Niblo's Garden. He then form
 ed a partnership with John Ellsler and took a dramatic company through the
 south. Things went badly until an en-
 gagement was made with Sir William
 Don, which strengthened them out. After a second season in the south, with Julia Dean as the young man.
 ager's brilliant star. Jefferson returned | to Philadelphia and at the Chestnut
 Street theater. under the management of John Gilbert. he played Dr OllapOd.
 Bob Acres. pr Panglos and other
 comedy characters.
 In 1853 he became stage-manager at the Baltimore Museum for Henry C.
 Jarrett, and in 1851 was manager for
 John T. Ford in his theater at Rich
 mond, Va. where he had some interest
 ing experiences with Edwin Forrest.
 In the summer of 1856 he made a trip
 to Europe to study the acting then to
 be seen in London and Paris.
 In London he commissioned Bouci- cault to recast. and rewrite the old play of Rip Van Niakle for production in
 the English capital. Charles Burke | had made his version of this piece sev- eral years before. and Jefferson had
 acted it several times since he had ap- peared as Rip under the management of John T. Raymond at CarusO's hall. | Washington. in the autumn of 1Sl9. lis success was not immediate then.
 but when Jefferson appeared as Rip | on September f. 1865. at the Adelphi ltheater, London. and one hundred and
 seventy nights following. his success | was great. and has since ripened into a renown as wide as the world. There have been many players of Rip Van Wrinkle. and there may he many more. | but there Is but one Jefferson. and the Arcadian vagabond of the world of dreams. the tender. droll. gentle drift Ling human creature full of quaint hu- nor and pathos which he made of Rip was the masterpiece of fine mind and career. and has been for years the won | der creation of the American stage. It is more than fifty years since he first played the part of Rip. but his last per i formances of it had only grown in fascinating spell and charm The
 story of his professional life since lSs'' is mainly a record of pleasant wander | ings and appearances in the parts or Rip Van Wrinkle. Bob Acres. and pr Paneloee. Down to 1sG6 the most
 widely known and accepted Rip Van II T v.xxf a