Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-29

~, .."i SulIouituiHSS, ana carry gave indications of artistic abilities. His first playhouse was sbehind the scenes" for the back door of his home Tn Washington, D. C., where the fam fly removed shortly after his birth. opened upon the stage of a theater, where his father was manager, and the youngster was allowed full run of the place. As soon as he was large en6ugh he peopled the stage with stock com pany consisting of two small boy play mates and their sister. Jefferson com piled all the plays, and was stage man. ager by right of possession. He him. self was always pressed into dramatic service whenever a small child was wanted. His first public appearance or which he afterward preserved a recollection was as the child of Pizorro on the shoulders of an infuriated trage- dian crossing a shaky bridge amid the noise or, ire arms, as Rolla. To render his position more secure the child grasped the hair of Rolla's head, there by pulling off his head dress, wig and all. and leaving the noble Peruvian bald-headed before an admiring au- dience.
 Then the youngster was much taken with the novel entertainment being presented in Washington at that time by a MT, Fletcher and called the "Liv- Ing Statues" Young Jefferson be- came so statue-struck that he could do nothing but strike attitudes as "Aiax Defying the Lightning" or the ''Dying Gladiator" His grandmother challcel to notice the child in corner of the greenroom one day engaged in imitat- ing Fletcher. She called him to her and found that he had got all the "buisness' of the statutes, though he could not have pronounced the name Of one of them. She made him dress similar to that worn by Fletcher, and at the age of three years young Joseph was giving in public in Washington what must have been the most comical act of his entire career, perfectly serious imitation of these statues in classic poses.
 T. D. Rice came to Washington to sing his "Jim Crow" songs. Little Joseph caught them up directly and danced and sang "Jim CrOw' from garret to cellar. The comedian insist ed that his young imitator should ap- pear with him on the occasion of his benefit, so on that occasion the little Jefferson was duly blacked up and dressed in complete miniature like ness of Rice, who put the youngster in- to a bag and carried him on the stage upon his shoulders. At the end of tue second stanza of his song "Oh, ladies and gentlemen,
 I'd have you for to know,
 That I've got little darkey here That jumps Jim Crow"-
 he turned the bag upside down and emptied Jefferson out head first be- fore the eyes of the astonished audi ence. Joe sang alternate stanzas of the song with Rice and delighted the crowd. Money was thrown over the fOotlights, and twenty-four dollars was picked up and given into the delighted child's hands.
 Mir Jefferson's well-known taste for drawing and painting showed itself at an early age. His father could not keeping his drawing box away from him. His almost daily inquiry would be, "JOe, where's my paint?' Its gOne," the child would reply. "Yes, sir, I know it's gone: but where, where?'' Him lost" would be Joe's reply. "Yes, sir, know it's lost and gone; but how and where?' The boy would look up and say rougishly. Him hook 'em. and then his grandfather would phophesy what a great artist that child would 0.le day become. And truly the inheri- tance of talent was never more clearly shown than in the case of Joseph lief fersOn. He seemed in all things g reiteration of his grandfather, who died in 1928, when his grandson was four years old.
 Jefferson had certain sapient ma turity, even in his childhood. as illus. trated by the following anecdote That rare comedian, Henry J. Finn, going in. to the greenrOOm one night at the Washington theater. dressed for the part he was to act, observed little Joe, wrapped in shawl. sitting in a cor ner. After various fiourishes of action and mimicry, in which he was admir- ! able, he paused in front of the boy. and not dreaming that such a tiny creature could make reply, sOlemnly inquired.
 Well, my little friend. what do you | him with serious eyes and gravely an swered. Il think you are very won- derful man."
 In a short time the family removed to Baltimore, where JeffersOn's sister Cornela. who afterward was a mem-
 Der of his companies and made many appearances with him. was born. One of the dearest friends of Jefferson's s childhood days was q Mrs Neal. who keya a bookstore in Sixth street in Philadelphia. where the family went from Baltimore. and whom he himself has described as "a dear. old lady with q sweet smile and large. wide blue eyes; just the credulous and contidine sort of person that boy of seven could wind around his little finger" In 1S37 the Jefferson family was liv- ing in New York at No 26 James
 street. The fence in the rear separat. ed it from the old Jewish burying ground on Pearl street, which young
 Jefferson with. other boys was fond of
 using as a playground. Joseph Jeffer. sons first appearance in New York was made at the Franklin theater 6l | September 3O. 1S31, when he was eight years old. and of which the following notice is recorded: Master Titus, whose songs and dances were much ap. | plauded. took a benefit cn the 3Cth when he appeared with Master Joseph Jefferson in a celebrated combat, il being this lads first appearance out
 of the juvenile supernumerary ranks This little fellow was the grandson of the great comedian of the same name