Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-04-24


through Mississippi. thence through
The leading towns of Texas on into
Mexico.
At :hc end nf this season Mr.. Jeff.
crsh'" though still a boy. went Ia
Philadelphia. where he appeared ut the
Arch street theatre. under the manage.
mcnt Of Mr. Burton. He sftcrward
conducted dramatic performances at
prale's museum in Philadelphia. and
l;len started on his first star engage.
mcnt. during which his mother died
aud he returned TO Philadelphia.
In 1912 h" married. Miss l.ockyer.
The next year he joined the Elder
'lml.'a company, which was Then
playing az New Way 10 Pay OLD
l'e!hs." After two years In stock
company work. lie went to Macon AMI
Sav.irah, Ga. where ne engaged in i
partnership with Il friend anu managed
l:e local theatres. For tho next six
sears h" was engaged part of the limo
as actor and part as manager.
liz lS3i Mr. Jefferson went to Eng.
lnnl He was hospitality received in
london. From there he Went Ia Par.
is H. lSa7 he again appeared in
New York al the opening al the Laura
k,cna theatre in the leading COMEDY
character OF "'rhc Heir at Law" He
WAS severely criticised for having in.
tctr"laiod passages which did not he.
lriiS 10 The piece. aud for which he
afterwards excused himself eli the
ground that il was good art.
Fhe turning point IN the life Of Mr..
Jtffnsch. as in That of several o,her
u'tel actors since, camc in 1883, when
'rlrr American Cousin was PIT on
the M.ar,ls. The success of this play
was phenomenal fer that day il ran
mere Than $50 rights. and has contin.
utd to lie n favorite even to this day.
Jcncrs"a played Asa Trencharfl, ami
!; y. Sothern originated lis celebrated
impcrsonati3n of Lord Duldreary. The
company Included William Blake. T.
y Suthern alid Charles w. Couldocl,.
Rip Van Wrinkle.
Tho year 1865 fcnnd MIR. Jefferson
'lsain III Ensland. On arri,i ing in
l..micn he met mis- old friend Dion
li"uricaYt 20 whom he suggested
working up the play which has since
l.ecnsknown as ;''ltib Van Wrinkle" *
Mr.. Jcffcison's own account of how,
he happened 10 hit upon this part Is
interesting. During the summer Of
1853 he boarded with family Mt an
cid Datch farm house in Pennsylvania
While there he found tho Life of Let.
lers Of Washington Irving" AMI in
reading the hook was pleased to see
reference to himself by Mr.. Irving.
WHO had s.nn him play GollEncL In.
the ''iuad to Ruin"
Thinking of Washington Irving"
he said, II thought of his sketch
onk' altL then Ut Rip Van Wrinkle. Tho
story all ea'ly had bern dramalized sew.
oral Tines and had been as many
lines ACTED without success, sc ! gath
cad together The various drnmatiza.
titns. AMI ont of them concccted enc.
vi ich played IN Washington under
Tie management of john Il. RaynGnd
The r.sul. was not entirely satislac.
tory. hut | still realized The r,,ssibili.
!ns 81 The play and offered 1t 10 Zion
Bonciranlt. He rewrotc The drama to
a''oh tho same condition II has hecn
ever since"
The rewritten plays first perform.
aace was given by Mr.. jefferson at the
A"elphi theatre in London. Sept. 5.
1866 1t ran ITO nights. after which
ii was carried TO Manchester and ,-iv-
rrponl. Then Mr.. Jefferson brought
il I" New York, where it was pro,:uc-
O., ID New York. where 1t was pro-
Gaccd on Sspt. 3. 1866. 1llc play at
lcce established itself In the hearts of
the American prrH hid buraine .and
has ever since hecr the nlosr taking
card ia Mr.. jefferson $ collection.
Dec ~. 1867, in Chicago Mi. Jeifer-
son married his econd wife. Sarah
Warren. In 1875 Mr.. jefferson made
third trip to I1on,!cn and Paris also
visiting Scotland and Ireland.
Early in the seventies MIR. Jefferson
purchased plantation in louisiana.
on Bayou Teche. where he livcl during
the winter while he spent his sum-
mer ON a farm he had purchased In
New Jersey.
In recent years Mr. Jefferson rur-
chased hcnlc ut Dulzard's Day, where
he spent his sUmmers.. The, winter
months were spent in Florida.