Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-17
JEFFERSON nUMBlED


lsOulN, NiNiN vi iNNN' w" ~ w ~
become one Of III Mos, pronounced fa-
voritcs Of I'LL the Gsvtors who visited the
city.
Jefferson's eagly life was OF the most
varied DESERT "a, tli.sgh never eN'
tending bcyonA the llm.N OF tie SOCK
and busk.n save whln for awh IL he
essayed to run n cafe In u Texas town.
but, despite It's Kaleidoscope quality, II
was never II In which the cmlarrass'
ment OF dismal artistic failure catered
except on this occasion. The genial Oh
actor. the ,,ean of the American stage |
ut the time Of his death, d,smlsses 1t In
Il kindly but brief mauper n his "Au'
photography" Yet II Is apparent that he
was stung 10 the quick by the tiasco.
for he did not appear In 81. Louis
again for thirty-two years and then
only when his position had scared to
assured and brilliant stellar heights.
Speaking of this reappearnnce in 1876.
he merely says that II was his FIRST In
81. Louis since the memorable season
when as Il youth | had been Kissed
from the stage"
II was in 1914 that the trouble oc-
Cured, when Jefferson was but III
teen years old. The occasion was his
first trip to the we I and south. He
had joined the company, OF which his
mother was Il member, the season he
fore, when it MAS starting for the west.
had played in Chicago. then only an
insignificant village. worked down
through Illinois 70 Louisiana ana Mis-
sissippi. and Oh the return north be-
Il Il summer engagement IN 81.
Louis under the management of Lud-
low & Smith. then one Of the o
prominent theatrical firms in the
try. The stars Of his company, an ex-
ceptionally good one for its time, in
Guided players whose names are well
remembered even unto today, and
among nlem were such notables in
the stage world as MIR. and Mrs.
Charles Kean. Anna Cora Mowatt and
James Il. Hackett.
The season spent IN travel had been
%uneventful. and that in st. Louis was
no departure from this even tenor eX-
cept for the unfortunate iiasco which
befell young Jefferson. Everything
went well until the night of the Fourth
of July. and on this occasion the man
agement decided to make the perform
ance fitting TO the cay by intr3I 'lg
at the close Of the regular lai pa
triotic tableailx. in which jefferson
was doputea to act as sol1st and sily
the star ~Splncled Banner" When
the assignment was given him hc VAS
plunged into an ecstass OF &c isl F.
Hitherto he had been playing all man
ner of small parts. handbag properties
and doing sch other thing of general
utility az tie managers saw fit to ssh
die upon him. and now for the first
time in his career he was to stand in
the center of the stage. the attention
of the audience concentrated upon his
Youthful form. and render the star
number Of the bill.
The patriotic tableau had been heavi-
" billed, and the house was crowded
for the Independence day performance.
Jefferson was in n frenzy Of excite
ment, and as he peeped through the
curtain at the great audience he felt
that his reputation was made. For
: days he had rehealsed the national an.
them, sung 1t backward and for
r ward" as he subsequently declared
until he was certain Of the effect he
> would produce. coupled especially with
the enthusiasm that would naturally
be in the air on such al occasion. This
night his fame was in the making; OF
the morrow it would leap from tongue
to tongue around the town. So he fell
and proudly strutted the stage In thu
ardor and assuredness Of his youth
waiting impatiently for the moment
to come when he, and he alone, w6ult
be the center OF interest, the star o.
the principal event on the bill.
At last the dramatic Offering Of thu
evening reached its final curtain, ant
L the preparations for the patriotic mum
s Der began. They were simple enough
! a wood setting, the company groupet
!, in conventional attire on the stage
Those who had swallowtail coat
wore Them" said Jefferson later II
, life. "and those who we're not blesse,
4 with that graceful garment did tn
best they could" In the center OF tn
O conventional half circle stood tn
n Goddess OF Liberty" IN a small dais
one of the female members of tn
/; troupe in ordinary evening dress. wit
a pasteboard Roman helmet on he
head and her figure draped with
/ United States ensign.
Jefferson stood by the side Of thi
imposing woman. and rs the curtain
arose a great roar Of applause wen
up from the crowd of patriots assem-
ibied in pit. balcony. gallery and boxes
md at that wave of sound the boy
heart leaped to his throat. his bral
swan. and his tongue seemed suddeI
a. IL transformed into a huge. thick piec
0f solid mucilage. He had stage frigh
In its worst form. but as the Orchcstr
struck MP the first notes of the anther
he managed to bring back a measur
of his self control and advanced bold
" to the foo.lIghts. I'm a trenholm
voice out came the words. "Oh, say ca
,e you see and his mind was n blanl
(! Red flames seemed to start i'm torrent