The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
EARLY DAYS WITH BOOTH.
COURT CLERK M'OLOSKEY TELLS
OF THE ACTORS STRUGGLES.

Company Ten Years Later-A Practical
Joke That Had No bad Resllts.
James j. McCloskey, for twenty years
Equity Clerk Of the City Court Of New
York, and q member of the American
Dramatist Club. 10 a connecting link between
the stage Of to-day and the stage Of half Q
century Ago., when he commenced his career
with Edwin Booth and Waller.
Mr.. McCloskey. who Is somewhat past
10, but quick of wit and entertaining as any
man Of 40 or 80, Ia writing his ~recollections
Of the famous actors he has known and
played with.
Hes has In his possession treasured letteu
from men and women famous at that timel
and his "reminiscences Of Edwin Booth are
particularly interesting,
in 49," he commenced, Il was comedian
Of the Jenny Lind Theatre Of San Francisco.
A handsome fellow was playing a minor
part. All the girls we're interested in him
on account Of his looks. Julian Booths
wife said to the girls, Never mind. You
think he is handsome, but wait till you see
Ed
ed came a few days afterward, and I
saw him for the first time. He was one Of
the handsomest young fellows l ever saw, o
lad with great sad brown eyes and Seautis
full complexion, His eyes gave him the effect
Of sadness, Of melancholy, but he was nos
sad or melancholy. On the contrary, no
was intensely optimistic, He never lost
faith in his ultimate success, though for
years fortune failed to favor him.
AT that time he was engaged to play
opposite parts with Waller. He played
logo to Waller's Ohelo, but without scoring
any sort Of sucoess. They started out over
the mining country, playing 'Othello.'
Il became manager then OF the Marys.
vile Theatre. l heard that Walters com.
pany had stranded up in the mountains
and that they we're walking home. They
did walk home in the snow over sixty-five
miles of rough road, IL was showing when
they got into Marysville, We heard Of
their being just outside the town and went
to meet them. / shall never forget Edwin's
big sad brown eyes as he came limptnR
along, one foot severely frost bitten.
Il lost sight of him after that for some
years. vent out to Australia with Charles
Thorne, ST., father OF Thorne of the Union
Square Theatre. We made a tour Of Aus.
tralia and visited Sydney, Melbourne and
Ballarat. &.
AT Sydney we heard that Laura Keena
"ob ScDili " III iI0 w pay AAuy u
Lyons OF course, glad to see our country.
men, we ven to the DO at as soon az 10
landed. There, leaning ov or the rail, was
Edwin Booth.
He had made no particular hit. Ho
played we'll, but not remarkably. When
I found that he was to play Claude MeInodsy
1 said to him:
You will see that you won't succeed in
A. 80 ~ lora TIoro go -. 49,
cent actors at the Theatre Royal
And that was true. There was a com.
pany Of English actors and actresses az
that theatre who could play both opera
and melodrama. They were headed by
Frank Howson. father Of Frank Howson,
leader Of the Lyceum Theatre to-day.
Howson was a splendid baritone. He sang
as we'll as he played, and l believe he was one
Of the finest actors / ever saw.
MY prediction was verified. Booth sim.
ply walked through the play, he was so
disguised with the way in which it was
received. Not an encore. Hardly a hand
clap.
81 am done, Jim he said when it was
over. I'm going back to old Frisco
'In a few months my company started
for home, too. Came around Cape Horn
to New York, then on to California.
After eighteen months or so Booth]
Sedley, Miss Sinclair, the divorced wife Of
Forrest, myself and others formed
a company on the commonwealth principle
played awhile to empty houses.
w were having q pretty hard time OF
but Booth kept up the spirits Of the
crowd. He never despaired. We were
about at the end Of our rope, however,
when one morning our prompter brought
n a play, The Marble Heart
at think this Is a good play he said.
Try it and IL it doesn't succeed I think
we'd better disband.'
"sedley suggested giving Booth tho
light comedy part Of Voltage but I said 20
lim. No. let him play Raphael
HE consented and Booth began to study
he part.
Booth was a great practical joker. He
tept us laughing with his pranks when We
have been shedding team. The
Ii~ternoon Of tho night that the play was
o be given he came In holding his head
n his hands.
al don't feel well.' he said, read mo
ny part, some Of you
well, We were ready to give up then and
here. To read him his part-and the
eading parton tho " Of playing itt
We were q forlorn crowd, I oan tell yoy
,ut we read 10 to him. =
Il went up TO Booths room q while before
O'Clock. He had his clothes laid out On
hair and was lying on bis bed studyind
lis part.
'Isaid IN hopeless way, Feel any bsttssA
,dr
he loohed around a. me and gavs me
be wink.
''Don't you worry about me, old MANI
aid he.
Il wish you could have seen him play that
art, There wasn't q dry eye In tho house.
I You know the play, II IL astFuggie between
we for his mother and for the girl, his
weetheart. There 70 q scene between
phdel and bis mother. II was this scene
brought down tho house. The GIRL
no took the part OF his mother came OF
10 stage with the team running down her
heelB.
Il don't want 10 play chat, part again
be said. Ia makes me cry Al The time
sAnd that WAs the beginning of Booths