Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-10-21

theatre. In 1927 he came to America,
where he formed company which
was called the chapman Family"
Chapman went through the woods to
Pittsburg, where Captain Brown, All
Ohio River shipbuilder, constructed
floating theatre for him while he
and his troupe were occupying the
dining room of the Old Red Lion Ho-
tel with such plays as THE Stran-
GER" Cinderella" etc. The Chapman
family consisted of William Chapman,
sr, William Chapman, jr., George,
Caroline. Harry and Therese Chap.
man.
Boat Cast Adrlft.
Countless stories of their alven-
lures were current among the theatri-
cal professionals before the war. The
Chapman boat stopped at an Ohio Riv-
er town one day, and "advertised" A
crowd came down that night and the
price of admission was put at so
cents, though this was an arbitrary
price fixed by the looks of the bank"
Several young men triel to get aboard
for quarter. When udmittancc was
refused they sat down on the bank
and hooted for time. Then one con-
ceivcd Il revenge. The gang quietly
slipped the mooring ropes from the
trees, and stealthily showed the boat
into the current The result was all
they desired The fact that the boat
was floating toward New Orleans
was not discovered for half an hour,
aud i'll that time the audience was car
rlcd more than three miles down.
stream.
| N. NJ. Ludlow. one of the best known
mississippi Valley actors, wrote OF
seeing the Chapman boat in the early
sos.
81 beheId." he said, "a large flat
boat with rude kind of house built
/ upon it, having ridge roof, above
which projected staff with flag at.
tached, upon which was plainly visi-
/ Bile the word '"theatre'"
Stopped at all Towns.
| The Chapmans dropped down from
town to town as far as New Orleans
| Then they were towed back by steam
err to st. Louis or Pittsburg to start
again. Their success was SO great
, that it lead to host of imitators.
w. NJ. Chapman died in 1889 on
board his boat. which was moored at
| Manchester, Miss. and was buried in
the local cemetery, Mrs. Chapman con-
\
/ lS47, when she retired from the bust.
ness in easy circumstances. "Sol"
Smith, famous as n river actor, pur-
chased the remodeled and steam pro.
PEELED Floating theatre" but it came
to grief on his first trip down the
river. There was collision on the
Ohio which cut the theatre boat in
two. and the actors and actresses say
| ed their lives with difficulty
Dangers Ever Present.
The earlier troupes which ventured
into the Mississippi Valley braved
dangers unknown in these days.
When n. NJ. Ludlow and his
company went down the Cum.
berland into the Ohio and the Missis,
sippi he travelled in keel boat which
was controlled by oars and poles
/ the actors lending hand on occasion
! The rivers were full of snags in ey.
cry bend, which threatened to tear
out the bottom of the boat, and when
they tied in at night care had to be
taken to select bank that would not
cave on the boat and sink It, They
passed Plum Point, ST. Francis River
and Montgomery Point with weapons
! loaded, fearful lest gang of river nj
rates attack them.
The Civil War broke up the "show
boat" business on the MiSsissippi.
Cabin boating of every kind was sus-
pended along the river during those
years, save when an occasional "riy-
er rat" ran the Union fleet with med
I icines and supplies for the Confedcr-
ates.
Some of these oldtime blockade run.
nerS may still be found on the river
in their cabin boats. one Of them be-
ing DR.. Patti. who sells medicine"
and occasionally hires n Negro banjo
player to attract customers. The
medicine boat show" is nowadays
one of the ordinary features of river
life.
Packets Destroyed.
Following the var the cabin boat
received a great impetus. The steam
boat traffic had Leer broken up and
the packets destroyed. Ducks, wild
geese. fur bearing animals and 9th.
er game hal increased prodigously
throughout the valley, save where the
armies had marched.
Following the hunters and trappers
who flocked to the harvest came pro-
duce. whiskey and "show" boats. but
the halcyon days of floating theatres
on the Mississippi had passed. The
"legitimates" of the theatrical profes.
! sion either travelled by steamer from
city to city or took the railroads from
place to place
Still. there was an opening for little
"show boats" Of which cabin boaters
who could sing. dance a clog Or play
banjo or fiddle took advantage.
Some of these boats were patronized
exclusively by the freed slaves, who
paid their way with chickens, eggs