The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-14
EARLY STRUGGLES
OF EDWIN BOOTH
A Court Clerk Tells of the AC-
tors Hard Lines
HE WAS NOT MELANCHOLY
Beginning of Tragedian's Success Was
a Scene In a Play Called "The
Marble Hart."-His
Later Career.
He WAS NOT MELANCHOLY
From the New York Sun.

James j. McCloskey, for twenty years
equity clerk of the city court of New
York and member of the American
Dramatists club, is a connecting link be-
tween the stage of today and the stage of
half a century ago, when he commenced
his career with Edwin Booth and Waller.
Mr.. McCloskey, who is somewhat past
70, but quick of wit and entertaining as
any man of 40 or so. is writing his rec
collections of the famous actors he has
known and played with.
He has in his possession treasured let
ters from men and women famous at the
time, and his "reminiscences of Edwin
Booth are particularly interesting.
IN 49," he commenced. Il was come
dian of the Jenny Lind theatre of San
Francisco. A handsome fellow was play
ing a minor part. All the girls were in
terested 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
Handsome Fellow.
ED came a few days afterward, and 1
saw him for the first time. He was one
of the handsomcst young fellows ! ever
saw, a lad with great sad brown eyes and
beautiful complexion. His eyes gave
him the effect of sadness, of melancholy,
but he was not sad or melancholy On the
contrary he 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. lie played
Iago to Walters Othello, but without
scoring any sort of success. They started
out over the mining country, playing
'Othelo.'
~ became manager then of the Marys-
willie theatre | heard that Walters COM
pany had stranded up in the mountains
and that they were walking home. They
did walk home in the snow over sixty
five miles of rough road. 1t was showing
when they got into Marysville. We heard
OF their being just outside the town and
went to meet them / shall never forget
Edwins big sad brown eyes as he came
limping along, one foot severely frost
bitten
IL lost sight of him after that for some
years. | went out to Australia with
Charles Thorne, Sr father of Thorne of
the Union Square theatre. We made a
tour of Australia and visited sydney
Melbourne and Ballarat.
AT Sydney we Heard that Laura l<eene
was coming from America to play Lady
of Lyons OF course, glad to see our
countrymen, we went to the boat as soon
as 1t landed There, leaning over the rail,
was Edwin Booth.
"TTe had made no particular hit. He
played well. but not remarkably. When
| found that he was to play Claude Mel
notte, / said to him:
You will see that you won't succeed
in that part here. There are too many
magnificent actors a. the Theatre Royal.
'And that was true. There was a COM
pany of English actors and actresses at
that theatre who could play both opera
and melodrama. They were headed by
Frank Howson, father of Frank Howson,
leader of the Lyceum theatre today. How
son was a splendid baritone. He sang as
well as he played, and I believe he was
one OF the finest actors l ever saw.
Walked Through Play.
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 hand
clap.
81 am done. jim, he said when 1t was
over. I'm going back toNold Frisco
I'm 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 Edwin Forrest. myself and others
f. rmed company on the commonwealth
principle and played awhile to empty
houses
1--WE were having pretty hard time OF
1t. but Booth kept mp the spirits of the
crowd He never despaired. We were
about at the end Of our rope, however.
when one morning our prompter brought
in a play The Marble Heart
II think this is good play. he said
TRY II and II Il doesn't succeed l think
we'd better disband.'
"sedley suggested giving Booth the