New-York tribune., 1906-02-20
JEFFERSON.

Seventy-seven years ago to-day Joseph Jefferson,
the great comedian was born,-February 90 1923.
The house Of his birth, stI standing, and not
much changed, is the southwest corner Of
Spruce and 9th SITS. Philadelphia The writer OF
these words. being IN that city last Thursday, made
visit TO that house.-recaling his first visit 70 It.
made many years ago. in company with Jefferson
himself The ground floor Of ii IS now occupied by
q grocery. The building displays a tablet,
rnernorarve of the actor its Spruce-st wall but
as this mark is made OF dark bronze and is placed
at & considerable height and above shed. the
inscription upon ii is lndstinct and indeed cannot
be read by a person standing in the street below.
This would be q good time polish the tablet. so
10 make its letters conspicuous and clearly
visible Jefferson died April g. 1895. The tablet
was placed some time before his death-it having
been provided by Dr.. A ". Whelpley, OF Cincin-
matt; the Rev. De Witt Miller, of New-Jersey, and
Mr. Francis Wilson, the comedian.
Mr.. Wilson has lately published in "Scribner's
Magazine" some recoIlections Of jefferson. with
whom al one time he acted These remembrances
and impressions are, Of course. interesting as an
impairment from a professional associate; but
Mr. wilson's account Of the play OF rip Van
Winkle' IS in essential particulars incorrect In
the early version OF Rip Van Winkle.' 4" says Mr..
Wilson. the elder Hackett, Burke. and even JEFF
ferson failed 10 make any really great impression
It was not Till Dion BoucicauIt had touched the
play with the magic of his pen, supplying the
necessary interest. that Joseph Jefferson
woven into the inseverable ties Of public affection
All this is untrue, as AIr Wilson might easily
have ascertained by taking the trouble TO consult
authentic records CT these matters. which have
long since passed into history. Jefferson himself
always said (and frequently said to the pres
ent writer. that Charles Burke's performance Of
Rip was marvellous and that his perform
ance OF it was. at first, based on that of Burke.
Hackett's performance OF Rip, often seen here at
time when Mr.. Wilson baby, is perfectly
well remembered, OF great ability more in
the realm Of feeling than ina gtnation and
that met with abundant public favor and made an
impression that absolutely great till Jefferson
came 10 disturb Il
Jefferson had several predecessors in the part of
Rip-Thomas Flynn dts first representative
Charles B. Parsons; william Chapman; James H
Hackett: Frederick Henry Yates; William Isher-
wood: and Charles Burke. The part was acted by
jefferson long before he left the Atlantic seaboard
in 1861, and II then attracted the admiration Of
many judges Of acting; it given in the old
version that he then used made by Charles Burke.
his half-brother. Dion Bouccaut's magic PEN
was not employed on Rip TIL after jefferson had
made his Australian tour and he'd arrived in Lon
don in 1866, and all that the Hibernian magician
then did was TO write the old play in accord
ance with JeneTson's own plan But this is an old
story, 10 theatrical scholars. The late L. Clarke
Davis writing IN ''Appincott's Magazine" July,
1873 said: He (Jeherson) asked Bouclcault to
construct it. Many of the suggestions came from
Jefferson and one, at least, from Shakespeare.
Boucicault shaped them IN a week, but he had no
faith IN his work. and he told Jefferson that it
could not possibly keep the stage for than
a month" This and much more (which, by and
tv il may become essential TO relate-for there has
been TOO much Of needless history. was impaired
BY jefferson in many private talks this subject.
The play Of rip Van WInkle" in its hnal shape
(aad an excellent play IL is). was much more JEFF
fersou's than II Boucicaults; and II is memoir
able that Boucicaut much astonished and
,ronressed by Jefferson's impersonaon of Rip when
at last he came 10 see il, that he made an Irish
imitation Of It, for himself. in Conn The Shaugh-
ran" In his account Of the presentment of Rip in
London $3.50 Jefferson wrote: Il felt quite sure OF
myself in the part. as had already played II with
success in the old version. He had and he had made
= very deeD impression in II. Mr. Wilson would do
we'll 10 revise his Recolections