The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-04
STORIES OF MANSFIELD

From the New York World.
 IN the midst of the sudden but not
 unexpected death of Richard Mans A field. the greatest living American acton and one of the greatest living &C., tors of the world, the Rlalto is all about the man.
 Many stories are going the rounds of his peculiar ways and his innumerable ec- eentricities.
 While he was rehearsing "Cyrano' at the Garden theatre the big super scene was source of much worry to Mans field because the "supers" would make or ruin the scene.
 One of these men had to run across the stage and whisper into the great ac- tors ear. It was all pantomine.
 Cant you see? This is how 1t is done he said to the super after the latter had made many attempts.
 .'Yes. sir" replied the man. but if could do 1t like that I would not be working for s week.
 "Three dollars a week. said Mansfield, musingly well, if you only get B a week you can do it any way you like. Another time his leading lady was late at rehearsal. He chided her for being late She began to cry. Mansfield took his watch out of his pocket and said: We will now wait ten minutes longer until Miss - gets through crying.
 possession, which he had learned in diversity never deserted him. When he made his great success in k"Baron
 
 said to the actor: Young man, you are acting superbly."
 That's what I am here for. You must excuse me; I am very busy" and Mans field went on making himself up for the next act of the play
 While rehearsing his Richard III. company at the Globe theatre in Boston some years ago he encountered some difficulty with the intelligence of the ac- tors he~had engaged. After some severe rehearsing he finally fell down on his knees and said: 70 Lord, why was endowed with all the brains.
 When he was at school In England the boys gave a performance of "The Mer- chant of Venice" Mansfield acting Shy lock The Bishop of Lichfeld was a guest for the entertainment. At the con- clusion of the play he asked the youth ful shylock to come forward so that he might speak to him. Shaking the boys hand, he said:
 Heaven forbid that I should encourage you to become an actor; but should you, if I mistake not, you will be great one"
 a incident that the actor was asked by critic what he thought of his own act ing.
 Since Garricks time" replied Mans field, there has been no actor but my self"
 While Mansfield was eccentric, cold, irascble and egotstical, he had many great virtues which stood out and over shadowed any shortcomings he may have had. It is told by a quiet little lady who once played in his company that her mother was taken very i'll. She had to leave the company at once and go to the hospital to nurse her mother, An op- eration had to be performed The illness came at an unfortunate time-the De- ginning of the season The girl was her mothers only support The company knew these things and started to take up a collection during the rehearsal.
 Mansfield heard of the collection. It annoyed him. He stopped 1t at once The girl went home and everybody thought Mansfield the hardest hearted being on earth.
 It came out year later that Mans field had ordered the girl paid her full seasons salary and an equal amount sent to the sick mother, and to add to this charity Mansfield personally wrote to tie hospital authorities to send the bill for the entire cost of the womans illness to him. It took three months for the mother to get better, and Mansfield sent his check for no small hospital and doc tors bill.
 In addressing thirty graduates of a school of acting, Mansfield said '.I trust you are not adopting the stage for your profession because you can't do anything else. If you can't do anything else you may be sure you will not succeed on the stage for the stage above all other pro-