The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-12
FROM BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

Otis Skinner was telling OF the time
when he decided to become an actor.
Il sought my fathers study" he said.
"Ife was busy over his sermon, but he
raised his kindly head to listen. ] swal-
lowed the lump in my throat several
times, then stated my determination In
tremulous tones. I braced myself for
the stern answer. 1t came. But it was
fearful anti-climax. He looked at me
steadily through his glasses for a few
moments, and then said: Certainly, of
course, my boy That was all. 1 was
free, but had been robbed OF my sit
uation.' My straw hero tumbled to the
ground. Nor was that all. The dear
man actually offered to help me. Among
his friends was p. T. Barnum; surely
his name would be of value; my father
thought so, too. He lived not far away
in Bridgeport. Armed with a note of
introduction, I sought the great show
man. in his home and was graciOusly
received. 1 had had some correspond
ence with the manager of the Philadei-
phia museum. a minor theatre in the
Quaker city that gave two perform
ances d day. and 1 told Mr.. Barnum
this
'''What his nsme?' asked the show
man.
&" William Davidge, jr..' answered.
That's all right; 1 know Davidge.
$50 he wrote a note which contained
this astonishing Endorsement:
THE bearer. Mr.. Otis Skinner, is
known to me. His parents are eminent
ly respectable. He has a desire, a ia
lent, and a yearning for the stage
Il suspect Barnum chuckled over his
little joke after l had bowed myself out
amid an outpouring of thanks. But the
letter did the business. I presented my
self to Davidge at Philadelphia, and on
the strength of the showman's letter.
that had so picturesquely set forth my
'yearning,' 1 was enrolled as a member
of the. company, at the magnificent sal
airy of IS per week.
My stage career had begun"
=
Blanche Bates OWNS a COW Of quite
too cordial manner, if her friends are to
be believed. Whenever one of the girls
goes up to the Bates ranch. near New
York. for Sunday during the summer,
she is promptly introduced to Susie
Susie is the COW, and she is an effusive
piece of beef. and promptly extends Il
warm welcoming hOof, which is re-
ceived with doubtful enthusiasm in
such part of the visitors anatomy as
is most Objectionable to Susans ideas
of the feminine figure. After Susan has
said how-do-you-do? to a girls neck
or her diaphragm a few times, the girl
decides that Miss Bates farm isn't all
it's cracked up to be as q summer re-
sort, and has a previous enga cement
when her next invitation comes along
They say that Susan's delight when
she has laid an emotional actress low
in the dust with her welcome is some
thing beautiful to see.
At a banquet in New York Henry Mil
Ter lately related an anecdOte. He said
when he visited a we'll known restau-
rant a year or so ago that the head
waiter was at great pains to seat him
at a. comfortable table. Having done
SO, the waiter said: "Can you remem-
Der, Mr.. Miller, when l saw you last?"
Mr.. Miller replied that his memory was
rather at fault. Thereupon the head
waiter replied: why. the last time
saw you was with Ida Rehan in The
Christian >"
Mr. Miller said that he told this story
so often that after a time he came to
think it must by a myth-that he must
have dreamed il, or that somehow it
slipped into his subeonsciousness. But
last winter. when playing in Boston, he
went to supper one night at the Tou-
raiue hotel. Greatly to his amazement
there was the same head waiter. Hav-
ing seated Mr.. Miller, he asked the
same question as to whether Mr.. Miller
remembered when he had last seen
him, and again replied: TT was with
Ida Rehan in The Christian"
Wilton Lackaye says he will back his
property man against any other in Amer
lea when it comes to making out a prop
erty expense account
A favOrite item, which appears on the
list with the regularity of each succeed
ing performance of THE Man and the
Law" is zone scent cigar. Is cents"
Here's another Lackaye story: 1.-THE
Man and the Law was being presented
in a small town in Indiana After the
count up the house treasurer asked the
company's manager how many state
ments he wanted. Three. was the reply.
One for Mr.. Lackaye. one for Mr.. Brady
and one for Victor Hugo. II got mine"
says Mr.. Lackaye, "and I am certain
Brady got his. but I don't know where
they sent HugO's.'
MODERN DRAMA