The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-24

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 Miss opheiia Lewis as juvenile mem | bers.
 The following composed the execu- tive stan: Mat. Canning date of Crisp l and Canning), Lessee and Manager l William Crenshaw; Treasurer. John Al- baugh, Stage Manager; William Lester, l Prompter; Peter Schmidt, Scenic Art l fst: Frank P. o'Brien. Assistant Scenic
 Artist; Eli Lewis, Properties; Mrs. Eli Lewis. Wardrobe woman and Charles W. Pickett. Stage Carpenter.
 l Montgomery is often refered to-and
 justly so-as the Cradle of the Confed. l eracy." The spot on the portico of the | State Capitol building indicated by a
 Star. is proudly pointed out as the 1 place where our illustrious leader, Jefferson Davis, stood when the oath I of office was,adrninistered, which placed l in his hands fhe destinies of the storm l Graded Natidn."
 l An unprententious two story building
 on Lee Street is pointed out as the white House" of the Confederacy, his family resided; yet I question if l there are dozen people in Montgom- | cry to-day who are aware of the fact l that within the four walls of that old Theatre on Perry street were enacted scenes which led up to the formation of that tempest tossed Nation. which | breathed and burned and after four years of suffering and privation went down at, Appomatox surrounded by a history made glorious by deeds of hero
 ism unparalleled in the annals of any country The old house was the home of stir
 ring incidents and patriotic narrations in those gloomy days when the spector of discontent hovered over our land. and was the anchorage of unrest which
 preceded the hours that marked the formation of q government which we all hoped would take her stand among
 the Nations of the Earth"
 From the stage of that old theatre during the later part of November and December messages were given out to @ storm torn country by such illustri- ous men as Alexander Stephens. Howell
 Cobb, Robert Toombs William L. Yancey. Ben. Hill. Thos. H. Watts,
 James H. Clanton. Gen. J. H. Hoitzclaw, Col. Seibels and many others whose
 lives and property were sacrificed on the altar of country and who have long since "crossed the river"
 Overt Act in Theatre.
 An incident occurred that night of
 December Ninteenth 1860. in that
 theatre which was heralded all over
 of treason in the South. (South Carolina seeded the next day) A beautiful flag of blue silk with A single star in the centhe, was pre- scented to Sam Harris a young at torney. by Miss Maggie Mitchell a afterwards became Right Rev Samuel s. Harris. Bishop of the Episcopal dio- cese of Michigan and Miss Mitchell. one of the most renowned actresses on the American stage; both having reached the top of the ladder in their chosen profession.
 The feature which incented our erst- while enemy-connected with the pre- sentation--was the fact that the young actress dragged the Stars and Striues from the right hand box and trampIed 1t under foot as she presented the lone star flag to Sam. Harris. She evened up | later on, however, by administering the same dose of medicine to the ''Bonnie Blue Flag," on a far-away norrnern | stage.
 After the presentation of the flag and | the dismissal of the audience. the stage was cleared and the company and a | few guests were invited to a marnif- Manager, Mat. Canning. Among the in. vited guests as I remem ber them now were MT. Harris. Mike L. Wood (Mr' Harris brother'in law), Charley Virgin. l Ed J. Lee, Dana Hubbard Wade Nc Bryde, Bob. Bass and Harry Metten- C. Bryde. Ed. J. Lee of that humber in cluding the writer alone survive.
 The war ending early in sixty-flve | and with hundreds of others I return- ed to Alabama determined to make the best of the situation. While Micawber ike-waiting for something to turn up, Col. Charles T. Pollard, still owner of | the theatre, employed me to paint ont several scenes on the stage and two ar three designs in the front of the audit ortum-painted there by Harry McCar- thy "ebel" actor and embryo scene painter-which our would be masters and so called conquerors designated as of a reasonable character.
 When the house was ready for use 1 was again employed by the Colonel to mage it for him. in which capacity I served him until the close of the season of 1867-S. when other engagements forced me to resign and the theatre was leased to Messrs. J. A. Diaz and Jim Wells (of Soda Water fame), who were succeeded by the late George N. Mcdonald who in turn was displaced by Jake Tannenbaum, now a citizen of Mobile Mr. Mcdonald erected the the- | stre knows as the BiJou on Blob Street.
 First After War.
 The first company to appear at the old house at the close of the war. was organized in New York by Frank Bates and Col A. B. Tidmarsh. Bates was the husband of Ella Wrenn, a once famous English commedienne. The .ciompany was composed of the following clever people: Frank Bates, Oliver Wrenn. Fred. wrenn, James Keith. Ned. Thorne. George Stuttz, Eliza Wrenn. Ella Wrenn, Martha Wrenn, Kate SlocomD and Harriet Custar.
 Again the old theatre became a storm centre; as from the Initial open- ing late In September 1865 until the re- moval of "Steers Army corps late in october. scarcely a night passed that did not witness a clash between de- attachments of theSarmy of occupation and small bodies of returned paroled Confederates. There are several citi- zens living in Montgomery to-day, who will remember that 1t was a very rare thing to see a wonan in. the theatre parauette floor under any circumstance whatever.
 1 remember that on one occasion a dificulty was started on the parquette floor by detachment Of Indians members. if remember correctly, of a |