Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-02

schooihouse. He went to New York and
got rich. The other characters in the play
are more or less taken from life, although
they do not represent any particular per-
sons. There are duplicates Of them among
the acQuaintances of every man who goes
about the world.
Immense Returns Enjoyed.
In the summer of 1871" continued MIR.
Thompson. when l was giving my skit at
the Coliseum in Chicago, l met ]. M. Hill
OF Willoughby & HILL the clothing mer-
chants, who was New Hampshire man.
and not only had thorough knowledge OF
New England life and character, but was
a remarkably shrewd and energetic man
ager He became my man OF business, and
by his advice The Old Homestead was de-
veloped into its present proportions, al
though ii has been changed considerably
from time % time. Some of the old dia-
logue and features have been dropped and
new ones introduced. Indeed of late years
We have never played 1t twice alike. Every
body in the cast has been so familiar with
the lines that frequent interpretations nave
homely but true picture of farm life to
illustrate the best there Is in human nature,
to awaken the memories and to stir the
emotions of men and women who have
come from the farms and to teach whole
some lesson to the young The play in It's
entirety was first presented in 1875 at Hoo
next six years Mr.. Hill and l divided nearly
half million dollars as profits
NO, L was not born in SWanZey. con-
tinued Mr. Thompson, although my ia .ner
and grandfather and their ancestors for
several generations were natives of this
place. They were descended from of
the' original colonists, to whom the town
ship of Swanzey was granted by the colo
NAL authorities of Massachusetts in TBS.
The township was divided into sixtythree
parts, each OF the sixty settlers having one
part. with one share reserved for the
church, one for the minister and one for
the school: Each settler paid E5 for his
share. and contributed his sham of the
expense of making the survey and to build
the church and the schoolhouse. Lot No 43
was awarded to John Thompson, and from
that date to this our family has lived in
son, in 1881 decided to go west. and emf
grated to little settlement called Beech
wood. in that little corner of Pennsylvania
that faces on Lake Erie. The town Is now
called Grard, and there was born in 1888.
My father did not succeed very we'll there.
however and returned to SwanZey IN my
childhood. He was sort Of jack-of-all-
trades-a mechanical genius-and. in addI
ton to farming, did odd jobs about the
township of every imaginable character.
from intending watch or leaky teakettle
10 making the plans for a house. My father
nlved 70 be ninety years old and saw me IN
The Old Homestead many times.
Denman Thompson's Career.
Il went to the district school at Swanzey
and attended Mt. Caczar Seminary in tho
neighboring town several winters The rest
of the time worked sRd helped my father
in his various trades. 1t was intended that
l should be carpenter. But / got rest
less and when / was seventeen years old in
the spring of 1850. persuaded my folks to
| let me go to Boston to seek my fortune The
adventure was the subject Of discussion
contemplation and prayer. public and prl-
vate. all that winter. The minister, the
school teacher and the relatives and neigh
bors all took a hand in deciding my desti-