Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-02
Some Iona Players Whose
Fame Has Become National
State is Well Represented on the Stage
Native Sons and Daughters Whose
Stars are BRIGHT

In The Girl In the Golden West, and
now divides honors with the star,
Blanche Bates.
The spooners.
There are few people in Iowa not
conscientiously opposed to theater
who do not know something Of the
Spooners and their relatives, the Pay
tons. They are Iowa products in
every sense Of the word. fhe Spooner
sisters were born in Iowa, they secur-
ed their dramatic start transforming
in this state. Down around Center
vile, where they hail from, the names
known as that of Drake Appanoose
county residents may not be able to
tell offtand who is secretary Of the
state or who is mayor OF New York or
Chicago, or even king of Italy, but
they can tell tho pedigree of Edna May
and Cecil Spooner and narrate anec-
dotes of the start of these young Thes-
plants until the alarm clock sounds next
morning.
In an article on Mrs. Mary Gibbs
Spooner recently published in New
Aoih pCltOoASttl sIppS5tISz vie oCdIOlACAI
that Mrs. Spooner's family name
Manson is found among the early
Scotch settlers who made their homes
in Tennessee and afterwards in Iowa.
In those pioneer days the names Of
with varied advances and so it is re-
corded In Iowa's history. The amsto-
cratic and famous Gibbs family is also
interviewer with, Swearingen in the
family tree. The name Of Spooner
first made it's appearance in this coun.
try at SO early date as the landing
Of the Mayflower, which historic YES
sci brought among the passengers two
! brothers, Benjamin and William Spoon
er. The latter returned ere long to
England, while Benjamin remained to
found c. this soil family Of which
lB.sS Spooner was definitely traced
| descendant. The marriage Of Mary
Gibbs Manson and Benjamin S. Spoon
or was an event made much of at that
the by the peers Of the west, for 1t
brought together two families justly
proud Of their lineage"
The marriage was followed by the
debut pn the stage, "The Spooners''
travelling back and forth through
southern Iowa and western Illinois for
several years. Children were born,
almost literally. on the stage. AS soon
as they were old enough they were
passed into service. When they first
began to speak they were given lines
in plays; Mr.. and Mrs. Spooner were
4 thrifty the children were talented;
gradually tThe spooners' needed to
hire few actors outside the family; the
company was one big, happy, united
family.
Corse Payton, an uncle Of the Spoon.
er girls, went along with the company
So did his brother, Centre Payton
Corse was graduated from western
transforming IS now the "ten, twent
thirt" matinee idol of New York. Cen.
tire is still barnstormingwest of Ohio
the call OF the flowing road is toe
strong to be rested by him.
] But as to the Spooner sisters. Cecil
Spooners has at last consented to take
the public into her confidence as tc
how she and her sisters obtained theil
start. 1t is an interesting story.
A Cecil Spooner is a genuine child Of
4 the theater. She knows no other life
she dosn't wish to know any other life
4 She was Graded in a makeup box ant
cut her teeth on a here's foot. She was
/ brought on the stage in long clothes
i Later Eliza carried her across the ice
in "Uucle Tom" and in her career
which is Short in years, but stretches
out Indefinitely in achievement, she
has played every part from Meenie II
rip Van Winkle'' to Lady Babbie il
"The Little Minister" with side ex
o,,rc;ovc into in Hhri eff
mas pantomimes. This season she i!
l Girl Raffles."
: When the Spooner began their dra
matte career they simply played; they
never looked ahead. They had NJ
route. They simply played and wen
4 on. The next town. no matter thu
direction, was always the goal. Ere
quently it had no "opry house." so thu
4 Spooners would take the town hall ant
build stage on saw horses. Tha
! was how they got their start. LIE
) Cecil Spooner tell the rest Of the story
We had no scenery beyond a Sc
!, rock or so and no properties to speal
: of. remember we used to play Aug
!. ustin Days Under the Gaslight."
!, was Peanuts, a newsboy. The grea
scene is where the hero is dashed to tn
railroad track and at the critical nom
ent is saved by the heroine. Sh
: drages him from the rails and tn
, locomotive dashes across the stage
That is, it was announced to dash. Blu
:. it didn't. We didn't have any to dash
But we'd work up the scene in fin
T style: Everyone that wasn't ION
a had to help The bell would ring, tn
! whistle toot, the headlight shine. w
I didn't have any curtain to ring down
;. just two pieces of cheap calico on
4 string. At the critical time thes
I would be drawn together.
: Then we would always follow bi
! of business" designed to square tn
local manager. with his patrons. H
l. would always be behind with us. an
J. the moment the curtains were draw
4 he would begin abusing my fathel
. "Why in"-you can work your imag
! nation here didn't you run that loct
q motive across the stage as you adve
y tised? tell you will not have m
e people swindled in this way!" The
S NV father would tell him that the lei