New-York tribune., 1908-01-19

IN Our Boys considerably over four thousand
times and strange 70 say, he retained pis trssE-
with startling records in the same direction are
Mr.. Charles Warner, who has something lie I'VE
his credit; the late Mr. Charles Arnold who
Ryed PLAN Ten H9ns 9frs he and r ey f & eo G an @
well known in the provinces who has Itc.sd y
several thousands OF nights. not to mention hun
But ali the foregoing records extraordinary
they certainly pale before the achievement Of
comedian. He commenced TO play rip Van Win
kle' when he was lad OF twenty and ne Ven.
a very advanced age. Indeed with the exception
audiences throughout the states invariably Insisted
on the piece in question and ID would not tSsr1tf
the role for fifty years. with constant HatneeS.
W. we . Is .Sj Sje I ft.s ISo,,sr5 % a 1000 -yis
is quite unbeaten by any actor
Jefferson has been dead less than three years
Record OF his life is unusually ample and IS easy
of access and. therefore. it seems strange that
errors about him should be continually made His
first performance OF rip Van Winkle occurred al
Carusi's Hail. Washington. in 1859. when he was
thirty years old. He did little, however. with Rip.
although he acted it from time time,-untu
September. 1865. when. at the Adelphi Theatre.
London. he produced an improved version Of the
old piece. His first production of Rip tthe old YER
son) in New York occurred in 1850 His last aD-
pearance on the stage occurred May Z. 1904 at
Paterson y. J.. forty-hve years after he first
acted Rip and thirty-nine years after he began %
devote himself largely 10 that character II IS an
error, frequently made, TO say that Jefferson
played scarcely any other role (sic) than Rip
He acted many other characters More than one
hundred parts. besides Rip. enumerated IN
'"The Life and Art OF Joseph Jefferson" by Will
lam Winter. During the latter part OF his lie
Jeffersons theatrical were unusually short.
from twenty down to only thirteen weeks. each
year-and he acted PanglOss. Acres. Caleb Plum
mer and GoIghty, as well as Rip His last ap-
pearance was made CTOlghtly. Calculating that
from 1894 he appeared $50 times each season
as Rip (which is more than he did he acted that
part $50 times. That is in the neishbOrhOOd % the
correct number Including the performances given
between 1859 and 1S65)-which even the comedian
himself did not exactly know.
AS to the actor who is said TO have played If
teen hundred distinct parts years: unless
they parts such Sir. the carrIaSS
waits" and evidently the meaning is different parts.
without repetitions. his feat is impossible. IL an
actor played for seven years In succession. lot
ffty-two weeks each year. and played dlf-
ferent part each week. the total would be only
s64 parts. If he played for thirty weeks each
year. which Is a good season." and for seven
years in succession and played a distinct. dlr-
ferent part each week. the total woul<be only ~
parts III he played for seven years in SUCCESSFUL
for the extremely long season OF thirty-nVe WeeAS
each year and acted different parts eacn week,
the total number OF parts would be only Id aiu
no person has ever lived who could DO tnal. OA
course II ould be possible. doubling IN some Oh nc
pieces in the time indicated. IN sueh pau 'S @S ~
way Sir" O play thousands