The San Francisco call., 1908-09-06
The FUSED -KNOW-HIF1EG- -UB
PAYS TRIBUTE TO WAKEFIELD
By Walter Anthony

T F you see a group OF intent listen
ers blocking the sidewalk near the
Alcazar theater this week, while
genial faced fellow with hair some
what sprinkled with gray. holds
forth in the center. join the bunch
II viii be Dave WarfieId telling a story.
II YOU see pretty and stiil young
woman, waiting in the distance till
the session IS over you may know it is
Mrs. Warfeld. who by this time, no
doubt. is used 10 her husbands pen
chant for old friends and new yarns.
I started out to gather some data
about Dave Warfieid for use in these
columns. After half an hour of re-
search I was swamped- Apparently
everybody ia San Francisco knows him
and calls him Dave" And it is
not. necessarily. as I found. because
he is a successful actor-perhaps the
greatest American player today-but
because he is "one of the boys" The
number OF men. grown up and prosper
Gus many Of them. who used to usher
with Dave" in the old Bush street
thesfer would collectively I'LL the Al
cazar for the first week solid. and
am told that many OF them nave
dropped around in an offhand sort of
way for tickets-''of course, Dave
wouldn't want me TO pay for them
they say.
= After that half hours search for
fFerfeldians il became apparent that q
Z biography OF Dave could be gathered
easily in less than an hours time; and
some Of the data would be authentic.
The city seemed TO have organized
itself into a Used to Know Him club,
and 1he members were paying their
initiation fees and dues at the Alca-
zar box Office
He used to be Dave wohlheld in
humber but I dare say. no less happy
davs. That was when his father was
= cigar maker in little hand made
factory at Sixth and Harrison streets.
Dave was the sidewalk comedian of
the neighborhood and everybodys
friend I have il from George II.
Myers. now Of the Princess theater
ofaoe force, but then a yOungster with
Dave, that the latter was the best
mimic south of Market street and one
OF the best little businessmen at 10
years Of age in the world.
Myers is an authority, too. Do not
mistake that. He wears a pair of cuff
buttons which Dave gave him few
years ago Wby2 Because Myers in
troduced the character comedian TO
his present wife But we are getting
ahead Of the story.
Dave sold morning papers the same
as ] Gid" said Myers to me, and after
school he'd go UP to Chinatown and
buy cheap, unstanped matches, which
he would peddIe probably All this
time he was the best dressed young
ster on the street He always had his
clothes made to order. and he'd wear
one suit until he had enough money
10 buy another good outfit Nothing
cheap was good enough for Dave. He
was the original dude south of Market
street
Genteel. so to say OF course. Dave
grew up. That was inevitable and the
point is confirmed by all who used to
know him When he grew up Wallie
wallace. who, enjoys the distinction
now Of being Edna Wallace Hopper's
4 father, got Dave and Myers a job al the
cd Bush street theater- That was
where he met all the ushers. % or "a
years ago. Charlie Hall-was the man
sger of the house. al Hayman was
the proprietor and Jake Gottlob was
the treasurer said Myers
This is how Myers got the cuff but
tons He was in New York in 1898
while Waraeld was rehearsing for the
Weber and Field production that was
70 introduce him in swell theatrical
company Myers knew Miss Mary
BrsdL who. though "a San Francisco
girl. was not known to Warfield-' In
memory Of old times Dave and George
spent days together, so what was more
natural than that Myers should take
Dave out 10 his friends house? There
Dave met Miss Bradt and the result
was. mstrimony for the two and a paiT
OF cuff buttons for Myers.
Warheld, or Wohlheld as his name
was then. made one utter, complete
and dismal failure in San Francisco
aid the memory OF IL is pleasant yet to
his old friends. who. in spite OF the
hasco. still believed in the youngster's
talent
il happened at the old Wigwam thea
ter. Dave had been the town enter
tainer at receptions and preliminary
10 the dance entertainments" He had
been before that the original street
comedian and the neighborhood won
der. Then he became an usher and
saw the professionals turn few tricks
After that he felt he had graduated
and boosted by countless friends hs
secured an engagement at the Wig
wan. He was a monologfst. That was
in the year Of grace 1889 II was pitt
ful what happened to him. Like De-
mosthenes. who wasn't much at the
start, Warfeld couldn't find his tongue
Iie suffered and gulped. forgot his
Alines and missed their mirth-. In brief
lie fell down. and had the hook beer
invented then would surely have fell
its cold embrace about his corded
throat
But that didn't matter. He did no,
lose his confidence. and his friends
after listening 10 him tell another
story on the street, retained their con-