The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-05
Edwin Booths Career and Its Honolulu Episode


adequately receiving the gracious words
we have heard tonight. AS the very
worst of speakers, / can but rely, as
usual, upon your generosity to let me
pass as one who can but pledge the
health of our honored speaker and in
this loving cup the health and prosper
itv of The Players. -
On the stroke of twelve Mr.. Booth
drank from the loving cup his last ami
versary ceremonial of cheer. and then
it was passed from member to member
Among those present were William
Bispham. Augustin Daily, Joseph Jeffer
son, J. F. DAILY, Brander Mathews, John
Drew. w. J. lie Moyne, Daniel Froh-
man. Thomas B. Aldrich. Edgar Faw-
cett. Richard Watson Glider, Edmund
C. Stedman, William Gillette Arthur
Bourchier. John Malone, Augustus Pr
tou, Clyde Fitch, Hopkinson Smith
James Lewis, Thomas @. Seabrooke
Franklin H. Sargent, T. Fl. French, 7.
D. Frawley and Owen Fawcett.
1t has been well said that none of
the countless lovers of the drama who
have witnessed Edwin Booth s delinea-
tions will fail to transmit as best he
NAV some idea of this great actor S
art and inspiration to the rising gener-
ations. The Players Club viii remain
a unique monument to Booth, for it
notes an advance of the profession
which he ornamented to standing
among other professions, to scholarly
association, and to place in society
long denied to stage representatives.
HIS FATHER AN ACTOR.
Edwin Booth was born in Baltimore,
Nd, November Is, 1888. He was the
fourth son of Junius Brutus Booth, the
greatest actor of his time, and famous
for his portrayal of Richard III. The
father at the time of Edwin g birth
was thirty-seven years of age and had
been an actor since he was twenty, and
was in the plenitude of his power and
his fame. Between this great actor
and this son a profound sympathy grew
with the growth of the boy, and COM
partnership began in the latter's school
days.
AS boy he is said to have been nat
urally thoughtful and observant beyond
his years-with an unusual touch of
melancholy. On his travels with his
father he was ostensibly an attendant
and dresser.
Young Booth s first stage experiment,
it is said, was made unexpectedly and
abruptly The elder Booth was playing
at the Boston Museum in September,
1S49, and Edward, then but sixteen
years of age, was in attendance upon
his father. Richard III had been cast
for the night of the 10th. The actor
to whom the part of Tressel had been
assigned, so the story goes, wanted
liberty for the evening, and he per-
suaded Edwin to assume the role. The
elder Booth, it is said, was not inform
ed of this change until shortly before
the performance. He had always OPP
posed the idea of the stage for Edwin,
and did not approve of this maiden
essay. But Edwin went on as Tressel.
The part is minor one, and therefore
but little attention was paid to him
by the audience.
At Providence. r. l., the same season,
he assumed the role of Cassie in.
"Othello' and as MILFORD in "The
Iron Chest His impersonation of
MILFORD excited praise, and it was re,
peated at the Arch Street Theater in
Philadelphia. Again he won approval
as Titus in Payne's ''Brutus' at
Ford s Opera House, Washington.
His first appearance in New York