Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1909-03-18
100000 EARNED BY
THOMPSON's HOMESTEAD
Aged Actor Author Tells the Story of
His Life, Being Better Pleased With
Homely Drama Than Its Golden
Rewards.

| first produced III the old Boston the
alter in April OF 1856 it has earned
more than 100000. This is the state
ment of Denman Thompson himself
who, has written i'm the forthcoming
April issue Of the "Woman's World
of Chicago the story of this remarkable
| drama. which won for the homely and
wholesome play the record of the
| greatest success of any ever produced
| i'm the United States except Uncle
Toms Cabin"
1T has been performed so many
thousand times and enjoyed by so
many millions of folks that | have en-
tirely lost track Of the number" says
| Thompson in his retrospective mono
logue. Perhaps the figures might af-
ford me some satisfaction if / had
| them--but not a tenth of the pleasure
and comfort | get from rejecting that
no human being-man, woman or child
has ever gone away from a perform
| ance of THE Old Homestead" the
worse for having witnessed it, on the
other hand, literally thousands have
told me. and other hundreds have
written me, that they have been moved
by il to a new sense of moral obliga-
tions-a sense which actually moved
them to do something TO mend the
mistakes of their past and to keep the
present clean and courageous.
Il like to think about this-and I'm
not ashamed to admit il. Perhaps il
would not seem so important and so
pleasant TO me If | We're a young man
today. with all the future bright and
glowing before me, my hess full of
ginger. my head fun Of plans and my
heart fairly bursting with life and
hope. But a little change has come
over this particular Joshua Whit
comb since The Old Homestead was
first staged. I am now seventysix
years old. and so / look at things a
little more soberlv than | once did.
If had TO look back upon a play not
clean and wholesome and sweetening.
but which which had been produced as
many times, seen by as many millions
of people as The Old Homestead then
| know my head would rest far less
peacefully on the pillow.
But my satisfaction goes beyond
this negative point. for thousands Of
assurances have come to me that The
Old Homestead has changed misguid-
ed and unfortunate lives and restored
careless and discouraged men to a
right sense of their human relation
ships-particularly their relationships
to their fathers"
For Illustration Thompson told OF
young fellow. Maine born, who came
to see him at a hotel in the northwest
overcome with remorse for leaving
seen the sorrow of Uncle Josh-the
role Thompson takes-for his Reuben.
When I saw how the absence and in
difference of the son wrenched the
heart Of Joshua Whitcomb." this young
fellow told me. 81 saw myself in the
place Of Reuben. the son. and my own
father in the place of Uncle Josh. And
when il came to the dream in the
play | was so melowed that I cried
like child. And I just thought that
somehow it would be n comfort to
talk it over with yoU-perhaps n salts
faction to you to know that YOU had
accomplished more for one lonesome
and anxious father and in a certain |
old homestead down in Maine than
any preacher has been able to-for
I'm going to get in close touch with |
that home and keep so near to the old |
folks after this that they'll know right |
where TO find me. at any rate" He did |
as he said he would. and the father |
and mother were about as happy about |
it. guess. as Joshua whitcomb at the |
return of Reuben from his wanderings |
in New York
Thompson relates how back in 1850 |
he left home and his parents himself |
he was only twelve years old. |
TT has come to me since that youth is |
rather cruel in its selfishness,r he |
says: though as / walked down the |
road with my carpet sack in hand the |
tears and anguish of my father and |
mother were soon forgotten when ] |
went past the store and blacksmith |
shop" In Boston he Joined a circus
and became a performer Later ne /
slid back to the commonplace of rib /
bon clerk in a dry goods store. Then |
he was given a part in THE French |
Spy and later played Uncle Tom in |
Uncle Toms Cabin" But rheumatism |
seized him and compelled him to think |
out a play in which he could depend |
upon something besides the nimble-
ness of his legs. He knew the Yankee
character and built upon it. using as
A composite to build upon a dron char
lcter in Swanzey. his old home. Cap
tain Otis Whitcomb. together with the
sweet temper. great heart and I'M
worldly wisdom of Joshua Holbrook
Tried first as short vaudeville
sketch. and later as n three-act drama.
this play Joshua Whitcomb," was a
success. Denman Thompson and J. NJ
Hill, a Chicago merchant. divided
100000 profit from II between the
summer of 1875 and 1881. But Thomp-
son had to have a new play and write
The Old Homestead" retaining the
sof Joshua Whitcomb. how
ever This was done on the road in
fifteen DAYS. The first weeks receipts
were $1,000: in New York 100000
people saw it in it's first three months.
he receipts averaging s1.624 daily
Thompson says: Il have played its
principal character so many hundreds
IF times. that I have almost wondered