Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-14

! 1<p...M Dor has resulted in driving
az g. from the stage many chll-
a dren who, through their MS
"a NNN trionic gifts, have heretofore
14Ez& been able to earn a livelihood
for themselves and some-
times for their parents. Since these
laws against child acting have been
made, small statured persons who can
| initiate children have all the better
chance for profitable engagements, and
most of them get larger salaries than
are paid to the average actor or ac-
tress more favored by nature
For a number of years little man
has been playing the part of Buster
! Brown" in the play of that name. II
Buster had stepped from the picture
clothed in real life, he could not have
looked more like the cartoonist's con-
ception than this little actor. In size,
appearance, and manner he is per-
feet Buster His company is in the
vaudeville circuit and was filling an
engagement in Chicago. The guar
dams of the law scented a violation
of the Illinois child labor act. They
went to the play and looked Buster
over They looked at his little hands
and feet, and listened to his imma-
ture voice. Certainly he was but
child
| The guardians of the law went to
the stage door after the performance,
| ready to take Buster into custody.
Word was passed along to him that
the police were waiting. When he ap-
peared he wore his frock coat and
| silk hat with becoming dignity, and
| toyed with his watch charm in true
masculine style as he gravely in
formed them that he was a citizen and
landowner near oyster Bay, that he
had voted for president of the United
] fhA aGt fY49n n
neighbor, Theodore Roosevelt
Those Chicago policemen had an
other experience that same week,
which again enforced upon them the
fact that things are not always what
they seem. There was a tiny little
somebody on the stage playing a wee
girls part. Buster had seemed like
the real thing, but she looked even
more so. This time there could be
no doubt about it. The law of the
great commonwealth of Illinois was
being violated beyond every doubt.
So the policemen sent in for the little
girl When she came out she proved
to be as dainty q little actress as one
could see along Broadway. She blush
ingly confessed to twenty years,
the ownership of a big touring car
and things that go with it, all bought
with the proceeds of her success as
an impersonator of child parts.
Strange to say the child actors who
gave the most promise Of great
careers have long since been forgot
ten, while none of those who have
since Joined the list of immortals in
the theatrical hall of fame gave
serious promise of the future success
they would enjoy behind the footlights.
One would think that Joe jefferson
had been a star even from the cradle,
yet when he made his first appearance
on the stage at the mature age of
three, as Jim Crow, he gave little
promise Of being the great Rip Van
Wrinkle. Nor would one who beheld
Ellen Terry at the height of her sue
cess fancy that at eight years Of age
she would be so careless as to fall
over her little cart and weep while
the audience laughed at her discom-
future. At the age of eight she was
member of the cast in "The Win
ter's Tale" playing the role Of Ma
millius.
Annie Russell started her career as
an actress at the age of 10, playing the
part of JEANNE in Miss Moulton."
The press notices of the day treated
her well, but she was not singled out
as a rising genius. Julia Marlowe
made her initial bow at the age of
II, while Mrs Fiske was a young ac-
tress at 2. Maude Adams, however,
can fairly make claim to being the
youngest star the American stage has
ever seen. She was only months old
when she made her debut in profess
sional theatricals as the baby in 1.-THE
Lost Child"
OF all the youthful future possi-
bilities" it is said that perhaps Julia
Marlowe gave the best earnest of the
success she was afterward to win. Ad-
mirably fitted by nature for the career
she chose, her gifts were supplemented
by training, and before the age that
most girls cease to be gigglers, she
was a serious-minded actress.
Nowadays when real chilrren take
part in professional thearicals they do
not usually travel with the companies,
but are picked up in the cities where
the show is playing. The children who
take part in the play are usually chill
dren who want to grow up in the pro-