Evening journal., 1911-03-04
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Compliment That Graft
fled Lawrence Barrett
Most of All
BY @HolIand.v


One Of the men Of yesterday who
knew we'll both Edwin Booth and
Lawrence Barrett. who we're asso-
ciated from 1887 until the latter's
death in 1891 in what has been called
zone Of the most significant enter
prises in the history of the American
drama" was Isaac II. Bailey, a son
OF Maine who came TO be known as
one Of the more prominent trade pa
per publishers of the United States.
Those two great actors were with
out the slightest particle Of profess
sional iealously." Mr.. Bailey was
wont say. Each was a very great
admirer of the other; each regarded
tho other as unsurpassed by any ac-
tor OF modern or ancient times in the
delineation of some of the characters
of Shakespeare.
But, leaving out Of consideration
this common characteristic. so rare
IN the great portrayers of classic
drama, those two men were as differ
ent as could be- Booth was excessive
ly shy, as is we'll known, and, I
thought, at times disposed to be al
most hypochondriac. I know that at
one time when he seemed especially
depressed and most of his friends at
trlbuted his condition to the heavy
financial losses he met with I'm build
ing and directing Booths Theatre. in
New York, the real reason Of the de-
preston was an apprehension that he
was suhering from a mortal disease;
he was convinced that a malignant
tumor would slowly eat his life away.
FINALLY. he was persuaded to take
medical advice, when he was reioiced
TO learn that he was suffering not
from tumor. but from a somewhat
rare disease known as the '"black
tongue due, probably. to his inces-
sant smoking OF pipes which had not
been carefully cleaned. He was
treated for that complaint and cured
and 1t was observed that he then re-
covered his spirits.
Lawrence Barrett, on the other
hand, was one Of the most compan-
lohable OF men. IL was especially
pleasing to Barrett to go into tho So
ciety Of men Of affairs. He liked TO
talk Of business life. not because he
had any expectation OF taking up any
form Of business, excepting that
which the investment OF his earnings
involved but because he liked to
know how the business men who
were accomplishing great things were
doing il, how they thought, how they
talked. One day, therefore, II oc-
CURED TO me that Mr. Barrett might
be glad TO become a member OF the
Union League Club Of New York. for
there he would have opportunity,
when in the city. 10 meet many men
Of large affairs, aud he could make
that club his metropolitan home.
y saw as soon as I made the sug-
gestion to him that he was greatly
pleased with Il. He asked me. how
ever, IL actors were eligible to mem
bership.
81 don't think ] ever heard that
point raised ! replied. but you are
eligible because you served as a sol
der in the Civil War. and because
you have been a strong Republican
ever since you could vote
IT those are qualifications Mr.
Barrett answered. then have them
80 far IS / could learn, no actor
had ever been proposed for member
ship at the club when proposed
Lawrence Barrett's name. His record
as soldier was well known-he had
enlisted as a captain at the outbreak
of the war-his staunch Republi-
canism, for he was proud of HIS as
sociation with that party, and his ut.
ter freedom from any self-conscious
mannerism all served to cause him to
be most cordially recommended and
TO be most gladly received by a
unanimous vote of the club.
THAT was in 1890, and / remember
well Mr.. Barrett saying to me that Of
all the compliments he had ever re-
received, none gratifed him more than
that he had been admitted to mem
bership in a club nationally distin-
guished for the intelligence and high
character Of its members. I shall
always make the club my home when
I'm New York he said, and when /
retire from the stage it will be my
club home
But, alas! Lawrence Barrett was
not long TO enjoy this membership
that he so cherished, for a little less
than a year later there followed his
sudden illness and death I'm New
York While he and Booth we're play
ing together in repertoire"
Copyright. 1911. by e. J. Edwards.
All rights reserved.)
On Monday Mr.. Edwards will tell of