Evening journal., 1912-11-08
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The TFiflinG Circumstance
That Made a GFeat Actor
BY Holland

Did YOU ever know that Lawrence
Barrett whom regard as in some
respects the peer even of Edwin
Booth as an actor did not know how
TO read or write until he was a Lad
in his teensg' so asked the late A.
N. Palmer. who in his day was the
foremost dramatic manager of the
United states, while chatting in his
private Office at the rear Of Wallacks
Theatre in New York, year or two
before his death, in 1906
II can understand" continued Mr.
Palmer, "how Barrett. early in life,
was recognized as a clever actor be-
cause Of his remarkable powers OF
mimicry and wonderful coptrol OF
facial expression But | have never
been able fully to understand how it
happened that he, who up to the time
he was twelve or fourteen years OF
axe was unable to read or write aud
who taught himself to read by suidy-
ing q dictionary as able to realize
the subtle meaning, the intellectual
depths. of some OF the great historic
characters he portrayed They speak
of Shakespeare as a mircle. ! think
that it is something of miracle that
Lawrence Barrett wholly self-taught,
vas able 10 interpret the deeper
meanings OF shakespeare plays as
Well as any OF the other great actors
OF our time.
10 always happens that some tri-
/ ling circumstances, some little
] chance incident, leads to a great pro-
fcssional career. al least upon the
stage OF course, J except from that
I statement men like 10 Jefferson or
Edwin Booth who were born and bred
/ IN the atmosphere Of the drama. An
incident OF this kind seems to have
/ been the turning point in the career
Of Lawrence Barrett. 7 have heard
the anecdoto several tine and / think
] il is well founded.
"Barrett's father was very honest,
Industrious and, at the same time,
poor. lrish-American When Barrett
was little boy the father moved
from New Jersey to Detroit. There
/ the boy was put TO work as soon as it
was possible for him to do any work,
for his small earnings were needed by
the family After o year or two Of
odd-iOb work the little fellow got en-
ployment I'm a dry goods store He
was a sort of errand boy. and / think
at one time he was cash boy.
"In the dry goods store there was
employed a hoorwalker who was
greatly disliked by all Of the clerks
He was hauglNy and very cOnceited,
and he had some queer mannerisms
as he walked up and down the floor
of the establishment Young Barrett
quickly detected the eccentricities Of
the noorwalker and, when he could
safely do it, he initiated his manners,
, to the great delight Of the clerks
Zone day when he thought the-floor
manager was at a remote part of the
| store-this was on day when the
| hoorwalker had been particularly
fond of strutting little Barrett started
out to initiate him. The imitation was
perfect It set all the clerks to roar
ing with laughter.
Suddenly the iloorwall1er appear
ed He had been Watching privately
young Barretts imitation of himself
He wasn't very angry, but he went up
to Barrett and said to him, Boy, you
are not cut out for a clerk in a dry
goods store. You go and hire out as
an actor That's where you belong.
We don't want you here any more
Barrett acted upon that advice inn
mediately and got employment I'm a
! Detroit theatre as a call boy. With
the first money that he could save he
bought a dictionary and taught him
telf to read Then he bought a cheap
edition of Shakespeare and read that.
You can well imagine that he did not
remain a can boy very long
Copyright, 1912. by Il. j. Edwards
All rights reserved)
II Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell 81
How Lincoln Selected His First At
torney-General"