The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-05
RIP FIRST IN '65.
Thomas JeffersOn Says TOpe-
kans Are Mistaken in Dates.
Play Ran Six Months in London
First.
TAKEN FROM CHINESE.
"Chink" Declares Story Was
Written Centuries Ago.
Jefferson to Play Cricket on
the Hearth"

RIP Van Wrinkle which was
played at the Grand last night with
Thomas Jefferson, son of the late Joe
Jefferson, as Rip. was first played
with his father in the same part IN
1866 in New York City Before its
first performance in London six
months earlier, it was regarded as such
q financial risk that its author, Bou-
c1cault, voluntarily accepted cornpaI-
atively small cash sum instead OF the
royalty proffered by the late Jefferson
for its use This is according TO ms
SON The actor also tells that a China
man claims that the Chinese nave d
Nersion of RIP Van Wrinkle over 7OO
years OLD. In addition, ne describes
how he and his father appeared IN
Topeka over 80 years ago at a skallAs
rink on Quincy street.
He announced here that he was go
ing to quit playing Rip either at the
end of this season or at the peglnhllls
sof next and play the lead IN Gram
atization of Charles Dickens cricket
on the Hearth He began playing the
mart which he has assumed so long pS
accident taking the place of hls IA
rher who was i'll Ihat " a. a. E1SeS
burg, Pa, in 1885
Feared Financial Failure
.srThe first version of rip Van
Wrinkle in which my father played was
quite different from this ones' sara
Mr. Jefferson For instance, RIP ;
and the men in the mountains spoke
Instead of being dumb as in the pres
emf play. When the new version was
being put on Boucicaulc, VINO was aiSo
the author of The Jilt, regarded II as
= great risk My father asked MN II
NJ wished to accept cash or royales
for the production ana ne ne [ 1s-ps raid
50, geo for the play - shine,
ssThe author feared for one Ihlhs
shat the people would not stand e 1or
the idea of a man waking up aAe0-
sleeping for 20 years ,.,,i
at was first played at the Adelphl
fheater in London. in 1863 A Luhny III
cfdent happened before the tlrsl ~
@orn1ance Father was practicing max
fno M for Rip in his room at ms
hotel when some one knocked at tnS
door Then he was told that ne heh9
forgotten to pull down the pllnu anu
no crowd was watching him from
across the street. AS ne Went 70 eAe
window he was greeted with cheef.
NO, I didn't see the first p pe+i'Jdav
ance-didn't see it until the SATURDAY
matinee. was / 2 years old then ana
attended a school near the Crystal pal
ace.
SON Was Understudy of Father.
arrhe play was a great success. II
ran six months in London, Wnlcn IS d
long time for that country anu q l,a ut.y
r.-tfen we came to America ana plaSeu
with great success in New YORK
ssOf course I had seen my 1athel
80 ~ # o11ite often. but with the ex-
eention of one scene had never re-
IN those days it was customary for
. star to travel firm one town TO an
ether where a stock company Woulu
be putting on a certain play and play
the lead in that drama An unoeI-
study would go before MN M, Gu NJ, ~
hearse the stock companies his par
zone dav I received a message from
- brother that my father VINO Was
+-1o1 d
m, az, Sa-ivine matinee, was TOO III ~
~ On and in fact had been oruereu
- the doctors to Florida 1 SAID tnat
= couldn't take my fathers pace, put
ana1Ix- decided to do so. Win my
ether living sick in bed. I rehearseq
Fhe waking up scene before MN
was anxious to get tnroust 80, y - ~, ~,
hit father insisted upon me taxing my
+i~,e saving that I was waking up TOO
fast for a man who had peen asteep
Prf twenty years. 1 was lleele aAeIN
o1,s at the first production, but my
~ 1sr5 seemed to please the audience.
That was in 1886.
In Topeka 80 Years Ago.
previous to that-it must have
been thirty years ago reS>lli ,,1 Ie1ilS
- harm of a building on Quincy
street. 1t rained hard that night ana
the roof leaked remember now the
-,aon1e came in with lanterns and
i,ieyE them out as they put them under
- why does the play have such a
hold on people2 Perhaps because q
+ba mysterious element and because
Rips love for children brought out by
.sr5ut I have decided to quit playing
Pin at the end of this season and am
irving out the lead in THE Cricket
IN the Hearth I viii likely play that
At the beginning of next season.
by the way. while playing Rip IN
San Francisco, prominent Shlhess
merchant named Sing Fat-and he
~ was fat tOo-came to me after the
1,erformance and asked how We got
the plot of the play. I told him that
an American washington Irving,
wrote the story. He said that Chi
nese legend, over two hundred years
old. told practically the same story.
"A man in Montreal translated the
NAV in French-but he said that the
lines in which Rip promises to swear
Off are untranslatable-for there are
French The French never swear of
but they do not get drunk as much
as some ether people
At the Play.
Considering the severe weather a
fairly large audience saw Thomas JEFF
fersOu in rip Van Wrinkle" at the
n Grand last night. The audience in
cluded a box party given by the State
Journal for those who had seen Joe
Jefferson father of the star of last
a night play Rip first The stage set
ffngs We're all that could be desired.
& Thomas Jefferson played the part with
& the grace and ease expected Several
other members of the company show
ed much dramatic ability
Roy Crawford. the Topeka theater
man saws that managers Of theatrical
S companies complain Of the GOODNESS OF
Topeka audiences and cites the fact
E that blanche Ring who appeared last