The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-21

outline of his career. which Is here pre-
sented--almost In his own words:
MY first appearance in the business
world was as n newspaper man, or
rather boy. for ut the ago OF nine l
began to peddle papers on the streets
of Newark, N. J.. and held that job until
l was fourteen. when I secured u
position as office boy for the American
Insurance Company, also OF Newark.
Five years all told was 1 an insurance
man. and during that timo succeeded in
advancing my salary from SO per week
to $40 per month Office work did not
prove exciting enough. so I decided
! that n stage career was just the thing
for me. and the acknowledged sue
cessor of Edwin Booth was the posi-
ton that would some day be minc.
II succeeded In convincing Henry V.
| Donnelly, at that time manager of the
| Murray Hill stock Company, of New
! York, that / was absolutely necessary
| to him, and the result was Il position as
| extra man in his company. At that
| time Laura Hope Crews was the lead
| Ing woman. and Frances Starr was in
/ genue of the company. was one sea-
son In that company. and then secured
| an engagement with stock in Mem
! phis. Tenn, where / was asked to re-
main II second season, but by that time
my Ideas on salary and the managers
did not agree, so I hiked back to New
York about the LIST of August and be-
gan looking for another engagement.
"I looked for that engagement from
August until the following February
without finding it. and then gave up
the idea Of engagement and started out
to look for :: job. | found it ut last
as conductor on a trolley car and
held it six months. getting up each
morning at o'clock. The following
fall I took IL vacation from the trolley
and got an engagement with Il vaude
Vile act, but that didn't last long. so
!, went to New Orleans with another
stock.
at the end of three months In New
Orleans. there was Il dispute as TO
whether I was fired by the manage
mcnt or whether the management was
fired by me; anyway, l came hack to
New York and again tried my luck in
vaudeville. but without success.
1.-The summer of 1906 found mo In
Virginia playing Il round OF the sum-
mer parks. including lakewood Park,
In Richmond played in the Rev.
Thomas Dxon's piece, The One WO-
man. the following season. and then
returned to stock. playing at the Keith
Theatre in Pawtucket. r. I. The fol-
lowing year 7 graduated to the Albec
stock in Providence. and upon leaving
there went to winnipeg, Canada to get
an idea OF just what a Northern win
ter was like.
Upon my return Joined Tom Wise
and remained with him for two sea-
SONS, and then became member of
the Academy of Music stock in New
York. but for some reason could not
please the management, as I was given
my two weeks notice.
After that | Joined the stock on
Staten Island, and when that closed
went TO TSoy for a spring season Of
stock. Then I was engaged for the
Albee stock of Providcncc-my third
season with that company. The fol-
lowing season. or, to be exact, the fall
= of 1912, I took the management Of
the theatre on staten Island and put
in my own company. but had only in
different success, and closed the thea
ire after run Of sixteen weeks.
AT the beginning of the present sea-
son tried my luck with the com
pany now have in South bend, Ind,
but never again will go there Our
lack OF success there has been more
than made up Ivy the good things that
have happened TO us since coming to
Richmond.
Let me add that have given up all
idea Of becoming a second Edwin Booth
I know now how little do know about
acting-something learned since
starting in this. the greatest business
in the world"
lie Is not a second Edwin Booth
but lie is an accomplished character
actor. stock company manager OF
conspicuous ability. a clean. straight
forward business man and. withal.
modest and thoroughly likable chap
- whose connection with local thea trica
affairs has been so eminently pleasan
Il to those with whom IT has brought hin
< in contact that, upon his return mex
season-again, at the head Of his ow
I'd company--hc will be greeted with
cf warm and very real welcome. d. G.