The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-12
EAST LYNNE AS A PLAY COME FROM
 HIS FATHERS PEN
R. l.. Tayletlre Writes Interest ingly of His Memories of
 Famous Drama.

Editor of The Farmer:
 Y An allusion to the anniversary of the death of Mrs. Henry Wood. au- lthoress of the story of East Lynne re-
 cannot refrain from adding with your permission, another brief chapter to I the history of that remarkable work, more remarkable in fact from it's dra-
 natic construction than it's original. good as that was, for thousands have seen the play that have never read the book.
 It was about 1856 that the first dra-
 matization in this country or in Eng land was made by the late Clifton w. iTayleure, then struggling young newspaper man in Baltimore Md, who in addition to the ups and downs of every day life and the struggles for Irecognition had wife and an infant, l to wit, the writer, a cub with a pre- ponderance of flesh, an appetite that was ravenous and an insistence in de nands that, history recordeth, made ] him about as hard proposition as ever was hiked along this mundane l sphere.
 Tay1eure was at his wits ends for more than daily bread and with an eagerness for something that might raise the wind lit upon the idea of dranatizing East Synne, which he had read and in which he saw great oppor- tunities.
 In addition to his newspaper work he was the critic. the censor Of plays, the journalistic and dramatic scrub of the then famous Holiday street theatre with John T. Ford as manager The play written, the question all impor- tant was. who should essay Lady Isa- belle. About that time there was bril- liant in the Armament of the, stage an actress that has never ceased to be a wonder and a source of admiration 1 to old stagers as we'll as to historians, Lucille Weston. one of two sisters and the greatest emotional actress of her Ford was approached for advice as to the play and the proposition for a lead. and he was enthusiastic over the former and equally forceful about Lu- ellie Weston's playing the lead Miss Weston had no money but she had friend that was materially in terested in her, man Of the world, and noA 9 bad one, Jim Mead who had come to her assistance before. She had the play read. Fascinated with the character of Lady Isabelle. she wanted the piece. Mead offered
 Tayienre s1oo for the sole and ex- elusive rights for the piece for Miss Weston and as the offer seemed to
 multiply in amount just at that time Tayleure took it and gave Miss Wes- i ton all the rights. How many thou sands she made I would no pretend to say. t
 As Tayleure was jubiIantIy on his way home with his God send, he ran across an i1npecunious friend who was ! mounted on his furniture. that had been piled on the side walk. His tale of woe was not long It was strong and he got s25 of that s1O0-
 TayIeure, many years later, arr ranged what was termed the French version of East Lynne, called by him: EssJealousy and that antedated by some seasons the play that made Clara Morris- Time flies, the days are IoId and the cub Of yesterday sits and wonders whether life differs so very
 much with most of us. In 1889 the
 cub visited England with his father
 and while there had the pleasure of
 being guest of Mrs. Wood and of carrying away with him a souvenir of an admirable lady, a genial hostess
 and a great authoress.
 R. L. TAYLEURE.
 Stratford, Ct, Feb. Il. 1914.