The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-17
ORIGINAL TOM
DIES IN VERMONT
!. sol DIERS' HOME
Daniel Worcester Former
Bridgeport Policeman,
at Sc

/
Daniel Worcester. q Civil War vet
eran. who played the part of Uncle
Tom in the fist DEMONSTRATION of Har-
lriet Beecher Stoves famous novel.
and for II years a policeman in
Bridgeport, il dead at Benning gton,s
Vt.,3 where he had for many years
been an inmate of the Soldiers home.
During the Civil War hel enlisted
in the aTwenty-seventh, ConnecticGf
Volunteers. In 1874 he left the stage
and took up his residence here. Dur-l
ing his stay here as a policeman he
was we'll known to many of our pres-
ent residents and also took a promi-
nent part in amateur theatricals.
From here he moved to Montpelier,
VT, where he held county commits
sionership. In 1909 his health broke
down and, he was admitted to the Sol
dier's home at Bennington. He had
passed his 82nd milestone at the time.
OF his death.
Daniel Worcester was born in log
cabin in the little town of Warren,
VT, 20, miles from the nearest railway
station, Aug. "A, 1888 His father was
a farmer and the family consisted OF
40 boys and two girls. When IL years
of age he went to Lowell, where he
apprenticed himself to learn the trade
of a painter.
In the fall of 1851 he became asso-
the first dramatization of Harriet
Beecher Stoves novel. Uncle Tom s
Cabin and was given the part of
Uncle Tom nrthe company which Att
kin collected for the purpose of trying
E.opt his new production. William S.
Hutchins, the famous lightning math-
ematicaI calculator, who made such
reputation with Barnunass circus and
who was for MANY years lecturer at
the Austin A. stone museum in Bos-
ton. was also a member of this first
company.
One of the first productions of the
drama, was at Natick, Mass. The two
incidents Of this opening night that
remained in Worcester's memory
during his declining years was the
large attendance and the presence on
one of the front seats of Henry Will
son, at that time a member of the
Massachusetts Senate and just begin
ming to make himself felt as a factor
IN the abo1itionist movement. Wilson
later represented his state in the up
per House of Congress. made a. bril-
liant record in the civil war and was
elected with Grant in the campaign
of 1872.
From Natick the company made a
tour of the larger cities of Massachu-
sets and where the play was given
in Hampden hall, Harriet Beeeher
Stowe, who was then living in Hart
ford, Conn, was in the audience.
After his success with the original
eUnc1e Toms Cabin company, sVVor-
cester had no difficulty in securing
enga genents with leading stock com
panies. In these erga nizatfens he was
usually listed as first cid man. but
not infrequently as stage manager AZ
ter his return from the war most of
his enga gements We're in the latter
capacity. During the presi dentia al
campaign of 1850 he was touring the
middle West with a repertoire COM
Iany. On one occasion the troupe was
booked to appear in Springfield, ILL.,,
on the evening following enc of the
famous joint debates hv Abraham
Lincoln and Stephen "A. Douglas At
Norcester's suggestion a change was
made in the piece advertised and
ts'Uncle Toms Cabin" was produced
IN it's stead, with himself in the lead
ing part and the two candidates in
the audience.
Upon his recovery from war hard
ships he returned to the stage and
became a mem Der of Forests New
York troupe. In the fall Of 1864 he.
was in Montpelier during the session
CONTINUED from Page 81