The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-17
FIRST TO ACT
UNCLE TOM
Daniel Worcester, 81, Dies
in Soldiers Home in
Bennington
BORN IN LOG CABIN
IN WARREN, VERMONT
Was Associated with George Aitkin,
Who Produced characterization of Har-
riet Beecher Stoves Novel First in
Natick Mass.
Especial to The Reformer.)

BENNINGTON, Dec. II.
Daniel Worcester, the original Uncle
Tom in the first company that produced
the dramatization of Harriet Beecher
Stoves great novel, Uncle Tom s Cab
in, died here last night at the Vermont
Soldiers Home.
He was native of Vermont, having
been born in log cabin in the town
of Warren August "a, 1888. His
father was a farmer and the family in
cluded 10 boys and two girls. When
only II years of age he left home and
went to Lowell, Mass, where he appren-
ticed himself to learn the trade of
painter. Soon after his arrival in Low
! ell he bought his first theatre ticket,
/ an admission to the old Lowell museum
where Sheridan Knowles was playing
/ The Hunchback. The play made such
an impression on the youth that on the
following morning he could repeat
much of the dialogue and he then and
there made up his mind to become an
actor. He secured membership IN an
amateur theatrical organization in
Lowell called the Aurora club, of which
he was soon made president and stage
manager.
His first professional engagement
was at the Howard Atheneum, where
he played minor parts for about six
months. In the fall of 1851 he became
a member of the company organized by
George Aitkin for the purpose OF
"trying out a dramatization Of I'm
Gle Tom s Cabin. William S. Hutchins
the famous lightning mathematical cal
culator who made such a reputation
with Barnum' s circus and who was fol-
many years the lecturer at the
Austin & Stone museum in Boston, also
was a member of the company and i'm
lpersonated st. Claire. Hutchins, at
the time of his death in Boston il
August, 1911, was the only survivor o
the company except Worcester. Den
man Thompson, who was a member o
1.-THE Aurora club in Lowell at the tim
Worcester was the club 5 stage man
ager, agreed with Aitkin to become
member of the company. Thompson an
Worcester were both aspirants for tn
name part in the new drama, but Will
the rehearsals were in progress tn
young man who later in life score
such a remarkable success in the Oh
Homestead secured what he believe
to be a less risky and more profitabl
engagement and was released from hi
agreement.
Ait5in produced the drama for tn
first time at Natick, Mass. From Matte
the company made tour of the citi,
/ and larger towns in Massachusetts. Tt
theatres, or museums as they WEI
2, called at that time, all were controlle
e by stock companies and it was nece
s. sary for the troupe with its untrit
n production to make its appearances
$, halls or churches. One night the pIi
S, was given in barn. At Springfield
ID Mass, where the drama was given
Hampden hail. Harriet Beecher Stow
who was then living in Hartford, Com
was in the audience. From Springfe
the company went to Greenfield
crossed the Hoosac mountain in coach
-s and appeared in North Adams and w
Jamestown. Vermont was avoided f
the reason that at that time there w
law on the statute books of t