The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25

up and elongated beyond all sense OF
proportion. and as he has humorously
remarked. Meter Moss might by all
the laws OF fitness have been re-
christened Melting Nose.
The company had opened in Napa.
Cal. and when the tour halted
abruptly Warfeld got hack to San
Francisco as best he could and again
returned 10 his duties as usher at the
Bush Street Theatre.
Four months later he met another
manager who was putting out a COM
pany, and telling this worthy inoi-
vidual what big hit he had been with
the other company. and knowing there
was no one there TO contradict him. he
got position. He played an old man
In The Queens Shilling" at 500 a
week. This company also closed. but
as he had taken the precaution u get
a substitute 10 usher for him during
his absence he returned again TO the
Bush Street Theatre.
Then came a period Of recl,ations at
clubs and lodges for which the young
actor received no pay. one OF his
most popular recitations was a story
about a Quarrel in a Jewish Lodge"
which was also used later in his vaude-
VILE mono.ogue.
Finally his chance came and he was
allowed TO appear at the Wigwam. a
variety hall in San Francisco. But
his position was second N the bill and
this, coupled with the fact that the
audience was drifting in and shuffiing
about. SO frightened him that il was
at once the beginning and end Of his
engagement. His friends cheered. but
many Kissed and the ordeal TO him was
terrible. He was heart broken over
the outcome. and determining TO go
10 New York. he arranged a benefit for
himself at Dashaway Hall on Post
street. Some amateur friends helped
him out and he cleared about 800.
Il left the coast on November II,
1890" said Warfield, IN detailing his
experiences. land reached New York
six days later. A great snowstorm
had descended on the town and there
is nothing so appalling TO a stranger as
a vast city in the grip Of ice and snow
under a bleak gray sky so fearfully
suggestive Of restitution. I arrived at
Liberty street and after inquiring the
way from a policel an. started r. walk
up Broadway to Forty-siXth street,
where friend had engaged a room for
me.
II walked until ! reached the Hoff-
man House, and as / had heard Of this
hotel. I went in and looked around.
But ii gave me homesick feeling and
I Immediately continued on my way
up town. ! inspected the room my
friend had engaged for me, and found
L. -, III, ~ aln ,eyl,
for most people, but not cheap enough
for me in my present state. So I
hunted up a room on Thirty-eighth
street near Eighth avenue for which
paid Sl.75 a week. l was desperately
unhappy. and many times returned
thoroughly dtsheartened TO my attic
ROOM where the snow drhted in
through a broken skylight, and where
/ was obliged 10 warm my numb fin-
gers over candle. I ate only when
IT was absolutely necessary and not
merely when ! was hungry.
"Fur three weeks I tried the concert
halls without success. but finally
gained the ear of the manager Of
Payne's Concert Hall on Eighth
avenue. near Thirtieth street. He. like
every one else, wanted to be shown,
and asked me II ] would give trial
performance. ! went on and the
people seemed TO like my act i'm
mensely. The audiences here were
not much different from the Wigwam
in San Francisco, but ] had now
gained confidence in myself. got SIS
fr the first weeks work and would
gladly have signed for ten years If
the proprietor had asked me to.
THE Coleman House was at that
time a favorite resort for actors and
managers. and one day met William
A. Brady in the lobby. We had been
boys together on the coast and now he
was an important manager. He had
Just then bought a play called The
1nsnecfnr, and WAS going Ia send Il onf