Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-03
he was, IL such thing could be, more popular
than ever. Tho house was packed.

he was, IL such a thing could be, more popular
than ever. Tho house was packed.
Whether the show had been upon the road
for some time or whether this was its virgin
performance there Is no evidence now at
hand, but we recall that many OF the fancy
from New York were In the boxes, and OF
those mostly prominent and bediamonded was
John LIS faithful worshiper, Steve Brodie
Not long before, on that fateful night IN
September, 1892. when the young Pompadour
wore down the old gladiator In twenty-one
exasperating rounds, steve Brodie was 'ne
most surprised and the most heartsore man
in all New York. Anticipating sure s'ctoly
for his idol Steve had invited scores or ir'e.'us
to free blowout at his Bowery saloon , hnu
the word was passed around that there was
going to be something extra dom A"n ~
indeed there was, A special wire hau - 49,
installed to bring from New orleans the new
of the fight by rounds and on ono side Oh 'ne
barroom a curtain covered what iooNed 'o 'o
a picture which was later TO lie uhNei'd'
Never did a party start out more anspr
ciously but tho ending thereof was suhet',ns
else again. When the blow fell that Knossead Ksed
John LIS crown gaey-west, Vt also roppeu
Steve Brodie Of all sense of his duties as
host He was habbergasted utterly ana one
after another his neEected guest ,.uan sun
away. But that unveiling hadnt peeu -
only postponed. The crowd was inNitcu 10
be on hand the following SATURDAY nIsn'
"for some big doin's-bigger'n ever: Ihere
was the same curtain ana there was oV,e'
smiling and clipper again ana there a' une
proper moment the unveiling took place uis-
closing a large crayon portrait OF john -.
Below II, in Steve's own hand, was written:
1.-THE Big Fellow. lie lose the nsh' pu' "e
amt lose his friends"
So you may be sure Steve Brodie was
among the most prominent present that night
at the National. And there was many
another in boxes and stalls more Interesting
TO look at and listen to than were the poor
actors upon the stage. Indeed. the company
had It's own troubles to put over the foothghts
the thin and scarcely necessary thread OF
plot which was to drag upon the stage the
car Of the Big Fellow. The house had come
to see something and this time the play was
not the thing. All of the story that comes to
us now centers around "a mortgage on the
dear old home" and the home folks t'Honest
Hearts') who were, through the medium or n
ring battle put out Of the reach OF want by
John LIS maulers ("Willing HandsD. PIT
and galleries were dlsregardful Of the actors
while the hero was off the stage; all eyes
and ears and wide mouths when he was on
1t was great to see John j.. come on (R
T. E) and swagger through the plot and
the scenery and the impedimental tellow
players with these last he was forever shak'
ing hands, lifting them up on their toes with
| the pain of his grip and playfuny clouting
them in the ribs when they were slow In get
| ting away Then came the fight scene. and
| that was what the crowd had come to see
This was the FIRST of such shows and 1t was
| followed by number of others, notably,
Peter jackson as Uncle Tom in a CURIOUS
| adaptation OF the old play, with fstic inter-
| pellations. I
fathers playhouse, some say for $4,000. and
| it's likely shortly to pass utterly from the
fana of ba T. "A. ID,