Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-16
THE BALMY DAYS
OF WOODS MUSEUM
Otis Skinner Tells the Poor Rich
ard Club of His Early
Trials There

nIlS SKINNER, at the Poor Richard club
~ yesterday. made about a hundred new
iriends. acquired good luncheon and a
brand-new middle initial +. generously but
sent-n,indedly handed to him by President
Rowe Stewart, who was still thinking of
isaac +. Marcosson, who spoke there last
week, and in return delivered himself of
some delightful table talk, full of remi-
niscences Of the old museum at Ninth and
Arch streets.
When Mr.. Skinner brushed the crumbs
from his weskit and arose to speak he had
before him one Of the handbills sent out TO
the Poor Richardtes announcing his coming
lie laid a meditative finger upon this para
graph in 1t:
Just forty years ago a young fellow in
New England answered an Actor Wanted"
ad. The ad was placed by the Philadel-
phia Museum. then at Ninth and Arch
streets. The chaps letter sounded good to
the manager and he was invited to come
10 Philadelphia for an interview This he
did. He looked promising. was given a job
and at the end of the week was IS richer
This was Otis Skinner.
That" said this finished actor, whose
Jovian locks are now tipped with silver and
whose place at the top of his profession is
SO secure as TO make the contemplation of his
early trials provocative OF the stirring OF only
humorous wrinkles in his mobile face, "is
not true, not by darned sight never
saw that IS at the end Of the week nor for
many weeks after"
II the young actor looked promising" as
the advance notice said, the manager Of that
museum was So In very fact. William
Davidge was that managers name, and he
was the greatest and most habitual promiser
In this city's theatrical circles In that day.
He had taken over the stock company in the
old museum, under Colonel Woods lessee
ship, and after several hectic years of
hand-to-mouth existence folded his tent like
the Arab and as silently stole away-to
Brooklyn
Then came the firm of Hagar. Campbell &
Co-Colonel Hagar and W. II. Campbell,
who had been for some years connected with
Barnum & Baileys circus--and the Co"
was c. A. Bradenburgh, who soon bought
out his partners and put the Dime Museum
on the map. But all that Is another story
and were getting ahead OF Otis SINNERS
His begins with the feverish reign of William
Daridge, and never did young actor drop
irto more varied or more exacting school.
"One Man y Plays Many Parts"
1t may be trick Of memory but the old
Woods Museum brings back to us an odor
that was a cross between that of a cheap
boarding house and the monkey house at the
Zoo! There was. at any rate, a cageful of
monkeys on an upper floor. and Mr.. Skinner
yesterday recalled "A few cases of picked
snakes and a weather-beaten painting Of The
Last supper. at which visitors from the
rural districts gaped with awe and admra-
ton.
Otis Skinner went there it's true in an
swer to an ad. which drew him from the
home Of his father, q respectable minister
of the town Of Hartford. but he had also
armed himself with a dubious note of ref
erence from his fathers old friend, p T.
Barnum. It read something like this
THE bearer Of this Otis Skinner. is known
to me. His parents are very respectable peo-
Pile. He has an ambition. a desire. a yearn-
ing to be an actor. p. T. BARNUM."
The young man got the Job. which was the
beginning Of many others. all for the same
(promised) salary. He began at the age of
seventeen as a first old man." handicapped
with a pair Of youthful dancing legs that
simply wouldn't behave in senile fashion, de-
spite the profane osjurgations upon them by
Davdge. There was never a dearth OF parts
-he played l35 of them in that first year
at the museum-but for tho frat couple OF
months he never saw anything but stage
money. He may have been the original actor
in that pathetic old story Of the young man
who entered Learys old bookstore one morn
ing with few volumes under his arm and
SAID: II saw your advertisement. and I've
come In to sell YOU these books" But" the
bookman Is reported to have replied. 1--WE
advertised that we would buy entire libraries
only" WELL" said the young map. this is
| my entire library"
But young Gllinnsr must have hsd more
tha2 : sipGls ersafl1 q boo>a olhefv fvisD -