New-York tribune., 1919-12-27
About a Column
An Old Theaterxoer Confesses

ness to q recent Tribune for a sudden
awakening to tho fact that l am ian
old theatergoer." So stealthily had the
years TAXED by that it had never oc-
Cured to me that ! had attained to a
class, had become, so to say, "pre-
ferred risk" until read the comment
Of Mr.. Broun in his dramatic depart
ment (next door to his book depart
ment).
1t never crossed my mind in these
Inter years that not all the interesting
people who fill the chairs ain front"
about me, had seen Ada Rehan at her
best, or even the Daily stock, or Roland
Reed, or Sol Smith Russell, or James
A. Herne, or Frank Mayo; have no
memories of when julius Witmark was
the sweetest ballad singer with Rus
sells Comedians, along with Jose, the
contra tenor, or Willis Sweatnam, the
old-school "nigger" to the life.
The chance remark carried me back
to that glorious week in 1S85-or was
1T '86?-when we two youngsters,
Bralnard and I, by promising to keep
an eye on three carloads of sheep,
were allowed to ride to New York on
livestock train and receive drover's
pass back. Two nights and a day in
various cabooses of the New York
Central E. Hudson River Railroad,
finally grounding at the stockyards-
what is now a very pleasant section of
upper New York-early on a Sunday
morning. A quick change, at a barber
shop bathroom, from our drovers'
clothes to our Sunday best, third
story room engaged in Twenty third
the week (you could shut the door
easily by going in one at a time and
getting out of the way. on the bed), a
fine breakfast, with steak and coffee
and griddle cakes and everything, at a
fine restaurant, for 25 cents, and we
opened the week with prayer, so to
say, by hearing Henry Ward Beecher
at his Brooklyn church
Oh, but it was a wonderful week,
Six forenoons and three afternoons
for general sightseeing, but all of the
rest of the time. for the theaters
Here's the list: Lawrence Barrett in
Henry Dixey in "Adonis," then at the
height of its recordbreaking run; Lii
Lehman singing in the Queen of
Sheba" at the Metropolitan; Francis
Wilson in "Amorita" at the Casino:
and | remember that a very beautiful
and shapely woman of the name Of
Billie Barlow led the chorus; "The
Mikado," with Coutice Pound, the
lovely Geraldine Ulmer and the orig
inal English company; Hazel Kirke'
at the Madison Square; benefit for
emy of Music. which lasted from I
until $3.50, with slim, agile Nat Good
win supplying an act from Fun in a
Skating Rink" then running; Marshall
Wilder, just becoming successful as a
tory-teller; Mrs. D. P. Bowers and
her company in the scene of the meet
ing Of the two Marys, and so on, and
so on, and more, and more, and more.
wonderful bargain in theatricals.
And, oh, yes, an afternoon at the Eden
Musee
Wasn't it great week? Of course,
I'd been to shows before. Back in
Rochester l had heard Mrs. Scott Sid
dons read and been present when a
Rochester fireman won undying fame
by standing up for four rounds
against John L. Sullivan. Robson and
Crane as the Two Dromios; Denman
Thompson in Josh Whitcomb,' al
ways, to my mind, more true to life
play than The Old Homestead" with
Ignacio Martinetti doing that graceful
dance with Dot-Dot-now, who was il
that made such a hit all over the
country dancing in that show? Anc
also who was that character actor, sc
gifted, who sang cover the Garden
Wall" in Baron Rudolph"? And
Muldoon, throwing three wrestlers
three times each in an hour; and Os-
car Wilde being presented with sun
flower by the niger whom the Roches-
ter University boys had dressed up in
frilled shirt and knickerbockers to
walk down the aisle to the stage.
NEWTON HOOD.