The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1919-09-19
Colonel Watterson and the Stage.

Colonel Watterson and the Stage.
In Col. Henry Watterson's Look
ing Back ward" in the Saturday Evening
Post he deals with many interesting peo-
pie and events, and it is told in his in
imitable style. Most Of it is reminis-
cent and political. But in recent is
sue he devotes himself to the stage,
more particularly to his friend, Joseph
Jefferson. The Colonel doesn't mind
speaking from the heights of his posi-
ton. He even the challenges the We
racity of things established in history,
and in this liberty he has probably been
unkind to one of the greatest American
actors. This is an omission rather than
commission. He writes very profusely
and extensively of his association with
Mr.. Jefferson, the dean of the American
stage, the best known and probably the
best loved OF all American actors. In
this we are sure he was true to Mr.. JEFF
ferson and just in his statements. But
if this is the extent OF his elaboration OF
the stage the name Of Edwin Booth has
been forgotten or rather effaced from
the tablets OF fame in the parallel which
appears in the following paragraph.
After whole issue dedicated to Mr..
Jefferson Colonel Watterson thus apos-
trophies:
THE actor dies and leaves no copy;
his deeds are writ in water; only his
name survives upon traditions tongue.
And yet, from Betterton and Garrick
to Irving, from Macklin and Quinn to
Wyndham and Jefferson, how few! +"
Now, it is possible that Mr.. Waiter
son feels none too generous to the man
whose brother assassinated President
Lincoln and turned the PROCESS OF events
to the darkest page in American history.
But it is said that in all American stage
land there was never more lovable char
acter than Edwin Booth, and so con-
scious was he of the family skeleton
that from the day of bis visit before Lin
coins death Mr.. Booth never again APP
peared upon the stage in Washington
City. And SO did the calamity bear
upon the actors life that he retired as
much as possible from public notice.
No man, it is confidently believed, suf-
fered deeper regret and humiliation
from that deed than did Edwin Booth.
Now we don't believe the pen of the
gifted writer will be used to dimn the
star of Booths histrionic ascendancy
nor trouble his gentle soul. We don't
believe he wanted to. But in giving
place to the names OF Betterton, Gar
rick and Irving, very conspicuous alb
sence is noticed in the last OF the line OF
eminent tragedians-that OF Americas
gifted son whom history has in niche
OF fame.
Probably the greatest Of all tragedians
from the Elizabethan period OF letters
to the present day, during which acting
became recognized profession, was
Edmund Keane. His only rival was
Junius Brutus Booth, Edwin Booths
father, and that rivalry assuming the
proportions OF riot forced the elder
Booth to seek American honers. Keane
preceded his vanquished rival to Amer
lea, but returning to England left Booth
an undisputed field. Here the brilliant
son was born and made his first public
appearance on the Pacific coast. He be-
came a tragedian but most effective in
those subtle, Stimulating characters, such
as Iago and Hamlet. His star began
to rise and even in England rivalry
with Henry Irving was recognized. 1t
is said that these actors appeared in
rival London playhouses for the larger
part of an entire season, each in the
role OF Hamlet. Booths return to
America was an ovation.
/ William Winter and numbers OF
American theatrical writers have ad-
duced what seems to be consensus OF
opinion that Edwin Booths Hamlet
was the most artistic and satisfactory
conception of the melancholy Dane
ever rendered upon any stage, with the
possible exception that il Betterton had
lived in the nineteenth century be might
have contested that right. Irving's stel.
| lar career has no such unanimous in
dorsement. Sir Henry first found IA