The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-21
M EN, w MEN
 A ND T HIN G s


 Mantell? It sounds fshy, but it's really the truth. It was no other than our own Phineas Taylor Barnum, our greatest snowman
 
 l am aware that I am getting the infor- nation out of the Romance of Robert Mantell." but ! am not romancing, but expect to give names, places and dates so that you can check up on it for yourself if you are skepticaL
 It was in the wheatsheaf Inn at Ir- vine. the little tavern in Bobby Burns country. operated by James and Eliza beth. the father and mother of Robert Mantell, that the famous author of the saying, The public likes to be hum bugged," in the language of the stage, discovered" Robert.
 It does seem passing strange that the unique American who brought to notice Tom Thumb and made the Wild Man Of Borneo, household word, should have visited the home town of our young hero with his collections of freaks and spent the night under the rooftree of his parents when Bobby was only or years old.
 It was after supper that good-natured Phineas caught a curly-headed, wide eyed child standing in the corner of the dining room taking in General" Thumb. in awed silence and such wonderful seri- ousness as to make Barnum nearly split his sides with laughter. He gathered him up in his arms and placing him on his knee, stroked his head, saying, Some day. my lad you will be great show man." a prophecy which came true, but not just in the sense in which it was made
 It's long trail which led from Irvine to Belfast. from the Wheatsheaf Inn to Eglinton- Winton. the hotel with it's seven bedrooms. and the billiard room, which was converted into theatre during the Christmas t;me when the guests went home tc epsoy the holiday cheer, giving teur theatricals, in which Elizabeth, the mother, entered heart and soul, to the days whe,t her sons name was blazoned the round world as classic actor.
 Robert Mantell made no sudden leap into fame, but like many another actor, made his way up slowly through heart- breaking difficulties and unspeakable dis couragemepts. I'll skip his schooldays, among parents to set down here his rec ord for he was a most indifferent stu dent and hard pupil to discipline. It might be said that his schooling neither hurt or helped him. for he quit before he had a chance to be spoiled.
 There was talk and an effort to make a lawyer ou, of him, or rather a bar r.ster, as he had the 'spouting gift" and so afflicted. he can count himself lucky if his fond parents do not dedicate him to Blackstone or make preacher out of him. Smiley. the best grinder" in Bel fast. tried to fill his head with mathe- matics. history law, medicine, literature and what not, but Robert would not, but one day went quietly to his mother and told her it was no use
 I cited the above condensed method of cramning a boy to call attention to the fact that he had not reached the age of h. When he rebelled he was put to work, and truth compels me to state that he was spprent.ced to wholesale liquor dealer named Neiil. where he was em- pioyed for five years, but largely in con nection with the customs side of the busi- ness. He had the direction of 60 men, and the eagerness and ingenuity they used to get at the contents of the vat gave him distaste for the trade.
 Now. while at Neills, he still had in tho back of his head yearning for a stage career. for he had kept green in his memory inc Christmas amateur per formances, and the Barnum prophecy had been kept alive There is small wonder that we find him joining an elocution class under Houston, who afterwards made fer, himself name as teacher of the art in New York. He saw that young Mantell was gifted and soon he was us- ing hin as enc of his assistant readers when touring the surrounding towns.
 He soon became a prime spirit in the organization of an amateur dramatic club that began eventually to give perform ances of a highly meritorious character. Theyt rented scenery and costumes from the regular theatres and staged their promotions ambitiously The expenses were defrayed by contributions from the members. and afterwards by shilling admission fee to the performances. It is interesting to know that MT. Mantell, who crens tonight in .Richelieu,' was cast during his apprenticeship at Neills when Bulwer's play was staged by the club at the Theatre Royal in Belfast for a church benefit, for the role of De Mauprat- It was his first appearance in a real theatre; he was only 1s years of age. ~
 When he made up his mind to become a professional he decided to seek career in America. and took ship for Boston, his brother James being purser on the Samaria. which piled to that port from Liverpool The voyage was without inci- dent, and when he landed on American soil he went whistling up the street in search of suitable theatre in which to make his debut The name of the street did not remain in his memory, but it was ir May, 1S1I. that Robert Mantell began calling on the Boston theatrical mag