Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-08-26


ors conspieuousIy and You Couldn't
Blame Him for They Frequently
Covered the Lack Of . Clean Shirt
He was Of proud and naughty nien,
with a nose red and dubious at the
end. He stalked. In Booths best
Richard III manner. up to Pop" Cald-
well, scneschal of the inner works Of
The Music Box In Forty-fifth street,
says the New York Times. and an.
nounced in sonorous. resonant tones
II would have speech with Mr.. Cob
lier.'
Hands on hips. head thrown back,
one foot and leg advanced, he glow.
cred ut Pop" like hungry ogre de-
prived Of snack. lie wore full.
skirted. beliylng Prince Albert frock
coat. green and shiny with age dap
pied with glistening spots and with
buttons missing here and there. Stick
ing through one sleeve was I'm elbow
resembling the breastbone OF lean
turkey. His frayed trousers bottoms
seemed to he racing each other 10 see
which first would get over the tops
Of split shoes whose uppers gaped
above cracked soles An ancient silk
hat, moth-eaten and weatherheaten.
careencd like scuttled ship atop
shock Of black hair. showing rusty
brown btreakS where the dye had
worn of. whose ends draped Il grmy
oelluloid collar. Attached To Its front
was a shredded ncckcloth spot notified
like the cont.
Rising from the collar was a lean.
stringy neck and face OF tight-drawD
skin. old and scanned. But the eyes
were full of fire, and all Of shake
speares tragic protagonlsts were en-
bodied in the grandloquent pose
Othello. Hamlet. Lear. Macbeth. Rich.
ard III. Shylock.
Pop" left him there and went 70
William Golfers dressing room.
"There's ham outside for you, Mr.
Collier" he said,
"Roil II and bring II In" replied Col
Her.
"It's already picked" returned
pop" "Take Il look"
Collier descended few steps and
looked around jog.
"Pop,' that's nifty" he whis.
pered. Send Il 10 Solly Ward. Here
give him this and shoe him on" lie
slipped bill into Pops" hand
The Last Ct the Breed.
Must be- one Of the last of the
breed of ham actors or hamfatters.
explained Pop" rs the rumble Of an
expostulating voice Hoated up the
stairs. mingled With Pops" staccatO
"Nuthin more dom, git along
Ten years ago this time OF year
they were thicker on Broadway than
taxicabs are now. Origin Of the term
ham actor or hamfatter'? I've heard
several versions. The most likely two
are those which ascribe the birth OF
the title to the fact that actors OF the
type mennt always played, or were try
ing to play. Hamlet, and when too low
In funds 10 get cold cream with which
to remove their makeup used essence
Of cooked pig.
when the Rialto was the Rialto,
when every corner was listening
post for a group of actors attendant
on the triumphant recital of some
observation-disclosures trouper the ham
fstter' was in his glory. He was al.
ways an actor always In character
always strutiing and strld!ng and
stradding. II he always wore his
laurels conspicuously you couldn't
blame him. for they frequently covered
the lack Of clean shirt. He gave
continuous performance along
Broadway from Weber and Fields
Music hail al Twenty-ninth street 10
Hammerstein's fmrthest north Victoria
ri Forty-Second.
broadway was his summer resort
and his were long summers. from June
to September. New York had no sum-
mer theater season in his heylay. He
came hael, from trouping. from all the
points OF the compass, with nothing
saved except the clothes he stood In
and unbreakable faith-his seeming
conceit. | believe. nj bottom WAS faith
in his own abilities and the big en-.
Ragement that was coming In tho fall.
Wore Winter Clothes in July.
HE sweated beneath winter clothes
In the July sun and held his conclaves
on the thcater and plays ~ the future
beneath the shade Of store awnings
until the proprietors, not looking on
HIM ms trade-pulling attraction.
drove him away. lie discovered. long
ago. that the stage and actors were
drgeneraiing and his foreboding> wer"
Just as gloomy Ms those ~ our young
intell.ctuals ~ criticism are today.
Summer furs were not fashionable
then. hut many II leading lady wore
them N she could afford To- keep them
IN her own hands. Ills wardrobe was
the 'hamfatters bank account. his
liquid asset, and the pawnbroker
kept Il beyond reach of moths for
him. All through the summer months
et,o ,ohns q EiuuS uuI uuanps