CHAPTER X.
SEASON OF '66 AND '67.
The season of '66 and '67 opened on September 8th with Alonzo R. Phelps as the star attraction. Mr. Phelps opened in the character of "Damon" and made a fairly good showing, although he appeared to much greater advantage in some lighter roles, and particularly as "Crepin," the Cobbler, in "A Wonderful Woman." His engagement lasted two weeks, when the Irwins returned after an absence of over two years. They opened on September 29th, just in time to get well ready with a repertory of plays for the approaching conference. Their engagement lasted up to November 15th, when they departed for the East and Salt Lake was never favored with a visit from them afterwards. "Sel" Irwin "died young in years, not service," after very intense suffering for several years from rheumatism, which virtually made a helpless cripple of him. He died in New York in 1886, being only a little over fifty years of age. His widow, Maria Irwin, still survives, and up to a recent date was playing in a road company. Harry Rainforth, her son by her first marriage, who was a mere boy of sixteen when they played their first engagement in Salt Lake, has been for many years manager of the Pike Grand Opera House, Cincinnati, the associate and partner of "Bob" Miles. It was during this last Irwin engagement that Miss Nellie Colebrook, who later on became leading lady of the company, made her debut. Her first appearance was in the comedy of "Dominique, the Deserter." The first line she had to speak was, "Oh, I'm half dead with fear," which was literally true of Miss Colebrook on the occasion. She was shaking like an aspen leaf in a strong wind, but her nervous condition fitted the character remarkably well and the lady sailed at once into public favor. Miss Colebrook was tall and stately, with a very winning face and musical voice; she went rapidly to the front, being especially well suited to many of the leading roles. Mrs. Lydia Gibson, the leading actress of the theatre, died on January 8th, 1866, a little less than three years after her first appearance. This left a vacancy in the company difficult to fill, and afforded Miss Colebrook many excellent opportunities in leading roles, which she always filled satisfactorily, so that by the time Pauncefort returned to play his third engagement—after an absence of more than two years Miss Colebrook was doing most of the leading female roles.
After the departure of the Irwins, the stock company finished out the season without the assistance of a star, playing from November 15th until after April Conference. It was during the conference that our old friend George Pauncefort, suddenly and unexpectedly to most of us, returned from San Francisco after an absence in that metropolis of more than two years. He opened a return engagement on April 16th in "Don Caesar de Bazan." The season was virtually over after the April Conference, but notwithstanding he played to splendid business, he gave repetitions of his previous plays and won out splendidly on a production of "Arrah Na Pogue," in which he had played "Col. O'Grady" during a successful run of this play in San Francisco.
"Arrah Na Pogue" drew good houses for three or four nights, and closed the season of '66 and '67. Robert Heller got in a three nights engagement, commencing May the 20th, while the company was getting up in "Arrah Na Pogue." He was the first to introduce the mysterious second sight illusions and succeeded in bewildering and mystifying the patrons of the theatre to an unusual degree.
During the last engagement of Pauncefort most of the opposite roles to his own were assigned to Miss Colebrook, who had in the past year, since Mrs. Gibson's demise, divided honors with Miss Adams, and owing to her more stately appearance had been entrusted with many of the leading lady roles and was an established favorite. Pauncefort, who had never met her before (her debut having occurred after his departure for the coast), was much surprised and pleased to find a new and attractive leading lady in the company. He took an especial interest in her, and she was cast for all the leading roles during his engagement, beginning with "Maritana" in "Don Caesar," and including "Lady Macbeth" and "Ophelia." Pauncefort discovered that she had exceptional dramatic ability and encouraged her in every possible way; for "Miss Nellie" was not over-confident of her own abilities, and suffered keenly from nervousness or stage fright, especially on the first time in a part; and to receive encouragement and compliments from a star of Pauncefort's acknowledged luster was doubtless sweet and flattering to the lady, who as yet was all unconscious of the impression she had made on the susceptible George. "The fair Elizabeth has caught my eye, and like a new star, lights onward to my wishes." Possessed of a sweet and loveable disposition and a musical voice added to her charms of personal appearance, Miss Colebrook was a general favorite, not only with the public, but with the company. She had numerous admirers, and several rival aspirants for her affections, both in the company and out. With what surprised and ill-concealed chagrin they viewed the growing attentions of the reigning star can better be imagined than described. The princely George had enrolled himself in the list of her devotees and it was very much in evidence that he was enamored of the lady, for George had a keen eye for the beautiful, and "a free and open nature, too," most susceptible to female charms, so he entered the race with the others for the fair "Nellie's" hand. While he was considerably older than any of his competitors, being now close onto fifty, he probably had the advantage over them all in looks, being generally regarded as a handsome man, and most decidedly he had the advantage of experience, for George had been a gay Lothario. He seemed in a fair way to carry off the much-coveted prize. Notwithstanding the disparity of age, the fair "Nellie" seemed strongly attracted to the princely George. Playing "Ophelia" to his "Hamlet" and "Lady Macbeth" to his "Macbeth," and a long series of opposite characters to him, he had not failed to make a powerful impression on her, and if she had been left to herself without guidance or counsel, there is little question but what Pauncefort would have won her; but her mother had more penetration, and could see the objections which "Nellie" either did not see, or care to raise, so the chief arbitrator of the Church, President Young, was appealed to by Miss "Nellie's" mother to decide the case for them. Brigham decided very quickly and positively against an alliance between his fair leading lady and the "stock star," with a great big emphatic No. He had formed a strong prejudice against Pauncefort during his first engagement, owing to his reputed intimacy with Mrs. Bell, which was rather flaunted in the face of the community on their arrival in Salt Lake. So this ended the Pauncefort-Colebrook romance.
During this engagement, Pauncefort played in addition to his previous repertory "The Dead Heart," "Man with the Iron Mask," "Lavater," and "Arrah Na Pogue." The latter piece closed the season on June the 15th, being the fourth performance of the piece. Very soon after, Pauncefort purchased a horse and chaise, fitting himself out with gun and fishing tackle for a long jaunt. He headed for Portland, giving readings by the way—hunting and fishing by day—and evenings entertaining the towns along his route. How far he got with his one horse chaise is not exactly known, but the probability is he traded it off before he passed the Utah border line, and took the stage for Virginia City, Nevada, where he played for a short time and then drifted over to the coast, and finally got lost to view.
A dozen years later he was discovered by some American actors in Japan, keeping a roadside tea house for travelers with a set of pretty Japanese girls for waiters. He married a Japanese girl and latest reports credited him with a fine young Japanese colony of his own. A picture of himself and Japanese wife and three children in the possession of Jack Langrishe's widow at Wardner, Idaho, was shown to the writer there recently, and was a strong verification of what had been told by parties who had seen Pauncefort in Japan. George had let his beard grow and was quite a patriarchal looking man when Joseph Arthur met him there in 1880. Pauncefort died in Japan in 1893, leaving a Japanese wife and four semi-Jap children. George Pauncefort missed the greatest opportunity of his life by not joining the Mormon Church; he had all the natural endowments to make a great patriarch.
CHAPTER XI
SEASON OF '67-'68.
On the first of August, this same year, '67, C. W. Couldock made his first appearance at the Salt Lake Theatre, supported by Jack Langrishe and his company from Denver, where they had been running a stock company. It was an unfavorable time for opening, in the hottest nights of summer, but there were no resorts in those days and it was not so hard to get them into the theatre as it would be now. Langrishe had a full road company and was traveling through to Montana in his own teams, the Union Pacific Railroad not being nearer than Rawlins at that time. The company comprised Mr. Couldock and his daughter, Eliza Couldock, John S. Langrishe and Mrs. Langrishe, Richard C. White (he of Camp Floyd fame, referred to in a previous chapter). The Langrishe company played a week, then went to Virginia City, Montana. Couldock and his daughter returned later and played a long engagement as stock stars.
On the 5th of September, Amy Stone, supported by her husband, H. F. Stone, began a stock star engagement which lasted a little more than four months. Opening the regular fall season on September 5th, by the time the fall Conference came on, October 6th, the Stones had the stock company up in a very attractive repertoire of plays to present to "our country cousins" attending the Conference. Fanchon, Pearl of Savoy, "Little Barefoot," "French Spy," "Wept of the Wishton Wish," were leading favorites in the Stone repertory, and proved to be very popular, serving to keep the exchequer in a satisfactory condition. Their engagement lasted until January the 6th, 1868. Amy, if not a great actress, was at least a fascinating one. She was blessed with a superb form and an attractive face; she fairly reveled in parts where she could wear tights and display her shapely form, and it must be frankly confessed that "the folks" loved to see her in that kind of attire. She was more at home in it than in an evening dress with a bothersome train; there was a freedom of movement and a candor of expression about Amy that was positively refreshing, and we all liked her and got along with her with very little trouble. "Harry," as her husband was always called, was not a brilliant but a good, useful actor, and had a good knowledge of her plays, and could direct the staging of them. Besides, he attended to the making of engagements, and the financial end of the business, and as he was devoted to Amy, they were apparently one of the happiest couples I have ever met in the theatrical business. The Stones were a very prudent and saving couple, and by the time they had finished a four months' stock star engagement, they had a very handsome deposit in the local bank, and they left Zion feeling a very warm affection for the Saints, and so went on their way rejoicing.
On the night immediately following the close of the Stones' engagement, January 7th, Mr. James Stark opened in John Howard Payne's play of "Brutus, or the Fall of Tarquin." This was the first presentation of this play in Salt Lake. Mr. Stark made a fine impression as Brutus. He followed it in quick succession with Richelieu, Damon, Jack Cade, Alfred Evelyn in "Money." His engagement lasted two weeks and closed with the play of "Victorine, or Married for Money." Stark was a very talented tragedian of the Forrest school, and his engagement proved quite popular and successful. He went to San Francisco, and played an engagement there, and returned to New York by the Isthmus, the Overland railroad not yet being completed. Mr. Stark had a brother, Daniel Stark, a pioneer Mormon, who settled at Provo among the earliest settlers of that place. James, who had not seen him for many years, availed himself of the opportunity his Salt Lake engagement afforded him, and arranged a meeting with his "long lost brother" (?). He paid Daniel and his family a visit, and was most hospitably received and entertained. The family made much ado over him, and Daniel, like his namesake of old, "prophet-like," sought to show James the error of his ways, pointing out to him the emptiness and effervescence of dramatic fame, and the poor illusive thing that was as compared with the real joys and blessings of the Latter-Day Gospel. "Jim" accepted it all in good part, but he could not see "eye to eye" with his elder brother Daniel, but he promised to consider seriously what he had heard and bade them a loving goodbye till they could meet again. He rather expected to play a return engagement when he left here, and see the folks again, but he never returned. Stark died in New York before the close of the year 1868, in his 50th year.
After the Stark engagement, the stock company continued the season, starting off with a series of annual benefits which by this time were given the leading actors of the company in addition to salaries. January the 23rd, D. McKenzie "Benefits," playing "Huguenot Captain," with an Olio and a farce to conclude. February 4th, John S. Lindsay "Benefits" and essays Hamlet for the first time. The farce that followed Hamlet was "Boots at the Swan;" think of it, "ye modern school actors." A five-act play and a farce, this meant being in the theatre from seven o'clock till midnight, but the people stayed to see it all, and many of them would have stayed till morning, if we could have kept on playing pieces for them. J. M. Hardie "Benefits" with "Jack Cade," Miss Colebrook with "Leah," etc., and so the season ran along without a star from January 23rd till April the 23rd, when the company was stiffened up again by the accession of Mr. and Mrs. George B. Waldron, who played up till May 16th. On May the 19th, Madam Scheller opened in "Pearl of Savoy," gave us "Pauline" in "Lady of Lyons," "Enoch Arden," "Lorlie," "The Phantom" and "Hamlet." Madam Scheller was Edwin Booth's "Ophelia" during the one hundred nights' run of Hamlet at Winter Garden Theatre, in New York.
Very naturally the Salt Lakers conversant with the facts were anxious to see her in "Ophelia," so Lindsay who had recently played "Hamlet" for his "benefit," was admonished to prepare himself for another go at the melancholy Dane with the new "Ophelia;" and in due time we had the novelty of Scheller's "Ophelia." She was irresistibly charming in it, in spite of her German accent, which in moments of unusual excitement was quite pronounced. Madam Scheller proved to be a pleasing and accomplished actress and filled a long engagement at the Salt Lake Theatre. She was accompanied by her husband, Mr. Methua, who was a skillful scenic artist, and put in a lot of new scenes for the theatre during his wife's engagement. Here was a model couple, courteous and refined; they left many warm friends in Salt Lake at their departure, whose best wishes for their success went with them. Unhappy to relate, this worthy and respected pair died of yellow fever during the deadly siege of that disease at Memphis in 1878. "United in life, in death they were not separated."
On January 9th, after playing three weeks Madam Scheller was rested for a week to give an opening to Charlotte Crampton. Crampton was a genius and in her younger years had astonished the dramatic world by her histrionic gymnastics. She affected the male characters almost exclusively—"Hamlet," "Richard III," "Shylock," "Don Caesar," and in "Lady Macbeth" and "Meg Merrilles" she rivaled the great Charlotte Cushman. The writer remembers seeing her when a boy at the old Bates's Theatre, St. Louis, which was her home. She was erratic as a comet, and her eccentricities were the town's talk. How often she was married this deponent saith not, but remembers that at the time he saw her playing in St. Louis in 1857, she was the wife of a Mr. Istenour. When she appeared here in Salt Lake City in 1868, she was far past the meridian of life and was accompanied by her husband, "Mr. Cook," young enough to be her son. The novelty of a woman essaying those characters was a strong one, and served to draw out good houses. She played "Hamlet," "Shylock," "Richard III," and "Don Caesar," which with two repeats, filled up her week.
Crampton was a woman rather below the medium height, and looked insignificant dressed up for those male characters, but when she got animated she made you forget her size, and at times she seemed to fill not only the center of the stage but the entire stage. She had passed the zenith of her fame some years before she made this trip to the coast. She bore all the evidences of an erratic life and premature age; her sun had nearly set when she played with us here; and after her departure for the East, we heard but little of her. Charlotte Crampton's engagement was like the flashing of a meteor across the dramatic firmament. Like the elder Booth, she was notorious for her eccentricities, and in genius was akin to him. "How close to madness great wits are allied."
After the passing of this meteor, the steady star, Madam Scheller, resumed her reign, reappearing as "Laura Courtland" in "Under the Gas Light." This was the first production of this play in Salt Lake City, and it had an unprecedented run, going for an unbroken week to full houses. As an index to the personnel of the company at this time, June 16th, 1868, we append the cast of "Under the Gas Light."
"UNDER THE GAS LIGHT."
Ray Trafford ………………………. John S. Lindsay
De Milt ………………………………. Mark Wilton
Wilton ………………………………. Bert Merrill
Byke ……………………………….. Phil Margetts
Joe Snorkey ………………………… David McKenzie
Bermudas …………………………… John C. Graham
Peanuts …………………………….. Johnny Matson
Station Man …………………………… Mark Wilton
Police Judge …………………………. J. M. Hardie
O'Rafferty ………………………….. John E. Evans
Martin ……………………………… John B. Kelly
Police Patrol ……………………… Richard Mathews
Laura Courtland …………………….. Madam Scheller
Pearl Courtland …………………… Miss Annie Adams
Mrs. Van Dam ……………………… Nellie Colebrook
Sue Earlie ………………………….. Alice Clawson
Peachblossom …………………… Miss Sara Alexander
Judas ………………………….. Mrs. M. A. Clawson
Summer heat had but little affect on the business of the Salt Lake Theatre in those days of which I am writing. Madam Scheller played from May 10th to August 1st, excepting the one week allotted to Charlotte Crampton, all through the hot nights of June and July and there was no perceptible or serious diminution in the attendance. This can only be accounted for in the fact that there were no resorts in those days, and the theatre was the coolest place in the city. We naturally looked for and expected a rest through August after the long season we had put in, but there was no respite. On the 4th of August, Annette Ince opened in "Julia" in the "Hunchback" and gave in rapid succession "Evadne," "Medea," "Ion," "Mary Stuart," "Elizabeth," "As You Like It," "Camille," and other pieces filling a three weeks' engagement. She was followed by E. L. Davenport, who opened on August the 27th in "Richelieu," supported by Annette Ince as "Julia de Mauprat," and the full strength of the company. Mr. Davenport gave us his "Richelieu," "Julian St. Pierre," in "The Wife," "Hamlet," "William" in "Black-Eyed Susan," "Rover" in "Wild Oats" and "Sir Giles Overreach" in "A New Way to Pay Old Debts." Mrs. Davenport (Fanny Vining) appeared in conjunction with Mr. Davenport in this engagement, playing the "Queen" in "Hamlet" and kindred parts, and with Miss Ince in the leading female roles, Mr. Davenport had a supporting company in every way worthy of him. His engagement was a memorable one, as Mr. Davenport was thought by many to be our greatest American actor. He was certainly a worthy rival of Edwin Booth and had he, like that actor, confined his brilliant talents to the great Shakespearian roles, he would undoubtedly have made a greater name for himself, but he was too versatile and he scattered his efforts on the "Williams" and "Rovers" and the other trifles that he should have dropped as he advanced in years and concentrated his efforts on a repertory of his greatest characters only. When he played this Salt Lake engagement he had declined into "the vale of years." As Hamlet, he looked older than the "Queen" but he possessed all the fire and animation necessary; as "St. Pierre" in the "Wife," he was at his best, and fairly lifted the audience into enthusiastic demonstrations of applause. It was not long after this that Davenport was pitted against the English tragedian Barry Sullivan in New York. An exceedingly interesting and able criticism and comparison of these two great actors appeared in Wilke's "Spirit of the Times," headed "The Two Rossi." This was Davenport's last memorable engagement. He was already an old man and failing fast. He died in 1871.
"Ay, but to die and go, we know not where, to lie in cold
obstruction and to rot,
This sensible warm motion to become a kneaded clod,
And the delighted spirit to bathe in fiery floods,
Or to reside in chilling regions of thick ribbed ice,
To be imprisoned in the viewless winds,
And blown with restless violence about the pendant world.
'Tis too horrible! The weariest and most loathed worldly life,
That age, ache, penury, and imprisonment can lay on nature,
Is paradise to what we fear of death."
It will be observed that there was no summer vacation this year of 1868. The Davenport engagement carried us into September, the time for opening the season of '68 and '69. Miss Ince's engagement following the Davenports was really the beginning of the season '68 and '69.
CHAPTER XII.
SEASON OF '68 AND '69.
Davenport's engagement ended, Miss Ince resumed and played from September the 5th to the 17th, then departed for the Golden Shores of the Pacific. Now again, after this brilliant succession of stars, the stock company was left to its own unaided efforts, and from September the 17th to November the 26th they kept the wheel turning with a steady stream of stock pieces, and the old mill grinds, and the box office does business and the actors get their salaries. "Stars may come and stars may go, but the stock keeps on for aye." This was a good long stretch of stock work from September the 17th, through the October Conference and away to nearly the end of November, ten weeks of it; broken only by a rest of three nights, when Perepa Rosa gave us a series of Operatic Concerts, November the 14th, 15th and 16th. Salt Lake even then had a great love of music and turned out large audiences to hear the famous prima donna and her talented support, including her husband, the brilliant violinist and conductor, Carl Rosa.
Now we arrive at another important event in our theatre's history, the first engagement of John McCullough. For several years Lawrence Barrett and John McCullough had been the lessees and managers of the old California Theatre in San Francisco, and in spite of Barrett's known sagacity as a manager and notwithstanding the succession of brilliant stars presented at the California and the magnificent stock company kept to support them, the venture was not a financial success, and Barrett and McCullough were forced to succumb. Then it was that McCullough began his career as a star; what reputation he had made up to this time was as Edwin Forrest's leading man. "Larry" Barrett had "starred" some in the character of Elliott Gray in "Rosedale," now they were both out of a job and looking for engagement. Barrett went East and resumed his starring in "Rosedale" and gradually drifted into the Shakespearian roles. McCullough went to Virginia City, Nevada, with a picked-up company, and played his first star engagement. They took to the "genial" John very kindly there, and worked him him up a rousing big benefit; those were the palmy days of the Comstock and everybody had money, actors were at a premium in the camp and the old theatre was packed at every performance. The "Benefit" netted McCullough over two thousand dollars and "John" was glad he was an actor. He knew we had a fine theatre and a good company in Salt Lake, so he made arrangements to come and play with us a spell. On November the 26th, he opened in "Damon" and followed it in quick succession (playing nightly) with "Richelieu," "Hamlet," "Othello," "Shylock," Volage in "Marble Heart," "Richard III," "Robbers," "Macbeth," "Brutus," "Romeo and Juliet," etc., etc.
This was a very notable engagement, in more ways than one. It was notable for its length, covering a stretch of twenty-three nights; likewise for its strength, as George B. Waldron and Madam Scheller, who had both returned from a Montana tour, were added to the company to stiffen the cast—here we had really three stars and a strong, capable, self-sustaining stock company in the cast of all the plays during McCullough's first Salt Lake engagement, which lasted three weeks, terminating on September 17th. Again the stock company was left to its own strength and resources and even after this brilliant trio of dramatic artists, McCullough, Scheller and Waldron dropped away from us, the managers, with never-failing confidence and temerity, put forward the stock once more to plough through the billowy Christmas time, past the new year and on to February 10th, when we welcomed another acquisition to the ranks in the person of Miss Annie Lockhart.
Miss Lockhart was an English lady of liberal education, refined and cultured; and although she had not posed as a "star actress," she had an extended and varied experience on the stage. She had been for several years in Australia in the stock companies of Melbourne and Sidney, where she had met, loved and married an actor by the name of Harry Jackson. Harry was a talented character man, but the flowing bowl was his weakness and Annie in time wearied of his indiscretions and indulgences, "shook him off to beggarly divorcement," left him in San Francisco and came to Salt Lake in quest of an engagement. She must have made a very favorable impression on the managers, for they put her in as stock "star" up to March 1st, and she continued a member of the company up to her fatal illness in the following November. Annie Lockhart was at this time about thirty-two years of age, a woman of comely appearance and gentle mien, and if not great like Julia Dean, Annette Ince, or Charlotte Crampton, was always pleasing and satisfactory. She delighted in such characters as "Matida" in "Led Astray," the dual role in "Two Loves and a Life," "Janet Pride," "Peg Woffington" and kindred light comedy characters. Miss Lockhart was a very tasteful dresser; she always made a good appearance in her part. During her long stay with the stock company a number of stars appeared. The first after her engagement was James A. Herne, who opened on March 1st, 1869, in "Rip Van Winkle." Herne's "Rip" made a great hit and had an extraordinary run of five nights. Herne played ten nights doing "Solon Shingle," "Captain Cuttle," and some other characters. Then he was joined by Lucille Western who appeared as the leading stellar attraction supported by Herne and the stock company. Miss Western opened in her original character of "Lady Isabel" in "East Lynne." It was undoubtedly a great performance of the character, but the recollection of Julia Dean Hayne in the part was still fresh in the public mind, and she had made such a powerful impression in this character that Lucille Western was compared with her only to her disadvantage, notwithstanding she was the original "Lady Isabel." We had now in rapid succession Western's entire repertory which included "The Child Stealer," "Green Bushes," "Oliver Twist," "Flowers of the Forest," "Don Caesar de Bazan" (with Western as the Don), and "Foul Play." Miss Western's engagement proceeded smoothly and drew large audiences. One of the Herne-Western performances created a genuine sensation in Salt Lake. It was "Oliver Twist." In the scene where Bill Sykes (Herne) kills Nancy (Miss Western), both Herne and Miss Western sought to make the murder as realistic and blood curdling as possible. The murder is done off the stage in a room on the left; Sykes is supposed to beat Nancy to death with his ugly stick which he carries through the play. To carry out the realism of the beating a pad was made of a number of wet towels; these Herne struck with a piece of board, making a sickening thud which Lucille accompanied with a scream, each one growing fainter, until it became a groan, then Bill steals across the stage and off at an outer door and Nancy, almost dead, drags herself on till she gets to the centre of the stage, her face completely hidden by her dishevelled hair when she gets to position centre she turns her face which has been covered from the audience, throws her hair back and reveals her face covered with stage gore. On this occasion the picture was so revolting that several women in the audience fainted—everybody was shocked. The actress had made it as revolting as possible, thinking to make a sensation. She succeeded, but had she been a woman of finer feelings, instead of seeking to make the picture as horrible and repulsive as she could she would have studied how to make it effective without being repulsive. President Young was very angry over it. The picture was very abhorrent; there is no knowing what the physiological results were; it was rumored afterwards that a number of children were birthmarked as the result of it. The President gave orders that the piece should not be played again and sent messengers all over the city to tell the people not to go and see it if it was put on again. Of course the managers withdrew it in deference to his wish, but there is no doubt the house would have been crowded had it been repeated, for the prohibition only aroused a greater curiosity to see it; forbidden fruit, you know, is generally most hankered after. The play has been done here several times since President Young's death, but never in such a shocking manner.
On the night of the "Benefit" Lucille chose to show us what she looked like in male attire, so she put up "Don Caesar" and appeared in the role of the ragged cavalier. Before the play was over it was very apparent that Lucille had been indulging in the ardent, but she managed to get through without materially marring the play. The next night, however, was Charles Reade's "Foul Play." This piece was entirely new to the company, never having been done in the theatre before, so that the stock company was hard pushed with study to get their lines, but with their accustomed industry and regularity they were all au fait on this first occasion, and the play might have scored a genuine success if the "star" had done her part towards it; but she repeated her indulgence of the night before and to such a degree that by the opening of the fourth act she was in a very sorry plight. This act is on an uninhabited island; there has been a shipwreck and the hero and heroine have been washed or driven or blown onto this island and with a few of the ship's crew are the only survivors. As the act opens Robert Penfold (Lindsay) and Helen Rolleston (Miss Western) are discovered on a high cliff looking for a sail. The few survivors of the crew have gone in search of fresh water and something to eat, and the two leading characters have the entire act between them until the finale when a rescuing party arrives with a boat. Here was a dilemma; never was a stage lover placed in a more embarrassing position. It was quite apparent to him as they ascended to the cliff before the rise of the curtain that the stalwart Lucille was not in proper condition for climbing cliffs, more particularly stage cliffs, which are generally pretty shaky affairs, and the probability of a sudden and unlocked for descent was anything but a pleasing prospect to Mr. Lindsay. To still further embarrass him he discovered that Lucille's tongue was decidedly thick, in fact she could scarcely articulate. The curtain should never have gone up; it would have saved the management, the actors, and particularly Miss Western, a vast amount of humiliation; Miss Western should have been suddenly ill; or an announcement made to that effect and the audience dismissed and their money refunded if necessary; they should have been spared the agony of witnessing a really great artiste rendered imbecile and helpless by an uncontrollable appetite for liquor. But the curtain did go up and down went Lucille. At the very first step she made to descend she staggered, and in spite of all that her stage lover could do to steady her she made a sudden unsteady descent and landed in a kneeling position on the stage. Oh! the agony of that moment! With assistance she staggered to her feet, and now as she attempted to speak her first speech in the act, a new terror seized me. Her words were thick and inarticulate—not heard at all by the majority of the audience, who now began to realize the true condition. It was evident to everybody on the stage that she could never get through the act, and so the stage manager, after another abortive attempt on her part to say her lines, sent on the boat with the rescue party and the finale of the act was reached. Never was such a scene between a pair of stage lovers so horribly mutilated as this; never was an act so fearfully and unintelligibly abbreviated as this one, and never did a rescue party arrive more opportunely. It plucked the "star" from immediate disgrace, an embarrassed actor from despair. It was no wonder the audience remained for the last act, for they had before the end of the fourth act divined the true state of affairs and they stayed, curious to see how it would or could end. The last act was a court room scene and the star had to sit on the witness stand. She did not make a very intelligent witness but sat there with a bright green silk gown, with a face flushed to redness, and looking the picture of helplessness. How we got through that act, I don't think anyone engaged in it could have told, but with the prompter's assistance reading most of Miss Western's lines, we blundered through and the final drop came on the most inglorious and trying performance I ever had part in.
The manager promptly cancelled Miss Western's engagement, although she had one more night to play. The following night "Arrah Na Pogue" was put up with Mr. Herne in the part of "Shaun the Post," but as if the fates had decreed that this Herne-Western engagement should end disgracefully, if not disastrously, this last night went on record as losing one for the managers and a discreditable one to the solitary remaining star. Owing to the fiasco of the night before, a rather slender audience was in attendance to witness Mr. Herne's last appearance. Whether this fact had to do with the sudden indisposition and collapse of Mr. Herne on this occasion, there is no means of knowing, but the writer has ever been of the opinion that it was the very perceptible falling away of the patronage and his chagrin and vexation over Miss Western's conduct of the night before that wrought upon the actor's nervous system to such a degree that he declared himself unable to appear. The writer's dressing room was so situated that he could not hear what was transpiring on the stage. When the curtain time arrived and I came down to the stage all made up for "Michael Feeney," to my great surprise I was informed there was to be no performance; the audience had been dismissed owing to the sudden illness of Mr. Herne. Herne was seated on the big curtain roller and a number of the company around him, offering sympathy and assistance to the disabled star who appeared to be in great agony. I returned hastily to my dressing room and divested myself of Michael Feeney's habiliments, and resuming my own attire, was soon back to Mr. Herne's side and proffered my assistance to help him to his hotel. In the meantime a doctor, who kept his office a few doors west of the theatre, had been called in and he requested us to bring Herne to his office. There were few hacks or gurney cabs in those days, and so with the assistance of Mr. Hardie and myself, Mr. Herne managed with difficulty to reach the doctor's office. This doctor was one of the old school of practitioners and like Felix Callighan, in "His Last Legs," he proceeded to "cup" or bleed the patient. After he had relieved Herne of a quart or so of superfluous blood, he bandaged the cupping; gave the patient a dose of regulation stimulant and directed the patient to be taken to his hotel and placed comfortably in bed. It was a quarter of a mile to the White House and there was not a hack or vehicle of any kind available, so Hardie and I formed a seat for the sick actor by locking our hands together and getting the patient's hands over our shoulders, we carried him to the White House. By the time we got him up a long flight of stairs to his room, we were tired and winded, although Margetts and McKenzie, who had accompanied us, took turns at the carrying business. Scarcely had we got the sick actor in bed before a knock at the door (a sort of frightened knock) was heard, and as we said "come in" the door opened and Miss Western, clad in her night gown, with a shawl around her, timidly entered and inquired with great anxiety what the matter was. On being informed that Mr. Herne had been taken so ill that the audience had to be dismissed, and he carried home to his room, she became hysterical. Bursting into tears she exclaimed, piteously, "Oh, my God! This is awful! Oh, Jimmie!" addressing herself passionately to Herne. "I wish we were home with mother!" She evidently had not fully recovered from her carousal of the night before, and in her half stupid, half hysterical condition, moaned and prayed as if some terrible calamity had befallen her. Herne rapidly recovered from his illness and the co-stars left Salt Lake. Lucille never returned, but Herne came back early in 1874 and hovered between Salt Lake and Ogden for a long time, and finally drifted to San Francisco, where he became the stage manager of the Bush Street and afterward of the Baldwin theatre when Tom Maguire, "The Napoleon" of the Pacific coast, as he was called at the time, opened that popular theatre. That was before any of the Eastern managers had invaded San Francisco.
The Herne-Western engagement closed on April 17th and was closely followed by Fannie Morgan Phelps, who played from April 20th to May 20th, appearing in a new line of plays for the diversion of the stock company as well as the public. She opened in "Meg's Diversion," and proved to be a prime favorite. "The Deal Boatman," "Black Eyed Susan," she seemed to have a partiality for nautical pieces and succeeded in making the seashore heroines very attractive. Fanny stayed four weeks with us, then went to Montana. She never paid us a second visit although Salt Lake treated her very handsomely in the way of patronage. Mrs. Phelps was a widow; her husband, Ralph Phelps, a popular actor, was killed by a blow from a tackle block on board of the steamer coming from Australia.
Our next stellar attraction was Charles Wheatleigh, who opened on May 20th in "Sam," supported by Annie Lockhart and the stock company. Wheatleigh gave nine performances, the pieces presented being "Sam," "Lottery of Life," "Arrah Na Pogue," "After Dark," and "Under the Gaslight." Charley Wheatleigh was rather a brilliant comedian. His plays proved very popular and he played a memorable engagement.
The next engagement was one that eased the labors of the stock company, giving most of us a rest. It was the Howson Opera company. It was quite a family affair. The company consisted of Pere Howson, Mere Howson, John Howson, Frank Howson, Clelia Howson, and Fannie Howson. They were a very talented musical family and played light opera very well indeed. They opened in the "Grand Duchess," their cast being filled up with members of the stock company who could sing. They played from January 1st to the 20th, each opera being played twice or three times. The Howsons were well liked and made many friends, both in and out of the theatre.
Prof. Hartz, a magician, followed the Howson engagement, holding the stage from January 21st to the 26th.
On June 28th, 1869, George D. Chaplin made his first appearance at this theatre in "Hamlet," playing thirteen performances, closing July 10th in "Armadale." Chaplin made a very favorable impression and later played a longer engagement. He had been leading man for Ben DeBar in St. Louis, and was a versatile actor, fond of playing "Hamlet" and "Macbeth," in which, if not great, he was always pleasing. Then, as if to prove his versatility, he would put on a burlesque called "The Seven Sisters," and appear as the principal sister. George had a handsome face, and a very plump physique, and made up for a woman, he was a study.
On July 12th, Lotta opened in "Little Nell," and played during the week "Captain Charlotte," "Firefly," and "Topsy" in "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
George Chaplin resumed on July 10th, opening in the burlesque of "The
Seven Sisters" and filled out a week with "Ten Nights in a Barroom,"
"Money," and the burlesque of "Pocahontas," in which he played
"Powhattan" very cleverly.
July 26th, Kennedy's Scottish Entertainment held the boards, and on the 28th a new star was ushered in that gave the stock company more work, just as we were expecting a brief summer vacation—Geraldine Warden. She played four nights and a matinee. This engagement closed the season as far as the stock company was concerned. It was now July 31st and the company had the month of August in which to rest from study and rehearsals, for the fall season would open early in September.
The theatre was not entirely closed, however, in August. On the 18th of that month, Murphy and Mack's minstrels opened and continued until the 28th giving eleven performances. This was Joe Murphy's first visit to Salt Lake, when he was a black face artist, and before he had dreamed of becoming an Irish comedian. The fact of this company giving eleven performances in the theatre in August shows how very popular they were, and how Salt Lake liked minstrelsy.
CHAPTER XIII.
SEASON OF '69-70.
The season of '69 and '70 opened auspiciously on September 4th with the now recuperated stock company in a new play. "The Captain of the Vulture" was played one week and another new star dawned on the horizon. September 13th Mr. Neil Warner was the star attraction. Warner was an English actor and had been in the supporting company of the late lamented Gustavus Brooke, who gave promise of becoming England's greatest tragedian, but whose already resplendent career was unfortunately cut short by the loss of the steamship London. Brooke was making a second visit to Melbourne and Sidney in '66, where he had achieved a remarkable triumph a year before, but alas! for the irony of fate, he was doomed to be cut off in the very unfolding of the most brilliant talents the English stage had yet seen. The unfortunate London went down in the Bay of Biscay and some two hundred souls perished in the wreck and among them the brilliant Gustavus Brooke. A friend of the writer, now in this city (Salt Lake), Mr. Jack Cooey, had a brother who was one of the very few survivors of that ill-fated ship, there being but sixteen in all. So America never got to see Brooke, who was regarded by his countrymen generally as the greatest of all their tragic actors.
Neil Warner was said to be a copyist of Brooke; undoubtedly he had played with him, and learned much from him, and if not as great as his acknowledged tutor, Warner was not unworthy to be called great. He had a splendid physique and a magnificent voice, which he could use with magnetic effect. Its transitions were at times marvelous and in this writer's opinion, he was the superior of all our American tragedians, with the exception of Davenport, whom he very much resembled both in the majesty of his presence and in mental superiority. Warner opened in "Richard III" and made a most decided hit in the character, notwithstanding he had several notable predecessors in the part, notably McCullough and Stark. He played twenty-four performances, embracing a wide range of legitimate plays—"Hamlet," "Macbeth," "Richelieu," and his "Macbeth" was the greatest of all his fine performances. He went to New York from here and we quite expected to hear great things about him, but for some cause or other he never played a stellar engagement in New York, and the following year the writer, much to his astonishment and disappointment, saw him playing a second heavy part in support of Charles Wyndham the English comedian at a theatre in Brooklyn. Warner did not make a go in New York, and drifted over to Montreal, Canada, where he stayed for many years; but a few years ago he toured California in connection with a rising young actress of that state, in a round of his favorite characters. Annie Lockhart played the leading female characters in all Warner's performances here. They had known each other in Australia, and there seemed to be a very warm friendship between them and it was certain that Annie was an ardent admirer of her talented countryman, and some of us rather feared she would go with him when he took his departure from Salt Lake; but something occurred between them that must have angered him, for a day or two before his engagement closed, he spoke to Miss Lockhart at a rehearsal in words and tones so heartless and insulting that the company were amazed at him, and poor Annie sought the seclusion of her dressing room to have a good cry. Conjecture was rife and pointed to a rival in the lady's affections as the cause of his tirade. Warner departed, leaving Annie with us, very much to the gratification of the company and public, but it was not for long; poor Annie Lockhart had received a wound from which she never recovered. She only lived five weeks after this and the cause of her sudden decline and death was more or less of a mystery, for up to this time she was a hale, hearty woman, in the very prime of life. She was laid away tenderly by loving hands and hearts, whom she had never known until eight months before, but whom she had endeared to her by her sweet, womanly ways. Many a tear was shed and genuine sorrow was felt when Annie Lockhart was laid away in Olivet.
The night after Warner's engagement closed, Sunday, October 12th,
Stephen Massett lectured.
October 13th, Madam Scheller opened her second engagement, playing six nights, and gave "Roll of the Drum," "Child of the Regiment," "Enoch Arden," etc. The theatre closed from the 18th to the 23rd on account of the Militia Muster. The Nauvoo Legion, as the Territorial troops were called, had a big encampment on the banks of the Jordan river and of such importance was it that the theatre had to close, as every able bodied man was expected to drill and all the women and children, of course, had to go and see them. The late George Q. Cannon and other high church dignitaries fell into the ranks on this occasion and carried muskets, whether from the love of exercise or a keen love of duty, or for the effect of example, this deponent saith not. Nearly all the dramatic company were in the big drill, so, of course, there could be no theatres until it was over. It was intended to be a great demonstration, and it was; almost every Mormon man was in the ranks. The theatre resumed business with the rest of the town, Saturday the 23rd inst., when one of Madam Scheller's pieces was repeated. This was Madam Scheller's last appearance at this theatre. She and her husband, Methua Scheller, went East from here, and died in Memphis in 1878, during the yellow fever contagion of that dread disease.
On October 25th, the Stones, Amy and Harry, opened up a return
engagement in "French Spy." They played twelve nights, giving
"Fanchon," and "Little Barefoot," etc. Their engagement closed
November 6th, after a very satisfactory engagement.
On the 8th the stock company resumed, and played "Waiting for the Verdict." Annie Lockhart, who had rested during the Stones' engagement, resumed and was playing the leading female character in this play when she was taken very ill. With the aid of kind attention she got through the night's work, but she went home so ill that she took to her bed, and on the 18th of November, died. Three days previous to her death, on the 15th of November, John Wilson and Kate Denin were ushered in as stock stars, and continued until January 5th, 1870, when they withdrew for a week to give place to Charlotte Thompson, who played a six nights' engagement, playing "Julia" in the "Hunchback," "Leah, the Forsaken," "Sea of Ice," and "Court and Stage." Miss Thompson was a pretty woman and a pleasing actress—a favorite in the South where she belonged.
From the 14th to the 24th, the stock company held down the business without stellar assistance, when Kate Denin and John Wilson returned and played another engagement. As stock stars they remained until February 14th. Then came another siege of stock work without any star, broken intermittently by lectures and concerts. Ole Bull gave concerts March 8th and 9th; Alf Barnett's entertainment, March 22nd and 23rd; Satsuma's Japanese troupe from March 25th to 30th. These attractions, of course, gave the company some respite from their arduous studies, but it was only brief, and we were already rehearsing for the ensuing conference dates. So the stock company resumed their labors and played all through April and up to May 16th when the season of '69 and '70 closed.
CHAPTER XIV.
SEASON OF '70-'71.
The theatre did not reopen until August the 27th when the season of '70 and '71 was ushered in with a "Benefit" to Miss Colebrook. This was really the first summer the theatre had remained closed and given the company a needed rest. The stock company played one week only when the veteran tragedian, T. A. Lyne, began an engagement which ran from September the 3rd to the 20th. This was Lyne's fourth engagement since the opening of the theatre, and it proved what a remarkable hold he had upon our theatre goers when he repeated his well known and well worn repertoire to splendid business. As there was no other star in the dramatic firmament when Lyne's engagement expired, the stock company was put on its own resources once again and continued successfully up to the 10th of December, when the monotony was in some measure broken by the accession to the company of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Langrishe, and the following week C. W. Couldock and his daughter, Eliza, floated the stellar flag for the third time, repeating a portion of their old repertoire. They played from the 26th to the 31st. Mr. Couldock went East, leaving Eliza (who was in poor health) here to recuperate. They were succeeded by George W. Thompson and Sallie Hinckley, who played a week's engagement, presenting "Man and Wife" and the "Persecuted Dutchman," filling dates January 2nd to the 7th, of 1871. The stock company then played along again until February 13th, when McKee Rankin, Kitty Blanchard and W. H. Power opened a stellar engagement, playing two weeks to February 25th. Everywhere else the Rankins were playing "The Danites," but owing to the odious light in which that play presented the Mormon leaders, they did not dare to produce it at the Salt Lake Theatre. Of course the managers would not consent, and the great wonder is that Rankin could secure dates at all at Brigham Young's theatre while he was starring through the country in a play so well calculated to stir up prejudice against the Mormons. "The Danites" had to be eliminated while the Rankins fell back onto some old plays in which the stock company was up in. "Rip Van Winkle," "Little Barefoot," and "Colleen Bawn" were given.
It may be of interest to note the fact here that "The Danites" has never been played in Salt Lake or anywhere in Utah.
About this time George B. Waldron turned up again in Salt Lake, and was installed as leading man to strengthen the company and ease somewhat the labors of David McKenzie.
Rose Evans, a lady who was enamoured of "Hamlet," and made a specialty of playing it, was introduced to Salt Lake soon after Waldron's accession to the company, and we had during her engagement which ran through the April conference, "Hamlet," "Twixt Axe and Crown," "Ingomar;" Miss Evans as "Parthenia" and Waldron as "Ingomar;" "Lady Audrey's Secret," "Romeo and Juliet;" Waldron as "Romeo." Rose Evans established herself very strongly in the favor of the Salt Lake theatre goers. Her "Hamlet" was liked, and she played it intelligently and perhaps as well as a woman could play it, but no woman can ever play "Hamlet" satisfactorily to the critical mind; and very few men out of the thousands of actors ever reach and handle it satisfactorily. Her "Juliet" was very acceptable, but Waldron's voice was' too basso profundo for "Romeo." It was hard to imagine him as the youthful love-distraught Romeo with his deep set vocal organ.
Miss Evans closed on April 8th and was closely followed by Mlle. Marie Ravel, who opened on the 10th, supported by Waldron and the stock company and played an engagement of twenty nights. On May 4th Herr Daniel E. Bandmann and his wife (his first one) opened an engagement of five nights, presenting "Macbeth," "Hamlet," "Merchant of Venice," "Narcisse," and "Richard III." Bandmann, at this time, was a very popular tragedian. He had played as early as '65 in San Francisco a very successful engagement. He was now returning from his second visit to San Francisco. He spoke with a decided German accent, which was, however, not disagreeable to the ear, his voice being musical and his reading very artistic and finished. Bandmann bought a ranch near Missoula, Montana, some ten or twelve years ago and went into semi-retirement. He had a curious advertisement in the Dramatic Mirror, about as follows: "Daniel E. Bandmann, Tragedian and breeder of fine horses and cattle." He also bred a large family of children on that same ranch. When he went into retirement he took with him his latest "leading lady," Mary Kelly, as his wife, and they have a number of heirs to succeed to the tragedy and breeding business. His first wife, Millie Palmer, still figures in London theatricals, and she has a son who is conspicuous in theatrical management. Herr Bandmann still makes spasmodic incursions into the surrounding country with an improvised dramatic company and plays his favorite characters.
The next star to shine in our firmament was J. K. Emmett. "Joe," as he was familiarly called, was just at the zenith of his fame about this time, and he filled the theatre from pit to dome. The character of "Fritz" appealed strongly to nearly all theatre goers, and "Joe" Emmett with his bewitching voice and catchy lullabies, had an easy road to fame and fortune. Emmett played from the 10th to the 13th.
The Couldocks, father and daughter, now played a return engagement, covering two weeks, from May 22nd to June 5th, repeating mostly old repertoire. They were followed closely by Mr. and Mrs. Ida Hernandez, a Polish couple, who came to this country with Madam Modjeska, and were now working their way to the East. They were clever performers, but being unknown, they did not draw heavy houses. June 8th to the 11th.
The Lingards followed Hernandez in a brief engagement of three nights, June 12th to 14th. The following week was filled in by the Hernandez and the Carter-Cogswell contingent of the Salt Lake stock company. J. M. Carter and his wife, Carrie Carter (nee Lyne-Cogswell) had recently arrived from Denver and had been added to the stock company, which had been weakened materially by the loss of several of its prominent members. Hardie had gone to the Virginia City theatre; Lindsay had gone on a visit to England and had withdrawn from the company for a time; Miss Alexander had also drifted away to the East, so that when the Carters arrived and sought engagement, the managers readily availed themselves of their services. They played here for a few weeks and at the close of the season went on to California.
On July 3rd, Edwin Adams made his first appearance at this theatre. He opened in the character of "Rover" in "Wild Oats" and played in addition, "Extremes," "Enoch Arden," and "William" in "Black Eyed Susan." Mr. Adams filled out a week with great satisfaction to our theatre goers, the managers, and the company, and with very satisfactory financial results to himself. He was a gratification to both eyes and ears a brilliant actor with a melodious voice, and in appearance the ideal actor.
The following week John McCullough, who had with him Helen Tracy as a leading female support, played a notable engagement, rendered more so by the fact that Edwin Adams was retained to appear in conjunction with Mr. McCullough. They gave "Damon and Pythias," with McCullough as "Damon" and Adams as "Pythias," and notwithstanding McCullough made an excellent "Damon," so convincing was Adams as "Pythias," that the critical Salt Lakers declared it was "Pythias" and "Damon" on that occasion, putting the brilliant Adams ahead of McCullough in their admiration. Adams played "Iago" to McCullough's "Othello" and even strengthened the favorable opinion of him. For their closing performance together, "Hamlet" was given with Adams as the Prince and McCullough as the King. Miss Helen Tracy lent some lustre to the triple alliance and this engagement is remembered as one of the most notable ever given in the now historic theatre.
Just how it chanced that McCullough and Adams got dates so close together, the one immediately succeeding the other, I have forgotten, but as Adams was going to the Pacific coast and McCullough and Miss Tracy were going East, I presume that their meeting here was purely accidental.
They were very glad to see each other, "John" and "Ned," and decided to have a good time while they were together; to that end Adams, who was in no great hurry to get to San Francisco, decided to stay over during McCullough's engagement and play in some of his pieces with him, which he did as stated above. The combination was a strong one, and no doubt helped McCullough's engagement, as this was his second visit; but the primary object of the combination was evidently to have a good time. We had an actors' club here at that early day which must not be forgotten.
On January 16th preceding, Milton Nobles played the "Marble Heart," appearing as Raphael. Nobles was then a young actor, comparatively unknown. He was on his way to the East, where some years later he became widely known through his plays of "The Phoenix," "From Sire to Son," etc.
There was at this time residing in Salt Lake a gentleman by the name of Bentham Fabian. Fabian was widely and favorably known for certain peculiarities. He was extremely fond of the theatre, and every actor was his friend. He was one of those versatile fellows that could turn his hand to many things. He organized a public library here, which he called "The Salt Lake Exchange and Reading Rooms," and he was the librarian. It was while Milton Nobles was here that Fabian worked up a "benefit" for this library, at which Governor Vaughn, (then Governor of Utah), recited Poe's "Bells," and Nobles and the writer gave the third act of "Othello" (in evening dress), Nobles reading "Iago," and the writer "Othello." There were several other numbers by Fabian and others, and music by the Military band from Fort Douglas. One of Fabian's strong peculiarities was that he loved his pipe and glass and occasionally his courtly bearing and Chesterfieldian manners would get a little lopsided and obscure. This benefit, being a sort of royal occasion with Bentham, he had a fresh keg of beer in his den behind the library, and after the entertainment was over he invited all the performers (except the "band") to go and help drink it.
Governor Vaughn having a prior engagement, declined, but the rest of us adjourned to the library. Fabian, eager to treat "the boys," made haste to tap the keg, but there was a decided uncertainty about his manipulation of the mallet and tap, which plainly indicated that he had already been tapping something. So Cyrus Hawley (Judge Hawley's son) rather impatiently and dramatically exclaimed, "Give me the daggers!" (the mallet and tap), and taking them from Fabian with the air of an expert tapster, he proceeded to drive the tap; he made a misslick, and in an instant he was covered from head to foot in foamy beer. His nice clothes were apparently ruined, and he was roundly sworn at for wasting so much good beer. After stopping the flood, there proved to be sufficient left to make all hands merry and happy.
About this time Fabian, who was a great projector of schemes, succeeded in organizing an actors' club, to which he made us all pay tribute, not only the actors, but a number of other professional men and good fellows were made members, and when the transient "stars" came along, we generally contrived to give them a good time, although our quarters were not so pretentious as those of the Alta or Comcial clubs of today. During the Adams-McCullough engagements these actors were the guests of "the club," and dear old Fabian was in his glory. Fabian was the president of the club, and he certainly wined and dined McCullough and Adams to their hearts' content. On their closing night we had a great carousal, even Miss Tracy did not escape. It was a memorable night truly. Everybody present seemed determined to give "John" McCullough and "Ned" Adams a royal time, and they had it.
"Care mad to see a man sae happy;
E'en drowned himsel among the nappy.
Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious,
O'er all the ills of life victorious."
Burns' "Tam O'Shanter".
The stock company played one week, even after this brilliant triumvirate had united its course, with Mr. and Mrs. Carter doing leads. That they could hold the interest of the public after such a combination of talent as Adams, McCullough and Tracy dropped away from them was not to be expected. In looking back at it from this distance, the wise thing for the managers to have done would have been to close the season with that extraordinary engagement, but the Carters were here and had a play or two to exploit, and struggled through a week when the management were glad to close the season, with the Pioneer holiday, July 24th. Here was another case of playing all summer, for the theatre only remained closed about ten nights, opening on the 10th of August. The advent of the Carters into Salt Lake and their engagement at the Salt Lake theatre was not devoid of interest. It was well-known to many that Mrs. Carter (Carrie Cogswell) had been the wife of the veteran tragedian, Mr. T. A. Lyne, who was very much perturbed at their presence here. He declared that she had come here expressly to annoy him, and nothing could convince him to the contrary, so when after a short stay here, Mr. and Mrs. Carter and their son, Lincoln J., now the celebrated Chicago playbuilder and manager, took their departure for California, Lyne's heart was joyful. There were two children, a boy and a girl, the offspring of the Lyne-Cogswell marriage. The court, in giving Lyne the deliverance which he sought on the grounds of desertion, gave him the custody of the two children, and he had them in Salt Lake attending school, and he was very apprehensive that the mother might kidnap them. So when she had departed without any signs of having molested the children the veteran was happy, for he never dreamed they would return, but alas! for the contrariness of human nature, in this he was doomed to disappointment. Lyne had been for the second time a widower when he met Miss Carrie Cogswell. She was about sixteen and he about fifty. Lyne at this age was an active, fine-looking man with hair as dark as a raven's wing and a very commanding presence. Miss Cogswell was enamored of the stage and soon became not only Mrs. Lyne, but "leading lady" for Lyne. After some years of married life, and two children had been born to them, there came a cloud in their sky. In the same company chanced a young man by the name of Carter, whose father, Jared Carter, had been a leading light in the Mormon Church in the Nauvoo days. Disparity in age and incompatibility of temperament between Mr. and Mrs. Lyne gradually brought about a separation and divorce. By this time both had sought and found new matrimonial alliances. Mrs. Lyne had some years now been Mrs. Carter and Mr. Lyne had found consolation in a French widow whose Christian name was Madeline. Such was the situation at the time when the Carters made their first visit to Salt Lake, and the veteran tragedian having settled down in Salt Lake to end his days, was in mortal dread of the Carters fixing their future home here too.
CHAPTER XV.
SEASON OF '71-'72.
The season of '71 and '72 opened on August the 4th, only two weeks after the closing of '70 and '71. The Lingards were the opening attraction; they played only two nights. The Lingards consisted of Horace W. Lingard, Alice Lingard, his wife, and "Dickie" Lingard, a sister to Horace. They played short cast pieces and did not require many members of the company. The repertoire included "Caste," "The Weaver of Spitaefield," "Morning Call," "A Happy Pair," etc. They were followed closely by Kate Newton and Charlie Backus of minstrel fame, who stayed two nights; and these were succeeded by the Hyers Sisters, a colored concert troupe, who gave five concerts, opening August the 9th and playing up to the 13th.
On the 21st Joseph and Mrs. Murphy made their debut in drama—the medium being a hash-up of improbable incidents put together to string Joe's specialties on. He played a sort of stage detective and disguised variously as an Irishman, a Swede, a Dutch Girl, and a Nigger. This was the first performance of "Help" on any stage, and should have been the last, if merit alone counted.
The Salt Lake Theatre was made the bridge to carry a number of new dramatic ventures across the quicksands of dramatic speculation. Afraid to make the trial of a new play in San Francisco or New York, they have brought them to Salt Lake to "try them on the dog." "Help" ran three nights, 21st to the 24th, and was fairly launched on the dramatic sea, and Joe Murphy was no longer a blackfaced comedian but a versatile actor of the Irish comedy persuasion. "Help" served Joe faithfully for several seasons and put him on Easy street, financially.
August 25th the Stock Company, strengthened with the Cogswell-Carter troupe, resumed. J. W. Carter was engaged to play leads for a time; McKenzie was absent, Lindsay was gone, Hardie had deserted, and the management were in sore straits for a leading actor. The Stock played from August 25th to September 25th, when Mrs. Lander opened a star engagement in "Mary Stuart," continuing one week, during which she gave, in addition to "Mary Stuart," "Camille," "The Hunchback" and "Marie Antoinette." Mrs. Lander was at this time one of the bright particular stars of the American stage. She was a woman of superior intelligence and rare dramatic talent and played a fine engagement.
After the Lander engagement, the house closed for a few nights, to give the Stock company a chance to prepare for the approaching October conference. The management could always count on packed houses during these conferences, and it was like giving money away to engage any stellar attractions at these times, so the Stock company was up against their work once more. On October 3rd they opened and played through conference, to the 9th.
On the 10th Robert McWade made his first bow to a Salt Lake audience, in "Rip Van Winkle." McWade had a very good reputation through the west in this character, and drew a very good house for his first night. If we had never seen "Jim Hearne" as "Rip Van Winkle" we might have thought more of McWade, but the impression Hearne made in the character was so strong and still so fresh in the public mind that McWade's "Rip" did not become a favorite. He played some five nights and then the Stock had to go alone again for a while, so on the 16th they resumed and played up to November 7, only relieved a little by the Japanese jugglers, who put in an hour each evening for a week, from October 23rd to 28th. On November 9th, Johnny Allen and Alice Harrison opened a four nights' engagement, closing on the 13th. On the 15th the Stock resumed the even tenor of its way, and played unassisted up to December 10th, when J. M. Ward came in with "Through by Daylight," and got through by gaslight in two nights. Jim Ward was a very versatile and capable actor with a racy Irish brogue, that was suggestive of the "ould sod." He has had rare experiences in theatrical life, and they would make a volume of interesting reading, but as he is still having them, being yet upon the stage, it is too early to add his experiences to the general history of the stage, especially his matrimonial ones.
An entire troupe of juvenile actors followed Jim Ward's advent into Salt Lake City. Whether Jim was in any way accountable, we are not advised; they were called "The Nathan Juvenile Troupe," and put in one week from the 15th to the 20th.
Oliver Doud Byron followed them, opening on December 21st, and playing till January 3rd, "Across the Continent," being his piece de resistance. Ben McCullough filled out the week. Eliza Couldock, who was in delicate health, and had been left here by her father after their last engagement, was now called in for a week to assist the Stock in a production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Miss Couldock was cast for the character of Eliza. The writer, who was playing George Harris and Legree, well remembers how nervous and poorly the lady was during this week's engagement. She was over ambitious and worked beyond her strength, and it was evident she was in a decline. This was her last appearance, poor girl, and it was not long before we were paying the last respects, and with loving hands laying her gently i' the earth, alongside of dear Annie Lockhart, whom we had performed the same service for only a short time before. "Lay her i' the earth and from her fair and unpolluted flesh may violets spring."
Rose Evans came to us for a second engagement, after the "Uncle Tom" week, and played from January 8th to the 27th, repeating her former repertory. Stock company put in the following week alone, then followed E. T. Stetson for a week in his melodramas, "Neck and Neck" and "Old Kentuck." This puts us along to February 7th, '72, when the Stock played another week without any star; then the Stock got a week's rest, the time from the 15th to the 20th being filled by Purdy, Scott, and Fostelle's minstrels. Refreshed with a week's vacation, the Stock company started in afresh on February 22nd—great George's birthday—and played till April 9th, getting through another conference without the aid of a star. Here the company had another brief respite while "The Child American Concert Company" filled time from April 10th to the 13th, when the company resumed their labors and played up to the 20th. On April 22nd, Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Bates began a stellar engagement which ran three weeks, up to May 11th. Mrs. Bates was the lead horse in this team, and the repertory was selected to give her prominence as the principal star, and the announcement should have been Mrs. and Mr. F. M. Bates. She played "Pigeon the Torment," "Camille," "Leah," and "Lucretia Borgia," and all the great popular roles for tragediennes, and was the first to introduce to us the great historic play of "Elizabeth." The Bateses made a very good impression and were so pleased with the result of their engagement that they remained in Salt Lake during the ensuing summer. Blanche Bates, now a very successful star under David Belasco's management, was with the Bateses then, and as she had not been christened Blanche, she was just called Baby Bates.
May 13th to 16th was filled by Berger's Swiss Bell Ringers, and Sol Smith Russell, who was then doing specialties with the Bergers little dreaming of his "Poor Relation" or "Peaceful Valley."
A few nights of stock followed this, and not proving strong, the Bateses were re-engaged and put in another week, from the 22nd to the 28th, introducing some new plays of lighter caliber.
May 29th the Majiltons put in a date, and the stock then played a lone hand up to June 8th. Billy Emerson's minstrels held the boards June 10th, 11th and 12th, and Joe Murphy came and gave us some more of his "Help," 13th, 14th, 15th. Stock put in another week alone, 17th to 22nd, when Charles Wheatleigh opened a return engagement, 24th and played till July 1st. Wheatleigh gave "Lottery of Life," "Flying Scud," "After Dark" and "Arrah Na Pogue." That was Charley Wheatleigh's farewell, we never saw him more.
The Bergers and Sol Smith Russell had swung around the circle and came back for a second engagement. They found Salt Lake a congenial and profitable place and put in another three nights with us, 4th, 5th and 6th.
James M. Hardie, who had just returned from a long professional engagement in San Francisco, played a two nights' engagement, opening in a play called "Early California." Season closed June 8th. "Jim" Hardie left Salt Lake for the East soon after this his last appearance here, as it proved, for he has never since returned. After playing in support of stars several seasons, "Hoey and Hardie" starred for several seasons in "A Child of the State," but it was not a money maker, and after several losing seasons the firm of Hoey and Hardie dissolved, and Jim cast about for a new "angel." Hoey's "old man" had been the angel in the "Child of State" venture and it was understood at the time that after making up some rather heavy deficits, he grew weary and refused to put up any longer for "The Child of the State." Hardie had some money which came to him through his wife, who had an annuity, but "Jim" had a strong touch of the "canny Scot" in him, that always impelled him to let someone else "put up," In time he found a new "angel," and one more to his taste, for this one was of the female persuasion, and Jim always was a favorite with the ladies. He caught a society woman who was stage struck and wanted to star; she had the money to pay for the privilege, and this was just such a snap as "Jim" wanted. So the lady put up the money to put out the show, and she was starred in conjunction with Jim. The firm name stood "Hardie and Von Leer." "A Brave Woman" was the name of the play they chose for the venture; there was a great significance in that title. The show went out with a stock of $1,200 worth of special printing, so Hardie himself informed me in New York. They went into the south, but in six weeks the company was disbanded and Hardie and Von Leer were back in New York. Then they got up a cheaper company and went into the dime museums, where they made a little money. The dime museums were very popular just then and a number of good attractions played them. The play of "A Brave Woman," however, was not an unqualified success, although Sarah Von Leer seemed to be, and held onto her partnership through thick and thin. After a while Hardie got a play called "On the Frontier," and conceived the idea of getting a brass band made up of real Indians. It proved a ten strike, and, after doing a big business with it in this country for two seasons, he took it to England in '93 and made a barrel of money with it. Sarah is still his partner and still stays by him. They built a fine theatre in Manchester, which has been their headquarters for the last twenty years. Mrs. Hardie and her daughters have been back in Salt Lake for a number of years. They have never crossed the ocean to join the husband and father. It must be acknowledged that the dramatic profession is altogether too prolific of this sort of thing. Its tendencies are to draw even well mated couples apart—a hundred cases could be cited; but we will let the reader think the matter over and divine the cause.