Newspaper Page Text
i^Vhat Becomes^^
Old Actor^^*
=== ==^===== EMMETT C. KING
N the winter of 1882 the theatrical
managers of New York and Brook
lyn decided that, in order to re
Heve the many cases of distress
reported throughout the theatrical
profession, it was necessary to cre
ate a permanent fund which would
be immediately available for the
purpose. This fund was to be
known as the “Actors’ Fund,” but
as it was to be raised by the
efforts of all classes connected with the business
of public amusements, it would be devoted, with
out reservation, to any and all persons who have
been connected with said amusements, in any
capacity whatsoever.
Benefit performances were given at the prin
cipal theaters in New York and Brooklyn on a
certain day for the purpose of creating a founda
tion for the fund. The receipts from the sale of
tickets and donations for these performances
were $39,335.80. Among the largest donations
were: James Gordon Bennett, $10,000; John Ja
cob Astor, $2,500; Edwin Booth, SI,OOO.
The fund was incorporated according to the
laws of the state, June 8, 1882, and on July 15th
a permanent organization was effected with the
following officers: President, Lester Wallack;
vice-president, A. M. Palmer; secretary, Daniel
Frohman; treasurer, Theodore Moss. The board
of trustees was: Lester Wallack, Edwin Booth,
Joseph Jefferson, M. H. Mallory, Lawrence Bar
rett, H. C. Miner, W. E. Sinn, A. M. Palmer, Ed
ward Harrigan, William Henderson, John F.
Poole, P. T. Barnum, W. J. Florence, William
Birch, J. K. Emmett and J. H. Haverly. The
counsel for the fund was A. J. Dittenhoefer.
The report of the secretary for the first year
of the fund’s existence showed a disbursement of
$12,349.07. Relief had been given to over four
hundred actors in different parts of the Union,
and thirty-two had been buried in California,
Texas and other parts of the country. Thus the
fund had prevented the sick and needy from
seeking charity, and had given respectable inter
ment to those who would otherwise have been
buried in pauper’s graves.
One day in the spring of 1900 Louis Aldrich,
an actor, and Al. Hayman, a theatrical manager,
sat in the latter’ office in the Empire Theater,
new York:
“The actors’ fund has at last passed resolu
tions approving my plan to build a home for old”
actors,” said Aldrich. “You know that I have
been agitating this scheme for years, with little
or no encouragement; nobody believes it feasible,
on account of the expense. I believe now, as I
always have, that I can make a success of it, if I
can only get a substantial sum to start my sub
scription. You've made a good deal of money
out of the theatrical business, Al; give me some
thing tangible for a starter.”
“How much will you require, altogether?” Hay
man asked.
. “It will take about one hundred thousand dol
lars,” was the reply.
“How much do you think I ought to give?”
“Oh, about ten thousand dollars.”
“Well,” replied Hayman, “I’ll give you ten
thousand dollars, if the dramatic profession will
raise ninety thousand.”
“I’m afraid we can’t raise that much right
away,” Aldrich said; “but I believe we could
raise fifty thousand now, and the balance later.”
“All right,” said Hayman, “I’ll give you ten
thousand, if you’ll raise fifty thousand.”
“That's a bargain,” exclaimed Aldrich. "Give
me your check, and if I don't raise the fifty
thousand, I'll return it.”
The check for ten thousand dollars was given
to Aldrich,’ and he took it to the editor of the
New York Herald, who agreed to hold the money
and receive further donations. The next day
the Herald announced that it had ten thousand
dollars as a nucleus for a fund to build a home
for actors, and would receive subscriptions. The
response was magic. Money poured in by mail,
express, telegraph and cable. In tw-enty days
the subscription reached fifty-five thousand dol
lars, besides the original ten thousand, and the
books were closed for the time being.
The matter was allowed to rest until the spring
of 1901, when a number of benefit performances
were given in New York, Philadelphia and Chi
cago to raise additional money needed to com
plete the work so auspiciously begun.
The committee intrusted witn the selectioA of
a site for the home purchased "Beechlawn," '.he
twenty-acre estate of Richard Penn Smith at
West Brighton, Staten Island. The building was
finished, and on May 8, 1902, the Actors’ Fund
Home was opened and dedicated with imposing
ceremonies. The address of the day was made
by Joseph Jefferson.
In reality, the dramatic profession owes to
Louis Aldrich more than it does to any single
person for the possession of this beautiful home.
He talked of the scheme for years. No one else
believed it feasible, but Aldrich never lost faith
in his ability to carry it to a successful conclu
sion.
In this ideal abode are assembled thirty-one
former votaries of the sock and buskin. They
are the Romeos, Melnottes, Rosalinds and Ca
milles of bygone days. They were the idols of
your fathers and your grandfathers—yes, and
some of your great-grandfathers; for none is ad
mitted to the home under fifty-five, and many of
the inmates are octogenarians.
On a winter’s evening the silver-haired women
are accustomed to gather in the parlor or library,
and over their sewing or crocheting tell once
more of the beauty and charm of Adelaide Nel
son, the wonderful characterizations of Lucile
Western, and sublime genius of Charlotte Cush
man; while downstairs in the billiard or card
room the men have gone back to play again with
Davenport, McCullough, Warren, Owens, Burton
and the peerless Forrest. Jefferson, Barrett and
Edwin Booth are spoken of casually; they belong
too much to the present.
“Ah! there are no tragedians like Forrest now
adays,” one veteran sighs in a voice that sug
■ gests the ghost in Hamlet.
"And no comedians like Burton,” deplores an
other. ‘
“No, nor any pantomimists like George Fox;
the art died w'ith him,” laments a third.
“There were gianfs in those days,” if these
veterans are to be believed; and who shall gain
say them? None can; and surely none would
care to.
Two married couples grace the home, refuting
the often heard remark, “There are no happy
marriages In the profession.” They are Mr. and
Mrs. Samuel Chester and Mr. and Mrs. George
Morton. Mr. and Mrs. Chester have been mar
ried forty-seven years, and have seldom been
separated during their long connection with the
stage. Mr. and Mrs. Morton have been married a
somewhat shorter time than the Chesters.
The oft-repeated question, “Are they happy?”
is well answered in the following incident. An
old friend of one of the couples mentioned ex
tended an invitation to them to visit him and
his family at their country home. The pair re
plied, thanking him for his Invitation and apolo
gizing for not accepting, but stating that they
were so happy in their new home that they could
not bear the thought of leaving it, even for a
short time .
One of the most interesting figures in this
unique household is Harry Langdon—“Handsome
Harry” they called him in the days when he
played dashing parts opposite Adelaide Neilson,
Charlotte Cushman and Eliza Logan. Though
well into his eightieth year, Mr. Langdon was
reading a book without glasses when I was in
troduced to him.
“No, I have never felt the need of glasses,” he
said in answer to my question regarding it. “I
may have to get some later, but now I read by
either daylight or artificial light without any in
convenience.”
“Tell me something about Forrest, Mr. Lang
don,” I asked him; “some anecdotes, if you can
think of any.”
“There are so many,” he replied, "that it is
hard to think where to begin. One that has been
told often, and sometimes attributed to other
people, really occurred while I was present, a
young actor was rehearsing a part, but did not
seem to.grasp the proper meaning of the lines.
Forrest finally lost his patience, and after re
hearsing the scene for the young man with all
his tragic power, turned to him and exclaimed:
‘There, that’s the way it ought to be done —Why
don’t you do it like that?’
“ ‘lf I could do It like that, Mr. Forrest,’ the
actor replied, ‘I wouldn’t be working for six dol
lare a week.’
“Forrest was a bad sailor, and once, when we
were making a water trip between two' coast
towns, the sea became choppy and the governor
had to go below, where he suffered all the misery
of seasickness. Finally he sent for the captain
to come to his state-room.
“‘How much is this old tub of yours worth?’
he groaned as the skipper appeared.
“‘I don’t know exactly, Mr. Forrest,’ was the
reply; ‘why do you ask?'
“ ‘Because I want to buy It and chain it up to
a rock where it can't move,’ roared Forrest.
“E. L. Davenport was one of the greatest act
ors this country ever produced,” continued Mr.
Langdon. “For versatility he has never had an
equal; he could do a song and dance with as
much grace as any specialist in that line, and
turn round and play Hamlet and Brutus with al
most any of them. Davenport was a great guy
er; his nature was sunny and he loved fun. Law
rence Barrett was the antithesis of Davenport;
dignity and austerity were his most marked
characteristics. Davenport was playing Brutus
to Barrett's Cassius on one occasion. In the
first act of the play Brutus says to Cassius.
“ ‘Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this.’
At this point Brutus and Cassius clasp hands.
As their hands met, Cassius felt something soft
and mushy being squeezed into his hand by the
noble Brutus. A slimy substance oozed through
his fingers and dropped off on the floor; it was
a ripe tomato, which Brutus had given Cassius
to ‘chew upon.’ Barrett could not resist the ridic
ulousness of the situation, and had to turn his
back to the audience to hide his laughter.”
Effie Germon—dashing, laughing, laughter-mak
ing Effie Germon, of the Wallack Stock Company,
and many other metropolitan companies—is a re
cent guest of the home.
“They say I’m too short for grandes dames,”
said Miss Germon; “and of course I know' my
time has passed for soubrettes, although I feel as
young as I did at thirty, and would like to work,
but they won’t let me; so here I am, and it’s a
mighty fine place to be, under the circum
stances. I'm only sixty (she doesn't look more
than forty-five) and I come of a long-lived fam
ily. My mother, who died only a few weeks ago,
was eighty-seven, and my aunt. Mrs. Elizabeth
Saunders, is still living in San Francisco, at the
age of ninety-one. She is procably the oldest
player, male or female, alive.
One of the lively boys of the home is Charles
Gonzales, who is a youngster of seventy-six. Mr.
Gonzales had a Spanish father and an Irish moth
er, so he says he doesn't know whether he is an
Irish Spaniard or a Spanish Irishman. Mr. Gon
zales amuses himself with palette and brush, and
his room contains many water colors done by his
hand. Besides this, he is manager of the “Home
Quartette,” and with Mesdames Morton. Brennan
and Campbell contributes musical evenings for
the pleasure of the other guests.
Since the home was opened there have been
admitted altogether eighty-one guests.
Os this number thirty have died, and twenty
have returned to their families or friends, but
are still provided for by the fund. The fund does
not demand that one should go to the home in
order to receive assistance; it is purely a matter
of choice, and aid is given the needy outside the
home, as well as within. There are at present
over seventy persons outside the home who are
being cared for by the fund. Strange to say. the
home has never been filled to Its capacity, the
thirty-one Inmates now there being the largest
number it has ever contained. There are accom
modations for nineteen more, with no further
applications
TRUE
SUCCESS
By Rev. Stephen Paulson
TEXT—The righteous also shall hold on
his way and he that hath clean hands
shall wax stronger.—Job 17:9.
Every right-minded person should
desire success. The young man who
does not desire to be. successful
might just as well pick out his coffin,
for he will never be of much account
in this life. But what is success?
That is what we want to talk about,
for there seem to be widely divergent
opinions on that subject.
Over 400 years ago Columbus was
about to discover a new world. His
seamen grew impatient of the priva
tions and hardships of an apparently
hopeless voyage. Westward sailed
the little flotilla over a shoreless sea,
where no island or cliff gave relief io
the weary eye. Now and then a
bank of cloud on a far horizon re
vived hope only to plunge them into
deeper gloom. At last dejection rip
ened into discontent, and terror into
mutiny, which was stilled only by the
courage and resolution of the great
explorer. No land was yet in sight,
but Columbus persuaded them to hold
on three days longer. On the second
day some tree-twigs were seen float
ing by; then a plank cut by a hatch
et; then a branch of hawthorn in
flower. These silent witnesses told of
land not. far off; and now the men
who the previous day were breathing
rebellion, gathered around their com
mander with extravagant flattery im
ploring his forgiveness.
It is no doubt a truth old as hu
manity that "nothing succeeds like
success.” One stroke of good busi
ness gives a man a better chance for
a second; but let a man equally de
serving meet with one failure, and
success slinks further away.
One of the worst features of our
age is the worship of mere success,
apart from the means by which it
was attained. Personal worth may go
to the wall; a man is measured ac
cording to his prosperity. There is a
success that is not worth having, and
there is failure that is more to be de
sired than success. The fact is that
the common conception of the subject
requires emendation.
What is your ideal of success? In
the majority of cases the answer
would be, fortune or position. Well,
these are fine things to have, but they
can be bought too dear. They are
bought every day at the price of
honor, self-respect, a good conscience,
peace of mind, and even immortal
hope. The price is too great. Amer
ica is full of the "get-rich-quick”
spirit. We revel i» stories of million
aires who were bare-footed newsboys
in their youth. And it is true that
many of these men deserve credit fftr
their energy and foresight. But can
we not get a higher ideal of success
than the mere accumulation of
riches?
In our text we are given the neces
sary elements of success. “The right
eous also shall hold on his way, and
he that hath clean hands shall wax
stronger and stronger.” Here are
mentioned three things which are ab
solutely necessary to every young
man’s success in life, and they are
piety, perseverance, and purity.
First we have piety, or love and
trust in God. No true success can be
obtained without that. It is true that
by throwing conscience to the winds,
you may occasionally make gains
which to the upright are impossible;
but there is a curse which pursues
such profits even in that world. There
is no doubt that the youth who enteqp
upon life with a sense of accountabil
ity to God, has great advantage. Lord
Lytton says, “A man is already of
consequence in the world when it is
known that he can be implicitly re
lied upon.” It is a great mistake that
many young men make to drop their
religion as soon as they get out into
active business life.
Our next quality is perseverance.
"The righteous man shall hold on his
way.” The failure of many young
men in life is due to the lack of this
power to hold on. A young man en
ters business, but after a few months
he thinks he has made a mistake, so
he begins to study medicine. Soon
he grows heartily weary of that, and
he thinks he is cut out for the law.
Thus he drifts from one thing to an
other, and makes a success of none.
He lacks perseverance, the power to
"hold on.” It is an excellent thing
for a youth, as soon as hfs school
days are over, to have to depend to
a great extent upon his own exer
tions. President Garfield once said,
“In nine times out of ten, the best
thing that can happen to a young
man is to be tossed overboard and
compelled to sink or swim for him
self. In all my acquaintance, I never
knew a man to be drowned who was
worth saving.”
The third requisite to success Is
purity. “He that hath clean hands
shall wax stronger and stronger.”
This is the outward and practical
side of piety. Let the prayer of the
psalmist be yours, “Create in me a
clean heart, O God.” That is neces
sary to clean hands. You must con
duct a clean business If you would
have clean hands. You cannot be a
party to dishonest dealing and re
main undefiled. You cannot touch
pitch and not become smirched. Here
is where your piety and faith in God
should be your stay. Your Christian
principles are worthless unless they
decide your course, leaving all the
consequences to God.
MACON, DUBLIN AND SAVANNAH
RAILROAD COMPANY
LOCAL TIME TABLE.
Effective July 2, 1911.
No.lß N 0.20 Stations? Nml9 No? 7
A.M. P.M. Lv. Ar. A.M. P.M.
“7 710 3725 Macon - ~ 11715 47'30
7:22 3:37 Swiftcreek 11:03 4:20
7:30 3:45 Dry branch 10:55 4:12
7:34 3:49 Atlantic 10:51 4:09
7:38 3:53 Pike's Peak 10:48 4:06
7:45 4:00 Fitzpatrick 10:42 4:00
7:50 4:04 Ripley 10:37 3:53
8:00 4:14 Jeff'sonville 10:27 3:42
8:10 4:23 Gallemore 10:15 3:30
8:20 4:33 Danvilel 10:07 3:22
8:25 4:38 Allentown 10:02 3:17
8:34 4:47 Montrose 9:53 3:08 '
8:44 4:57 Dudley 9:42 2:58
8:50 5:03 Shewmake 9:36 34^2
8:55 5:09 Moore 9:29 2:45
9:10 5:25 ar lv 9:15 2:30
Dublin
9:15 5:30 lv ar 9:10 2:25
9:17 5:32 SouMD&SJct 9:08 2:23
9:21 5:36 NoirMD&SJet 9:04 2:19
9:31 5:45 Catlin 8:54 2:09
9:40 5.54 Mlntor 8:47 2:01
9:50 6:05 Rockledge 8:36 1:50
9:55 6:10 Orland 8:31 1:45
10:08 6:23 Soporton 8:19 1:33
10:19 6:34 Tarrytown 8:07 1:21
10:26 6:41 Kibbee 8:00 1:15
10:40 6:55 Vidalia 7:45 1:00
CONNECTIONS.
At Dublin with the Wrightsville and
Tennille and the Dublin and South
western for Eastman and Tennille
and intermediate points.
At Macon iwth Southern railway
from and to Cincinnati, Chattanooga,
Rome, Birmingham, Atlanta and in
termediate points. Also the Central
of Georgia, G., S. & F. railway, Ma
son and Birmingham railway and the
Georgia railroad. i
At Rockledge with the Millen end
Southwestern for Wadley and inter
mediate points.
At Vidalia with the Seaboard Air
Line for Savannah and intermediate
points, and with the Millen and South
western for Millen, Stillmore and in
termediate points.
J. A. STREYER, G. P. A.,
Macon, Ga.
Foley’s
ORINO
Laxative
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CURES
Constipation* Stomach and
Liver Trouble.
by stimulating these organs and
restoring their natural action.
Is best for women and chil
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Portable and Stationary
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AND BOILERS.
Saw, Lath and Shingle Mills InJeetom,
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LARGE STOCK AT
LOMBARD
Foundry, Maohine and Boiler Works
Supply Store.
AUGUSTA. GA.
MEYSKOMiIYCURB
Wakes Kidneys sad Bladder RHjM
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