Players of a Century

Page.

1825-1827. Maywood and his Adopted Daughter 'La Petite

Augusta "-Cooper, the First Representative American Actor

-A Reckless Wager-An Actress Presiding at the White

House-Old Jack Barnes and his Charming Wife-Opposi-

tion from the Circus-Gilfert's Inglorious Finale-Forrest

Leaps Through a Barrel of Fire and Performs in the Ring

for a Clown's Benefit-Pawns His Wardrobe to get to New

York-Henry Wallack's Bad Luck-Appearance of Ma-

cready-Sketch of his Life and Criticism of his Acting..... 97

CHAPTER X.

he South Pearl Street Theatre Under Roberts,
Vernon and Phillips-Charley Parsons, the Parson-Actor-
Hackett, America's Greatest Falstaff, Playing Yankee Char-
acters and Telling Stories-Clara Fisher, Louisa Lane and
Mary Rock, Three Infant Phenomena Still Living-The
Clara Fisher Rage-Mrs. John Drew Acting at the Age of

Eight-Mary Rock's Romantic History-How the Modern

Ballet Was First Received-A Bowery Audience Rush

Blushing from the Theatre-Celeste, the Queen of Melo-

Drama.

CHAPTER XI.

1829. More French Dancers-Beginnings of the Albany Museum

"Yankee" Hill-Duffy & Forrest Managers of the Thea-

tre-The Elder Joe Jefferson in the Stock Company-Bio-

graphical Sketch of William Duffy-His Stage Fight with

Booth-Founds the Buffalo Theatre..

CHAPTER XII.

Page.

109

125

1829-1830. "Blood for Blood"-An Actor Makes Good the

Name of the Play-Miserable Death of a Favorite Actress-

The Fate of Finn-Wind-up of the Circus-George Wash-

ington Dixon, first of the Negro Minstrels-How the Drama

Wasn't Patronized—Interesting Figures—An Old Fashioned

Theatre Lease - How Forrest Encouraged Dramatists.

George Holland-"The Little Church Around the Corner," 136

CHAPTER XIII.

1831-1833. Curious Appeal for a Benefit-An Old Favorite

Eclipsed by a Performing Elephant-Master Burke, the

Irish Roscius-Almost a Riot on Account of his Father-

Charles Kean at the Age of Twenty-Duffy's Great Hit—

Forrest Dismisses an Audience-A "Greek Tragedian "-

Theatre Closed on Account of Cholera-English Opera-

James E. Murdoch-Tom Placide's Paper Collars-Jim

Crow Rice and Albany's Claim to Being the Birth Place of

Negro Minstrelsy...
152

CHAPTER XIV.

1833-1834. The Kembles, Charles and Fanny-Extracts from

Fanny's Journal-Death of "Aunt Dall"-Salary List of

the Albany Theatre-Mazeppa's Modern Journey and Ad-

ventures Tyrone Power's Appearance and the Row that

Followed-His "Impressions" of Albany-His Place as an

Irish Comedian....
168

CHAPTER XV.

1834-1836. Some of Booth's Correspondence-Paganini's Sweet-
heart-An Elopement Frustrated-J. Sheridan Knowles
and his Pupil, Emma Wheatley-The Theatre on Fire-The

Museum-Joice Heth and the Siamese Twins-The Great

Duffy Benefit-Murder of the Manager..

CHAPTER XVI.

1836-1839. Last Years of the Old Pearl Street Theatre-Char-

lotte Cushman in Albany, where She Learned to Act-Her

Only Love Affair-Her Favorite Brother Killed by an Acci-

dent-Her After Life and Place in the Profession-Charles

H. Eaton's Untimely End-Charley Parsons's Sudden Conver-

sion-Joe Jefferson's Acting at the Age of Ten-His First

Newspaper Notice-The Gigantic Josephine Clifton-Jean

Davenport Lander-The Original of Dickens's Infant Phe-

nomenon-The Theatre Becomes a Church...

CHAPTER XVII.

1839-1845. The Dallius Street Amphitheatre-How Spaulding

Came to Engage in the Circus Business-Poetical Address

by Alfred B. Street-Forrest Plays to Nine Dollars—“ Guy-

ing" the Great Tragedian-John Greene Wins a Wager-

Acting in a Thunder Storm-"Wake Me up When Kirby

Dies"-Dummy Allen-A Budget of Stories About Forrest's

Eccentric Dresser-His Turtle Soup and Silver Leather-A

1841-1848. Meech's Museum-Edward Eddy's Early Life-Ad-

elaide Phillips as a Prodigy-The Future Mayor of Chicago as

Manager-Charley Burke, William Warren, John Brougham, 233

CHAPTER XIX.

1847-1848. The Brief, Eventful History of the Odeon-Col.

Harcourt's Theatre—A Bass-viol Explosion-Charlotte Barnes

-Barney Williams-The Viennoise Children-Edmon S.

Conner-Charming Julia Dean-The Great Fire of 1848.... 243

CHAPTER XX.

1848-1852. Palmy Days of the Museum-Its Enlargement by
John M. Trimble, the Lightning Builder-Meech, the Mana-
ger-The Lovells-Chanfrau, the Original Mose-Booth at
the Great Fire-He Dons a Red Shirt and Runs with the Ma-
chine-His Death on Board a Steamboat-The Albany Bel-
lows-Mr. James G. Maeder-The Pitts, from England—
Charley Smith-The Nickinsons-Mr. and Mrs. John Drew
-The Bateman Prodigies-Eliza Logan's Singular Present

-John Collins-Sir William Don, Actor-McKean Buchan-

nan- -Queen Victoria's Kindness to an Actress..

Page.

249

1852-1855. Last Days of the Museum-Lola Montez, Countess

of Lansfeldt, as Adventuress, Actress, Court Favorite, Inva-

lid and Penitent-Mary Wells's Debut-Gustavus Brooke-

Mrs. Mowatt, the Child Wife and Actress-Lysander Thomp-

son—The Edwin Forrest Divorce Case-Eighteen Years of

Litigation-The Denin Sisters-Maggie Mitchell-William

J. Florence-Last Nights-Poor, Blind Albertine-A Budget

of Stories About the Museum-A Real Tragedy—Herr Dries-

bach's Tiger and the Musician's Nose-A Boy's Toe Bitten

off by an Acrobat-Estelle Potter's Impromptu Dagger..... 265

CHAPTER XXII.

1852-1859. The Green Street Theatre Re-opened-Poor Pres-

ton's Tragic End-Madame de Marguerittes-A Countess for

Manager-Gaslight Foster-Edmon S. Conner-Uncle Tom's

Cabin; Its Production in Troy-Little Cordelia Howard-

How the Part of Eva was Fitted to Her-Rose Eytinge's De-

but and Marriage-Mary Mitchell Albaugh-Charlotte Cramp-

ton and her Peculiarities-Life and Death of the "Count

Joannes "-Burton, Funniest Actor of them All-Matilda

Heron-The Theatre Becomes a Concert Hall......

CHAPTER XXIII.

.. 281

1859-1861. The Gayety Theatre-John W. Albaugh—Biograph-

ical Sketch-Adah Isaacs Menken, the Poet-Actress-Her

Wild and Reckless Life-How She First Rode Mazeppa in

the Green Street Theatre-Tricks of the Profession-Laugh-

able Incident-The Over Fat Gladiator-Frank Lawlor-

John Wilkes Booth-Lincoln and his Assassin Visit Albany

Together-Booth Wounded by a Woman-The Tragedy of

Tragedies-Close of the Theatre....

CHAPTER XXIV.

1863-1867. The Academy of Music-Opening under Trimble-
Drama of "Davy Crockett"-Its Author Killed by Criti
cism-Letter from Mr. Mayo-The Stoddarts-Campbell,
the Opera Singer-John McCullough-Biographical Sketch
of Ada Gray-Jean Hosmer-Lotta-Early Criticism-Ellen
Tree Frank Mayo-His Advice to Actors-Dan Bryant-

305

Last Appearance of Mrs. Vernon and Mary Gannon-Death

of Mr. Trimble..

CHAPTER XXV.

1867-1868. The Academy Under Miss A. G. Trimble-Louise

Sylvester-Her First Effort in Tragedy-Narrow Escape of

a Musician-Ada Clare, Queen of 'Bohemia

Hydrophobia-The Academy Destroyed by Fire...

CHAPTER XXVI.

Death by

1869-1876. The Division Street Theatre-Opening under Frank

Lawlor-Walter Keeble-Sketch of Augusta Dargon, the