Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/370

 BOOTH.

BOOTH.

oilletl in Ricliard HI. at the National theatre. N. Y., and Umuk .>erforniance warmed into enthusi- asm and called the young actor before the curtain. Soon after this he entered into an engagement with Thoodore Barton of Baltimore, to play various parts at a sal- ary of six dollars per week. In this he proved a failure, and in 18.52 accompanied his father to join his brother, J. B. Booth, Jr., in California. They played two weeks at the Jenny Lind theatre in San Francisco, Edwin pbiying Wilford in "The Iron Chest"; Allworth in "A New Way to Pay Old Debts"; Laertes in " Hamlet " ; Gratiano in " Merchant of Venice"; Richard in "Richard III."; Edgar in " King Lear." and Cassioin " Othello." At Sacra- mento the three Booths held benefits on three succeeding nights: the first night being the elder Booth's lienefit, he played " Richard II.,"" the fol- lowing night J. B. Booth, Jr., plaj'ed OtheUo to his father"s lago: the third night, being Edwin "s benefit, he played Jaffier to his father's Pierre. The elder Booth returned to the east and Edwin remained in California, growing daily poorer in purse and richer in experience. California was just then in a state of financial depression, and young Booth found the diflicult}- of making en- gagements only exceeded by the difficulty of re- ceiving pay for them. His companion was D. C. Anderson, who sliared with him the discom- forts of the camping-out life, which they were compelled to adopt. Their lodging-house was first a tent erected in the sand lots, and after a two- roomed shanty called by them the " Rancho," where they cooked their own food and did their own marketing. At Sacramento he played with Catherine Sinclair Forrest, the divorced wife of E>lwin Forrest, acting Raphael to her Marco in "Tlie Marble Heart." He also supported her at San Francisco. A successful tour to Aastralia, New Zealand and the Sandwich Islands was made in 18.'».). and the following year he returned to the United States and Ijegan a starring tour. His first appearance after his return was in Biilti- more as Richanl. On one occasion, while play- ing in Detroit, the proof of a handbill intended for his manager accidentally fell into his hands.

He struck from it all the adjectives written be- fore his name, and wrote, " Announce me as simple Edwin Booth, nothing more." The annoiuicement bill api>eared: "Engagement for one week only of Simple Edwin Booth."' Later he played in Richmond, "Va., under the manage- ment of Joseph Jefferson, and there met Miss Mary Devlin of Troy, N. Y., who afterwards became his wife. In the early spring of 1857 he appeared in Boston as Sir Giles Overreach in "A New Way to Pay Old Debts,*' and on Maj- 4, he presented Richard III. at the Metropolitan theatre. New York, making a brilliant success in both cities. In the fall of 1857 he visited the principal cities of the south, also fulfilling an engagement at the Howard Athena?um, Boston, supported by Barrett and McCuUough. He was married to Marj- Devlin, July 7, 1860, and during the year plaj-ed at the Arch .street theatre in Philadelphia. In December he began a series of performances with Charlotte Cushman at the Academy of music in Philadelphia, playing Wolsey to her Katherine in " Henry VIII.," Macbeth to her Lady Macbeth, Shylock to her Portia, and Petruchio to her Katherine. In September, 1861, Mr. and Mrs. Booth went to England, where their only daughter, Edwina, was born, Dec. 9, 1861. The London engagement had been hastily arranged, and various circimi- stauces combined to make his reception a cold one. His Richard failed utterly, as did liis Shy- lock and Sir Giles. Just before his retm-n, how- ever, he redeemed himself by playing Richelieu, winning from his critical audience storms of applause. This was unfortunately his last per- formance during that visit to London. He pro- ceeded thence to Manchester, where Henry Irving was a member of his company. After a visit to Paris he returned to America. On Sept. 2, 1862, he opened the season at the Winter Gar- den theatre, New York, and afterwards played for a short time with Charlotte Cushman in Phila- delphia. For some months after the sudden death of Ids wife, Feb. 9, 1863, he did not appear on the stage. In the fall of 1863 he purchased, with J. S. Clark, the Walnut street theatre in Philadelphia. On March 28, 1864, he produced " The Fool's Revenge," at Niblo's Garden, N. Y., and in August, with J. S. Clark and William Stuart, he took a lease of the Winter Garden theatre. It was in that year that his fame as Hamlet was substantiated. On Nov. 26. 1864, he began his famous presentment of that character for one hundred consecutive nights. He played Sir Edward Mortimer in Boston, April 14, 1865, and the following morning received the news of Lincoln's assassination at the hand of his Ijrother, John Wilkes Booth. His intention tliereujwn was to leave the stage permanently,