BOOTH.
BOOTH.
oilletl in Ricliard HI. at the National theatre. N. Y.,
and Umuk .><mldenly indisposed sent his son to play
the title role. No apology liad been made, and
the autlience was at Hrst disapix)inted and un-
gracious, but before the end of the i>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,
