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  Walt Whitman Esqr Dear Sir

I read with much pleasure, your interesting article: "Old Bowery"—with the reminiscencies​ reminiscences​ of the actors & actresses fifty years ago—Tho' I am not personally known to you—& as far as my knowledge you to me—still every one tells me, I would assuredly know Walt Whitman the poet by description—your remarks about the elder Booth is true to the letter—no actor has ever approached him—in this Century—unless it be the Elder Kean—or the Kembles—Tho' I am not yet an Octogenarian or even a Septuagenarian—I being but 66 at the close off this month—I date my theatrical experience   since 1835 just fifty years ago the year I came from England—then a mere youth, but as I was intimately acquainted with the Treasurer of the Park Theater under Price—I had the entreé at that theater at all times & was & was in theatrical parlance a "first nighter" referring back to Booth he was the genius of all the players—neither Macready nor Vandenoff (the elder) nor Chas​ Kean or Booth (his son) or Irving could compare to him his acting was inspiration—none could equal him save perhaps Forrest in two characters—Richilieu & King Lear—his stentorian voice & powerful frame which gave him perhaps an advantage over Booth but Forrest even in these characters was the perfection & not the genius of acting—I never witnessed Forrest acting but the houses were jammed, my experience of witnessing Booth was not so fortunate as yours—I seldom saw him to big houses the last time I saw him was at the Chatham Square theater—a rather   pretty house for those times, built I think by Flynn of the old Bowery Theater—I think he played Sir Giles Overeach in a new way to pay old debts"—at all events it was where he has a servant named "Maral" I cannot remember without reference whether it was this piece or the "Iron Chest" both pieces besides all you name I saw him in—at this representation I speak of—he played to empty benches as far as memory serves—There could not have been fifty persons in the house—I was in the pit or what is now called the parquet—I never can forget his marvelous acting it was inspiration with him—one scene where he upbraids Maral he gives him a contemptuous look   & utters with electrical effect "Maral I hate thee"—I can never forget it—it was imprinted in my mind ever since—if he was now alive few houses would hold the numbers that would flock to see him—I cannot account for the cause, why I never saw him to a crowded house—I presume his erratic career had something to do with [illegible]—while upon theatricals fifty years ago you perhaps did not witness scenes, which I did—memorable among which was the driving of Mr & Mrs Wood from the stage of the Park & her reappearance at the same house by the almost unanimous need of the theater going Public— 

The driving of Mr & Mrs Wood from the stage was the action of Jas​ Watson Webb then proprietor of the Courier & Enquirer a gentleman in manners & association but he espoused the cause of a Mrs Conway & got up this "Theatrical row" I was there—& as I write I witnessed her reappearance at the same house after an absence of 2 3 or 4 years—The ovation was as great as the row—do you recollect this delightful singer no english singer could compare to her in this century—the Italians such as Grisi or Titiens had more musical science, but as a whole they were not better only Malibran perhaps was her superior Mrs Wood sang in Sonambula & Norma—with equal effect & gestures which neither Grisi or Titiens could   attempt Sonambula, you assuredly must have seen her in this part—can you ever forget the scene, where her lover upbraids her, for being formal in "his Lordships chamber" she was a charming singer—certainly no English singer of my time, can be compared to her, I think she is dead—but her husband is still living in England or it may be au contraire Mr. Wood was a very agreeable singer of the English school—not as sweet a singer or as good as Wilson—you must recollect the Shirreff troupe—who came out I think under Wallack Sr. management—Miss Shirreff Wilson the Seguins & a charming Baritone who​ whose​ name I cannot now remember   They came out in "Amelie" written by a young Irish composer named Rooke a charming opera full of sweet melodies well harmonized—they took New York by storm—you must also recollect a very pretty chorus girl named Taylor—who was in the foremost of the choristers—she made quite a sensation—& was afterwards one of Mitchell principal actresses in his English burlesque company—she subsequently married quite well then burlesques were very witty & quite enjoyable—they outlived themselves however & the Opera Bouffe with reason taken​ took​ its place—particularly some of the later compositions, which are not offensive to good taste or ears polite   Then again do you recollect Signor de Begnis (—with perhaps the exception of Lablach—whom I have heard frequently on my trips across the ocean) he was the first Bouffe I ever heard—his voice was somewhat off when he came to this country, but he was a great singer—it was for he that Rossini wrote his Barber in the Barbiere di Sivilgia as well as for Madame de Begnis— a very good singer I believe for she was before my time—but a very bad immoral woman—they were playing the Turco in Italia at the old Church [illegible] Theater under De Begnis management the night it was burnt down   the site is now occupied by extensive dry goods store—poor de Begnis was heart broken—I knew him intimately—I recollect his coming down to the English chop house cor of Bway & Leonard St a celebrated Caterer—an Englishman—but for the life of me I cannot recollect his name—well he came down perfectly crest fallen—deploring the destruction of the house—& as he said for he spoke vile English that all his "Turkeys" was burnt up meaning that his turkish dresses were consumed—he was a character I assure you—but a great actor—As I say no one   was superior except Lablach & none could approach him save perhaps Ronconi—De Begnis died of yellow fever in [illegible] then you speak of Alboni—I heard her both in New York & this city she still lives in Paris—no one has ever approached her in voice or style—long previous to her however was Fanny Elssler who came over under the Chaperonage of Mr Wikoff—she was a delightful dancer in her style what is called tour de force no one approached her—about her time there was a charming dancer Madame Augusta whose particular Role was in   the Bayadere—she drew crowds always—you speak of Bettini Badiali—I heard them with Madame Todesco at the Old Chestnut theatre (about 35 years ago) to very poor houses price 50 cents pit boxes 1.00 They afterwards appeared at the Walnut—to better houses. Things have changed since the days of Hamblin—Scott & maybe Kirby—this style of acting would not suit any class of people now—the mob like a little rant & loud declamation now—but it must be from pieces which are more sensational   in their character—as you will learn I have been a great theater goer in my time—I am getting a little in the "sere and yellow leaf" now—but I still enjoy the play—& most of all Musical entertainments I have seen & heard all the great artists of my time with only three notable exceptions Malibran Rubini & Paganini still there are great Musical artists now. Patti Sulehi & others, in the hope my reminiscencies​ reminiscences​ may be amusing to you I subscribe myself

Yours Very Truly Edw. S. Mawson  

PS—I have a series of small volumes called the "Drama" published in London 1824 giving the appearance as well as sketches of the leading actors & actresses of that time I should be happy to loan them if you think their perusal would be interesting to you

The English Caterer I speak of I now recollect was Windurst

    from E. Mawson (Phila) | old theatricals &c 328 Mickle St