Stories by American Authors Volume I Part 6

Messrs. PIXLEY & SUTTON: San Francisco.

GENTLEMEN: Your favor of the 31st ult., forwarded me from San Francisco, has been duly rec'd, and contents thereof noted.

My time is at present so fully occupied by my duties as a delegate to the Const.i.tutional Convention that I can only jot down a brief report of my recollections on this head. When I return to S.F., I shall be happy to give you any further information that may be in my possession.

The person concerning whom you inquire was my fellow pa.s.senger on my first voyage to this State on board the _Mercy G. Tarbox_, in the latter part of the year. He was then known as Mr. William Beauvoir. I was acquainted with his history, of which the details escape me at this writing.

He was a countryman of mine; a member of an important county family--Devonian, I believe--and had left England on account of large gambling debts, of which he confided to me the exact figure. I believe they totted up something like 14,500.

I had at no time a very intimate acquaintance with Mr. Beauvoir; during our sojourn on the _Tarbox_, he was the chosen a.s.sociate of a depraved and vicious character named Phoenix. I am not averse from saying that I was then a member of a profession rather different to my present one, being, in fact, professor of metallurgy, and I saw much less, at that period, of Mr. B. than I probably should now.

Directly we landed at S.F., the object of your inquiries set out for the gold region, without adequate preparation, like so many others did at that time, and, I heard, fared very ill.

I encountered him some six months later; I have forgotten precisely in what locality, though I have a faint impression that his then habitat was some canon or ravine, deriving its name from certain osseous deposits. Here he had engaged in the business of gold-mining, without, perhaps, sufficient grounds for any confident hope of ultimate success. I have his I.O.U. for the amount of my fee for a.s.saying several specimens from his claim, said specimens being all iron pyrites.

This is all I am able to call to mind at present in the matter of Mr. Beauvoir. I trust his subsequent career was of a nature better calculated to be satisfactory to himself; but his mineralogical knowledge was but superficial; and his character was sadly deformed by a fatal taste for low a.s.sociates.

I remain, gentlemen, your very humble and obd't servant, t.i.tUS W. PEEBLES.

P.S.--Private.

MY DEAR PIX: If you don't feel inclined to pony up that little sum you are out on the bay gelding, drop down to my place when I get back and I'll give you another chance for your life at the pasteboards. Const.i.tution going through.

Yours, t.i.tE.

PART FOURTH:

DOc.u.mENT NO. 24.

_Extract from the New Centreville [late Dead Horse] "Gazette and Courier of Civilization," December 20th, 1878:_

"Miss Nina Saville appeared last night at the Mendocino Grand Opera House, in her unrivalled specialty of _Winona the Child of the Prairies;_ supported by Tompkins and Frobisher's Grand Stellar Constellation. Although Miss Saville has long been known as one of the most promising of California's younger tragediennes, we feel safe in saying that the impression she produced upon the large and cultured audience gathered to greet her last night stamped her as one of the greatest and most phenomenal geniuses of our own or other times. Her marvellous beauty of form and feature, added to her wonderful artistic power, and her perfect mastery of the difficult science of clog-dancing, won her an immediate place in the hearts of our citizens, and confirmed the belief that California need no longer look to Europe or Chicago for dramatic talent of the highest order. The sylph-like beauty, the harmonious and ever-varying grace, the vivacity and the power of the young artist who made her maiden effort among us last night, prove conclusively that the virgin soil of California teems with yet undiscovered fires of genius. The drama of _Winona, the Child of the Prairies,_ is a pure, refined, and thoroughly absorbing entertainment, and has been p.r.o.nounced by the entire press of the country equal to if not superior to the fascinating _Lady of Lyons_. It introduces all the favorites of the company in new and original characters, and with its original music, which is a prominent feature, has already received over 200 representations in the princ.i.p.al cities in the country. It abounds in effective situations, striking tableaux, and a most quaint and original concert ent.i.tled 'The Mule Fling,' which alone is worth the price of admission. As this is its first presentation in this city, the theatre will no doubt be crowded, and seats should be secured early in the day. The drama will be preceded by that prince of humorists, Mr. Billy Barker, in his humorous sketches and pictures from life."

We quote the above from our esteemed contemporary, the Mendocino _Gazette_, at the request of Mr. Zeke Kilburn, Miss Saville's advance agent, who has still further appealed to us, not only on the ground of our common humanity, but as the only appreciative and thoroughly informed critics on the Pacific Slope to "endorse" this rather vivid expression of opinion. Nothing will give us greater pleasure. Allowing for the habitual enthusiasm of our northern neighbor, and for the well-known chaste aridity of Mendocino in respect of female beauty, we have no doubt that Miss Nina Saville is all that the fancy, peculiarly opulent and active even for an advance agent, of Mr. Kilburn has painted her, and is quite such a vision of youth, beauty, and artistic phenomenality as will make the stars of Paris and Illinois pale their ineffectual fires.

Miss Saville will appear in her "unrivalled specialty" at Hanks's New Centreville Opera House, to-morrow night, as may be gathered, in a general way, from an advertis.e.m.e.nt in another column.

We should not omit to mention that Mr. Zeke Kilburn, Miss Saville's advance agent, is a gentleman of imposing presence, elegant manners, and complete knowledge of his business. This information may be relied upon as at least authentic, having been derived from Mr. Kilburn himself, to which we can add, as our own contribution, the statement that Mr.

Kilburn is a gentleman of marked liberality in his ideas of spirituous refreshments, and of equal originality in his conception of the uses, objects and personal susceptibilities of the journalistic profession.

DOc.u.mENT NO. 25.

_Local Item from the "New Centreville Standard," December 20th, 1878:_

Hon. William Beauvoir has registered at the United States Hotel. Mr.

Beauvoir is a young English gentleman of great wealth, now engaged in investigating the gigantic resources of this great country. We welcome him to New Centreville.

DOc.u.mENT NO. 26.

_Programme of the performance given in the Centreville Theatre, Dec.

21st, 1878:_

HANKS' NEW CENTREVILLE OPERA HOUSE

A. Jackson Hanks.....................Sole Proprietor and Manager.

FIRST APPEARANCE IN THIS CITY OF TOMPKINS & FROBISHER'S GRAND STELLAR CONSTELLATION,

Supporting California's favorite daughter, the young American Tragedienne,

MISS NINA SAVILLE,

Who will appear in Her Unrivalled Specialty,

"Winona, the Child of the Prairie."

THIS EVENING, DECEMBER 21st, 1878,

Will be presented, with the following phenomenal cast, the accepted American Drama,

WINONA: THE CHILD OF THE PRAIRIE.

WINONA.................................................... Miss FLORA MacMADISON..................................... BIDDY FLAHERTY........................................... OLD AUNT DINAH (with Song, "Don't Get Weary").............Miss NINA SALLY HOSKINS............................................. SAVILLE (With the old-time melody, "Bobbin' Around.") POOR JOE (with Song)...................................... FRAULINE LINA b.o.o.bENSTEIN................................. (With stammering song, "I yoost landet.") SIR EDMOND BENNETT (specially engaged)................E.C. GRAINGER WALTON TRAVERS.........................................G.W. PARSONS GIPSY JOE..................................................M. ISAACS 'ANNIBAL 'ORACE 'IGGINS................................BILLY BARKER TOMMY TIPPER.....................................Miss MAMIE SMITH PETE, the Man on the Dock................................SI HANc.o.c.k Mrs. MALONE, the Old Woman in the Little House.... Mrs. K.Y. BOOTH ROBERT BENNETT (aged five)......................Little ANNIE WATSON

Act I.--The Old Home. Act II.--Alone in the World. Act III.--The Frozen Gulf: THE GREAT ICEBERG SENSATION. Act IV.--Wedding Bells.

"Winona, the Child of the Prairie," will be preceded by

A FAVORITE FARCE,

In which the great BILLY BARKER will appear in one of his most outrageously funny bits.

New Scenery......................by....................Q.Z. Sloc.u.m

Music by Professor Kiddoo's Silver Bugle Bra.s.s Band and Philharmonic Orchestra.

Chickway's Grand Piano, lent by Schmidt, 2 Opera House Block.

AFTER THE SHOW, GO TO HANKS' AND SEE A MAN

Pop Williams, the only legitimate Bill-Poster in New Centreville.

(New Centreville Standard Print.)

DOc.u.mENT NO. 27.

_Extract from the New Centreville [late Dead Horse] "Gazette and Courier of Civilization," Dec. 24th, 1878:_

A little while ago, in noting the arrival of Miss Nina Saville of the New Centreville Opera House we quoted rather extensively from our esteemed contemporary, the Mendocino _Times_ and commented upon the quotation. Shortly afterwards, it may also be remembered, we made a very direct and decided apology for the sceptical levity which inspired those remarks, and expressed our hearty sympathy with the honest, if somewhat effusive, enthusiasm with which the dramatic critic of Mendocino greeted the sweet and dainty little girl who threw over the dull, weary old business of the stage "sensation" the charm of a fresh and childlike beauty and originality, as rare and delicate as those strange, unreasonable little glimmers of spring sunsets that now and then light up for a brief moment the dull skies of winter evenings, and seem to have strayed into ungrateful January out of sheer pity for the sad earth.