"Fashion" was acted the same night; Feb. 26, the Infant Sisters Augusta and Marie - took a benefit and appeared in three dances. The farces "Living too Fast" and "The Spitfire," were also on the programme. John Nathans and children appeared in classic groupings, and the "Spectre Bridegroom" was given, with the first appearance here of Harry Jordan as Diggory. On March 20 Charles Fisher had a benefit, when his daughter made her début as Albert in "William Tell." March 22 Harry Hall first appeared on the American stage, as Dennis Bulgruddery in "John Bull;" April 3 Mrs. Alexina Fisher Baker made her bow here as Widow Cheerly. "Janet Pride" was played April 4, for the first time in this city. May 7 George Holland appeared for the first time in several months. The season closed June 2.

The season of 1855-56 began Sept. 3, with the following company: Bradley (first appearance in New York), Milton Rainford, William Burke, John Dyott, Fred Lyster, M. W. Leffingwell, Carpenter, Rosalie Durand, Kate Reignolds, the Misses Knowles, Robinson, Hall, Maxwell, Chas. Jordan, G. F. Marchant, Holman Moore, Gardiner, Fredericks, Gourley, Wenslee, Chas. Parsloe, Paul Lawson, Keyser, Shirley, Kemp, the Misses Florence, Miller, Terry, Bell, and Wm. E. Burton. The opening bill was Buckstone's "Breach of Promise, or Second Thoughts are Best," with this cast:

This was followed by "A Kiss in the Dark:"

Mr. Selim Pettibone

Mr. W. Burke Mary

Mr. Marchant pearance)
Miss Knowles

Miss Robinson

Frank Fathom, Esq., (her first appear- The Unknown Female (her first apance here)

Mrs. Pettibone

Miss Smith

The bill concluded with "Deaf as a Post." "Still Waters Run Deep" was acted Sept. 12: W. E. Burton as Mildmay, George C. Jordan as Hawksley, Mr. Bradley as Potter, Mr. Lawrence as Gimlet, Mrs. Hughes as Mrs. Sternhold, and Miss Raymond as Mrs. Mildmay. The play was continued three weeks. It had been played two days previously at Barnum's Museum for the first time in America. Milton Rainford and Emily Thorne made their first appearance in this city Oct. 6. Rosalie Durand made her New York début Oct. 11, and continued here for the season. George Jordan played "Hamlet" for the first time here Dec. 10,

with Burton as Polonius, Emily Thorne as Ophelia, and Mrs. Thorne as Gertrude. Harry Perry first appeared at this theatre Jan. 19, 1856, as Gossamer in "Laugh When You Can." He died in San Francisco, Cal., Jan. 22, 1862. His second and last wife was Marion Agnes Land Rookes, afterwards Mrs. J. B. Booth, and now the wife of John Schoeffel. Mr. Perry married this lady Feb. II, 1861, in San Francisco. A beautiful marble monument erected by this wife over his remains at Lone Mountain cemetery, San Francisco, bears the folowing inscription:

"This earth that bears the dead

Bears not alive so stout a gentleman."

Harry Perry was one of the finest light comedians of the stage, but an inordinate craving for strong drink ruined him.

J. H. McVicker, who had been in Europe, opened here Feb. 4 1856, as Sam Patch. He also played Peter Pomeroy in "Taking the Chances." Mr. McVicker was considered a clever Yankee comedian, and had purchased nearly all Dan Marble's best pieces, with which he had been starring. Going west, Mr. McVicker settled down in Chicago, and in the spring of 1857 erected a theatre in Madison Street, between Dearborn and West Streets. He was a good actor, a comedian of the purest and most acceptable type; he united unctuous humor with a gentle dignity that never forsook him, even in the broadest phases of his art. His Bottom, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream;" Dogberry, in "Much Ado About Nothing; " Peter Pomeroy, in "Taking the Chances;" Sam Patch; the grave-digger in "Hamlet," and many others, were excellent performances. He died in Chicago, Ill., March 7, 1896. "The Winter's Tale" was produced Feb. 13, cast thus:

Mrs. Charles Howard (now known as Mrs. Harry Watkins) appeared here Feb. 25, as Franchine in "Grist to the Mill," with Harry Perry, Bradley, Holmán, and Reynolds in the cast. "Urgent Private Affairs" was also acted for the first time in this country; Feb. 27, Mrs. C. Howard acted Letitia Hardy in "The Belle's Stratagem; March 10 "Helping Hands" was given. Also "Fortunio and His Seven Gifted Servants." Mrs. C. Howard was the Fortunio, H. Jordan the Emperor, Setchell, Gourmand and Mrs. E. Thorne the Fairy Favorable. J. H. McVicker made his last appear

ance here March 25. "Ganem, the Slave of Love," was first acted here March 27. Julia Mills made her début here as Fetnah. "The Queen of Spades, or the Gambler's Secret," by Boucicault, was first played April 4. Mrs. C. Howard took a benefit April 15, and acted the principal character in "A Scene in the Life of an Unprotected Female," and sang" Maid, Wife, and Widow," also "To-Day I'm Sixty-Two;" April 16, was the first night of the comedy "'T is Ill Playing With Edged Tools;" April 28 " The Evil Genius" was presented for the first time in America. May 1 Burton began a new season, with the following new faces: Julia Bennett Barrow, Nellie Knowles, and Lionel Goldsmidt. Mrs. Hough was also added to the company. "The Serious Family" was the initial performance. Lionel Goldsmidt's first appearance was May 5, acting Bill Downey in "The Unfinished Gentleman." He sang his eccentric song, "Bartlemy Fair," introducing many ludicrous imi-. tations. "David Copperfield" was revived May 12:

"Catching an

This was Chas. Howard's first appearance here. Heiress" was the farce, with Mrs. C. Howard and Lionel Goldsmidt in the cast.

Agnes Robertson began an engagement May 19, in "Andy Blake," "Jenny Lind," and "The Young Actress. May 20, Dion Boucicault made his first appearance at this theatre, as Sir Charles Coldstream in "Used Up." J. Lewis Baker first appeared here May 23, as Plumper in "Cool as a Cucumber." "Violet, or the Life of an Actress" had its first performance May 24, for the benefit of Agnes Robertson. The season closed June 7, with a benefit to Mrs. Howard. A summer season began June 23, with "The Merchant of Venice:"

William M. Fleming was the manager during this summer term. He took the house for the purpose of introducing his wife (Emily Chippendale) to the New York public. Fleming's reign was a brief one, and the house was closed and continued dark until Sept. 6, 1856, when it was reopened for a farewell performance of William E. Burton, preparatory to his going to his new theatre, Broadway, opposite Bond Street, afterwards the Winter Garden. gramme was "The Serious Family," with this cast:

The pro

The house was reopened for one night, Nov. 13, for the benefit of Ada Clifton. During his lesseeship of this house Burton produced several of Shakespeare's plays, and placed them on the stage with a degree of attention to detail and a perfection of ensemble which have never been surpassed in this country. "The Serious Family" took the town by storm. Burton was the original Aminidab Sleek in this country, and played it altogether over six hundred times. Dan Setchell was a great favorite for several seasons. William M. Demilt was a well-known character. He was the stage carpenter, and at the time of his death, June 17, 1875, was the oldest stage carpenter in this city. He was born in Albany, N. Y., in 1814.

As an actor William E. Burton deserves to be remembered as one of the funniest comedians connected with the American stage. Till the time of his last illness - heart disease - his facial power was greater than that of any performer I ever saw. His Aminidab Sleek and his Toodles were as much creations of his as of the men who wrote the plays in which they appear. His repertory was extensive, and he never spared labor upon anything he took in hand. One fault of his must not be omitted a fault too general with low comedians at that time. He had the habit of giving too much breadth - in fact of throwing unnecessary coarseness into some of his impersonations. As a manager, Mr. Burton was a very hard-working man, very exacting of other people's labor, very liberal of his own. Generally his company remained with him all the time he was in Chambers Street. If his temper was warm, his good nature was great. He died in this city, Feb. 7, 1860, aged fifty-eight years. The value of his property in Hudson Street was estimated at $30,000. His estate at Glen Cove was worth $140,000. The theatre in Chambers Street, then rented for the Federal Court at $16,000 per annum, was held at a valuation of $215,000.

In 1834 Burton left England for America, leaving his wife behind him. Aug. 20, 1834, Mrs. Burton took a benefit at the Royal Pavilion Theatre, London, Eng. W. E. Burton was married to her April 10, 1823, and lived with her until July 19, 1834,

when he left London to play a star engagement in Liverpool for one month, as was supposed; but instead of going there, he was married to Caroline Glessing, of London, July 18, 1834.

Edward Eddy leased this house and opened it Sept. 15, 1856, as "The American Theatre." He continued until Jan. 3, 1857, when his management ceased. "Wild Oats" was played Oct. 21, with E. L. Davenport as Rover, Burton as George Thunder, Charles Fisher as John Dorey, Mark Smith as Ephraim Smooth, and Thomas Placide as Sim. Mrs. McMahon, an amateur, who had made an appearance at the Academy of Music Jan. 17, 1857, rented the house for four weeks, and opened Jan. 19, in "Romeo and Juliet," with the following company: Mrs. Coleman Pope, Mme. de Mello, William H. Hamblin, Charles Foster, Lionel Goldsmidt, Louis Mestayer, Frank Rea, Harry Russell, Lawrence P. Barrett, and R. C. France, stage manager. On Jan. 20, 21 "The Hunchback" was given with Mrs. McMahon as Julia, and L. P. Barrett as Sir Thomas Clifford. This was Mr. Barrett's first appearance in New York; Jan. 22, 23 and Feb. 5-10 "Fazio," L. P. Barrett in the title rôle, Mrs. McMahon as Bianca; Jan. 24-26, "The Stranger, Barrett as the Stranger, the star as Mrs. Haller; Jan. 27, "Ingomar," Barrett as the Barbarian, Mrs. McMahon as Parthenia; Jan. 29-30, "The Lady of Lyons;" Jan. 31 Mrs. McMahon acted Portia. in the trial scene from "The Merchant of Venice," followed by a dance by Anna Kruger, "Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady," and "Who Speaks First?"; Feb. 2, 3, 4, "The Provoked Husband," Mrs. McMahon as Lady Townly, Barrett as Lord Townly; Feb. 6, "The Hunchback," and for the first time in New York, "The French Refugee;" Feb. 9, "Romeo and Juliet," Mrs. Coleman Pope as Romeo, Mrs. McMahon as Juliet; Feb. 11, "The School for Scandal;" Feb. 13 Mrs. Coleman Pope acted Camille with Barrett as Armand. Mrs. McMahon closed Feb. 14 with "The Hunchback." Mr. France, the stage manager, retired from the profession in 1867.

Harry Watkins and E. L. Davenport were the next lessees opening Feb. 23, 1857. They called the house "The American." The company consisted of Kate Saxon, Mrs. E. L. Davenport, Fanny Denham (now Mrs. W. A. Rouse), Miss Melissa, Mrs. J. C. Frost, Mrs. Marcus Elmore, Emma Hall, Charles Foster, William Hamblin, Harry Watkins, France, A. Fitzgerald, Jas. Connor (afterwards a dramatic agent), M. B. Pike, Brown, and William Orr. The entertainment was an allegorical tableau, Mrs. E. L. Davenport as the Goddess of Liberty. She recited Drake's "American Flag, and sang "The Star Spangled Banner." On this occasion Fanny Davenport went on as a child and sang in the chorus. This was the first time Miss Davenport ever appeared before the footlights. The French dancers, Ernestine and Annie Henrade, executed at