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113. T. West the equestrian had arrived from England at New York with his celebrated circur corps stage performrs and a splendid stud of different colored horses. Those animals were the first spotted horses that had been seen in this country. The equestrian performances were all of novel character and combined with horse spectacle pieces may be said to have been the first equestrian melo-dramas introduced in the Union. The riders were excellent. Master Yeamans was a very graceful performer on the single horse. Mr. Williams a different person from Williams of Pepin's company on the tigt rope was good ; and his brother Master Williams (afterwards a celebrated clown to the ring) was a fine slack rope vaulter. But the star of this company was Campbell the clown. He was extremely clever in that department. The novelty of the corps consisted in the great variety of its very neat performances in the circle and the beauty and symmetrical proportions of the stud. The hrses were all large full and half-blooded English horses and by far the handsomest animals that had been seen together in the union. The horses were named Platoff Dutchess Mare Alfred Fanny (a pie bald) Prince (a splendid cream-colored animal) Wellington the Second and many others of a large and beautiful English character. They had a very small pony called Black Billy only thirtyfive inches high. The sailors used to bring him on deck during the voyage to this country and he would play about with the crew like a dog. The "Nelson Horse" as he was denominated was a very savage and truly wicked animal. He was called the "Man Killer" upon account of his terrible propensities of biting kicking &c. He was so vicious that he would not let any person approach him except his groom and the latter was obliged to use the precautionary measure of speaking kindly at first thus by degrees he would gain his side and approach his trough. We will trouble our readers with rather a characteristic anecdote of the once celebrated Booth the tragedian. In one of his maniacal freaks at New York he got into the Broadway circus unknown to anybody and went through the stables and into Nelson's stall. He was unseen at first but one of the grooms espied him to his great surprise and fear clapping Nelson on his back
and patting him on the neck. He then said in one of his peculiar nasal tone of voice accompanied with one of his acute tragedy looks "This is my horse !" At this moment the ferocious animal (the hippo-type of beauty) looked around suddenly at the actor with an expression of wildness which is exactly pictured in the "Wild Horse of Tartary" so poetically described by Byron. But strange to relate the horse upon noticing Booth's expression was instantaneously seized with a trembling in every limb. The animal's fierce eye quailed before the steady gaze of the little tragedian's. The alarm was given and the grooms hastened to release Booth from what seemed to them a perilous situation with so vicious a horse. This circumstance we heard related by Mr. George Blythe on the evening of the day it happened he being then the equestrian manager.
Tommy Horse was a very fine performing animal used principally by young Yeamans who
was the principal rider. St. George was a milk white horse rode by Mrs. West as Zorilda.
West with his corps arrived in the ship Chancey Captain Doudell after a passage of forty-four days. On the voyage they were obliged to throw overboard several magnificent horses viz : Prince of Wales Napoleon Wellington the First and one or two others. The weather was rough and casualties occurred.
This corps first introduced here the exercise of still vaulting with the spring-board wherein Campbell used to execute many novel and amusing feats. This mode of throwing somersaults on the spring-board soon led to the twenty thirty forty fifty sixty seventy &c. somersaults which have from time to time been executed to the wonder and amazement of delighted crowded audiences. West being engaged by Pepin & Co. opened in this city on the 28th of November 1816 for a series of twelve nights. Beside the ring exercise "Donald and Patty" a Scotch ballet was performed. In addition to the members of the troupe already named there were Blackmore Parker Mrs. Jones Mrs. Williams and others. The great attraction of this new company was the very novel style of their horse pieces. They produced at the Olympic theatre on the 19th of December the melo-drama of "Timour the Tartar" and the manner with which they did their pantomime business their combats &c. took our audience by surprise. Ramparts were scaled by the horses breaches were dashed into and a great variety of new business was introudced. The horses were taught to imitate the agonies of death and they did so in a manner which was astonishing. In the last scene where Zorilda mounted on her splendid white charger ran up the stupendous cataract to the very height of the stage the feat really astounded the audience. Perhaps no event in our theatrical annals ever produced so intense an excitement as that last scene. The people in the pit and boxes arose with a simultaneous impulse to their feet and with canes hands and wild screams kept the house in one uproar of shouts for at least five minutes. The next day the success of the piece was the general topic of conversation.
This play had been previously acted at the Chesnut street theatre and also at the Olympic with good actors but with the characteristics only of a common bustling melo-drama.
As West's company played it the piece was quite a different thing. The manager's wife Mrs. West was a very clever actress in melodrama and of course she desired to appear as Zorilda which she made a very effectiv part for that kind of drama. But a dilemma here arose. They had brought no Timour from England in their company and all the actors here of any note were engaged in other theatres. A leading actor or even a useful one was not so easily found at that time although the Commonwealth system had exploded.
James West wanted a fiery Timour and one came pat to his hands in the person of Ferdinand Durang who was then about twenty years of age. He was a dancer in the Chesnut street theatre and was put on for small business or
anything that might suit the convenience of the management--as the motto of that theatre was "Once a private always a private." Young F. Durang was a rattlepated youth and it was thought that he could not be trusted with any part of importance.
About this period a difficulty occurred between Ferdinand Durang and the Chesnut street management about a forfeit imposed upon him by the stringent laws of the theatre. This discipline of that house was severe and inexorable in its administration. To keep "the stage waiting" or to omit any scene inflicted a penalty of five dollars or a week's salary at the discretion of the managers. Their rules were like the discipline of the Prussian army : a pure accident was as severely visited as a dereliction of--duty through negligence. F. Durang resisted the injustice of the forfeit as he said and there was really no appeal. Not satisfied with his situation at all he with his usual independence seceded from the company. Shortly afterward he met Andrew (Jackson) Allen who had made an engagement at the Olympic where he was employed with his wife (Miss La Combe that was) in acting and manufacturing stage costume. Allen told Ferdinand Durang that there was a difficulty at the Olympic in getting out "Timour the Tartar" in consequence of having no hero for the piece and West was desirous to bring forward that imposing spectacle. Allen and Durang went directly to the Walnut street house and on entering Pepin's office they found the managers in debate about the part of Timour and considering expediencies to overcome the difficulty. F. Durang applied instanter for a situation saying "I'll undertake the part if you will give me a few days to study it. I am familiar with it having played one of chiefs in it at the Chesnut street house." Before this time it had been acted there with Mr. Duff as Timour and Mrs. Entwisle as Zorilda.
West however said "You will have to fight several set combats with some of my company and to mount one of my fiery steeds a thing to which regular performers are not used to and you sir may not be able to do it."
"Well sir" replied Durang "I can study the words of the part--I am a pantomimist and a dancer ; I can jump over any thing of my own height with ease and leap ten feet at a standing jump on a level or tempt any other gymnastic feat you may be pleased to suggest."
This was said with Yankee confidence.
"Agreed" said West "I like your spirit young man and we'll try you my boy and give you as many rehearsals as may be necessary."
On the appointed evening Durang played the part to the astonishment of all both actors and audience. He did the talking the horsemanship the fighting and jumping portions with surprising excellece. Although behind the Chesnut street scenes the idea created a sneer and a smile when it was announced that Ferd. Durang as he was generally called was to personate the heroic tyrant Timour the public gave him due credit. We think this statement due to our relative.
James West and his company made a great