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316.
of the far-famed Lucy Long was given in cha-
racter by Mr. J. Livingston ; and a display of
moc-heroic anti-classic Ethiopian modern
breakdown statuary by Jim Sandford T.
Brower and La Count.

This was the way these early extravaganzas
were described. I think Ullman of the opera
is net much behind these Mount Airy descrip-
tions of superfluous soundings or elegant hum-
buggery.

April 12th was presented for the first time
"The Spirits of the Golden Mountain ; or The
King of the Mist." Foster in the production
of this spectacle threw his gage down to
all managements and challenged the world of
theatre to produce its equal in any respect.
This piece was one of the German monstrosities
but in scenery machinery and costumes it was
very effective. These pieces rendered plea-
sing through the medium of scenery music and
easy story book language freed from all vul-
garity of words or incidents may be made thus
entertaining to youth as well as instructive to
their intellects for it is certain that the young
must have amusements in the vacation of
their studies.

They played now a domestic drama of much
interest and that seemed to please called "The
Miser of Pittsburg"--Harworth (an Alleghany
farmer) Mr. Cartlitch ; Sergeant Alford (of the
Eighth Infantry) Mr. C. Foster ; Ella (daugh-
ter of Farmer Harworth) Mrs. Myers.

At this time Joseph Foster ground out from
his miraculous melo-dramatic mill a flaming
grand Eastern Indian spectacle called "Aswan-
medher ; or The Sacrifice of the Horse and the
Brahmin's Prophecy" in which Mons. Zavy-
stowski and Mad'lle Ludlam made their first
appearance at this theatre. To this piece the
usual immense descriptions were given of
scenery dresses &c. There was a cast of some
thirty persons ninety supernumeraries and
always "forty beautiful women !"

It was a marvel how this Mr. Foster could so
rapidly produce these hodge podge spectacles.
He had a cleverness and a ready tact in con-
verting old melo-dramas into new (original)
pieces always giving to them a popular na-
tional seasoning by introducing an American
tar or officer in some magnanimous action that
was sure to touch our national feelings to pa-
triotic enthusiaism. These dramatic appeals to
the masses of England have been practiced by
their writers for the last one hundred years--
ecce signum Charles Dibdin's songs. Perhaps
none ever obtained a wider influence for a time
than did this sailor song writer. He was a true
poet although unfortunately for his enduring
fame he wrote only for the popular taste. He
was the author of nine hundred songs and about
seventy musical pieces. He was engaged by
three theatres at once. And the British Govern-
ment efficially encouraged his productions as a
powerful stimulant to the patriotism of their
sailors the bulwark of their country's safety.
Foster had an able adjunct at his elbow in these
heterogeneous concoctions in old Mr. Amherst
long known as the director of Astley's Amphi-
thestre at London who came as a kind of a
literary director with Cook's company of eques-
trians to the United States in 1837. He was
the author of numerous successful pieces espe-
cially of the spectacular kind. He was a ripe
scholar an excellent linguist and was also an
actor of rather stilted style but ever agreeeeeeable
in gentlemanly characters. He once performed

Alexander the Great at Covent Garden in 1820.
The great Macready played Clytus on the same
evening. The language in all of Foster's bursts
of fire and smoke no doubt was that of Am-
herst's for which of course he got but little
credit on the bill of fares. Poor Amherst died
at the Blockley Alms-house West Philadelphia
in 1851 and was buried by that excellent in-
stitution the Actors' Order of Friendship the
funeral services being performed at E.S. Con-
mer's dwelling in Race street. The benefits of
this theatrical benevolent association are often
appropriately felt by the profession and it
should be encouraged by all.

Saturday April 28th was produced for the
first time a historical equestrian drama by
Foster and written by Henry H. Paul of our
city called "The Swamp Steed ; or Marion
and his Merry Men of 1776" written for and
presented as a mark of respect to C. Foster.
General Marion Mr. Richardson ; Sergeant
Fisk Mr. E. Chapman ; Colonel Moultrie Mr.
Bayley ; Bilk (a skinner) Mr. Hickman ; Ser-
geant Jasper Mr. Crocker ; Ezra (a Yankee)
Mr. J. Weaver ; Sergeant McDonald (a Scot
engaged in the American cause) Mr. Charles
Foster ; Captain Harvey (an English officer)
Mr. G. F. Browne ; corporal Mr. Wharton ;
Cudjo (a negro with General Marion) Mr. B.
Young ; Recruit Mr. Wainslay ; Johnson (a
renegade) Mr. Sutherland ; Crabtree (a Tory
tavern keeper ; his first appearance here this
season) Mr. E. Thompson ; Mary Mrs. Myers ;
Dolly Mrs. Borette ; Mrs. Moultrie Mrs. Foster.

This drama was filled with the principal his-
torical revolutionary events of the Southern
war. The incidents of Marion's campaigns and
his successful military stratagems are very in-
teresting and numerous to which perhaps
historians have not done full justice. Ser-
geants Jasper and McDonald were conspicuous
in deeds of individual valor. McDonald in
this piece was made quite the hero. In one
scene while mounted on his steed on a scout
he is caught in ambush and surrounded. He
put spurs to his horse and after running a zig-
zag gauntlet through files of Tories and Eng-
lish pickets with a desperate resolution rushes
at full gallop up a rugged perpendicular rock.
Like a chamois he ascended. Hey ! presto !
the scene changed. Being hotly pursued and
about to be cut off he again makes his escape
by a terrific descent. This was well managed.
The Dismal Swamp scene where Marion in-
vites the British officer to dinner was very
cleverly rendered and was truly a legitimate
representation. This scene of Marion and the
British officer dining on sweet potates cooked
in the ashes with its interesting dialogue al-
though a transcript from Colonel Peter Horry's
"Life of Marion" was well given and created
a lively interest on the part of the auditory
who listened many nights to its performance.

May 1st it was represented with increased
effect backed by the new Oriental drama of
"The Sacrifice of the Horse." One scene in
this horse piece bore a strong resemblance to
the recent passage of the over-flooded Shenan-
doah by our Union corps of cavalry swimming
over pell-mell in pursuit of the rebels. It was
really a novel dashing movement without a
parallel in military records.

May 5th "Aladdin ; or The Wonderful
Lamp" was produced with new and gorgeous
scenery dresses and appointments. It was the
Covent Garden piece. This night was for the
benefit of the Virginia Serenaders when they

sang and performed the old "Masquerade Ball
Burlesque" that was originally represented by
the Baltimore comedian James Wills as an
Irish doorkeeper but now converted into a
negro burlesque by James Sandford and hissable
corps he representing the Janitor as a black.
The plot was simply that all the visitors to the
masquerade ball were costumed in the charac-
ters of the various acting plays of the times as
"Damen and Pythias" "Richard III."
"Othello" "Macbeth" "Shylock" &c.

Monday May 7th was produced the domestic
drama of "Pat Lyon the Locksmith of Phila-
delphia" written by James Rees founded on
one of the most interesting events in our social
history--the mysterious robbery of the old Penn-
sylvania Bank in 1798. The false accusation and
trial of Patrick Lyon was a circumstance of
much interesting notoriety at the time and was
a transaction so extraordinary and personally
oppressive of the liberty of an ingenious and
honest fellow-citizen that Mr. Rees was im-
pelled to perpetuate the story in the form of a
drama which became quite popular. It was
represented originally at the Arch Street during
the management of Mr. Charles Porter in 1842.
Mr. John Wiser painted fac simile views of the
different localities where the various scenes oc-
curred in the plot. The subject accurately com-
posed from published and verbal authority.
In looking at Nagle's portrait of Lyons the
other day at the Academy of Fine Arts we
could not help recurring to the memories of the
past fifty years or more. Some fifty-four years
ago we were a classmate of Mr. Nagle at the
St. Mary's Academy ; but alas ! now in his
fifty-six year he is stricken with physical
paralysis and perambulates with difficulty ;
yet in all the freshness of his wonted intellec-
tual vigor and no doubt able to develop a head
with his ancient genius and breadth of masterly
coloring.

May 12th with "Pat Lyon" last time ano-
ther equestrian Germanic romance spectacle
was produced founded on the traditions of the
Hartz Mountains by J. Foster enttled "The
Black Rider ; or The Spirit of the Mountains."
"The American Alcides" Mr. F. A. Canfield
the strong man exhibited hs feats of strength
with "The Masquerade Ball" was performed
by the Virginia Serenaders who consisted of the
following persons : Messrs. J. R. Myers A. F.
Winnemore (their agent) J. Kavanagh E.
Deaves F. Solomon R. Edwards D. W. Sull
and Evan Horn the great sable buffo. This
band was not without merit in their kind. Their
singing after the manner of the "Tyrelese
Minstels" was quite clever. A solo by D.
W. Sull were very skillful performances &c.

About this time a new drama was produced
founded on Professor Ingraham's novel of
"Richard Hurdis" and written by a gentleman
of Philadelphia called "The Gamblers of the
Mississippi ; or The Outcast's Crazy Daugh-
ter." The hero Richard Hurdis was played
by Charles Foster. This was for the benefit of
"The American Atlas" F. A. Canfield who
lifted the enormous weight of 2576 pounds. The
feats of strength he exhibited seemed indeed
superhuman. Mrs. Myers now the heroine of
this company's tragic walks was Miss Euphe-
mia Murray of the old company of Warren &
Wood. She was born in Philadelphia where
she was celebrated for playing Tom Thumb with
great fire and spirit which her very pigmy
figure and truly precocious talent rendered still