AUTHORS' CARNIVAL, 1880, PRESIDENT HAYES AND GENERAL SHERMAN PRESENT
HE GRAND Authors' Carnival given for the Associated Charities of San Francisco, October 18 to October 28, 1880, can well be classed as the crowning effort of anything attempted upon so large a scale. If there are still living in San Francisco auditors of the wonderful performance given by the 2000 participants who were enlisted in the great work they will corroborate my statement. The wealthy women who managed these homes financially, were also the officers of them and had called for aid. It was so beautiful to see the spirit of these people in completing the arrangements for this carnival. Meetings were held weekly until their plans had matured and it was agreed unanimously that the Booths of All Nations should be featured with the principal works of the world's greatest writers. Charles Crocker was chosen as treasurer. The books were selected and the booths received their names from the author of the books. The book that fell to our lot of actors was Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles Dickens. At first our committee was inclined to refuse to act these queer characters, but we had given our word to help and we could not go back on that. I asked Mrs. Grove to let me take the book to see what could be done at this late hour. All the other booths had begun their rehearsals. It was fortunate for me that I had traveled much and seen so many odd characters. As I read carefully I was convinced we could excel in this very book. I went to the library and got a Dickens book illustrated by Cruikshank. We called a meeting and found we needed thirty-two persons. At this meeting I showed the possibilities of these seemingly ugly characters. Parts were assigned and arrangements made for rehearsals.
The women of the general committee on booths were more than exultant to think we were willing to take this rejected book. We were determined to succeed. Our costumes were the art of perfection and we were a motley crowd of characters from Sairy Gamp to Quilp, from the Pecksniffs to Mark Tapley. Besides studying the proper characters we were obliged to have a series of tableaux to represent the different episodes in the lives of these people. Our book called for thirteen tableaux:
1. The Chuzzlewit Family
2. Martin Jr. arrives at the Pecksniffs
3. Visiting Miss Pinch
4. Todgers Boarding House
5. Truth prevails and Virtue triumphs
6. Jonas entertains his cousins
7. Sairy Gamp (the nurse)
8. Sairy Gamp's corpse
9. There is nothing he don't know
10. Miss Pinch's pudding
11. Sairy Gamp proposes a toast
12. Pecksniff rebuked by Martin, Senior
13. The wedding scene
Characters for the booth were as follows:
| Martin Chuzzlewit Sr. | Walter H. Smith |
| Martin Chuzzlewit Jr. | D.M. Van Vliet |
| Anthony Chuzzlewit | Scott Elder |
| Jonas Chuzzlewit | Geo. L. Underhill |
| George Chuzzlewit | Percival J. Keeler |
| Strong minded woman | Lucy A.M. Grove |
| Daughter No. 1 | Miss Mary L. Brown |
| Daughter No. 2 | Mrs. J. Byles |
| Daughter No. 3 | Miss Lizzie Duncan |
| Mary Graham | Mrs. Scott Elder |
| Pecksniff | H.G. Sturtevant |
| Charity Pecksniff | Mrs. M.B. Alverson |
| Mercy Pecksniff | Alice Van Winkle |
| Mrs. Todgers | Mrs. M.S. Williams |
| Deaf Cousin | Mrs. C.C. Burr |
| Sairy Gamp | Mrs. John Evans |
| Betsy Prigg | Mrs. G.B. Holt |
| Mr. Spottletoe | John Evans |
| Mrs. Spottletoe | Mrs. William Hawley |
| Tom Pinch | Miss Ruby Hawley |
| Mrs. Lupin | Miss Addie McIntyre |
| Miss Pinch's pupil | Miss Eva Reynolds |
| Mark Tapley | Frank Harrold |
| Montague Tigg | J.D. Brown |
| Chevy Slime | S.T. Maguire |
| Jinkins | C.W. Sturtavent |
| John Westlock | A.F. Price |
| Chuffy | Wm. A. Underhill |
| Bailey | Geo. A. Mullen |
| Grand Nephew | Wm. Romaine |
| Moadle | Geo. L. Underhill |
| Mould | Wm. A. Underhill |
We worked hard for days perfecting our parts. Our first rehearsal was a forerunner of our complete success. The critics were present at the dress rehearsal and this is what appeared in the Carnival column of the San Francisco "Chronicle" next day. "H.G. Sturtevant, assisted by Mrs. Lucy Grove and Mrs. Blake-Alverson, is conducting the scenes from Martin Chuzzlewit. Their full dress rehearsal was held last night at 203 Post street. Tigg and Mark Tapley, the youthful Bailey, Charity with upturned nose, the sanctimonious Mercy and her Pecksniffian airs were all made up to perfection. The demure Ruth buttered her pudding-pan and talked to gentle Tom as a genuine Miss Pinch should. Jonas played his ace of hearts to the entertainment alike of himself and friends. Sairy Gamp and the stolid Betsy drank tea and quarreled with equal industry. The list of thirteen acts and tableaux to be presented in this booth will illustrate every important episode in the history of the Chuzzlewits from the arrival of Martin Junior at Pecksniff's cottage to the period of the latter gentleman's rebuke and downfall. The series will close with Charity Pecksniff's wedding, Mrs. Blake-Alverson as Charity."
It would require too much space to present the criticisms of each character of our booth as they appeared in the papers daily. It is enough to say that after the carnival was over the committee of the carnival in thanking us for our valuable services said that had there been prizes given, the Pecksniffs should have received the first prize. Each night as the procession started it began with our booth and as we passed each booth they would join in the motley crowd of characters until all the booths were in the procession. As we appeared the people of the different booths would cry out, "Here they come, here comes Charity Pecksniff," forgetting their own parts when they saw the funny Pecksniffs leading off the procession. One evening a man in the audience made a wager that he would make Charity Pecksniff lower her elevated and scornful nose. As she passed he said: "There is a twenty dollar gold piece at your feet, pick it up," but she refused to betray her character and the ruse did not succeed.
One of the features of the carnival was the procession of each booth to the center of the immense stage where the spot-light was turned on. It was a most admirable detail. It looked like a long caravan of the past sweeping onward through the vivid light of the present. The intense light revealed the endless variety and marvellous beauty of the costumes. It was understood that the same pageant would be repeated each night so the people came early to witness the procession of this immense number of participants winding slowly along until they reached the stage. When the Pecksniffs arrived on the stage a shout rent the air each night and we were obliged to remain in the spot light until the cheering had subsided. It was ten days of notoriety wholly unexpected by the Pecksniffs. We were only carrying out our idea of these characters and had become the chief attraction of the motley procession. While some of the characters had individual pictures of themselves taken, there should have been large groups photographed as a permanent reminder of the carnival. It would take volumes to describe the separate costumes of these well represented characters. There was but one incident which marred the happiness of the revelers in the booths, the death of Mr. Biddle Bishop, the Don Antonio of the Cervantes booth, who was drowned in the Alameda baths. By his affable manners and intelligence he had endeared himself to all of his associates who felt as though they were themselves bereaved. Out of respect to his sudden death the Cervantes booth was closed for one night. He was also one of the young deacons of Calvary Church and was a well beloved pupil of mine with a fine baritone voice which was fast developing and he would have been classed among the singers of his time. I know of no one more worthy to meet his Maker for he was an exemplary young man, full of Christian love and charity toward all. The funeral services were held in Calvary Church, Rev. John Hemphill, the pastor, spoke eloquently of his late parishioner. The music was rendered by a female trio club composed of Miss Susie Sroufe, soprano; Miss Dolly Sroufe, second soprano; Mrs. Blake-Alverson, contralto, and Professor Scott, organist. His body was sent to his home in Philadelphia for burial.
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In looking over the list of those who took part in the Authors' Carnival only five of the number who made up the Chuzzlewit booth are living, to my knowledge. The Dickens books booths were larger than the other books. The tableaux required room to give the proper effect. The carnival opened Monday evening, September 20, 1880, at 8 p.m. The programme follows:
Grand March. Marshals, Messrs. Joe P. Redding, Lent Mix, Capt. Chamberlain, Geo. H. Redding, Frank Horton, Mr. Putman, Jas. W. Burling, R. Gilmour, Chas. H. Woods, Col. Smedberg, W.E. Dean, C.E. Hinkley, Max Freeman. 2,000 participants. During the march the Grand Military band under the direction of Mr. Gustav Hinrichs played:
1. Marches aux Flambeaux, (a) in C major; (b) in E flat major (Meyerbeer).
2. The Nation's Homage to the Muse of Music. (By the Musical Composers booth.)
3. Overture—The Merry Wives of Windsor.
4. The Fan Brigade. Twenty-five young ladies.
5. Crowning of Corinne at the Capitol. (By the French booth.)
6. Carnival Guard.
7. Selections from Fledermaus (Strauss).
8. Council of the Gods. (By the Homer booth.)
9. Finale. Overture from Le Cheval de Bronze. (Auber.)
SECOND NIGHT, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
After the Grand March each night these tableaux were performed and between them were selections of music suitable for the tableaux at the different booths. Spanish booth, Homer booth, the Egyptian booth.
THIRD NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Mrs. Jarley's waxworks. Dickens' booth with twenty-eight wax figures. Classic funeral, Lytton booth; Fan Brigade, twenty-five young ladies. The Abbott Assolizes, Robert Bruce. Walter Scott booth.
FOURTH NIGHT, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
(a) Venus rising from the sea.
(b) Council of the Gods, Homer booth. Egypt's gift to America, Egyptian booth. Concepcion de Arguello. Banquet scene. Bret Harte booth.
FIFTH NIGHT, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
The second flight of La Valliere. The concert scene. The French booth.
SIXTH NIGHT, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Home Sweet Home. Scenes from the Homer booth, French, Egyptian, Walter Scott and the Lytton booths.
It is a well-known fact that a crowded house always produces enthusiasm among the actors. This proved to be true on the opening night of this tremendous undertaking carried out for ten nights. The executive committee left nothing undone to make the old pavilion attractive. There were international gardens and archery and fan brigades, restaurant and refreshment department, Italian art gallery and gardens, loan collections, and camp of the carnival guard. The grand stage and the carnival bridge with the Shakespeare booth were the largest divisions on the main and upper floors. Among the booths were the following: Dickens' booth, pictures from artists and poets' booth, musical composers' booth, Shakespeare booth, Hawthorne booth, Arabian Nights' booth, Lord Lytton booth, Bret Harte booth, Charles Reade booth, Tintern Abbey booth, Jacob Grimm booth, French booth, Cervantes' booth, Egyptian booth, bon bon booth, floral booth, executive committee booth.
The fine music of the carnival was under the direction of the competent leadership of Mr. Gustav Hinrichs, who, with his splendid military band, gave pleasure to thousands of spectators and inspiration to the able participants, quickening their steps and urging them on each night to even better work. The executive committee spared no pains to make every part attractive to the public. Every convenience of the spectators was promptly attended to. New attractions were added from day to day, and rarely has there been an entertainment given which offered so much genuine amusement for the price of admission. The grand march was one of the most beautiful spectacles ever seen. The rose-colored lights thrown on the French booth, the blue on the Homer, the green on the Lytton produced a most marvelous effect. On the grand stage four booths participated, the members of each having the advantage of thoroughly rehearsing their tableaux in their own booths before appearing. The result was a splendid triumph for them all. "The Child's Dream of Fairyland," by the Jacob Grimm booth, was a delicately conceived tableau. The quick changing of the beautiful representation of "Peg Woffington," which might properly be termed a pantomimic representation of a drama, was efficiently executed, the characters all entering into the spirit, to the delight of the interested spectators. The Alhambra booth, with its wilderness of eastern magnificence, presented "The Lovers of Abdallah." "The Minuet de la Coeur" was danced nightly by the French booth. The Carnival Guard, with their bright dresses, was one of the nightly attractions. The Egyptian and Arabian Nights' booth presented a scene from the "Forty Thieves." The closing tableau by the Lord Lytton booth was a grand success and represented scenes from Bulwer's "Rienzi." The groupings and arrangement of the various scenes were exceptionally fine and reflected great credit upon the managers. After the grand spectacle on the main stage, the different tableaux were enacted in the separate booths to which the immense crowds gathered. The Dickens booth, one of the largest, because of the many characters, was a great attraction. From the "Pecksniffs" to the "Old Curiosity Shop," grotesque scenes were many. There was the one in which grandfather and little Nell were the prominent figures, Nell trying to comfort him in their poverty. Quilp enters and perches himself on a high chair, leering at them. Quilp hops in at Mrs. Quilp's tea party, she supposing herself free to entertain a few friends at the time. Next in order was the meeting of Kit and Barbara; Kit's trial scene; Sally Brass and the Marchioness discovered eavesdropping by Dick Swiveller, and her punishment. Later the Marchioness and Dick at card-playing, followed by Miss Montflather's seminary, and the whole concluded with the panic of twenty-five young ladies.
The Scottish clubs of the Caledonian booth regaled their listeners with quaint dancing of reels and strathspeys. The Walter Scott booth, with bagpipe accompaniment, was an acquisition to the various representations. The rustic harbor in the Italian booth was complete and a pleasant retreat. The music and tableaux in this booth were worthy of the immense audience which crowded the space each night. The Italian poets and authors were represented here and it was not at all unusual for Dante, Michael Angelo, Petrarch and Boccaccio to hobnob over a glass of lemonade with a sprightly fairy from the Jacob Grimm booth or some other personage diametrically opposite in legend and dress. The matinees during the week were prepared in many ways for the amusement of the school children. One special tableau from the Egyptian booth was the finding of Moses in the bulrushes. Moses was played by a beautiful baby a few weeks old, and the young people were ever ready to crowd the pavilion to behold this tableau. There were many quaint curiosities exhibited in the Old Curiosity Shop, loaned by the owners. It took much of my time to borrow and arrange the articles that were from 100 to 200 years old and very rare heirlooms. My aim was to make the shop as perfect a counterpart of the original as was possible. The gladiatorial sports, enacted by the 100 picked men of the Olympic club of San Francisco, was a nightly attraction which brought out much cheering.
During the carnival week the Dickens booth had several large groupings and tableaux that created a storm of hilarity and amusement. Mrs. Jarley and her famous waxworks, Mrs. Jarley, Mrs. Hodgkins herself, was a sight that would move the latent risibilities of the most morose Iago. It would be impossible for me to give the harangue of that queer old lady, the unction, the comical postures would be lost on paper. She was "sui generis" and must be seen to be appreciated. Her wax figures were original and pertinent hits on the live issues of the day. Dr. Tanner created much applause; the new charter 13-15-14 and a dozen other topics kept the immense audience in a roar from beginning to end of her harangue and only subsided at the drop of the curtain. It would take too many chapters to tell of each actor and the nightly performances. The managers of the booths were wide awake men and women and the participants vied with each other, especially when their night came to be prominently grouped on the main stage. Then it was that all the artistic skill was brought out.
There were distinguished visitors at the opening of this great carnival. No less a person than President Hayes and wife and party with General Sherman had prominent places in the private boxes. Mr. Hallidie and Manager Locks escorted the general and his party to the booth in the Tintern Abbey where they partook of refreshments. In the company were Mr. Burchard Hayes, representatives of the New York Herald and Bulletin, the California Democrat and the Carnival Record. The women in the company were the Misses Hayes, Elliott, Raymond and Miss Nellie Smedberry. They had the highest praise for the carnival. Mrs. Hayes said that it was far better than anything she had ever seen in the East; that it far eclipsed her anticipation and that it was sweet to see so many men and women and children busying themselves for charity's sake. At the Floral Temple the guests were presented with floral offerings. They closed their visit with partaking of tea in the International Tea garden presided over by Mrs. Dr. Wanzer and waited upon by Mrs. Phoebe I. Davis in a becoming Welsh costume. Before going, General Sherman sent an orderly to Camp Sherman, the headquarters of the Carnival Guard, with his regards, and regrets that the stay was so short. The dignitaries of the state and city were prominent visitors during this season of merriment. Not an evening but some prominent visitors attended. Mr. Joseph Redding and his fellow workers, and Mr. Charles Crocker, the treasurer, had a busy time handling the receipts. The first two nights and afternoons the receipts were $20,820.20, and daily increasing. The undertaking was an unbounded success from the start. I do not remember the full amount but I know it came beyond the expectations of the management. Many unfortunate men and women and children were made happy and comfortable by the generosity of the people of San Francisco and other cities over the land who visited us there and enjoyed the grand spectacle and praised the ability of our people to inaugurate and successfully carry out such a laudable enterprise.
