HOW JEFFERSON MET THE STRAIN

To his life out of doors, his care in "deep breathing," and his frequent fishing trips, the late Joseph Jefferson attributed his ability to keep pace with the strain that acting imposed upon him in his later years before the public. One of his favorite remarks to his theatrical friends was: "If an actor wants to have his innings on the stage he must look out for his outings."

Almost all of the leading performers of to-day have schedules of daily outdoor exercise mapped out to which they adhere closely, even during the height of the winter theatrical season. William Gillette, to overcome his chronic nervousness, walks five miles every afternoon. On matinee days he indulges in his walk after a late breakfast. Miss Frances Starr and Miss Blanche Bates take daily horseback rides. John Drew plays "squash"; James K. Hackett, who possessed considerable lacrosse prowess while at college, pulls weights in a gymnasium; Robert Edeson, known in the profession as the "muscle mad" actor, drives an automobile at least

Miss Mabel Taliaferro trusts to yachting to keep up her health.

twenty miles a day; and E. H. Sothern spends an hour with the foils.

Frank McIntyre spends an hour and a

half daily in the Y. M. C. A. gymnasium; H. B. Warner boxes at the New York Athletic club and follows it up with a swim in the tank; Robert Mantell does "settingup exercises" out of doors for half an hour; and William Faversham has recently forsaken his bicycle for driving.

Miss Maude Adams rides a horse to keep herself in physical trim. Madame Alla Nazimova and Miss Julia Marlowe allow themselves two hours a day for play in the open air. Henry Miller personally looks after his farm, "Sky Meadows," near Stamford, Conn., whence he commutes to the theater four out of the six theater days when he is playing in New York. While on the road, he takes short jogs in the country. Miss Mabel Taliaferro, while playing in the East, spends much of her day time on her husband's yacht, and Miss Gertrude Coghlan alternates between long motor rides and golfing.

George M. Cohan, it is interesting to note, has composed a number of his lyrics while taking automobile rides to Manhattan Beach. Miss Louise Gunning rides cross country in New Rochelle. Miss Billie Burke spends every available minute.

in her touring automobile. Each one of the leading players, in fact, does something daily during the playing season to better his or her physical condition.

The summer season is devoted almost wholly to rest and recreation by the stage folk. Either Europe or the country districts of America attract the entire leading player contingent. Miss Ethel Barrymore plays tennis and croquet at the place of her uncle, John Drew, on Long Island. Walter Hale motors abroad. Dustin Farnum builds shacks on his farm at Sag Harbor. Walter Whiteside, who made a trip far North with the Canadian Mounted Police several years ago, does mountain climbing in Colorado. Miss Viola Allen, who owns a country place near Greenwich, Conn., spends a lot of her time rowing.

Photograph by Pach, N. Y. Maude Adams as she looks when in the Catskills.

during the early part of the summer mornings to keep himself "fit." Charles Richman golfs at Deal Beach, N. J. Douglas Fairbanks plays four sets of tennis every day during the rest season. John Mason enjovs boating. Edgar Selwyn swims at Atlantic City William Faversham and his wife, Julie Opp, spend their summers on their farm in England. William Gillette lives on a house-boat. Vincent Serrano goes to Sconset, Mass. Miss Rose Stahl plays tennis in the rural regions of New Jersey. Miss Dorothy Donnelly swims and rows at Allenhurst, N. J. Edmund Breese lives on a ranch and punches cows.

Kyrle Bellew spends his summers on his yacht, Moonstone. William Crane is also devoted to yachting during the warm season. Mrs. Fiske goes to the mountains. Miss Bertha Galland and Miss Annie Russell sail boats and swim. The latter is an adept at swimming. And so it is through the lengthy category.

EXAMPLES OF LONG-LIVED ACTORS AND ACTRESSES

Careful watch over their physical condition has permitted the exceptionally long stage careers of such performers as

Mrs. "Tom" Whiffen, Mrs. Annie Adams, Mrs. Annie Yeamans, Edward Harrigan, who made his first stage appearance in 1867, Denman Thompson, of "Old Homestead" fame, Eben Plympton and others. The remarkable vitality of the late Mrs. Gilbert is still remembered. Robert McWade is now celebrating his fifty-second year on the stage, having played at different times with Booth, Barrett, Lotta and Charlotte Cushman. Ida Vernon has been before the public for fifty years. In regard to Mrs. Yeamans, it is said that she remarked to a friend that her ability to still act and dance at her late age was due to the fact that she had adhered closely to "simple life" doctrines for the last twenty-five years.

The list of other performers well beyond the fifties and sixties of life who are still before the public and are still possessed of much of their vitality and strength might be augmented to a considerable length. And the list of these stage veterans is a strong argument against the too general opinion that performers do not "take care of themselves." Indeed, revelry prolonged till the small hours is practised by stage folk mostly in the popular imagination.