The Shakespeare Tercentenary.
America claims Shakespeare as part of the great English-speaking race, and has ever shown her reverence for the memory of the great poet. Yet we may look in vain for any testimonial that gives evidence of this feeling.
The tercentenary of Shakespeare's birth naturally aroused enthusiasm here as well as in England. The erection of a statue in the Central Park was soon suggested, and Saturday, April 23d, witnessed the interesting event of laying the corner-stone of a monument to the memory of Shakespeare.
The Century Club, which initiated the movement, yielded the direction of the affair to Mr. Hackett, the well-known actor.
The weather lent its pleasantest countenance to the scene. The Park wore its heightened and gayest look, and was still more beautiful by the presence of charming women. We noticed, among others, Mrs. Fremont, Mrs. Judge Daly, Mrs. John Wook, Vining, Davenport, Miss Rose Eytinge. The male portion were represented by the Rev. Dr. Osgood, Father Hecker, Judge Daly, Bierstadr, the artist Launt Thompson, the sculptor, to whom romor points as likely to be selected to execute the statue, the Hon. Henry J. Raymond, C. B. Seymour and Nicholson, of the Press, Stoddard, the poet, Augustus Sala, the author, Managers Wheatley of Niblo's, Stuart, of Winter Garden, and Grover, of Chesnut street, Philadelphia, Messrs. W. H. Davidge, &c. In the evening benefits were given at Niblo's and Winter Garden for this object, Mr. Wheatley and Mr. Hackett playing Falstaff and Prince Hal in Henry IV." at the former, and Mr. Edwin Booth, Miss Jones and Mr. Edwin James playing Romeo and Juliet and Friar Laurence at the latter. The receipts at Niblo's were $1,230, and at the Winter Garden, $1,546, the largest amount ever received on one night at that house.
It is intended to organise similar benefits in every town throughout the country, and doubtless when the Committee becomes more enlarged, and widens a little more the sphere of its exertions, large private subscriptions will be obtained. No design for the statue has been yet conceived, but the sum to be raised is estimated at $30,000—the cost of the statue to Washington on Union Square. About $4,000 is already raised.
The site of the proposed statue is at the south end of the Park, one of the most attractive and delightful within the limits of the grounds. A space staked off and surrounded with ropes protects the excavation, in which rest an oblong block of granite, bearing the following inscription:
William Shakespeare,
April 23, 1864.
At 12 o'clock the ceremony commenced with a performance by the band, after which Mr. A. H. Green read the act of authorization. Judge Daly then delivered an appropriate address, and Mr. Hackett then laid the stone. This closing scene is sketched by our Artist. We trust that before many months it will be our pleasing task to present a view of the inauguration of the statue itself.
Residence and Sugar Mill
Of Ex-Governor Mouton.
As additional illustrations of the scenes of operations in Louisiana, we give two pleasing sketches of the residence and sugar mill of Ex-Gov Alexander Mouton, of Louisiana, the same we believe who, as the rebel Gen. Mouton was killed in the recent battle with Gen. Banks. His fine estates are situated on Vermilion Bayou, on a rich and highly productive tract, one of the richest sugar regions in the South.
A gentleman went with a friend to the Opera, and arrived before the doors were open. While waiting in the crowd standing behind his friend, he amused himself by picking the pocket of the latter, abstracting therefrom a handkerchief. Hardly had he done so when he was tapped on the shoulder, and on turning round he saw a gentlemanly-looking individual who handed him his own snuffbox, with a polite bow, observing that he never knowingly "operated on a brother professional, and was sorry that he had made such a mistake."
