while men were wondering how to decide, he convinced them of the simple truth expressed in the clearest and most concise phrases. Chief Justice Tilghman died on the twentieth day of April, 1827, and Judge Gibson was appointed his successor.

These few short sketches of some of the early Judges in this State ought to reflect the quality of the Bar, for if the Bench be strong the Bar should be of equal merit, for it is from the Bar that the Judges are chosen.

It was at this time that the Philadelphia lawyers made a reputation for themselves which still clings to their successors. In the first quarter of the

last century the names of William Lewis, Jared Ingersoll, William Rawle, Tilghman, Duponceau, Dallas, Hopkinson, Reed and Bradford stand forth pre-eminently as talented lawyers. They, indeed, would have been great in any age and under any conditions.

William Lewis was what we would call a self-made man and corresponds, perhaps more closely with the active practitioner of today than any of his contemporaries. He was a country boy, born in Chester county and had no early educational advantages. The story runs that upon one occasion he drove into town with a load of hay, but before returning to the farm, he took a stroll through the city, and in his wanderings stopped in one of the courts, located at that time. in the neighborhood of Second and Market streets. So interested did he become in the arguments of counsel and so impressed was he with the whole scene that he made up his mind to do everything in his power to reach the Bar. Without influence and without money, he applied himself to study and read every book that came within his reach. In the course of time he entered the office of Nicholas Waln-not only a distinguished lawyer of that day, but also an excellent preceptor. He served here as a clerk rather than as a student at law, for he received from Mr. Waln a stipend for his services, which enabled him to live in a frugal manner. Every moment of his time, however, that could be spared from his routine duties, he devoted to the acquisition. of a knowledge of the law. When he came to the Bar his success was immediate, for his ability was recognized not only by his brothers in the profession but also by the general public. He rose very rapidly and was soon one of the recognized leaders of the Bar. His powers of reasoning were of the highest order and, notwithstanding the disadvantages of his early years he acquired in time a use of the English language that was remarkable for its purity. Of

a logical and analytical mind, there was no question of law, no matter how abstruse or abstract, that he could not master. He was strong, too, not only at the Bar of the Court but before the jury. He was most fluent in speech and at times rose to real eloquence. His voice was somewhat harsh, but it was powerful and always well under control. His sarcasm was bitter and cutting, and he was not loath to use it if occasion required. Jared Ingersoll was, perhaps, taking all in all, the "facile princeps" of the Bar at that period. Not only was he learned in the law, but he had also a broad culture.

William Rawle, Edward Tilghman, Duponceau and Dallas were all men of a high class. When they attended the sessions of the Supreme Court in Washington, they hired a stage coach and enjoyed the journey to the Capital as a sort of vacation like boys let out of school. Reminiscences, anecdotes and jokes made the hours that otherwise would have been tedious, pass away rapidly and pleasantly, but how delightful and instructive must the conversation have been when they seriously discussed a question of law, of politics, of science or of literature.

It was truly a group of great men and upon one occasion when they entered the Supreme Court room in a body, Bushrod Washington was heard to say to his colleagues on the Bench, "This is my Bar." He had every reason to be proud of claiming relationship with so great a body of lawyers.

HILE Quaker influence predominated, the playhouse among certain classes of people, was looked upon as an abomination, as a very entrance to perdition; but as time wore on the theatre grew in popular favor. Washington, as we have already stated, during his residence in this city occasionally attended dramatic performances, but the scenes at times were so tumultuous that it is not surprising that reputable people hesitated to indulge in the pleasure of visiting the playhouse. The galleries often were crowded with a mob of hoodlums and these rowdies interrupted the lines of the actors, and hooted and jeered those players who did not meet with public favor. Vulgar and lewd remarks were made which would bring a blush to the cheek of modesty, while those who occupied the pit had showered upon their heads apple parings, cores, orange skins and nut shells; in fact men were compelled to wear their hats as a sort of protection from this storm of missiles. The occupants of the boxes, between the acts, indulged in smoking as well as in drinking. Women of the street frequently invaded the lobbies and made themselves conspicuous by their conduct and style of dress.

When Edwin Forrest, as a boy, made his first appearance on the stage at the Southwark Theatre, dressed as a girl, one of the gallery gods cried out, "Look at his legs and feet," which remark so angered the young actor that he dropped his lines, and turning in the direction whence the voice came, threatened, with clenched fists, "to lick" his interrupter "like h-1," when the play was over. It may be said, too, in this connection that, from all accounts, young Edwin was a husky lad, who was a tough fighter in a rough and tumble scrimmage. He was, however, without ceremony hustled from the stage and driven behind the scenes and it was thought that this incident would put an end to his dramatic ambitions.

The actors had their rivalries, and their partisans frequently indulged in cheering or hissing and hooting as the case might be. In fact, the disturbances. were so great at times that the play could not proceed. There were instances when the performances were interrupted by a free fight, and the only way to end the fracas was by extinguishing the lights. Often the gallery gods and the occupants of the boxes would assail each other and keep up a running fire of defiance and challenges.

When the Chestnut Street Theatre was erected public announcement was made, in order to induce the public to attend the performances, that "the greatest attention will be paid to the decorum of the theatre. Special officers of police are expressly engaged for the preservation of order and every violation

of propriety will be referred immediately to the Magistrate without the least respect to persons."

Notwithstanding these violent scenes, which were of frequent occurrence. a Philadelphia audience was considered the most critical in the country, and if a player made "a hit" in our theatres his reputation spread broadcast. The managers of the Chestnut Street Theatre kept their promise to preserve order and as time went on they fairly succeeded in their efforts, and gradually developed a taste for the highest phases of dramatic art.

Wignell was a son of an actor in the company of David Garrick, and he

gathered together under his management a company of well trained actors and actresses and did much to improve the dramatic taste of the people. He died in 1803, and his wife was afterwards associated with a man by the name of Reinagle, who had been in partnership with her husband. She subsequently married William Warren who was a great favorite in Philadelphia. She died in 1808, and Mr. Warren then formed a partnership with William Wood, and it was under the management of Warren and Wood that the theatre became an institution. The stock company formed by this management consisted of Joseph Jefferson, the elder, his sons, John Jefferson and Thomas Jefferson, John Darley, Mrs. John Darley, Mrs. William B. Wood, J. J. Wheatley, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wallack, Mrs. Oldmixon and some others of less distinction; a list of actors and actresses that added renown to the dramatic profession, and of whom our grandfathers never ceased to speak in enthusiastic praise.

A number of English actors from time to time visited this country, among whom was Thomas Apthorpe Cooper. He immediately rose in the estimation of the playgoers and was given in Philadelphia a most hearty reception at his every appearance.

In 1811, George Frederick Cooke arrived in this country. He was an English actor, who, if we are to judge from the accounts given of his talent, would have been famous in any age or on any stage. He opened his season here in the character of Richard the Third. The house was jammed from pit to dome, and his rendition of the character was received with shouts of approval, the audience rising in their seats and cheering him at the conclusion of the performance. At the time of the opening of the box office, a great crowd gathered before the theatre to purchase seats for the initial performance. The first appearance of Cooke was on a Monday night, but it was as early as Sunday evening that people began to gather about the doors of the theatre. The well-to-do people who were anxious to attend the performance secured the services of "porters," draymen, and persons of every hue to stand in the line. It was not a case, however, of first come first served but of the roughest and the strongest, and so great was the excitement of those who tried to get near the box office that coats were torn off and hats were lost in the scrimmage. "The crowd blocked up Chestnut and Sixth street corners," says an eye-witness, "even to the Court House and old Mr. Duponceau's dwelling. It was prodigious." A certain doctor, in order to get a place close to the window, resorted to the nasty trick of throwing snuff into the faces of the crowd. His first attempt was successful, for the people gave way on all sides, but when he made another attempt to do the same thing, he was seized by some infuriated men and roughly handled. When the theatre opened on Monday night the crowd was so great about the doors, waiting to catch a glimpse of the famous actor, that the box holders could hardly find their way into the house.

George Frederick Cooke met with so successful a tour in this country that he was followed in 1819 by William Wallack and subsequently by Junius Brutus Booth, Edmund Keen, William C. Macready, Charles Matthews, Tyrone Power and the Kembles. There was no actor of note that came to this country in those days that was not introduced to a Philadelphia audience by Warren and Wood. The prices paid for admission were one dollar in the boxes, seventy-five cents in the pit, and fifty cents in the gallery. On cold nights there was always a very slim audience present because there was no arrangement for the heating of the building, and the people could not carry to the theatres, as they did to the churches, the well known warming pans or foot

stoves.

In the spring of 1820, the Chestnut Street Theatre was burned down and Warren and Wood lost all they possessed, the earnings of twenty years. They at once, however, leased the new theatre at Ninth and Walnut streets which originally had been erected for use as a circus, but after some alterations, it was made suitable for dramatic performances.

At this time in Philadelphia there was published a journal called "The Mirror of Taste and Dramatic Censor." It was published by the Bradfords and edited by Stephen Cullen Carpenter, an Englishman who had a keen ap