Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1903 — OUR GUS IS GREAT. [ARTICLE]

OUR GUS IS GREAT.

Rensselaer’* Famous Actor Has A Big Time In Brooklyn. The Spooner Stock Company, of which Augustus Phillips, of Rensselaer, and the most successful actor Northwest Indian a ever produced, is the leading man, celebrated their thousandth performance at Brooklyn, N. Y., a few nights ago. A sample of the silk souvenir pregram was sent to his father Simon Phillips, together with a dipping from a Brooklyn newspaper. That people of Rens selaer and Jasper county may know how *'Our Gue” stands in the theatrical world in Brooklyn, we reproduce the newspaper clipping, herewith:

CELEBRATION AT THE BIJOU. Spooner Company Had Its Thousandth Performance Yesterday Afternoon. Yesterday afternoon’s performance of “Mam’zell?” at>he Bijou Theatre was the I,oooth givenr in Brooklyn by the Spooner Stock Company, the event was celebrated in truly Spooner fashion. The event had been announced ahead, as well as the fact that there would be souvenirs distributed, and this served as an additional drawing card, which resulted in an audienoa which packed the theatre to the roof. The souvenir was a programme printed on. white silk, and in spite of the fact that 2,000 of them had been prepared the supply fell short of the demand. The event of the performance, however, came after the second act. A moment after the curtain had* fallen it was raised again and Mrs. Spooner stepped on stage. She was greeted with tremendous applause. When this had subsided she thanked her friends for their kindness and announced the fact that one thousand times had the curtain been raised on a Spooner shew in Brooklyn, and not once to a poor house. We have all worked hard for success,” she said “but none have worked harder than one I have in mind. Of the thousand performances he has not missed one, and I wish to take this opportunity of thanking him publicly for his faithful and conscientious service. I refer to our leading man, Mr. Phillips.” At this point Mr. Phillips was thrust onto the stage, where be was so taken aback by the suddenness of it all that he could but bow his acknowledgment as Miss Edna May Spooner, who had followed him on, passed him an immense bouquet in the colors of the Elks, of which order Mr. Phillips is a prominent member, Miss Cecil Spooner entered with a handsome loving cup, which she handed to Mrs. Spooner, and this she also presented to Mr. Phillips, with the request that it be taken as a slight token of the appreciation and esteem they felt for him. When the applause bad died down Mr. Phillips acknowledged the gift in a short speech. “The work has been hard,” he said, “but the friendship, good fellowship and appreciation which has been shown me by my friends has always been a spur. I have been married—on the times. I have been killed often and have escaped time without number, but I am still alive, and I hope to be with you, when we can celebrate our second thousandth performance in this city, which has become my home.”