True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 136
244 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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1R U ETRUE STORIES OF OLD
insisting that it was his time to go on. He and the other actors
were having more work off the stage than were those on it. If
anyone ever found out what the plot of that play was I never
heard of it. It was said by some who had read it before its
murder, to have been very good, but it never had a fair chance
to display its merits. There is one thing sure, the audience
would not have had such a good time as they did if the captain
had remained sober.
Now I don't want anyone to form a false idea of Captain Bickley.
He was just exactly as I have pictured him-a real Bohemian,
and he would, if he could write about himself just as
I have written. He was really a remarkable man and a genius.
He wrote'the play I have mentioned in the foregoing, for a little
actress named Elsie Weston. She belonged to a stock company
here and had considerable talent both as a singer and
actress. Captain Bickley wrote several songs for her and finally
wrote a play for her. It was called the "Shadows of London"
or something like that. Elsie went to New York, got the play
put on by some manager and it met with instant success and
had a long and brilliant run. Elsie then went to Europe and
the play was successful over there. She made a fortune out of
it, but I don't think Captain Bickley ever received but one or
two short letters from her after she went North. I am sure he
never got a cent of money from her.
The most amazing thing about Bickley was, when, where and
how he found time to write anything at all. He was always on
the street, night and day, and apparently did nothing but enjoy
life. After midnight he was generally loaded and singing that
favorite song of his which was a sort of barometer telling his
condition.
I was talking to Dr. George McDonnell the other day and he
told me about a green policeman arresting Bickley one night.
The policeman, who was a new hand, saw Bickley staggering
along and "pinched" him. Bickley was indignant and tried to
explain. "I am Br-ujc-ly," he mumbled, "Br-uic-ly, don't you
know?"
"I don't care if you are a bricklayer," said the policeman, "you
are going with me," and he took him to the station where he
was at once released, of course, for he was as great a favorite
with the members of the "force" as he was with everybody else.
OLD PEG.
I SUSPECT that I have been rather more than half Bohemian
all my life without being conscious of it. In no other way
can I account for the fact that every tramp printer or telegraph
operator that has been in Texas during the past 20 or
30 years has gravitated toward me as naturally as if I were the
i object point of his search. I have known them all, and I confess
the wide acquaintance I ha
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Young, Samuel Oliver. True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young., book, 1913; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth24646/m1/136/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .