MR. TOOLE AT THE ANTIPODES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8581, 1 June 1891, Page 6

MR. TOOLE AT THE ANTIPODES.

Full 'of health, youth, and vigour (writes the Paris correspondent- to the London Daily Telegraph), Mr. Toole has arrived here on his way from Australia to King William-street, and his numerous friends will rejoice to learn that he is physically in great form, and mentally in excellent spirits. He ha 3 seen the world to the best advantage ; rested beneficially - on his voyage out and home ; and, as a material result, has placed some thousands of pounds in the hands of his bankers. He is doing Paris with the zest and energy of a schoolboy on his holiday, and in a few. days will be once more in London. After the warmest of greetings, I told'him that wo were all interested in "his Antipodean experiences, and that I should like him to give me a panoramic view of all he had seen, and of all his impressions since he bade farewell to that enthusiastic body of his admirers gathered togetiher to do him honour, under' the presidency of the Solicitor-General at the Hotel Metropole. • ; With regard to the time spent in actual travelling, mainly aboard ship, Mr. Toole says: " Though a bad sailor up to now,\ having often been sea-sick on my way to Margate and liamsgate, and once even on the road to Gravesend, I had a great dread of going to America sixteen years ago ; but was singularly fortunate with.a wonderfully smooth passage there and back; but, as the heavy man in the old melodrama says, 'it is now sixteen years ago since that event took place ' So it was with some dread that I started on the long sea voyage to Australia. But being feebly acquainted with the Bay of Biscay through the delightful remembrances recalled by the singing of Mr. Sims Reeves, and not wishing those associations dispelled, I joined the ship at Brindisi. I had a perfectly smooth passage the whole way on the P. and 0. ship Britannia. I was so charmed with everything on board the vessel that had I not had an engagement at Melbourne I should almost have thought of taking the command —in fact, I ottered to do so, but tho officers and the captain raised what I call unreasonable objections. It was in vain that I tried to impress on them the fact of my having played with T." P. Cooke in various nautical dramas had given me sufficient experience in the craft. My everyday life was a delightful round of idleness and amusement. . Concerts, dances, fancy dress balls wore the order of tho day and of tho night, the cuisine of the . very best; and this I say frankly, without any idea of exaggerating tho praises of my friend, Sir Thomas Sutherland, or of claiming from him the privilege of an annual free pass to Greenwich and back. On the way out we stayed at Colombo for one day, and acted at ten o'clock in the morning in tho large, hall, to a crowded audience. I thought it due to my friends to introduce those strikingly new classic plays'lei on parlo Frangais,' and ' Tho Spitalfiolds Weaver,' and it is needless to say that, , being llOdog. in tho I shade, we.had a very warm reception. ; • " Arriving in * Melbourne, we had ' tho honour of a special tug to receive us, on boai'd of which were most of the dignitaries of the town, and shortly after the day of our landing-1 was entertained on different occasions by Lord Hopetoun, the (.'ovcrnor, by the. Mayor and all tho principal officials, and was made an honorary member of all

the clubs in the : city. Melbourne, as - a % city, I think, perfectly remarkable. Ib Conveyed to ine in a far greater degree than * Sydney an impression of' an American character. The trams are, most extraordi-; i nary, the people of a hospitable and kindly nature, and during the nine weeks that I spent there I enjoyed a series of, fetes, picnics, and a really triumphant reception. The same privileges and the same experience I enjoyed in all the other places I visited. At Sydney, that most popular "of Governors," Lord Carrington, extended to me : the greatest kindness, and •my ' friends declared that it . was difficult to decide who * gob the warmest reception, the Governor in the front of the footlights or the other Governor bphind the footlights but I believe . firmly that Lord Carrington had the best of it. "Of course, I need riot tell you all about Sydney ; Harbour, or the marvellous -wealth of flowers, or the busy aspect of this remarkable city. 4 These facts are known to everybody, and if they are not everybody hud better go and make himself' acquainted with it. • After Sydney, where I played five weeks, my engagements at Brisbane and Adelaide 1 were all signalised by the same enthusiasm and popular favour. H Naturally, at ■; Wagga j.Wagga,"-1 inquired after the Claimant, and was 1 not surprised to learn that for the moment he was missing. ' / "I then went to.New Zealand, where I played for three months in the different towns. At Dunedin I was received by. Lord Onslow, who has already established himself- in the hearts of the people, and who entertained me at Wellington at a banquet, at which were all the chief citizens. At a town called r Wanganui I fraternised with the Maori chiefs, to whom I was taken by the German Consul, Mr. Krull, and a large. Cat ty. As a harmless practical joke, someody had spread about the report that the Governor was on the point of arriving, and, with the utmost humility, I may mention, in stage ' whisper, ■■ that I was honoured musically with the usual Royal reception, and that, it was only when I sang the most pointed verse of ' A Norrible Tale' that my, true professional acquirements as a leading tenor, and my real personality was "discovered. The customary , war dance was executed in .my honour, ; and I have some idea of reproducing its principal features in a popular form later on. I went on various expeditions in search of game and curiosities, arid acquired various trophies of a startling character, which will shortly be exhibited in my box-office in King Williamstreet - to those . who • book for the stalls, dress-circle, and private boxes. The hours will be, as usual, from ten to five. This allusion is, I need nob say, historical and geographical, and must nob bo considered in the light of an advertisement. , " After my New Zealand travels, I paid return visits bo all the Australian cities, and fulfilled a farewell engagement in each. The same enthusiasm was everywhere exhibited, and we left every plane loaded with flowers and good wishes. Of course, the chief members of my loyal company shared these,triutnphs with me, and if it so happened that their names on the bills were in somewhat smaller type, than mine, this is an' accident which must be attributed to the carelessness .of ' the printer, in fact, a printer's error which curiously enough prevailed in almost every town, and is a failing which has not been unnoticed by , me in most of the provincial towns in Great Britain. I mention it now because if some of my friends and colleagues, in my own profession • should go 1 through similar experiences' they may know what I have sutfored, and what they v themselves have, to guard against. Throughout my travels in Australia' and New Zealand scarcely an hour passed when I'did not meet either in the streets ;or ? under some hospitable roof friends who had known me at. home. All day long I was accosted on all sides by folks saying that they had met me twenty, thirty, i and forty years ago, and when ab last sundry yeberans wished to impress me with the fact that they had shaken me by the hand nearly half a century since, I was obliged to tell them that I was then in long clothes, arid should have resented any such proceeding. I suppose you,will expect me to say something about colonial governors, their qualifications and their; doings. As far as I can toll, and Lord. Knutsford may be glad to have a thoroughly unprejudiced opinion, I-think .they are all doing, extremely well, and the Government may ,be pleased , to,, know that .. wherever I detected any little failings of policy or administration lismdothed; it over with a tact 'and : delicacy '-.that . left nothing, to .be desired, and that will be, I am sure, of the happiest omen for the future good conduct of our beloved Majesty's Empire in Greater Britain. In return for this if ib should be thought 'advisable to confer upon me any trifling distinction or order—though I have a natural aversion to orders —though I do not seek, such acknowledgment, still there ib is—l mean where is it ?—and I should not raise any unwavering objection. . " But to • return to the governors, my sincerest gratitude is due to them one and all, to Lord Carrington,' Lord Hopetoun, Sir Henry Norman, Lord Onslow, and LordKintore. I received from all their Excellencies pleasing mementos of my visit, which I really cherish heartily, and which will nob be exhibited with the big game trophies in | King William-street. • The amount of eating and drinking I went through on the eve of my departure from London supplied a vast amount of comic copy to the popular periodicals of i the metropolis, and I had naturally trained up to the discharge of similar duties in Australia. As for the speeches, . well, I have been making speeches, or; trying to, all my' life, and us I presume that I may possibly have bo make another in two or three weeks' time at a certain ' theatre which my native modesty prevents my mentioning, I will say no more on this subject. At all the theatres I found the performances most excellently done, and all the artists entertained and received me in the most cordial manner. I was repeatedly asked, ' When is Irving coming?' I sometimes thought I was his agent in advance; but I have nob yet come to an understanding as to the fee for the performance of this duty. Bub certainly the desiro to. see him and others of our principal actors , is very strong, and I am sure they would receive the same hearty welcome that was extended towards mysplf and the ladies and gentlemen of my company. I was fortunate enough to have once again mosb excellent weather on my way home. I . sailed in the P. and 0. ship Victoria. > ' t " I stayed a few days at Naples and at Rome, in case I might want the necessary local knowledge'in connection with such parts as Masaniello and Virginius. and am now staying for a short -time in"Paris, to improve the accent which is fairly well known, and will shortly, be onCo' moro displayed in that poetical, touching,, and impressive play, so full of realistic- but not Ibsenito touches, ' Ici on Parle, Frangais.' From the same point of view of modesty and retirement in which I have already referred 'to'; my calling, I scarcely like to mention that I mean to reopen my theatre as soon as.it has been redecorated and' improved in many .respects, and if I fail to indicate the precise date at. which this event will take place ib is because bhe necessary information is nob within my grasp for a day or two. But I think I might mention for the benefit of inquiring minds that; those will nob bo very Wrong who keep themselves disengaged for about April 22 or 24 or for three months subsequent to that date." i ■