Show SIXTY YEARS AN ACTOR JOE JEFFERSON THREESCORE YEARS ON STAGE He Delivers a Short Address in Re spouse to Repeated Calls by a New York Audience New York Apitfl 1Jos Jefferson had ail extraordinary reception at the Firth Avenue theater last night when he began his New York season with Rip Van Winkle At the conclusion of the performance Mr Jefferson was repeatedly called before the curtainand in response to the demands for a speech said I thank you cordially for the reception recep-tion and applause which you have given me tonight and if I I did not ad dress you when appeared before the curtain at the end of the first act It was because I did not wlslrto break the thread oC the story But If I had only thought I need not have feared that I would break the thread of the story because I have played Rip befoje you so many times It Is now forty years since I first played the part you see me III tonight in this city and it in a reasonable supposition that I played it before the fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers grand-mothers of you who are present before me this evening It Is sixty years since I first ap peared as an actor 1 was then but a child and It Is pleasant Indeed for me to kmjowt hat there areso many people heror tonIght It Is not pleasant to know however that we are so soon forgotten I do not want to become melancholy at this time but when I discuss these things it ls dlfllcult lo avoid becoming sad for the actor can only live in thc memory of those who havo seen him To them he Is a reve lation to others a tradition L i can onlv say that if 1 have tarried here too long you who come to son me are qullo as much to blame as 1 am but when I am encouraged bv such applauHo and ly an assemblage bril Hunt I must nay I have no JnUiitlon or leaving the stage and I must any that I thoroughly appreciate ihls wel come tonight I feel there must be some friends as well as the general public In this audience so let mo con elude by saying that I appreciate from imy j heart this more than kindly greet I Inf I |