Show EVENTS IN LIFE WILLIAM ILLIAM GILLETTE x WW v Gillette William Actor author smoker and detective alias Sherlock Holmes Born Hartford Conn July Jub 24 1855 HIs early youth was spent In learning how bow to smoke which feat after atter many unsuccessful attempts he finally accomplished In 1863 The statement that he was born with a cigar in his mouth Is not true It was not until six months after his his birth that mistaking one of his fathers father's cheroots for his teething ring he first acquired his taste for tobacco At 10 he gave the first indication of his genius as a dramatic author writing a thrilling drama In seventeen acts and a prologue entitled The Stolen Perfecto Perfecto Per- Per fecto or The Old Tobacco Trail This was in reality the first of the InterestIng interestIng interesting Interest- Interest Ing series of dramatizations of cigarS cIgar and detectives that have since made this author famous I The young playwright followed this thIs' at the age of 12 with Generously Good a Three-Act Three Study in Nicotine by Wiiiiam William Wil Vil VillIam liam Gillette Esq the Nutmeg Shakes Shakes- peare of these plays was ever put upon the stage and it its Is s the unhappy fact that at the age of 15 the young author used his manuscript to tomake tomake tomake make wrappers for the corn silk cigarettes cigarettes cigar cigar- ettes he took up smoking at that time In 1877 he went upon the professional stage in a comedy role In a melodrama entitled The Porto Rico Breva or Beppo the Tobacconist Later on he produced the famous tragedy Colorado Colorado Colo Cob rado ado Madura the Bandit Chief of Havana Ha Ha- yana vana Finding stage life somewhat exacting In the late SOs he went vent to Edinburgh where he formed a partnership with Dr A A. A Conan Doyle for whose famous studies of detective life In Sherlock Holmes he posed Dr Dr Doyl Doyles Doyle's s 's keen Insight Insight in insight In- In sight Into nto character and Mr Gillette's almost cyclopaedic ic knowledge of the Ins and outs of cigar ashes formed an admirable combination and one which in spite of themselves has continued I popular until this day Dr Doyle has tri tried d to kill kilt Holmes by drowning him I and Mr Mx Gillette has endeavored to smoke him to death without avail At present the author actor is acting as as General Brigadier-General of or the American army of Invasion stationed at London By humane methods lx In which the wa wa- wa- wa ter-cure ter plays no part he is gradually pacifying the British islands although he he now and then thero is by rebellious rebellious' rebellious rebellious' rebel rebel- lious' lious natives lious-natives natives who object to the quality of the cigars circumstances compel him to use while in the field Recreation writing plays and striking m matches Residence the Lyceum theatre Lon Lon- don |