HEELER, EALPH. 



KEENE, LAURA. 



399 



Ohio, and remained there nearly two years, 

 supporting himself most frugally. He then 

 obtained some employment by which he saved 

 $181, and determined to go to Europe. He 

 went to New York as a cattle-drover, took a 

 steerage passage to London, viewed the World's 

 Fairof 1862, then in progress, went to Paris and 

 saw Parisian life, until he had but about $80 left, 

 when he took the railway train for Heidelberg, 

 became a student in the Karl Rupert Univer- 

 sity, made pedestrian tours as a German stu- 

 dent through Italy, Tyrol, Switzerland, Bel- 

 gium, and France, eking out his scanty re- 

 sources by correspondence with New York, 

 London, and Edinburgh periodicals. He re- 

 mained at Heidelberg till he had received his 

 diploma, then started down the Rhine, passing 

 through Belgium and Holland, and finally, 

 taking an obscure garret in the Quartier Latin, 

 in Paris, where meeting George Alfred Town- 

 send, he was advised to write for some English 

 magazine, and, his article being accepted and 

 paid for, he went to Florence and lived on the 

 proceeds all winter. He had sent another 

 article to the London magazine, which was 

 rejected, but ho had forwarded it to an Edin- 

 burgh magazine, from which he had heard noth- 

 ing for some months. His resources being 

 exhausted he went to Leghorn and persuaded 

 an American captain to take him to Boston on 

 credit, his passage-money being $50. On his 

 arrival he found a letter forwarded to him 

 containing a draft on London for the article 

 sent to Edinburgh, which enabled him to pay 

 for his passage and go on to Toledo, from which 

 place he had been absent about twenty-eight 

 months, and at an expense of a little more 

 than $800. He next went to California, where 

 he spent two or three years teaching foreign- 

 ers English, and writing for the California 

 journals; then returned to New York as cor- 

 respondent for the Alto, California. While 

 in this position he began to write for the 

 Atlantic Monthly, to which he contributed 

 his " Three Years a Negro Minstrel," and a 

 "Tour of Europe for $181." He was also 

 engaged in lecturing to some extent for this 

 and subsequent years. In 1869 he wrote re- 

 views, and revised proof-sheets on that maga- 

 zine, and in January, 1870, he became with Mr. 

 Wand artist-editor of Eeery Saturday. This 

 work continued until that paper ceased to be 

 an illustrated journal, and the descriptive arti- 

 cles were admirable in their character. His 

 engagement having closed, he went again to 

 Europe, reported the proceedings of the High 

 Court of Arbitration, and devoted some months 

 to travel. On his return, Mr. Keeler, besides 

 preparing a work for the press, engaged in 

 general literary work, writing for the Atlantic, 

 and being a special correspondent for several 

 papers. The Tribune had engaged him as cor- 

 respondent at Kelley's Island in the summer 

 of 1873, and special correspondent in Cuba, in 

 November, 1873, and it was while engaged in 

 this duty that he came to his untimely end. 



Aside from his magazine articles, Mr. Keeler 

 had published three volumes, " Gloverson and 

 his Silent Partner," published in 1868, and 

 written in California ; " Vagabond Adven- 

 tures," a sort of autobiography, 1872; and a 

 translation of George Sand's "Marquis de Vil- 

 lemer," 1873. He was at work before his 

 death on a biography of John Brown Ossa- 

 watomie Brown. 



KEENE, LAUBA, a well-known actress and 

 theatrical manager, born in England in 1830 ; 

 died in Montclair, N. J., November 6, 1873. 

 She was of humble parentage, and compelled 

 through her childhood to earn her own living. 

 Her eighteenth year found her a bar-maid in a 

 public-house contiguous to a theatre, where 

 she subsequently obtained employment as a 

 ballet-girl, and from step to step made her 

 way upward in her profession. Through the 

 advice of a friend, she began a course of study 

 and improved so rapidly that she was em- 

 ployed by Madame Vestris, afterward Mrs. 

 Charles Matthews, who was then managing a 

 London theatre. She was there in 1852 when 

 Mr. Wallack engaged her to come to this 

 country as leading actress in his new theatre 

 near the corner of Broome Street and Broad- 

 way, where she acted Albina Mandeville, in 

 the play of " The Will." Her. success was im- 

 mediate and decided. She subsequently went 

 on a starring tour through the States, also 

 visiting California and Australia. Returning 

 to New York in 1855, Miss Keene opened the 

 Metropolitan Theatre, afterward called the 

 Winter Garden, styling it " The Varieties" 

 The following season it was purchased by Wil- 

 liam E. Burton, when she secured the Olympic, 

 and openedit in 1856asLauraKeene's Theatre, 

 with the play " As yon Like it." This house 

 she continued to direct for four or five years 

 with variable success, and it was during this 

 period that " Our American Cousin " was pro- 

 duced, and Mr. Sothern's fortunate hit of 

 " Lord Dundreary " was made. Another 

 great success was "The Seven Sisters," which 

 ran 169 nights. This play was the first of the 

 great runs in this city, and the precursor of the 

 " Black Crook." She continued to manage 

 the theatre until the season of 1863-'64, when, 

 the theatre property being in litigation, it 

 by some means came into the possession of 

 Mr. John Duff, who assumed, with Mrs. John 

 Wood, the management of it. It then became 

 known as the Olympic Theatre. Miss Keene 

 then, after a brief visit to Europe, began a 

 starring tonr. She organized a company and 

 appeared principally in the Southern States. 

 In April, 1865, she appeared at Washington, 

 and it was while witnessing her performance 

 of Florence Trenchard, in the comedy of " Our 

 American Cousin," that President Lincoln was 

 assassinated. While managing her last New 

 York theatre she married Mr. John Lutz, her 

 business manager, and from that time her 

 popularity began to wane. After his death 

 she announced her retirement from the stage. 



