“To my mind the most difficult rôles (_sic!_) were the officers and flying messengers in the Shakespearean plays, when cast with some famous tragedian. All young actors appreciated this, and, knowing Sullivan’s temperament, were very loath to subject themselves to his rough handling. It so happened that I was selected to play these flying messengers and recite the tricky speeches, but no more than the others did I escape. One day I suddenly found myself held high in air, and my descent was equally rapid. I was laid up for several nights. As a reward he cast me to play _Francis_, in ’The Stranger,’ but because of the objections of James and Buckley, each of whom claimed the part, it was never played. I had the advantage of private rehearsals, however, with this great tragedian in his room at the Baldwin Hotel.... The reason why he liked me, he said, was that, with my pale face and blue-black hair, I reminded him of a little priest who had been a chum of his in Ireland. When he left, he gave me a much-prized feather, such as actors usually wore when they played _Malcolm_ or _Macbeth_. ’I shall probably never see you again,’ he said, ’and it may help you to remember me with kindly feelings. It belonged to the girl I loved best in the world.’”
After his engagement with Baker and Farron Belasco went “barnstorming” in various California and Nevada towns and camps, but returned to San Francisco at intervals, sometimes remaining there a few days, while seeking employment,--working, meanwhile, on dramatic versions of various books or stories or on the revision and alteration of old plays,--sometimes acting small parts at any of the theatres or serving as a super when no better occupation was obtainable. On May 4, in that city, he participated in a performance at Maguire’s New Theatre for the benefit of M. A. Kennedy, when the bill included “One Thousand Milliners,” “Robert Macaire,” and the burlesque of “Kenilworth,”--in which latter play he had often acted _Queen Elizabeth_, as I have reason to think he did on this occasion. He seems, also, to have taken part, in a minor capacity, in at least one of the performances given in May, 1876, at the California Theatre, by Edwin Adams, who played _Rover_, in “Wild Oats,” and he saw that fine actor as _Enoch Arden_, if he did not act with him in the play about that character. He also saw, May 29, 1876, at Wade’s Opera House, San Francisco, George Rignold’s first performance in San Francisco of _King Henry the Fifth_,--a remarkably pictorial, spirited, fervent, and stirring impersonation.