“Hearts of Oak” (“Chums”) is based on a melodrama called “The Mariner’s Compass,” by an English dramatist, Henry Leslie (1829-1881), which was first produced at Astley’s Theatre, London, in 1865, under the management of that wonderfully enterprising person Edward Tyrrell Smith (1804-1877), and was first acted in America, at the New Bowery Theatre, New York, May 22, that year,--with Edward Eddy as _Silas Engleheart_, the prototype of _Terry Dennison_, and Mrs. W. G. Jones as _Hetty Arnold_, the prototype of _Chrystal_. It was announced in Chicago as “Herne’s and Belasco’s American Play, in Five Acts and Six Tableaux,” and it was first produced there on November 17, 1879, at Hamlin’s Theatre,--I find no authority for calling it the Coliseum, but my records of Chicago theatres in that period are meagre,--with this cast,--Mrs. Herne (Katherine Corcoran) then making her first appearance in that city: _Terry Dennison_ James A. Herne. _Ruby Darrell_ Harry Mainhall. _Uncle Davy_ William H. Crompton. _Mr. Ellingham_ David Belasco. _Owen Garroway_ Frank K. Pierce. _Foreman of the Mill_ William A. Lavalle. _Clerk of the Mill_ William Lawrence. _Will Barton_ Lillie Hamilton. _Chrystal_ Katherine Corcoran. _Aunt Betsy_ Rose Watson. _Little Chrystal_ Alice Hamilton. _Tawdrey_ Dollie Hamilton. _Mr. Parker_ J. A. Andrews. _Tom_ J. Sherman. _Sleuth_ T. Gossman. _The Baby_ Herself