The billboard (Aug 1905)

6 XHe Billboard TNK aTfiou.nt THE laouisvllle Courier Journal makes an appeal to tbe people or Kentucky for funds to be used in the erection of a monu- ment m ntunoqr of istepliai ColUns Foster. tbm^WMUKKiqtMr lPIU. TT i lll l lCfta i Home. The article is interesting- to us chiefly beca-use of the data, it contains regard- ing the life and work of one who wrote popular songs in a day when the mod- ■mm methods of publicity were practl- tmit,'lurwen^ ata«e lias been mwd as K-fMOiam for popn- lajrlzing mnaic.'<MditV^.;ifew years. A «^anoe back «t' thikilMoiiwds of all the ■ lint 4««iy^1Hti'iir tfc>" jWtf Iljlf MB- «nr'«Hn i«v«b1 W Uiat tb«r all iittaliied their wide circulation through tte efforts of well-known actors, strik- ing Instances otferlnp In O, Promise Me, wfaldi Jiaaala iBartlett I>aylspapetaated. and In Tbe GHoamlngv to which Minnie Maddem (now Mrs. FIske> save per- emilal popularity. Tbe difference Is In the degree and not the character of publicity. SoDg^ bits m the olden days were made such by cliance, and the .-jwMlBhers profltted little; but now the ^ eainpalsn Is mapped out long in ad- vance and much money is expended in pushlngr prospective successes into the lime-U^t—literally. The returns are '■sraater. for «vttcT mu- ■ w« ahest music, and nothing fli' .MVrted 1>7 tradition, tbe nnmber'ioCyfliwIes printed of a success- ftiL aaagS'tiiinaeaXty running to more ncky Ods period hl» aromid tte wodd. carrrlsg and KeatnekT's ume isto all cUmataa. IB aon — l e pM n r og tfl sj tt bu taken pWWdlSIW ud l> utatmed the « Kcntocklaiis lore tMs eoag. Bat Kentncky and KentncUua barv done nothing to bODor Stephen CoiUos Fovter, nor -to mAke known tbeir ^latltnde for hla eDdorliig melody. And yet ^ot lees tlwn tbe politician who makes ud breaks oar laws docs be dcaerre a . ihu by r.wmiP^t tH»ttK Of m tmtaam wmf wi 4hllr a senlas conia ttare w ritt e n OU Volks At Hwn e. Old Black Joe, O Sramnah. Nelly Was a Wmie. We Hare Mined Yoo and Come Wlieie Wmie. -We Ba-re Mlaed loa and Come -Where Mr bne Lies Dreamtnc. And tbeae an only the Itest knows ot a total list ot one hundred and t we nty -Are compositloae. Tbey are not tfabocatslr deTised. nor do they offer the sden- tUe moaleUn great opportunity tor technical teseaitii. They are ]nst simple aoogs with a -da-ror at the aoll and with aentlment that appeals to the people. They win be mm when the weeks of more pretentloos composets tiara 'been forgotten. And Oiese pieces were an writ te n dntlnr a life time of only thlr^-elght ycara. Born In la. ISSSt. Vostar waa aent t» school In and IMK t» Atbeaa. ni^ At wUb .IB play the liawalst. ba]Q9 and atadted plaL Id 38fi; wiien be waa ■ awitteii ya dak la OndnnatLhls Oist sobc; Open Thy lattice, lore, -was poblMied In Baltlmnre. Two others. Uncle Ned and O. Sosannah. were immedlatelr taken op by mlnstiels and became nnlTersaHy popolar. Their sncceas canned htm to rellnqniah a boal neaa career and derote M™««'f cntfiely to mart cat composltloa. Be wrote tmth the wnrdi and mnalc of all his songs. Thos he was en- saged nntil his death In New Xotk In 18S4 'Personally he was a naa «C dazm and cnltnre. He was f — _ - - _ lansnasas colofs. If this nun had written notUns to endear him to sH Americans. My Old Kentucky Home Is enoDKb to win tbe tender resard at all KentncUacs. Witt tbs. faalB aC-jEnta^v. «v tlnne to neglect " ~ — ~—— " - /One mote yeaisT -Hjatnr anecdotes lucre l>een related of John McCnllough's apprenticeship to a chair maker, but The Stroller has -ooma upon one that has not been clr- gHniWleS4to any extent. ■^■' On; one occasion, at the height of his popularity, he -was the guest of a wealthy Plilladelphian. In the midst ,<»t the talk after dinner, the tragedian s^Slauced at a chair in the room, went ^^rovee to it. and turning it bottom up, ^^iald to his ———i *nf .1 thoiigM ml '-' n one oit inr .•chairs."* And he seemed prouder of the fact v tliat .tte ciiatr bad lasted so long; be- wMaiM tt Hi^i N w^fliings— tbe <dd man to young McCuIlough, gi\-ing a some- what imperfect imitation of Forrest's actio*, It «as tUs tlMC toinsd UflCut- lou^is HHWulif ttom .diatimakinc to the • '-*-• The late Kirke IjaShelle. manager, poet and playwright, began lite as a newspaper man. and at one time in his career iNnt'to •..town in western Da- kota to -take clxiirse ot a pajier there. He came from no further east than Chicago, but even Chicago is remark- ably eastern to Dakota, and the fore- man of the Dakota cornposinfj room, a man of a humurous turn of mind. decided to bave fun with the new ten- derfoot boss. Mr. ZiaShelle called his attention one day to a printer's error. "Ifs a plumb outrage," said the fore- man, talltins like a -we stern man in a magaataM slocir. 'm. ;alMMA up that compoaltaHR,'*'' He returned to the composing room and began to shoot, the idea being to terrify Mr. T^gbaiia a UtUe later the foreman went in to cnMr Mr. lAStaelle's fright. Hie expe c te d to- ttld'- the new editor nnder the table, bat Mr.XaShelle was Quite placidly vvitu ii g; '"Didn't you hear them abots?" de- manded the foreman. Mr. IjaShelle did not look tip. 'Tes," he said. T heard them. I al- -ways shoot compositors in the legs. What's the custom out here?" The new Solomon, the -wise stage manager, has l>een making more pro- verbs Cor tlie snidance of bis bretbem: T<M en ma a atar to tt*. aoodVits, but you can*t malw lier iflilw^i Continual docking wears away sala- ries. A man in the a ndl e nce is worth two in ftoot oC «h» bmbanflBL- "ns better to bave loit » im fban never to have had one. It is a wise actress wbo MBaweth her own press agent. A story of Jefferson is told. Illustrat- ing his conservative attitude toward realism in stage setting. It was at an arose^ after fbe'aeloc^ fbnnal aaOtess on the drama in general: "I am often asked why I do not have a real dog Schneider. But if I did. none of ytm would be satlsiied. Ton would go borne saying: 'Well. Schnei- der never looked like that dog!' Ton love Schneider because you have made him out of a piece of your own heart. And then, if I had a real Schneider, some one in the gallery would probably whistle to him at the critical moment, and he would baiic and spoil the play. While, if he knew his part perfectly and did Just what Schneider ought to do, Schneider would be the hero, and not Rip! Realism -with a tail to -wa^ in the -wrong place is a dangerous thing." Jefferson held to the old fash- ioned theory that the player of the play was the thing; and characterized elab a iall o u la alas* satttav as a tribute to tfic wwkitiBSB qC Xbn ImiiMH timtclnff- tlOD. '- - • • • Jefferson once foimd himself finan- cially embarassed in an eastern city. He thought it not bard, bowerer, 1j get mmi^. He tatasnvlHid Up 'man- ager and asked for $1M.' Tlie' next morning a letter containing a check reached Mr. Jefferso Liater in the day the veteran actor went to <Hie ot the banks and tendered the diedc to flie paying teUer. "Do you know anyone in tbe bank, Mr. Jefferson?" asked tlte cashier. Rip Van Winkle knew no one there. He saw the predicament he -was in. "Mr. Cashier," he said, " don't you know me?" "I saw Joseph Jefferson years ago in Rip "Van Winkle and also in The Rivals, but that has been so long ago that I cannot say that I can identUjr you as the actor.* "You saw Joseph JTeCtetaoa. la Rip Van Winkle?" A happy thought struck ths actor. He moved ten feet frcnn tlw window. Tten he atntik a «aM , aC .tM Rip" and BaM: "Mr. Cashier, If my good dog Schnei- der was here, he could identify me." " HCTe 's your money. Tou are Jeffer- nn wMlont a doubt. And if my Judg- nMBt- la wnmg I am -willinsr to make good tte - - - PLATHOU8E8. ^Th e MetropolUan ^ Opera House. Iowa The Atbenaeam at Jadcson. lllcb., win open Its seiason aboat Aagtnt IS. Mr. G. L. McKinney has been ap- pointed manager ot the Ofttm feoose at Urlns- atoo. Pa. Havlngr been remodeled, 'the West side Theatre. JanesTllIe, Wis., opens Its sea- son Auinut 14. A permanent stock company has been fMmd la Kew Hasca, Onn,. *t a, U. Fou and Lamnea HcOm. Manager J. P. Howe retires from the msnssement at the ■asllli .ShMlHh' Usttlr, Wash.. September 1. The Van Cleve Theatre. Kwtttlrd, Ind., opens Its season August 23 -t^tb tkv Tlft^^ and Necks Unstesl Faica Oonedy. The Acadaoir'eC Meale aad tte War and Lycenm llMiatiin. at lei a nl en. Fa., bare been repainted and repaired throochout. The Billboard is informed that the cominc .acaaan the Pabat Theatre. lUIwankee. The' Fslmer Opera Hoose at Staples. Minn., burned Jnly 30. entsIUns a loas of fT.OOO. of which $5,000 was corered by Inenrance. The new opera house at Emmetts- bnrs. Is.. Is one of the finest in the state, so it is laid. It will be opened In September. C A.' Hallman and XjSO Race have JMmI 4hs 9m Bar Ca, aer tttmmmmt tk* Vtw Amttmtim Jwiht. Mv ftak Otty. Actual work has begun upon the new theatre to be erected at Moline. HI. The play- hoooe will be ready tir occnpan<7 aboat Janoary 1. -^mmms ir naMB annr The new opera house at Vlborg, S. p., which l3 claimed to be one of the finest In the aoothem psrt of the state, will be opened Manager Chris Eastman has booked DL. aalM Samuel Da-wson. formerly manager of the MoDomental Theatre, Balttmoce. Md.. wm bare charge ot tlie Bljaa ta that dty the coming season. Mr. S. H. Cohen wffljbo^e tte^man- Manager Cone, of the Grand Opera Honse, Waosan, Wis. has putchaa ad a new anta- moblle and Is making some fast time In that asf Unn ot the coontry. After being remodeled to the extent at abOBt _f8i,00lk. the tali Oiua Ovcia_at A new theatre and hoUA for Indian- apolis. Ind.. anicaia t» be aa aamd bet from tbe statement of Oicir T. Uana, itbo Is Interested In the enterprise. The new Casino Theatre, at Tulla- hooa, Tenn.. was iipeoed Inly U. ToUahoma has hai - ^ tteald N< Vi OblOb Mr. Fleld'a Jas. L. more theatilMil sons, Engene ■ fayette Sqnaie spcctiTely. _ Gus San, mtosted ■tQS ts CRdt a Um aaeeeaa. tte popular Baltl- appalBted bla two taken A six year old girl, the danshter of * stage manager, failed to *«** f T fl * te a MaalA mis' sAod firiasM h The Lyceum Theatre, of Baltimore. Md., which was acquired by the Shaberts, la being handsomely ImproTed to meet the desires of the new management. Mr. J. Albert -Toung win contlnne as msnsger. The Farm-ville Opera House at Farm- THIe, Vs., la imdergolng extenalTc lmpta*eaicnts. snd In fsct Is being entirely remodded. Ksn- agera Hart A Blanton hsre booked s nomiier ot high-class attractions for the seasoo . Ford's Opera House, of Baltimore. Hd., Is imdergolng extenslTe alteratlona and renovations. The Interior la being handsomely frescoed and the stage and boxes will be en- larged. Its season opens September 4. The Old Court SouareTheatre. Scran- ton, Fa., formerly called tbe Dixie, will again have Its name cbani^ed. This time it will be Cranman's Family Theatre, and be imder the management of D. J. Ocanmaa. of San rran- daeo. Manager and Proprietor A. X O^rer, of the Oeyer Theatre. Seottsdale. Fa., la patOag tT.<MO worth of Imprarements npoo bis booaa. Mr. Oeyer la looking for a big attraetlMi for the opening performaaoe which takes place aboat Sept. 1. There is talk of building a large andltorinm at Atlanta, Ot. Mr. J. O. Boamtn, president of the Ponce de I>eon Amasement Co., ^g^^sBBber of a^fjpmdaoBt n^^j/MlC' After the performance at Johnson's Electric Theatre, Waterloo, Is., Jnly 2S, s nom- bcr ot his profcaslonsl friends sorprlacd Manager Batty Bcnbardt hr Aowtrlag spaa Ma a asm- bar at Talnable preaeata. Jnly 2B Msaacer BcMkatdfi thlMT-tfth MtthAqr. Noir appearing with Sam Bernard in The Rol- licking Girls at the Herald Square Theatre, New York. In December she wlU be seen In the stellar role of a Mnr play hy G«<ait*a PCydeaa that w«tk opoo the bolldlng will besiB alsty eaysk Plana ate now belag drawn. Parks, ir^ . wishes to an- it hoi the Oraad AtprcaeatMlii _ Big Stock 00. and a i The opening of the new BIJou Theatre at Ishpemlng, Mich., July 24, was a iiiii|^la success. A crowded boose witnessed the Initial performance. On the bill the opening week were the Manning Trio. EUmore and Cothell. Jobs C. Manning, Mart WlllUms. Irene -Wallace and Bnasell and Baxter. The armory building at Lancaster, Pa., Is to be eooTerted Into a vaodesole boose, seating IJiOO people, l*y the BesB Tbeatte Oo^ which baa ]aat leaaed the ptuyeilj flaa Ftaak ^ Bl bgt t-n^.t tbo j j i i iMi l i . A pan a( both at DaaiMr. OoL. has cms Ma M l£ him by aa w»m. reoently died in OsajlwcU. w-g*—** Mr. HaU Is well known to trasdlBS ascot and managers. The Grand Opera House, at Steu- benTille, Ohio, Is being redecorated and other- wise placed In condition for the opening, which takes place Angnst Zl. Manager C. W. Msx- weU has the boose completely booked tor the bin belag a Co. implctely booked aUtmaOaaUm Ifeo hsr At a special election held in Mwnkatft' Kan., recently, a proposition to Issne $lflUtlS worth of boiida for the erection of an apua boose and library was ananlmoaaly carried. CItlsens have already subscrUied for the hoods. lilbrary Hall, Bessemer, Ala., Is being pot In thoroogh repair for the nsc of tm*ellBS theatrical eampanlei. Tbe aeene painteta aic at work thorooshly rcaoratlng and beantlfylaK the stsge and s u n ny . Tbe Hall will aeat shoot 750 people, and will saaa be ready for tbe ns* of ooc-ol^' " — — SmKh. tb popalaDoB of 5,0 The new theatre now building at Gosbeo. Ind., may baTe as its opening attraction Blchard Mansfield lb a Dew play. If the new theatre Is completed before Mr. Mansfield's Chicago season beitlns the eminent actor will probably produce for the aist time Schiller's great pUy, Das Oszlso. Bmiy O. amaaoi M to become the lence and MMMW at tte new Ooshen thestio. The new FUke-Bdaaoo and bert comMnatlaa Is now aMstst of a in Des Molaes. Is., which hss hitherto been controlled by tbe fyndlcste. Fred M. Bncbannn, tbe popolsr msnsger of tbe Blioo sod logersoU Park, has leased tbe Mirror Theatre in East Dea Molnea. and wlU remodel It Into a llist- clam bonae. It will be deroted to Taoderiile. except oo oceasloas when attiactloaa are h sa hed for the Independent managers. Following are some ot the shows ' MM Mtaan. Baf le * at the ■aOaad iTt.) Open HOi^»> maatnli^ Is OM Banlneky. •Hta. Ikey sad JMe, Prtaecss Chlc. BamaTm martng TUtmm. WcM'< inaMicls. Rrsi widow — stroiiOT. •■•■f hMwa sal Manager Charles Soott of the Opera Boose, Lexington, Ky., sanannees tbe following blKh-daas bookings for the eomtng season: San Bernard In Tbe Rollicking Olrl, Prank Daniels In Sergeant Bme, Mrs. Temple's Telegr sm. Tbe Bogers Brothera In Ireland. Btbel Bartymsfo. Sothern and Marlowe. Weber All-Star StoA Oca. Coliu hi Uttia JobDar Jooti, Paal Ga- la Oaplaln DehoenaliCb HcaCT W. aasase'a laoA_OslIege Widow and OMMy OMman. ~ naiij Bbiirtrt lama ff-