The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry (1914)

S60 Cf)e C&catte how I managed to operate on a truly vast scale without serious inconvenience — at least, so it appeared to me ; but as I now look back into those years, I can only conjecture as to what measure of prosperity would have been meted out to me had I recognized the value of the great scientific invention that was lying dormant within my reach at every turn. But one day in the year 1898 something happened that greatly changed my future mode of business procedure. I had booked Pauline Hall (then the mostcompelling headline attraction in vaudeville) to appear at Buffalo for a week's engagement at Shea's Theatre. Mr. Shea had advertised the original "Erminie" in truly spectacular fashion, but Miss Hall, who was noted for her reliability, never before having disappointed the public, had telephoned to Mr. Shea at midnight preceding the date of her opening, that because of the serious illness of her infant daughter she could not leave her home in New York. All efforts to communicate with Miss Hall failed, she having denied herself to all. Hence Mr. Shea was in a state of near insanity about 3:00 A. M., with no headline attraction to replace Miss Hall for the matinee eleven hours later. It seems that all other efforts to reach me by telephone having failed, the Buffalo Manager called up the Metropolitan Opera House at 4:00 A. M., asking for my brother, the late Maurice Grau, who was at home asleep. A private wire between the Opera House and my brother's apartment was utilized with the result that a messenger was dispatched to my home to inform me that I was wanted at "Central" to answer a Buffalo call. Reaching the latter I learned that Mr. Shea was "holding the wire." I told the operator I could not take the message my