The Billboard 1902-04-12: Vol 14 Iss 15 (1902-04-12)

I RT Oe TR Mw 6 THE BILLBOARD THe BiLLBoaRD. Published Weekly at 420 Elm Street, Cincinnati, O., U. 8. A. Long Distance Telephone Main 2079 k Adaress all communications for the editorial pr business departments to THE BILLBOARD PUBLISHING CO. Subscription, $4.00 a year: 6 mos. » $2.00; 3 mos., $1.00, in advance, ADVERTISING RATES. Ten cents per line, agate measurement. Whole page, S70; half page, premiuti on position, The Billboard stands throughout the United States and Canada, which are supplicd by the American News Co. and its branches, When not on sale please notify this office. The Billboard is sold in London at Low’s Ex| change, 57 Charing Cross, and at American Advertising Newspaper Agency, Trafalgar Buildings, Northumberland Ave., W. C. In Paris at Brentano's, 37 Ave. de Opera, The trade supplied by the American News Co, and its branches. Remittance should be made by post office or express money order, or registered letter addressed or made payable to the Billboard Pub. Co. The editor can not undertake to return unsolicited manuseript; correspondents should keep copy. When it is necessary to wire us the instructions and copy for advertisements, great saving in the mutter of telegraph tolls may be had by recourse to the Donaldson Cipher Code ’ Entered as Second-Class Matter at Post Office at Cincinnati, Ohio. Saturday, April 11, 1902. WHERE THE BLAME LIES. Discussing the movement New York rela tive to the closing of doors after the curtain is rung up for the tirst act, Harper's Week ly is patrons which how avitating theater SaVS “The managers of our theaters who can hot solve the problem of the late-comer tirst err in blaming the public for conditions of their own creation. They assume an inten tional discourtesy on the public’s part, and bemoan their inability to teach the public manners As a matter of fact, as far as New York is concerned, there is not, that we have been able to discover, a manage in the city who takes the trouble to run his theater on schedule time, In many play houses at Which it is announced that the | | late-comers until the curtain falls on the } tlon quarter page, $17.50. No | =—Soe _ | tion is forsale on all trains and new play will begin at 8:15 there is little but an asbestos curtain in sight at S:30. In the inatter of beginning promptly the theaters | have been in a state of demoralization, and the published advertisements of the hour are more frequently honored in the breach than in the observance. Hence it is that the publie is wholly at sea as to the prope! hour of arrival, and as long as this condi tion prevails no one can hope to attend a New York theater, at least, with any hope of witnessing the whole of the drama h¢« goes to see, unless he occupies a front-row seat; and this frequently is no guarantee of an uninterrupted show, owing to the fondness of many orchestra leaders for ob truding their majestic proportions in the line of vision. We fancy, if the managers will look after their own end in this matter, und live up to their own responsibilities, they will not find the general public so hard to manage, after all. It true that the occasional boor who can not be reached by ordinary regulations of a civilized commun ity will inevitably intrude himself upon the situation, but the manager of pluck can very easily handle such a person as he, and thousands of others in the audience will in all probability regard it as the best part of the show There is no reason why in a well-ordered playhouse a patron should not get all that he goes to see, without inter ruption from the inconsiderate, and the manager who claims otherwise would better xo into some other business He has missed is his true vocation.” “The Billboard’? must take issue with its esteemed New York neighbor so far as re lates to the fault of house managers. We can hot ever agree that Harper's is entirely fair with all the New York managers. It inay be that here and there a New Yorl ininager is to blame for an evil that has xrown all too rapidly, but from the writer’s observation, based upon actual presence and experience, first curtains in New York prompt as a And if they the traveling man house manager, who should be since the house manager has the front of the proscenium arch marks the ling He curtain houses are it rule were not is stage or ager, ken to task, ne jurisdiction The his say-so in his own house le yond house af ill sincerity, advertise 1, if the see oto that his the in for may, his first but stage manager does hoi it for ult of everybody i it s and the course, dressed ready call, is certainly Of the not house manager nay kick and protest to traveling but anyone who has done these ever with business haughty ick” to blame Like the-last-curtain gentlemen No, sir! the for the late the gra knows how far a ‘‘k goes house manager is of hat-and-run-before not arrival audiences. b-your individ ual, the chronic late-comer is the result of an inexcusable and seemingly unbreakable habit which has grown all too rapidly. The New York managers who are trying to pro tect their patrons by closing the doors on |} Was practically first act for their apparently earnest to be commended, not censured, and honest ef aud rapidly in are forts to cure a long-existing nuisance crensing * IGNORANCE VS. Detroit paper, like the which know nothing of fairs of the predicts wail * FACT. la jority the takes \ of great dailies about abuses in general, Charleston Exposi for St. and fall and then Ilere is the “Charleston of the folly Using Purposes dea fur The the uses a hard out a failure Louis it lets out: demonstra for adver fair is a concerned draw from is giving another of expositions The Charleston patronage is attraction can exhausted in three days, then the custodians and other officials have suffered from loneliness, ac cording to “Gath.” The State and federal vovernment contributed liberally to the en terprise, not for any particular reason, but habit. territory as as sinee and just because that is an established The result is the same as in Most other CHuseSs The money has disappeared down the chute and there is no mechanism for bringing it back. Charleston is one of the towns which have failed to keep up with the rest of the country, and it was hoped that an exposition would wake up local enterprise and advertise the city to the out side world, but the fair appears to have been a mistake. <A big circus can not live all summer off a country village, no matter how good a show it presents. “St. Louis is the next candidate for a fair and a deficit. If these affairs were backed entirely by local capital no fault could. be found. A man’s money is his own, and if he sees fit to light his cigarette with a $10 note. that is his affair. When he asks the State and the nation to lend him a good part of the money the case is somewhat dif ferent However, the fair habit seems to he infeetious, and there is no vaccination against the disease except one disastrous experience. fore If the ignorance of the writer of the voing article were not painful it would be amusing. The fact that the Charleston Ex } sition has net come up to expectations in attendance is true, but the statement that the territory from which it had te draw was exhausted in three days is ridiculous The fact is that the territory available from whieh the Charleston Exposition might have drawn is limited only by the bounds lof civilization of the world The exposi tions at Paris and Chicago have proved that space and time are no barriers to attend ance toth drew people from all parts of the civilized world. as Charleston might and would bave done if the exposition had been properly conducted and advertised The only semblanee of fact contained in the foregoing article is that the territery in which the Charleston Exposition was adver tised exhausted three days Here in Cincinnati, the natural admitted gateway to the South, and the only city in wis in and the country whose merchants erected their own building at the exposition, not a sheet of paper was posted, not a lithograph hung, not a herald or courier, or even a hand-bill, was distributed to announce the opening, or even the existence of the Charleston Expo sition Had advertised and opened on time, Cincinnati the exposition been properly alone would have sent 5,000 people to the Charleston Exposition, instead of 300. Ex positions, no more than any other amuse ment or business, can be suecessfully and conducted without “The Billboard” has pointed out. The failure of the Charleston ex position due to the limit of the territory from which it depend proper adver frequently protitably tising, as financially is not ed to draw attendance, but to the fact that if Was not properly managed or advertised So far as the St. Lonis Exposition is con cerned, all depends upon its judicious man“The Billboard” the recognized on all matters pertaining to outthat if the of the St. Louis Fair will select an experienced agement and advertising. will stake its reputation as authority door amusements directors showman to open and manage the fair as it should be managed, and a competent advertising man to advertise it as it should be advertised, there will be a surplus of funds When the gates shall have closed on the last day HOW EASY ! University Students Grow Wise After Learning Parlor Games of the Ancients. Perhaps in the future the wise men who train the minds of young people at the Cin cinnati University will contine themselves strictly to lines educational, and let other things alone A students carnival was given at the university last week. The ob ject was to give the pretty maidens and gallant youths a little diversion from stud ies. It was a diversion with a vengeance, and no mistake. Somebody was engaged } will to furnish attractions for the event, and the show was gotten up nicely Beauty behind lemonade stands coerced coin from pockets of gay Lotharios. But, sad to say, Beauty, as a coin coercer, wasn't in it one bit with the gang of “real things’ that happened to hear of that nest of university innocents. A regular procession of grafter hied themselves to the temple of One man had a wheel fortune, he informed the professors Was a game, popular in King Arthur's Another gentleman of suave manner little table and some shells. This, he said, was Bonaparte’s favorite diversion when he wasn't mixed up in a Waterloo. Another had a number of little white dises with spots on them. Of course, the learned ologists wisdom which parlor reign had a oft professors knew they were dice, but they didn’t know they were intoxicated dice Other gentlemen anxious to promote the enjoyment of the carnival volunteered to operate all sorts of innecent (7) amuse ments The carnival closed Friday. The dice are gone; the man with the shells is non est; he who tanght the young people of the parlor pastimes of the sixteenth century has not shown around. Among other things missing is a lot of coin, that once belonged to various young men, who tried to be wise and didn’t know how As an educator, the year’s study at the university is not worth a day’s carnival Of the Empire Circuit To Extend Its Limits by Securing a Theater in Chicago. After months of negotiation, the Empire Cireuit of burlesque theaters has finally suc ceeded in entering the Chicago field On Saturday, April 5, the deal was closed at Cincinnati by John W. Whallen, Louis ville; Col. Butler, of St. Louis, and James FE. Fennessy, of Cincinnati, acting for the Empire Cireuit, Col. Hopkins acting fot himself and Attorneys Jones and James act ing for both Che terms of the deal are not of 1. | made public, but the Empire Circuit) as sumed control of Col Hopkins Chicago house an hour after the deal was closed, | nnd Sunday night Col. Fennessy went to Chicago to arrange for the opening under the management of the Empire Cireuit, Sunday, April 13 The opening attraction will be Watson's Oriental Burlesquers It is intended to keep the house open all sum mer, if possible Ten weeks of time has already been booked by Col. Fennessy, and he hopes to secure the necessary attractions to fill in the balance of the open time be tween June and September, when the new season of booking under the wheel scheme goes into effect It has not yet been de cided who will manage the house and box office for the new owners, but the program has been offered to the genial [ke Sothern, of the Interstate Advertising Company, who has the programs at Heuck & Fennessy’s three Cincinnati houses, as well as the Em pire at Indianapolis. He will probably ac cept “The Billboard” in position state that inside of sixty days the Empire Circuit have still another house in Chicago, which will entirely shut out from that city toh Fulton and his Trocadero Theater, al though Col. Fulton's burlesque show, “The Grass Widows,” hooked by the Empire Cirenit The acquisition of the two Chi eago houses the resnit of a resolution passed at the Pittsburg meeting of the Em pire Cirenit, which authorized a selected committee, of which Col. Fennessy was made chairman, to extend the Empire Cir is to is is enit by securing desirable houses in Chi eago, Detroit and other cities. The Chicago deal is the first to he closed MISS TRESSIDA HAYNES To be a Full Fledged Advance Agent Next Season. There’s going to be an invasion of the ad vance field next season by Miss Tressida Haynes, who will go in advance of her sis ter Gertrude, whose act, “The Choir Ce leste,”’ has ereated such a sensation with ‘The Fatal Wedding.’ Miss Haynes has already displayed great business ability, and will have entire charge of the business OBITUARY. Henry Davis died last week at Louisville, aged &S> vears. He once appeared in minor roles with many famous actors years ago I’ a famous clown of years James Davis, ago, died reeently at Ypsilanti, Mich., aged 72 vears He began his cirenus career in 1851 with Lent’s New York Circus James Harvey Carr, bill poster of Rush ville, Ind., died last week, of cancer of the liver. He was 72 years old, and had been in the bill posting business since 1854 Miss Anna Wesener, daughter of Joseph Wesener, a well known Akron man, better known on the stage as Annette Duval, dled April 2 at Elizabeth Hospital in Danyille, Ill., from the effects of an operation. She played in one of the “King Dodo" Y~ompanies and had a leading part. The remains were brought to Akron for interment. Charles BE. Goff, manager of the Electric Theater, Elkhart, Ind., dbed at that place April 1 of pneumonia Mr. Goff was born in IS6S, and for the past ten vears was con with the show business, and for traveled with Ringling Bros of block tent, being the first to moving pietures under a block tent. At the time of his death he was as sociated with E. R. Berzam in the Street Fair business. nected three se manager introduce isons “as WASHINGTON, D. C. Washington, D. C., April 7.—Columbia Week of March 31, “The Burgomaster.’ Week of April 7, Whitney & Knowles’ “Quo Vadis.”’ Lafavette Week of March 31, Bellows Stock Company, in ‘The Little Pilgrims National.Week of Mareh 31, “David Hlarum Week of April 7, May Irwin, in “The Widow Jones.” Academy Week of March 31, "The Con viet's Daughter.’ Week of April 7, “The Original Lilliputians.” Chase's Week of March 31, Piceolo'’s Royal Lilliputians, Croker and Platt, Les Trois Dumonds, Bellman and Moore, Jame> Kk. Glenroy, Mand Beall Price, Mr. and Mrs Henry Thorne & Co., Ritter’s Dogs. Week of April 7, James J. Corbett, Hill and Sil vainy, Felix and Barry. Little Elsie Empire.Week of March 31, Howard and Emerson, Bettina Girard, Roberts, Hays and Roberts, Chas. Merrill and Mlle. Vol more, Wolf and Milton, Vitograph and Em pire Gatety Company Week of April 7 Cantield and Carlton, Madge Fox, Llowe Wallen and Walters, Raymond and Caverly Davis’ Musical Dogs and The Empire Stoci Company MERRILL H. GAFI DRAOA ROD 3 Letter Box eT eT eT EPERRT RT ETT INES Cc) Ce) Our readers and subscribers in all limes ara inwited to avail themselves of “The Billboards mew matl scheme. We have an experienced clerk in charge of this department. He hecps trach of people and forwards their mail wherever possible, the moment it is received, thus avoiding delay. Letters are only advertised when wet de nothnow the whereabouts of the persons to whom they are addressed. Letters advertised for four weeks and uncalled for will be returned to the post-office. ‘Yrculars, postal cards and mewspapers excluded, Letters are forwarded without expense. GENTLEMEN'S LIS Adams, W Kuhn, Robt t Ammons, Prof. Theo. Lawrence, Steve Ash, Joe awrenes Lucki Andrews Carn. (Co imwrence, Scott Adell’s Dog and Lewis, J. Cc. Pony Show. Leclair, Mons Adkins, C. lb Leary, Jerry. Automobile. Lingi, Geo Barlow, Billy (clown) t.jles, Chas tartlett, De Witte MeCabe, J. 1 Bonhomme Family Moses Lee 10 and 20 Cent ShowMurphy, Jas Bickford, Warren ¢ Minting, The Great Bridger, Edw. Bb MeEvoy & Stahley Lrooks, Fk. W Mgr \l Iv, Monsier iturtie, A. H. Moore, Ton “S. 3: &." Miller, Chas. W Coburn, J. A Mz Manager Watkinsvilk Clarkson, Jobu Ga. Opera Louse Carroll, Mike Miner, G., Mgr Clark Bros MeNickols, John Chatter, James P Moriarty, David. Durrent, W. C. Murry. John J. Dryden, Chas. R Noss, Ferd Durry, Wm O'Brien, Barney Detrick, W. Phillips & Belmont. Denning, James Parish, Shell Dale, Harry P. Pearson, Ralph. Deal, Neuman. Pierson, Ralph, Esq Douglas. Prof. John L. Praeger, Jack evans, **Kid."’ Perry, Geo. M Eckhart, Clarence Vinkston, F. C. Ellet, Chas Proper, T. L. Everton, Dr. M. I. Rice, M. EB. Eberlein, Earnest. Koberts, Leslle Frazee, Sid Redan's Amusements, Exemplar Sign WorksKagab, Lioyd. Fowler, A. W. Relzels, The. care D.N. Fowler. Rourke, Jobn. Finnegan, Jas. H, Ritehie, Edward. Faulkner, W Sifley, H Flint, Royer Stickney, Robt. Jr Forgrave, R. H. Snyder, H Fanmann, Archie Gordon, J. Saunders. Gay, The Great Garrty, Spledr Ed Grey, Joseph J Shipley, Ike. Sherry, James Scott, Walter Srouse, Warren Swartz, Prof. Chas. Grimes, Joe. Sherry Working Gleason, O. R. World Gillette Shows. Swain, Dr. W. I Greene, James F. Gautier, the Great. Harry and Orville. Suman, A. Spaun’s R. R. Shows, Shepp, W. Campbell. Hayden, Jos, A Seott, Tom and Lillle. iSlim.) Steely, White & Hill, Leo. Jr Young Hook, James, Singer, Sam (Contortionist) Snyder, Prof. Hank Haliday, Geo, \ Sharrock, Harry. Hennessey, J. R. W. Turner, W. Y Hubbard, Frank B. rrenely, Will Hammet, J. H lriplett, Vie Hamilton, C. Geo Triplett, Trip. Huddleson, Mr. Timmons, Geo. H Herbst, Milton. Tufant, BE. A. Harris, Richard. Trone Bros. Hare, Jas. BR. Watts, Geo. A Hess, Chas, World's Street Patt Handley, W. W. Co Johnson, Walter Wickstrom, Ed Johnson, Capt. Billle. Woodford, Chas Jones, Jap Wilson's, A., Show, John & Co., A. Waldo & Elilott, Jones, John J Waller. Phil. G. Jones, Dr. E. G Yaki, Boone. King, C. C. LADIES’ LIST Aimee, Miss Shafer, Lillian Carisen, Lilly Smith, Mile. Christine Jones, Daisy Shafer, Mrs. Florence MeKay. L. BK. Violla, Miss. MePhillips, Bess Zardna, Madame Stanley, Mrs. George.