The Billboard 1913-03-29: Vol 25 Iss 13 (1913-03-29)

as ~ ~ Sag SS Or tt aa ey a 42 The Billboard MARCH 29, 1913. rope FS TNR eee see 2 JUST WATCHED (Continued from. page 17.) into a rubber with Peter, George R. Hill, of Akron, and himself, being careful to pick Hill, a seasoned and veteran player, for his partner, and giving Pete to the other fellow. Much could not be expected of Peter, it being his first game. He early forgot most of the preliminary explanations and instructions given him, grew confused, tried a few seven-up leads, and wound up by playing Auction Pitch rules. The result was so disastrous that the newcomer, not wishing to hear the humiliating totals, excused himself upon the conclusion of the rubber before they could be added up, and hurried to the seclusion of his room. But Heim, aided and abetted by Hill, had to rub it in, so they determined to send the now totaled score up to him. Summoning a bellboy, and enclosing the tally-cards in a telegram envelope, they addrest it to the victim, tacking on charges of $1.51, and dispatcht it by the hop. It workt. The poy brought the charges back to the conspirators, who then made for the bar, and proceeded to drink them up. While so engaged, it occurred to Heim that their victim ought to know how pleasantly they were occupied, so they called him on his room phone and tola him. The victim, possest a ready, fluent and expressiv tongue, and an extensiv vocabulary. He exhausted both in his efforts to convey some slight idea of the extremely low estimation in which he held them. Whereat, Heim and Hill only grinned and chuckled immoderately. “Low drickery unnerstan’—iss funny only mit low-lifes.”"—Mt. Ague Glass. A post-card bearing about twenty words and signed merely “Ben,” addrest to a New York restaurant keeper, says J. M. Allison, New York representativ of The Times-Star, is all the advance notice America has received of the intended arrival here on April 6, of Benjamin Nicholls, open golf champion of America, victor over Vardon in the most notable match ever played in this country, and instructor of most of the crowned heads of Euin the mysteries of the ancient cottish game. Nicholls came to this country ten years ago to find employment as a maker of golf sticks, in which trade he and a companion who accompanied him had been schooled in England. Thew believed themselves extremely fortunate when they found that with ordinary diligence, they could make about $15 a week each. One night at a supper given by one of the golfing professionals nere Nicholls and his companion entertained the company with a song and dance. A vaudevil man who was present suggested to the two stick-makers that they might increase thetr income by going on the stage. Nicholls didn’t care for the idea. He kept on making golf sticks and golf records until he reacht the pinnacle of professional fame in his defeat of Vardon. His companion adopted the vaudevil man’s suggestion. His name was Clifton Crawford. He is now a star in musical comedy. Nicholls is so modest and unassuming that he would, no doubt, wish to arrive in America quite unheralded. His admirers and the big body of golf enthusiasts in New York will not let that happen. Already arrangements are under way for a big delegation, headed by bag-pipers, to escort from the steamer to the Beaux Arts restaurant, where he will be given a public dinner. A recent fotograf in a London periodical showed Queen Alexandra, preparing to make a drive under Nicholls’ coaching, while King George and Queen Mary lookt on to observe the result of the queenmother’s effort. him More and more actors, agents and managers are taking up golf. The latch-string of the golf clubs is always out to professional people. | PITTSBURG, PA. (Continued from page 18.) T. M. Harton & Co, bas been awarded the contract to install a new merry-gv-round in Ken nywood Park. The management of this park has also awarded the contract to the Ingersoll peo ple of this city for the reconstruction of their “Old Mil.” A “Rapid Gorge’ will be put in the mill this season, which will prove a thriller. The Internativnal Educational and Industrial Film Company bave opeved a branch office in the Bessemer Building, in charge of A. L. Kerr and G. F. Haus. Combining the Eastern and Western burlesque wheels, a knockout was handed the scheme be ing fostered here to erect a new burlesque house, which would take the place of the former Academy of Music, and also be in opposition to the Gayety Theater. Certain real estate interests were back of this new move, but since the story of the combination came out, the plans hare been given up. The Penn Avenue Theater Co. was formed last Wednesday by a number of local business men, and has taken over the Kenyon Opera House this city. The name of the house was to be changed March 24. F. B. Stafford has been secured as manager, and he will also act as the local representativ of the Theater Booking Co. This house has been unionized from pit to dome. The roster follows: Orchestra leader, J. Soffer, formerly of Harris’ Theater; stage manager, Charlies A. Conrad; electrician, Harry M. Florig; property man, Patrick Gibbons; assistant property, Albert Wilson; stage carpenter, Frank W. Poulson. The house will be kept open thruout the summer season, according to present plans. Within a few days, Manager McCarren, of the New Liberty Theater, will be able to announce the opening date of this house. Day and night shifts of workmen are now employed. The Nixon was dark during Holy Week. M. K, ZIMMERMAN. BOSTON, MASS. (Continued from page 18.) it is generally regretted that the engagement of The Yellow Jacket, at the Tremont Theater, could not be prolonged, but previous bookings made this impossible. On Monday night Top 0’ The Morning, presented by Henry W. Savage, will begin a limited engagement at the Tremont. Few actors and plays have met with a more enthusiastic reception in Boston than Robert loraine and George Bernard Shaw’s sparkling play, Man and Superman, which Mr. Loraine pre sented during the closing week of his engagement at the Plymouth Theater. On Monday the Irish Players will take possession of that theater for a short engagement. Ready Money is still drawing big houses at the Shubert Theater, but owing to previous booking will close its engagement on Saturday of next week. Franz Lehar’s latest Viennese operetta, The Man With Three Wives, at the Majestic and Officer 666 at the Park have settled down for a long run and it is an open question which is drawing the bigger houses. The Pink Lady is in the second week of its return engagement at the Colonial Theater and promises to hold good for a long and successful run. Believe Me, Xantippe, the Harvard prize play at the Castle Square Theater, celebrated its hundredth performance Tuesday night in the presence of a large audience. Handsome souvenirs were given out to mark the occasion. Only two plays have ever reacht the one hundredth mark at the Castle Square Theater, previous to Believe Me, Xantippe, these were The C'reus Girl and The End of the Bridge. A. Paul Keith, business manager of the United Booking Offices of America, has just returned from a three weeks’ trip to the Panama Canal. ERNEST WELLECK. ROCHESTER, N. Y. (Continued from page 18.) his relations with Catherine Aubin, of Carthage, N. Y¥. Later the girl's father telegrafed the police that he had no objection to her marrying McKenna and the ceremony was performed in police court, March 18. McKenna has considerable reputation as a traveler and a lecturer and exprest great chagrin at his experiencee. The police say they did not doubt McKenna’s good intentions in promising to marry the girl. Frank 8S. Wilstach, agent for Sothern and Marlowe, who will soon appear at the Shubert, called on his many friends in Rochester last week and remarkt to The Billboard representativ that he had broken all records with the amount of press matter he had distributed to the various papers. The Louise Coleman Players opened the spring season at the Shubert Easter Monday in stock. The first bill was The Deep Purple, which will be followed by Seven Days. The company with Miss Coleman includes William Jeffry, Raymond Bradley, Aubrey Beattie, Fred Roland, William Eville, Robert Stevens, Harland Moore, Made line Delmar, Anne Archbald and Belle Starr. John McCabe, Richard Irving Scott and Mar garet Lee will join the company later. K. I Dietz is the stage director, Charles N. Richards, the acting manager, and Horace McVicker. the press representativ, J. H. THOMPSON. BALTIMORE, MD. (Continued from page 18.) licity given this scheme has aroused the interest of Mayor Fitzgerald, of Boston, who has been in correspondence with Mayor Preston concern ing the development of this propusition. If this is granted and proves successful, the y¥ may adopt it also. The park com missioners are making inquiry in other cities to ascertain conditions and the feasibility of constructing these devices in public parks. Mrs. Charles A. Bigelow, widow of the late comedian, accompanied by her son, were guests at the Hotel Rennert for several days. They were en route to Chicago, The Baltimore Press Club ts preparing for Its annual entertainment and last week the boys recciwd word from Otis Skinner that he would come to see the shuw If be is in the vicinity of Raltimore at the time. The performance wil! be given at the Lyric April 20. Professional talent from the theaters will participate. Building Inspector Stubbs is making an tn vestigation of moving picture theaters to ascertain any defects that will endanger the patrons There are 86 of the institutions and the wiring and exits will be examined. The Eutaw House, a famous hostelry and landmark, was destroyed by a fire a few weeks before the Democratic Convention. The property belongs to the Gar rett estate and the owners object to rebuilding the structure. Nixon & Zimmerman, Marcus loew, Pearce & Scheck and other theatrical promoters, have been vicing with each other for the purchase of the property for which the owners want $360,000. The location is the corver of Baltimore and Eutaw streets and the site tis ample for a modern theater and an up-to-date hetel. There will probably be something doing on this corner before summer. SYLVAN SCHENTHAL. KANSAS CITY, MO. (Continued from page 18.) left immediately after the Saturday night per formance for her home in Reading, Pa. Manager A. Judah, of the Grand Opera House, returned March 6, from a six weeks’ trip to Florida and Panama and is looking very fine indeed for bis outing, and very successful in his fishing expeditions. Miss Ruth Peebles, is resting here until the Modern Eve at the Grand Opera House, the week of April 6. She will play the prima donna role. Miss Peebles left the company in Chicago about the first of March. She is visiting her sister here. Joseph Lanzburgh, architect for the Orpheum Circuit, was in the city last week and seleeted an office here. He will make flying visits between this city and San Francisco, where he is at present engaged on the 1915 Panama Exposition. Mr. Lanzburgh expects to prepare the plans for a new Orpheum immediately, so that work can be started at once. The site chosen by the Orpheum is just south of the corner of Twelfth street and Baltimore avenue. J. J. McLinden, house superintendent of the Garden Theater, returned to the city the first of the week after a month’s tour with the Garden Musical Comedy Stock Company. Man ager Churchill intends bringing the company back to the Garden later in the season. W. F. Smith, lessee of Fairmount Park, returned from California March 13. He will begin work at the park at once, preparatory to the summer opening. He left for Chicago, March 15, to book outdoor attractions. While on the Pacific Coast, Mr, Smith visited all the witu the Kansas City actress, engagement of A ter resorts and returned with many new ideas which will be put into effect at Fairmount Thomas L. Taaffe, manager of Fairmount is personally the park. superintending the freshening vf WILLIAM W. SHELLEY WALTER DUGGAN’S LETTER. (Continued from page 17.) James R. Sheeban act for vaudevil, which will be christened The Karlyle Kids. James writes that he doesn't know how many kids wilj be in the act. Suppose it depends upon the way Jack Murphy promises to feed them. George P. Murphy, who was closer to death, as the result of the auto accident, than he will ever get again unless he gets there, has a good bet on a horse called Lucky George. The first time out George casht at 50 to 1. This horse is staging a big Indian must have been christened after the auto accident. S. I. Conner, ahead of Robert Mantell, and incidentally a chap who bas advanct Robert Mantell’s cause in a style of flying colors, bobbed up on Broadway for a few days’ stay last week. Mrs. George P. Murphy, wife of George P. Murphy, was called to New York from Pittsburg by the severe illness of her sister, who underwent a dangerous operation at the Polyclinic Hospital. The patient is now on the way to recovery, allowing Mrs. Murphy to rejoin her husband at Toledo last week. It is rumored that A. Kk. Hall, for several seasons agent for Old Homestead, is about to become a benedict, having succumbed to the charms of a prominent Philadelphia society girl. (Normandie Hotel gossiping sheet, please copy.) James R, Jackson thought be would test the manageria] end of a troupe this season after a career of brilliancy as an agent. James R. has made good as the records of Where the Trail Divides will show. He was a Broadway visitor last week, arriving from Jersey City via the Hudson tube. J. H. B. Fitzpatrick, the boy scout ahead of Primrose-Dockstader’s ministrels, has purchased a motor-boat. He bas christened it The Needle, and several of his friends are looking forward to summer, so they can live on the yacht and save hote) bills. Gee, but there will be an awful drainage on the establishment where they sell cots, J. H. B., if I see thru the right glass. What's all this noise I bear on the popularpriced circult about a certain manager opening the telegraf messages that arrive for members of his company? Shoot me his name, W. B., and if you have the proof, why it would be a beautiful April 1 present to band the individual, by publishing his name. Danny Mack gave the farmers in Lexington, Miss., a lecture on The Pink Mask the other night. Danny then got busy and drew a picture of the town, which now adorns the town hall's walls. From Lexington, Brookhaven, and then we lost Can anybody blame us? The theatrical reviews signed by ‘‘Merlin’’ on the Louisville Herald are receiving commendation everywhere. Duncan Clarke, one of the South's cleverest editorial writers, is the ‘‘Merlin."’ We discovered it thru his original style of sentences. Jack Murphy has joined our contribution staff, and why anybody wisht a clerkship job on the pride of Pittsfield is a harder problem to solve than to credit Arthur McKechnie with smashing the pay station typewriter at a certain New York hotel, Let everybody smother Bob Clark with stamps. He's saving them. It looks as tho Bob wil! be the first agent who will use stamps for litho Stickers for the life of us can we reckon what Bob wants them for other than the stated reason. George Phair has track of him. returned from the training camp at Tampa. “Breakfast Food" says they still call out the militia in Tampa if a newspaperman calis for a giass of lemonade. George further says the builder of the original water wagon was the first man ever shot at sunrise in Tampa. I wil! sell my transportation to Tampa immediately, George, and buy a season ticket for the Cubs park, for we realize Charles Webb Murphy's stupendous supply of six season passes is fully exhausted. Haverhill, Mass., is going to be a real city some day if Dan Casey keeps at the helm as secretary of the Board of Trade. Dan keeps the members of the organization well posted on carnivals, etc., by placing several] copies of The Cubs Danny went to | HERBERT GREASON, Billboard in the reading room. Deco always dia have up-to-date ideas. Marry Kidiags surely does keep the Coban Grand Opera lLiouse in Chicago bouncing over iwe record-breaking burdies for exceileut managership. I doubt if any theatrical manager's list of real friends exceeds that owned by Har ry Ridings, and writing this paragraf; 1 am representing the thoughts of the advance re preseatativs’ world at large. What's this news I bear about John M. Welch probably remaining im London at the bead of a chain ef moving picture houses? Some rumor told me that Jack Welch celebrated St. Patrick's Day by putting over a dandy Coban and Harris Story in Lreland. “Stuffy"’ (as the boys call him) Davis strack Chicago with a bang this week, ahead of The Yellow Jacket. “‘Stuffy,’’ as usual, came equipped with the latest “good stuff."’ A few wonderers: If Charile Parsons remembers the good old morning rides we bad together in Tampa? If an advance agent is going to die, because he has remained on the water wagon for eight weeks. If everybody doesn't hope that Geo. Nicolai returns from Florida feeling better than he did on the return from the Bermudas? If Willis Jackson realizes that he has one of the houses that is doing the banner business of the season? If Werba and Luscher realize they have an agent in Geo. White, who is leaving a splendid reputation behind him in LIilinvis, Oblo and Indiana? If a fellow can go broke in Australia and get back to Broadway if he isn't a swimmer? Willis F. Jackson is the one gentleman residing wun the popular-priced circuit, who has truthfully boasted of excellent business all season. Willis’ hustling policies have kept the Walnut Street Theater in Cincinnati, to a high pitch as far as dandy gross receipts are concerned. More pewer to you, Willis, Col. Brown, of the Parmalee Transfer Company in Chicago, keeps account of all attractions by daily peeps at the routes In The Bill board. Funny how bard working people know how to ease a busy mind, eh? By the way, “Col” is the ‘“‘one best bet’’ as a friend of advance men visiting Chicago and fellow advance agent, who disputes this fact! Dan Clark, Big Four representativ in the Windy City, sang a solo and defined the length of a six-inch rule the other night at a reception in Chicago, and the party immediately broke up at the suggestion of Wally Decker. Weekly Puzzle Question: If a man considered himself a good enuf bank to hold $200 belonging to a lady, and then refused to allow the depositor tou draw said sum at the request, and later same man forgot that such a transaction teok place, what steps should the young lady take to secure the simoleons and what punishment is due the young man? Here's a new hotel experience for ‘‘us’’ agents: There's a certain hotel in Chicago which boasts vf having a ventriloquist among its bellborys. We didn’t believe it at first, knowing the difficulties of an education in such a profession. But now we do Why? Simply because we had our nerves shattered. Said ventriloquist is George Kotrba, known among the bellboys as “The Boy Ventriloquist.”’ Happened tu be roomed by this bellboy the other night. Inside the room a strange voice sounded as sald boy askt if he could bring up some ice water. The etrange voice sounded as tho it came from a person lockt In a closet. Just think of what a clever ventriloquist can do, and imagine the nervousness vf one, who didn't look for the ability to be possessed by a bellboy, when the latter succeeded In putting over a good job. We are now determined that said bellboy is giving an inkling into the methods that will bring bim more velvet than he is now receiving for “running bells.” FOR SALE KANSAS CITY THEATRE LEASE Lease runs three years. with option for five more. Rent very reasonable. Seating capacity over 2,000. Will sell for $3,000 cash. Address A. SUMNER, P. 0. Box 639, Kansas City, Mo rise you, FOR SALE bi One first-class Balloon, with Parachute, and @ ° tachments Price, $30.00. Write C. J. O’MALEY, Denison, Texas. JUST OFF THE PRESS Vaudeville Prompter. New, original Sketches, Acts, Monologs, Parodies on late songs, ete. Only $1.00. F. J. LaPIERRE,, Box 554, Dallas, Texas A VAUDEVILLE ACT FOR $1 3 Monologs, 5 Parodies (latest), 3 Comedy Recttations and one Cross-fire Sketch for Male Team. ALL FOR ONE DOLLAR. HERB MONAHAN, Vaudeville Author, Brockton, Mass SAVE MONEY On your printing bills Let us show you how. Small work our specialty Get your orders in before the spring rush HERALDS, DODGERS, Letter Heads. WESTPHAL & HUTTON, Bancroft, lowa WANTED 10 BUY PENNY ARCADE, in first-class condition; must be cheap; tell number of machines, style and make, and where it can be seen. Address TROY, N. Y. WANTED-—AGENTS Substitute for Slot Machines; patented; for $1.00. Particulars, GISHA COMAnderson, Indiana Legitimate sells on sight PANY. BAND ACtORS always place A-1 Musicians that double A-1 Show runs year round APPLEGATE & as per route, or Union, Neb. A FACTOR ¢ REBUILT BLICK TYPEWRITER!!! Guaranteed by the manufacturer, for $14.00 Send 5.00, machine will be shipped C. 0. D $9.00, subject to your inspection Satisfaction guaranteed. E BLICKENSDERFER MFG. 229 Fourth Ave., West, Cincinnati, Ohblo. Can Stage HUGO, co.,