Variety (March 1909)

VARIETY 15 GIRGUS NEWS "GOOD MAN," THAT DONALDSON. Cincinnati, March 25. A chattel mortgage for $37,760 has been given by H. S. Rowe to the Donaldson Lithographing Co., of this city, covering all the stock and property connected with The Greater Norris & Rowe Circus. That show opened at Santa Cruz March 11. Towards the end of last season there were some financial complications, and Donaldson at that time was said to have saved the Norris-Rowe outfit from attach- ment proceedings, which might have re- sulted in an auction of the show. Later on H. S. Rowe assumed the charge and direction for this season, sending out press matter stating all creditors had given him time for settlement, particu- larly mentioning Donaldson, who had told Mr. Rowe to "go ahead and pay when you can." The press matter summed up Donaldson as "one grand, good man" even if he does run a lithographing plant among other enterprises, and has gone through this same thing many times. That chattel mortgage, though, is giv- ing Mr. Donaldson's-through-Rowe "grand goodness" an awful wallop, but the lien is not surprising anyone nor was it unex- pected. Everybody hopes Mr. Rowe will have a good season. CITY FATHER IN WAGON SHOW. Greenville, Pa., March 25. Councilman Edward W. Kramer has purchased an interest in the Loudon & Tuttle Circus which has winter quarters here, and will travel with the show, claimed to be the largest wagon show on the road. GADBIN FOLLOWING DESPERADO. Desperado, a "suicide seeker" • of the original Gad bin school, is due in New York this week, and will open with the Barnum-Bailey Circus in Chicago. Gad- bin, the original, lost his life in Germany a year ago performing a diving trick he had conceived. He dove from a high point to an inclined spring-board, landing upon his chest. A miscalculation did the rest. Gadbin, the Second, was engaged to come over to this side and emulate the originator. A disappointment reported caused the engagement to be canceled. Desperado was substituted. Now Gadbin, the Second, is here and hopes to find a resting spot with the Ring- ling Brothers' show at the Garden. The Marinelli office is the agency for both acts. Desperado's act belongs to Charles Montrell, who himself will arrive in America to open on the Orpheum Circuit during July. Emil Ritter, of "midget" fame, owns the "Gadbin, Second" number. Ritter is also coming over, according to rumor. Both managers are at present abroad. FIGURING ON TENT SHOW. Warren, O., March 25. The Murray-Mackey Co. is planning to put out a tent show this summer that will play Ohio territory for a period of 12 weeks. POSSIBLE LINE ON H.-W. Cincinnati, March 25. R. M. Harvey, general agent of the Hagenbeck -Wallace Circus, has been in Cincinnati looking over the town for a possible stand while ordering paper from local lithographers. It is taken from this that tho "opposi- tion" circus is contemplating invading the southwest early in the season, perhaps just after the opening at Peru, where the winter quarters are. Mr. Harvey said the prospects for a good tent season looked very bright at present, although they were quite dis- couraging a month or so ago. Mr. Har- vey qualified this statement, however, by stating a good season depended upon the weather to a great degree for out-of-door entertainment. While here Mr. Harvey talked ~to a rep- resentative of the Cincinnati Enquirer. What he may have said on the side does not appear, but this is one thing that The Enquirer printed in a circus story: "The fame of this circus (Hagenbeck-Wallace), which is the only one of any size not controlled by the circus trust," etc. What that "only one of any size" will do to W. E. Franklin, general manager of the Sells-Floto Circus, and H. H. Tammen, the-owner of that other large "opposition" circus, is simply too awful to think of. "BIG SHOW" OUT WEST. Chicago, March 25. The Barnum-Bailey Circus arrived Wednesday, and proceeded to the Coli- seum, where the grand opening will occur April 1. Next Wednesday a dress rehear- sal will take place. Jay Rial is in charge of the publicity department. TRAINER A STICKER. Baltimore, March 25. Herr Roth, an animal trainer who ap- peared at the Victoria Theatre, this city, last week with his trained tiger, Prince, had a narrow escape from death or serious injury Wednesday night. Prince became unruly and sprang from a pedestal at his trainer. Herr Roth owes his life to his agility, as he quickly jumped aside. The animal, however, tore the sleeve from the trainer's coat and severely lacerated his arm. He was taken to a hospital, where the wound was dressed, returning to the theatre in time for his next performance. Although the tiger was in an excitable state, Roth put him through the act without further injury. FEMALE "ADVANCE." Geneva, O., March 25. A woman will be engaged for the news- paper contracting ahead of the Howard Damon Circus this season. The show opens here the last of April. Other features to be used in connection with the advance car will bo a miniature caliope and a moving picture of "Travel- ing With a Circus." Wes. F. Pike w the treasurer for the season; Frank B. Miller, the equestrian director. Doc Mintorn will handle the press work back with (he show. The circus will be under the personal direction of Col. M. II. Welsh. THE WOMAN IN VARIETY By THE SKIRT. For just pure unadulterated "gall," per- haps the critic who asked for three boxes and forty-two passes in one week from one Metropolitan circuit ought to have the prize. Then I heard Monday the same critic walked out of a theatre because the management would not place an entire box at his disposal. The same day I was given two seats off the aisle in one of the theatres on the same circuit, so I must be what io called a "quince." If I had the nerve, though, of that fellow I would ask that a private performance be given for me alone some morning. But I wouldn't blame any critic for "tearing up" a show where he had to sit two seats off the aisle to watch it. Some managers ought to be planting potatoes about now. might just as well order the colored casket he preferred. Then the comedian had a notary copy the letter and sign the dupli- cate. The telephone company has lost one good customer, but there is also one wife relieved from further annoyance. I wonder that John Ringling doesn't object to the awful lithographs that are flooding New York at present. They rep- resent Mr. Ringling as an elderly man with an enormous moustache, while he is a young man, smoothshaven and extreme- ly good looking. There's one young son in a family hav- ing so much real estate in New York they can hardly keep track of it who won't forget the "calling" he received a short time ago for a very long while. An un- usually well known comedian, obliged to be away from home weeks on a stretch, was informed by his wife upon returning that this scion of the rich had been introduced to her one evening, calling over the phone twice since in an attempt to make an ap- pointment. The next out-of-town engage- ment the comedian had the wife accom- panied him. Returning to the hotel, the dutiful spouse volunteered the information the fellow had called her up on the long distance from New York, Infuriated, the comedian immediately sat down and wrote a letter to the youth with nothing in his head but how to spend the hereditary wealth. The comedian told him that though an actor, he had a home, and if he further "monkeyed" around that home in any way, the Broadway white lighter Mrs. William Moms is seen at theatres very frequently of late looking charming, and is growing younger every day. Have you noticed that Mrs. Morris is always ready with a smile and a handshake for everyone? It is due to Mrs. Morris 9 charming personality, so I am told, that J. J. Jeffries played New York. Mrs. Jeffries persuaded her husband to come to New York so she could find out if all easterners were as nice as Mrs. Morris. Both Miss Stevenson and Henriette Byron are wearing white l ; ngerie dresses over pink at Hammerstein's this week, with the latest thing in poke bonnets. I admire the broad beading effect at the knees of Miss Bryon's dress. A broad pink satin ribbon was drawn through this beading, finished at the right side with a large rosette. Resplendent in a sealskin dolman, white fox hat and neckpiece, Valeska Suratt swooped down on Atlantic City Saturday and made the seaside visitors and natives sit up. Sunday Miss Suratt's hat was a black Cabriolet, buried in red roses. RINGLING CIRCUS OPENS. The Ringling Brothers' Circus had its New York premiere on Thursday night at the Madison Square Garden, becoming the circus event of the metropolis for 1909 in place of the Barnum-Bailey Circus. The latter's long, uninterrupted annual New York opening has been displaced through purchase by the Ringling*, who have brought their own tent performance into the big Garden, shipping the former spring occupant to open at Chicago. A crowded house watched the first show, and while no sensational feature was ad- vertised in advance the circus men around town, past and present, looked forward to seeing a well-balanced performance. The Ringlings do not believe in a com- plete dress rehearsal. On the Wednesday evening before the opening show, a bright- ly colored performance was rehearsed. A great deal in Ringling Bros.' Circus is expected from the Schumann horses, brought over here fp'tn JWIin. The date for the complimentary dinner to Louis Cooke. J. Jay Rrady, Major Burke and flu v St eelv at the Friars' has been changed to March 27. An old-fash- ioned ha If-sheet dodger, used by the cir- cuses of ten years ago, has been gotten up by James l)e Wolf and distributed about as an announcement. SOME RINGLING STANDS. It appears that the Ringling Brothers' Circus will follow out the accustomed route of the Barnum-Bailey show. From the Garden it goes to Brooklyn, probably also playing the old series of stands into Phila- delphia. The circus plays Atlantic City May 15, coming from Wilmington and closing the week in Trenton. These towns have al- ready been contracted. Pachcta, who ran a circus organization in Panama this winter, has returned to the United States. He goes with the Bar- num show again this season. Toward the latter end of the winter business is said to have fallen off in the canal strip. Pa- cheta, however, has announced his inten- tion of going south next winter with a show. John Ringling expects to leave for Chi- cago to-day (SaturdayK remaining there until the Barnum-Bailey Circus opens on April 1. Charles A. Pheeney, former manager of Solida Opera House, Solida, Col., and pres- ent manager of the Murray and Mack Co., has contracted to tour with the Wallaee- IlaifenlH'ek Circus. lie will join the ad- vance uihI'T general .i-ent It. M. Harvey.