The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-05-26
Our New York Letter.
stewart's Estate-A Rather Long Look at
Amusement Matters Business How the
Evangellsts Live.
FROM Our REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
New YORK, May 10, 1876.

FROM Our REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
New YoRK, May 10, 1876.
THE STEWART ESTATE.
There is, as might have been expected
a great deal of dissatisfaction over the dis
position of Stewards money. The employ
ees, it will be remembered, who had bee
with him ten years were to receive $50
each, and those who had been twenty year
were to get 900. Now trouble sets in
Statesmen who have served faithfully MIN
years and a half get nothing, and thos
who have been grinding out money for th,
dead merchant for nineteen years and :
half get only $500. Naturally they growl
particularly as he always worked his mel
harder, and paid them less, than any mer
chant in New York. Whenever gooG
man wanted to leave the house, that he
4 might better his condition. he was always
induced to remain BY the statement that
while the pay was small, and the service
onerous, all the faithful men who would
stand by the House, would be remembered
in such way as to leave them better of
than as though they went for higher pay
at the time. The absurdly small sum left
these men irritates them. They receive
about $50 each per year, provided they
have been in the service the exact time to
entitle them to anything. And his bequests
to the heads of his departments were ab-
surdly small. Think of giving a man eapa-
BILE Of handling millions, and as good a
merchant DIS Stewart himself, a bonus of
$4,000 for twenty years of hard, grinding
labor! No man ever died in New York
less regretted, and no man ever lived who
did less with his opportunities.
THE THEATRES AND HOW THEY LIVE.
Do you know what it costs New York to
amuse itself? There are in the city over
sixty places of amusement that are counted
legitimate. There are, of course, great
many more than that, but the sixty am
speaking of are, most of them, decent
places, to which respectable women may 60
with their husbands and lovers. The five
principal ones are Booths, Wallack's, the
Union Square, the Fifth Avenue, and the
Park. Of these Booths is the largest, and
a little showing of the cost of running that
may be taken as a sample of the whole.
To begin with, the building cost originally
two millions of dollars, and the ground
upon which it stands a million more, that
is, the building finished for performances.
The regular company consists of about
thirty people. There is the leading man,
whose salary will not he less than $3.50 per
week the leading lady, who is worth
almost as much. Then comes the walking
gentlemen at about 800 the soubrette, or
chambermaid, the funny woman, gets $100
and SO on down through the category, till
you come to the utility, that is, people
who are depended upon to do everything,
who average about $50 per week. These
people comprise the regular company.
Thep Il! comes the supers, as they arg ssy ss..ss.
as they shout, in mobs, who are paid from
fifty cents to dollar night. The stars
receive enormous pay. For instance, in
the recent production of Julius Caesar, at
Booths Theatre, Mr.. Barrett, the Cassius,
received 81, 900 per week Bangs, as Mark
Antony, $500; Davenport, the Brutus,
$700; and Levick, the Caesar, $3.50. Be-
sides these, there are more than dozen
first-class people in the piece, and none of
whom draw less than $40 per week. But
this is a very light part of the expense Of
producing the tragedy. Over six hundred
men, nons Of them less than six feet in
height, were employed to represent Roman
soldiers, at an expense of 75 cents per
night. The scenery, and necessary ma
ehinery to make the pageant, cost the
not less than $50, 200, and all
of this expenditure before single dollar
could be realized. Still with all it's expense
the piece made money In New York, and
is making great deal of money in the
country. The theatre seats about three
thousand people, and as the cheapest seats
are $3.50, and from that to $3.50, it is not
difficult to see where the money comes
from, if the house is Alled each night,
and there arg so many strangers IN New
York, aside from the resident population,
it was filed every night during its run.
The great actors, in thelegitimate drama
make great deal Of money. Edwin Ro9ettAt
never plays except for half the gross re-
eeipts Of the theatre, and the manager
must guarantee that share to be not less
than $500 per night. Charlotte Cushman
got even higher terms, and such people as
Owens, Rrougham and a score of others do
as well. 1t is every actors ambition to get
to be star, and to have a piece of his own,
and every one Of them, from the lowest all
the way ZIP, firmly believes himaelf to be
the best actor in the world, If he could only
get the people to recognize him. I never
knew one of them who did not believe that
Edwin Booth attained his position by sheer
luck, and who would like TO get chance
to play Hamlet beside him. But with all
this they are harmless, Innocent, pleasant
class Of people, who have their uses in the
world, and who fiA their places as well as
other people do.
There are score Of pretty little thea
ters IN various parts of the town, that
are respectable, and several that are not.
Then you come down to the pretty waiter
girl establishments, which are as bad as
can be, only one of them being even safe.
Harry Hills place, on Houston strset, has
been notorious for q dazen or more years.
and it is o curiosity. The regular patrons
of the place are of course sporting men and
strangers who want TO see. Hill gives
variety of performance. consisting af sing
ing, dancing, etc., by male and femala
performers, ATHLETIC exercises. and boxing
and wrestling matches. BUT however
rough the audience, and however uncopth
they may be in their demonstrations, no
bad conduct il tolerated. Hill Is brawny
saan OF fifty, who was for years prize
fighter in England, and he can yet "get