St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-06-18
Our New York Letter.


WORKS IN AND ABOUT THE cITY-AR.
TEsIAN WELLS UTILIZED BY LEADING
HOTELS.
NEW YORK, June IL, 1880.
To the Editor of the Caledonian:
The past week has been very largely
given over to politics so much so, in
fact, that local incidents have occupied
very small part of public attention
Standing around bulletin boards and
mobbing the newsboys for week, and
then standing around hotel corridors
and shady street corners to discuss the
nominations, has kept New Workers. toe
busy to give their customary attention
to the happenings of everyday life in
the city.
Despite this absorbing interest, how
ever, pretty nearly all grOwn-up Go
than has found leisure to drop an actu-
al or metaphorical tear upon the coffin
of old John Brougham, who died peace
fully early in the week, and was buried
with all the hOnors the theatrical pro-
fession could bestow. There is prob
ably no member of this honorable guild
in this country who stands better as an
actor and man than did Brougham.
He was born in Ireland 20 years ago,
received a collegiate education prepar-
atOry to entering the ranks of medicine
men. His taste was for the stage, how
ever, and to that he early devoted him
col T |,
came to New York, which was ever
afterwards his home. He wrote more
plays and burlesques than could be cat
alOgued in this letter; was actor and
manager by turns, and the prince of
good fellows and gentlemen always.
He made a great deal of money during
his long career, but his carelessness with
that article, and his reckless generOsi-
ty left him so poor in his old age, that
for the past two years he has been liv
ing on an annuity purchased with the
proceeds of grand benefit given for
the purpose by his professional breth-
rem.
Speaking of actors and their compen-
sation, reminds me of certain statistics
prominent members of the
profession, which 1 got hold of some
time ago, and which may be of interest
to your readers. Actors may be divid-
ed into three classes: Stars, who make
enormous profits; leading men and
other specially favored members of
stock companies, who work for good
salary, from 500 to 5000 per week,
and the minor members of the profess
sion, who belong to stock company,
or have intermittent engagements in
and combinations, whose re-
varies from SIS to $95 per
week, and whose labor is harder than
any other.
OF the first class there is Edwin Booth
Hamlet on and off the stage-whOse
terms are always $500 night, paid be-
fore he goes on, except when he chooses
to "share," and whose working year of
thirty weeks nets him 100000. E. A.
Sothern also takes $500 at each per-
Torrance, except when he shares, get
ting often so per cent of the receipts,
and furnishing his own plays and com
pany. In his 45 working weeks he nets,
of his frequent benefits, $751;
500 annually. Miss Nelson has made
from $1,000 per week to $1,000 per
night, but easily makes engagements
for 50 weeks at $500 each performance.
She is a safe star for managers, as is
Fanny Davenport, when she travels
without company and in her old re-
pertOire. $1,000 per week and bene-
it are her average terms. Owens plays
On shares, netting from $4,000 to $4,000
por Ssoolt Cor -tbirty-~ooho,- .t.rrmcring
On his farm. Maggie Mitchell clears
$40, 900 to $4,000 per year, and Lolita
gets $1,000 per week, with still improv-
ing prospects. BOucicault plays in the
dramas bearing the trademark of his
name at $500 per night, making about
Sl40, 900 per year. Other stars, Mod
ieska, Clara Morris, Mary Anderson,
Lawrence Barrett, Rose Eytinge, Rob-
son and Crane, are uncertain, but play
successful engagements to bring
them out at the end of the year with
good profit.
OF these prominent artists many often
share after expenses, the sum deducted
by the manager varying from $500 to
$500 in different cities. Jefferson gets
half of the gross receipts up to $1,000,
and rs per cent beyond that. Lester
Wallack commands at the lowest $500,
while the FlOrences and others who
travel with their own companies make
and lose here and there, but usually
come out far ahead of expenses. Of the
fortunes made by these ladies and gen.
tlemen some are very large. Sothern
owned two years ago, three-fourths of
a million, but pays heavy taxes
on unremunerative real estate. Nelson
owns real estate at 100000. Owens
has property of about 100000 and
is specialist" like Jefferson, Booth,
etc. Jefferson's property is about ST.
600, 200; Barney Williams left $780,
900, and the others have property at
nearly these figures.
There is money and fame and pleas
ure in the dramatic profession for those
who have the ability and the industry
to work their way to the top, and keep
there; but hard work, small pay, an
and something a little bet
ter or little worse than obscurity exist
for most actors and actresses.
Just at this time New York is the
centre of several engineering works of
vast Importance and universal interest.
The East River Bridge, which was
looked upon as the chimera of crazy
mans brain only few years ago-as
were the Atlantic cable and the Pacific
Railroad in their time-is now nearly
completed. 1t is the largest suspension
bridge las to length of span) in the
world. Beneath the Hudson River a
tunnel that is slowly but surely con-
Meeting New York with its New Jersey
and forming another link
in the chain that must one of these days
end in annexation or consolidation, is
creeping onward. At the northern end
of the island the ship canal that is to
connect the Hudson and East rivers,
and restore to the Harlem its lost pres