St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-16
GAY GOTHAM GOSSIP.
The Piles of Sheckles that Famous
American Actors Have
Rolled Up.
Fritz" Emmet's Half Million and
How He Spends It His Weak
ness for Liquor.
The Popular Song Writers Of the Present Day
"A Song Sold for $35 Brings
$35, 600.
The Style that Wins the American Heart
Live Theatrical Chit-Chat from
the Metropolis.
Correspondence of the Globe.


Correspondence of the Globe.
New YORK, March ia few days ago I
passed couple of hours in the evening in
the dressing room of the ablest eccentric
comedians on the American stage. 1t was
in one of the leading theaters of this section
of the country, and a brace of dramatic
authors and a well-known manager were in
the party. There was ''wait'' of 20 minutes
for the star when the curtain fell on the first
act, and the conversation turned naturally
from the financial successes of the present
theatrical season to the fortunes, the leading
American actors and actresses of the day,
have amassed. 1t was surprise to me to
hear the comedian say, as he paused
in the artistic penciling of an eyebrow
that Joe Emmett headed the list of the
financially fortunate with the shekels he had
sung aud danced out of ''Fritz." 1 hazarded
the remark that Joe jefferson must have
made great deal of money out of Grip"
The brilliant young actor addressed, who had
himself made s40,0 net in single season
of forty weeks, turned from contemplating
his makeup
IN HIS LooKING-GLAss
and said: eyes, Jefferson has made pile
of money. So has John Owens in "Solon
Single" and Middewick in "Our Boys"
50 has Maggie Mitchell. So has Lolita. So
has Lester Wallack for that matter. But
tell you that for making money by the bar
rel and for sailing it away. Emmett takes the
cruller. Jefferson and Miss Mitchell are
we'll fixed. Owens has had to come down to
play in stock company in New York and
Lolita lost neat little slice Of her fortune in
bonds of the National theater of Washington,
which was burned down just before the in
auguration. But ''Fritz" has got the rocks.
You can put him down as good for half
million at the lowest figure"
Some one in the party remarked that it
was strange man who was subject to such
convivial outbreaks as Joe Emmett OCCASION
ally INDUCED in, to the great disgust of the
public, could amass such fine fortune.
"Pshaw," said the comedian. .'Emmet's
sprees never lost him any money to speak
of. He is not one of the kind to 90 off on
tear and never pull a rein until they get rid
of all the ready money they can lay hands
on. A bottle of whisky that costs dollar
and quarter means twenty-four hours
drunk for Emmett in his hotel. When he is
off he only loses by his debauches the money
he would make by Keeping sober enough to
play through an engagement And, as he
is only periodical, he is not out so very
much in the end. His expenses for sup
port have always been light. He draws him
self, somehow. like a chimney on fire, but
his people are as cheap as his drunks."
II.
On last Saturday night was standing in
the Office of an uptown theater in New
York, when the manager remarked to his
treasurer: 81 hear that Joe Emmett has had
an attack of delirium tremeus in Pittsburg,
and that all his engagements for the season
have been cancelled" Irecalled the con-
versation given above and how far out EN-
NETS brother actor was when he implied
that Fritz could not drop some fine day
into most expensive and disastrous spree.
Next Monday the Sunday papers announced
that Emmet's course had been such at the
Monongahela house in Pittsburg, dur
ing his recent engagement in that
city, that he was perem ptorily ordered to
leave the hotel; that a relative had
pleaded with the mayor that the unfortunate
actor should not be arrested; that he had APP
peared so incapably drunk on the stage on at
least one night that the curtain had to be
rung down amid the Kisses and jeers of the
audience, who got their money back; that
the Pittsburg spree had begun elsewhere and
that poor Fritz was carried to hospital in a
condition bordering on delrium tremens.
This was the second time he had offended in
the same way at Pittsburg, and there was not
the slightest sym pathy for him.
EMMETT's DRUNKENNESS.
For when a man circumstanced as Joe
Emmett is periodical drunkenness or dipsO.
mania, or whatever specialists may call it,
must be disease. He has everything the
world can give worth living for, almost ev-
erything the heart could desire-health,
wealth, domestic happiness, plenty Of good
friends, great popularity, a modcum of
genius, a fair share of artistic versatility,
when he chooses to exercise it, and home
that prince might envy. His Swiss chalet
on the cliffs over the Hudson, near Albany.
Is an architectural gem. inside and outside.
The interior is provided with every luxury
of perfect modern dwelling, and
the bathing, smoking and loungng
rooms are oriental in their magnif-
cence. The quantity tiled roof pro-
iects beyond the walls on every side, and
from the broad portico there is view almost
unequaled the world over. 1t is a spot
where 'Fritz,'' come into his fortune and
all his wanderings over, could end his days
In peace and plenty, simmering away his
declining years. the dists mt Catskills and the
Berkshire hills bounding his horizon south
and east, and the lordly Hudson's silver
thread losing itself in the north. 1t looks as
IL poor Emmett could not begin his rest too
soon. His merry, musical voice is almost
gone and his blithsome step has lost its elias
ITCHY.
Coming home on the cars from the inau-
guration last week l met Harry Kennedy,
the ventriloquist and the author Of some Of
the most popular songs of the day. 1t was
he who wrote Empty is the Cradle, Baby's
Gone: A Flower from Mothers Grave;
Americas Emblem, the Violet; The Old
fashioned Photograph, aud that last popular
craze, which is far below his other work and
quite unworthy Of him, I'm Dude. Harry
had great scheme on hand for the inau-
guration ball, but 1t fell through. mainly be-
cause of his own neglect. Some weeks
ago he made his most ambitious
effort In the musical line in the shape of an
anthem, which he intended should be Of a
national character and should be appropriate
to the restoration Of the Democratic party to
pswer after a quarter OF a century in the
wilderness. He has since played the anthem
for me and the music is really fne. 1t closes
with a hynnal chorus which is most effective.
lie the text there are some very clever con-
eeits, Of which the following original de-
scription OF how Liberty selected the stars
and stripes for her flag, and the eagle for her