Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-07-13
Special Correspondence, |


Historical Collections Money in Brains.
Special Correspondence
WASHINGTON July 81 chatted last
night with one of tho leading theatrical
managers of the United States The
subject Of actors salaries came up, and
the manager told me they are on the in
crease. "All classes of persons connected
with the stage" said he, 'are getting
higher salaries now than they have ever
had before and think that many of our
actors are paid too much We have to
pay 5000 week for any kind of a leading
man, and good second is worth $3.50
week. If actors would save their money
they would make rs a rule more than the
managers, and there is no reason why
great actors should not amass fortunes
Look at Patti with $4,000 night Note
the eXtravagances of Sarah Berlhardt, and
YOU can see where the money goes tol
There is too much competition in man
sgement, and it is this competition that
raises the price of salaries have had
actors at 5000 a week who were dear at
that, and who were paid $500 week by
another manager, and have had actresses
whom paid $3.50 week taken from me
by other managers, who would offer them
$500
Are the managers as rule making
money!
"Somo are. but not many don't
"5hink more than One-third of the manage
lnents Lave como out ahead during the
past year, and if these have made an av
.crage Of over 100000 apiece they Lave
done well As for me will come out be
mind, and have a very fair troupe
'1,..4 .,gt h, 4 lao Ioc
salaries"
The great singers of course, though
great actor of any kind is well paid
Judge that Scalchi gets at least $1,000
n month, Campanini $4,000, and You know
that Patti receives $4,000 night by con
Sract. Look at the immense sums taken
in by Young Joseph Hoffman But an
actor or actress is worth Just what she or
he will bring. If she will bring $1,000 or
SO 600 q night she is always worth S., 900,
and if she is only the side light to big
play she may not be worth $50 week
The average theatrical salaries run,
J judge, from $50 to S15 a week.
Rose Coghlan used TO get $500
J. week Miss Jewett had for time
$500 week and Emma Abbott started
out with $1,000 year, and now gets
500 night for a concert. Ger
pltT EclS x ,~OO IL ulpHl, N'ulDllCH Ciu
make 81 800 a night and Mrs. Langtry
mas gotten big fortune out of her beau
1iful face. Modjeska has her own troupe
and usually does very well. Maggie
Mitchell makes lots of money and saves
it, and Kate ClaXton is always good
lard"
How about the ballet2'
1.-The high kicllers are, of course, paid
well, but the ordinary ballet wall flower
gets barely enough to support herself
The wages range all the way from So
week upward and a good utility woman
commands about $40 IA week. As to the
ballet, think the days of great dancers
bave past You should have seen Fanny
Ellsler when she made the tour of this
country She set the people wild with
her dancing, and it was so with Tagioni
in Europe. Jennie Durand died in Den
yer about four years ago, and she was one
Of the first ballet dancers of this country;
she was Il great favorte in the mining
towns Of the west and she made great
d,ai Of money Ta%Iioui got $4,000
year a. a salary but she was not money
maker and she retired from tie stage
when Size was still in her prime
DO You think stage life is heaithful
occupaliou?
"l 1t depends on how it is used was the
reply; "rlny of the actors of the past
rave lived TO a good old age. Macrcadv
died at 50, and Charles Kemblc, the father
of Fanny and Roger, lived to the age of
70. John Brougham died at 70, and Char
loUte Cusbman had passed her 10th year
when She died. Kittie Give reached
the age of n, and Fanny Eilsler, tho
noted dancer, lived to be "a Sarah Sid
dons died at 76, and the Wallacks are Of
long lived race. Henry Wallack, one of
'Lester's uncles, lived to be ~, his father
was ~ years old when he died and his
grandmother died at 90 Thomas King,
the original Sir Peter Teazle, lived to be
a. and the noted Colley Cibber lived to
De 81. There is no reason why an actor
should not live as long as the average
man, provided he does not drink or en-
gage in other dissipation. 1t is true his
life Is an exciting one, but he has his
suumer vacation, and he has as much
time TO rest as has the ordinary man, and
it is ,,oc same with actresses.
/ mes Professor n f. Dawson here yes
ferdav lie il the man who acted rs
Grants private secretary during the
writing of his book and it was to him
that Gen. Logan confided many of his
papers. Mr. Dawson has the confidence
of more public men, perhaps. than any
other man in the United States A quiet
slender man of about 40 years Of age, he
has for years been connected with the
statesmen of the country in confidential
capacity. He has acted as private secre
Gary TO more men than any other stenog
rapher in Washington, and he has a col
lection Of historical notes which are sur
passed ONLY by those of Bancroft He i.
possessed of remarkable literary ability
and his scrupuous integrity has giver
MIN access to matter which other writers
could not obtain. He has been gathering
AL the material he could find about publ
Tnen for the past decade or so He gets
full biographical sketch of each man o
note he meets, asking the man to furnish
It to him, and lie also has an interview
with each public man about such othe
persons Of note and about such periods a
nc has been acquainted with. lie gather
this material in personal interviews as
rule, aud takes down in short hand tn
data from the men themselves. In doin
40 he promiScS not to make Dublic the i'm