Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-08-23
ACTORS AND WRITER'S.
GOSSIP ABOUT TWO CLASSES or
so CALLED BOHEMlANS

GOSSIP ABOUT TWO CLASSES or
so CALLED BOHEMlANS
The Wages of Actors-Is Acting a Healthy
Occupation?-Prices of High Kickers.
Grants Stenographer and His Valuable
| Historical Collections-Money in Brains.
Especial Correspondence
| WASHINGTON, July 81 chatted last
night with one Of the 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 $500 week for any kind of leading
man, and good second is worth $3.50 q
week If actors would save their money
they would make as 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 extraEagances of Sarah Bernhardt, and
you can see where the money goes tol
There is too much competition in man
agement, 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
$780,"
"Are the managers as a rule making
| money!"
''Some are, but not many. l don't
think more than one-third of the manage
ments have come out ahead during the
past year, and if these have made an av-
erage of over $4,000 apiece they have
done well. AS for me will come out be-
hind, and have very fair troupe
| What women of the stage get the best
salaries?"
| 1.-The great singers, of course, though q
great actor of any kind is well paid. l
| Judge that Scalchi gets at least $1,000
month, Campanini $S, 900. and you know
that Patti recei1es $1,000 night by con-
tract 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 win bring 1000 or
$4,000 night she is always worth S., 900,
and if she is only the side light to a big
play she may not be worth $50 week.
The average theatrical salaries run,
judge, from $50 to $75 q week
Rose Coghlan used to get $3.50
week. Miss Jewett had for time
$500 week and Emma Abbott started
out with $1,000 a year, and now gets
800 night for concert. Ger
ster gets $1,000 a night, Sembrich can
make 81. 600 a night and Mrs Langtry
has gotten big fortune out of her beau
tiful 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 a good
card"
''How about the ballet?"
1.-THE high kickers are, of course, paid
well, but the ordinary ballet wall flower
gets barely enough to support herself.
The wages range all the way from Sc q
week upward and good utility woman
commands about $40 week. AS to the
ballet, think the days of great dancers
have past. You should have seen Fanny
Ellsler when she made the tour Of this
country. She set the people wild with
in Europe. Jennie Durand died in Den
| of the first ballet dancers Of this country;
| she was a great favorite in the mining
towns of the west, and she made great
| deal of money. Taglioni got $4,000
| year as salary, but she was not money
| maker and she retired from the stage
when she was still in her prime"
'Do you think stage life is a healthful
occupation?'
ut depends on how it is used" was the
reply; many of the actors of the past
have lived to a good old age Macready
| died at so, and Charles Kemble, the father
of Fanny and Roger, lived to the age of
70. John Brougham died at 20. and Char
lotte Cushman had passed her 10th year
when she died. Kittie Give reached
the age of a. and Fanny Eilsler. the
noted dancer, lived to be "a. Sarah Sid
dons died at 76, and the Wallacks are of
long lived race. Henry Wallack, one of
Testers uncles, lived to be 7S, his father
was 73 years old when be died, and his
grandmother died at 80. Thomas King,
the original Sir Peter Teazle, lived to be
| "a, and the noted Colley Cibber lived to
be 81. There is no reason why anbctor
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
summer vacation, and he has as much
| time to rest as has the ordinary man, and
| it is the same with actresses"
-
1met Professor n. f. Dawson here yes
| terday. He is the man who acted as
Grants private secretary during the
writing of his book. and it was to him
that Gen. Logan confded many of his
papers. Mr.. Dawson has the confidence
Of more public men, perhaps, than any
other man in the United States Aquiet,
slender man of about 40 years of age. he
has for years been connected with the
statesmen of the country in a confidential
| capacity. He has acted as private secre-
tary to more men than any other stenog-
rapher in Washington, and he has q col
| lection of historical notes which are sur
| passed only by those of Bancroft. He is
! possessed of remarkable literary ability,
and his scrupulous integrity has given
| him access to matter which ether writer's
could not obtain. He has been gathering
| all the material he could find about public
| men for the past decade or so. He gets
! full biographical sketch of each man of
note he meets, asking the man to furnish
| it to him, and he also has an interview
| with each public man about such other
| persons Of note and about such periods as
he has been acquainted with. He gathers
| this material in personal interviews as Q
| rule, and takes down in short hand the
data from the men themselves. In doing
| 80, he promises not to make public the in
formation given uLtil the person giving
such information authorizes it. Mr. Daw.