Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-02-05

DENVER, COL, Jan. 29.-The main sub
ject of interest among theatrical people
now is the great snow blockade on the
Central Pacific, which has kept three
companies snow-bound in the Sierras
| and lost several theaters on account Of
the failure of these companies to meet
their dates. The loss to managers is
estimated to amount to thousands of
dollars, while to the players, who
locked up in the snow Of the
mountains, the money damages though
smaller in amount, is likely to prove
| even more serious, because they are not
SO well able to stand it as the managers.
! In add ition to this, the actors and &C
tresses are reported to be actually suf-
fering for want Of proper food, and the
cold, and the effect of their experience,
! is likely to remain with some OF them to
the end of their lives.
| The Howard Specially Company has
! been the longest sufferer from the block
ade, having already been snow bound
in one car at Shady Run, Cal, for four
teen days. During this time the COM
pany has lived principally upon what is
known as "packed food" salt meat and
! fish prepared for winter consumption
at the smaller towns along the railroad.
10 men and women like the Irwin Sis
| tiers and George Thatcher, to whom
champagne suppers and wine dinners
have become almost q necessary of life,
| food of this kind is not likely to digest
well. Then, too, the fuel has given out,
and the occupants of the snowbound
car are obliged to suffer cold as well as
| hunger. Rich & Harris, of Boston, the
proprietors of the company, have been
doing all in their power to get the peo-
pie back to civilization and warm din
ners. They sent representative to
Sacramento over the Southern Pacific,
and he has made arrangements with the
railroad to get the company back to
Sacramento, as there is no prob
ability of its progressing to-
ward the East for the present.
From Sacramento, the company will 60
over the Southern Pacific to Kansas
| City, which it is hoped to reach tonight.
Under this programme Rich & Harris
expect to open at the Oimypic Theater,
st. Louis, next Sunday, If the people are
sufficiently recruited by that time. A
dispatch to Mr.. Harris, in New York,
says that the company 10 completely ex-
hausted, and suffering from want OF
nourishment.
The Shenandoah" company is still
showed in about nine miles from Wads-
worth, New. AL. Hayman telegraphs to
| Charles Frohman at New York, that
possibly the company may be "dug OUT
in time 10 reach San Francisco Friday.
The track for twenty-seven miles is GOV.
cred with ice and snow, which it is very
difficult to remove. The Baldwin Thea
ter has been closed all the week, and
will continue SO until Monday, when
Shenandoah" will be produced if the
company is fortunate enough to get
| there.
Roland Reed and his company are
also lost IN the snow somewhere on the
| Central Pacific, but nobody seems to
know where. The California Theater in
San Francisco, where they were to have
appeared last Monday, is closed, and
will remain so until some definite news
is received of Reed and his people.
The opening of the new Mark ham
! Opera House, in Portland, Ore, has been
postponed for a week, because the
Emma Juch Company has been unable to
get to Portland. ''The Pearl of Pekin"
Company has escaped the perils of the
snow, but it is blockaded between
Fresno and Los Angeles by washout.
Iakon alCOgotner the players pilgrim
age to the Pacific coast this season can
hardly be regarded as an overwhelming
| success.
| It now seems probable that the great
blockade on the Slerras will soon be
over. The big rotary pillow has been
dug from the snow in Cascade Canon,
and has done splendid work since. The
track is now clear as far as the pillow can
clear it. The snow it has been passing
| through was nearly as hard as ice, and
averaged twenty feet. The railroad
officials state that the only obstruction
now is about foot of hard trampled
snow and ice which covers the rails for
q considerable distance. This must be
be removed by picks and shovels. The
officials think the blockaded trains will
reach San Francisco to. day. The trains
| have two weeks mail.
The blockade on the California &
Oregon Railroad still continues, as there
is little prospect of breaking it for q
week yet. There is no communication
north from Frisco except by steamer.
| noyE INTO