Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-07
THE BUSINESS MANAGER.
BRIEF SKETCH OF THE THEATRICAL
PILOT, PAST AND PRESENT.
Men Who Worked Hard for Other People
and Received Little Money-Thinss
Have Changed Lately.

| There are men in the theatrical business
more necessary to the success Of plays.
players and managers than one can well
explain in few words, yet of them very
little is ever written or heard outside OF
the profession. They are known techni-
cally as Cuisines managers" or treasurers.
and frequently perform the offices of both.
In reality, they are the men who, in a
large measure, make the success of a star
or show, but who rarely receive more
than salary for their services. They are
singular lot Of people-sanguine ener-
getic and judicious. They are hopeful
even in the greatest and most crushing
adversely, and act at all times upon Richie
lieu's maxim that there is no such word as
fail.
They pluck victory from the very heart
of defeat, and are never cast down by cir
cumstances so long as the company will
stick" and the enterprise move forward in
the face of difficulties.
In this city there are several of these
gentlemen who have enriched, by their
industry, fertility of expedient and general
good management, some of the best-known
men in the theatrical profession.
Take John Burke, for instance, he that
was with Colonel Cody and the Wild West,
and who is now with the stock and re-
mains on the Wild West farm. John, or
Major Burke, as the boys love to call him,
is one Of the best types OF the men l allude
to above, and has been instrumental in
making the fortunes of more men than any
one else in the business of his age.
| remember him away back with Ned
Buntline and Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill.
when the latter first undertook to teach
the Eastern folk the habits, manners and
skill of the prairie man. John Burke was
invaluable to the outfit in those DAYS,
just as he has been to the Wild West of
late. And he did more to convince the
sceptical of the genuineness of the scouts"
with whom he was associated than did Ned
Buntline himself, who was regarded as
romancer of the "red, roaring Western
frontier" school.
The Major could and did play the part
of scout himself in those DAYS, and looked
quite as picturesque as any of the men
who have since essayed the task. But the
most beautiful thing about him then, as
now, was his absolute and unswerving low
atty to the persons whose lights he was en-
deavoring to fan and expand into constella-
tions.
He was never tired of singing the praises
of Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill He ex-
tolled their virtues and eloquently illumi-
mated their characters until he convinced
himself and large portion OF the public
that they were greater, nobier, handsomer
and more daring than Davy Crockett or
Daniel Boone.
Later on he did the same for BARLEY
Campbell and Frank Evans with the 'Gai-
ley Slave" and still later he absolutely
seized the world by the throat and made it
swallow NJ. 3. Curtis in "Sam'l of Posen"
as the greatest Hebrew character the
world had ever seen.
During ali this time John forgot him
self and his own interests, and after help
ing the gentlemen aforesaid to make for
tunes, he found himself positively penni-
less and looking for job.
Buffalo Bill needed him, and again the
Major came to the front as one of the
greatest business managers on the con-
tinent. He doomed the Wild West,
preached for it, romanced for it and spent
money for it like prince, until he sue
ceeded, as much as any one man could, in
convincing the universe that the Ameri-
can Indian was the noblest of heavens
creatures, and that Cody and Salisbury were
his deities.
And this is fair sample of the work
and methods of the business man" of the
theatrical profession.
The "busniess man" needed qualities
which if applied with similar force and
fidelity in legitimate directions would as
suredly place the exploiter in the front
rank OF his competitors. The talents and
assiduity necessary to the proper promul-
cation of a stars or shows magniicence
would adorn an orator, doctor, diplo
mat or lawyer.
Above everything else, let me extol the
candor and self-abnegation of this ''busi-
ness man," who devotes his life to the ex-
pansion of dramatic talent "for consider
alton" than which there is not much less
in any commercial concern.
But the business manager" of whom,
like another Virgil, I am prepared to sing,
is the creation of recent period of past
theatrical activity, and is not born at the
present hour within the walls OF the "pro-
fession."
Harry Sanderson, who is one of the old
and efficient schoofvf business men," has
been for years at the helm in Tony Pas
tors ship, and has steered her safely and
shrewdly, no matter who may have shaped
her course, disclaiming all or any credit
for his work, and manifesting only one de-
sire, namely, to be known as Tony Pastors
faithful amanuensis who does as he is
hidden to do, and has no penchant for per-
sonal Autographs or three-sheet posters of
himself.
Yet Mr. Sanderson has always been re-
garded as one of the most skillful variety
and speciality managers in the world. He
knows how to arrange programme as
well, if not better, than most men alive.
Nevertheless he does not blow his own
horn; he has been engaged to toot the
Pastor reed, and he does it faithfully,
modestly and gracefully. Few men in
the profession or in any other possess the
self-abnegation and common sense that are
to be found in the makeup" of Tony
Pastors factotum, and let me add right
here. that no man living could be more
keenly alive to Mr.. Sanderson's worth
than the debonnair, good -humored An
tonio-the local variety king.
John Russell of "City Directory" fame,
enjoyed a similar reputation when he was
simply business manager" for others. He
was with English opera years ago, and
made it pay at the Union Square Thea
ter when nobody else could do so. He
launched and handled more enterprises
for ambitious stars than any man of his
age in America. Yet he never was heard
of in them except as the modest trumpeter
and herald of their brilliant attributes.
He never laid claim to any of the glory.
Thorne and Goodwin, in "The Black
Flag" Mestayer, in "We, Us d Co. y
Donnelly and Girard, in Laughing Cas-
and Jennie Winston can attest to the
singular modesty and efficiency of John
Russell, who never billed himself until
he became the owner and backer of the
''City Directory"
J. Wesley Rosenquest, his partner in
the new enterprise, possessed similar quail
fications and was known only as Mr..
Colyille's business man" before that
gentleman's death.
Frank Mckee of the Hoyt and Thomas
firm is another of this kind of man, and
young Alec Comstock of the Academy of
Music is of the same school,