St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-17
THEY MEAN BUSINESS.
Theatrical Managers Combine t
Secure Hover Railroad Rates,

Iheatf1cal managers COmD1ne TO
Secure Lower Railroad Rates.
The refusal of the railroads in the
Northwest to make the concessions
known as theatrical rates to travelling
troupes has been playing havoc with
the places of amusement for the past
two or three years. AS result, what
is known as the Northwestern Theat-
rical Managers association has been
organized. which held meeting at the
Grand opera house yesterday afternoon.
j. +. Conklin, of the Grand opera house.
was appointed temporary chairman, and
among those present at the organization
of the association were Manager
Jacob Lift, who owns and controls the
opera house, Milwaukee: the Grand
opera house. st. Paul; Manager j. f.
Conklin, of the Grand opera house and
Lyceum theater. Minneapolis; Manager
l.. n. Scott, of the Metropolitan opera
house, st. Paul; Manager George B.
Haycock. of the Lyceum theater, Du
luth; Manager A. M. Miller, of the
Temple tbeater, Duluth; Manager F. l..
BiXby, of the Grand opera house, st.
Paul; Manager 7. l.. Hays, of the Bijou
theater, Minneapolis; Manager }. T.
Condor, of the Grand opera house at
West Superior; Manager E. P. Hilton,
of the Pence opera house, Minneapolis;
Manager Pat Conley. of the Olympic
theater, st. Paul; Manager Fred Pride.
of the dime museums of both Minneap-
lis and st. Paul, and Manager Sherman
Brown, of the Davidson and Acad-
envy of music, Milwaukee. In adj
dition the theatrical managers of
Denver, Omaha, Milwaukee and Kansas
City are also members OF the aSSocia-
ton. An adjournment was taken to
March 2, when a meeting will be held
at the Grand Pacific hotel, Chicago.
when every theatrical magnate in all
of the above cities will be III attendance,
and some decided action against the
enormity of these railroad imposltionS
against theatrical companies aud theat-
rical interests in general will be taken.
The principal object of the association
at present is to see what can be done to
obtain better railroad rates for theat-
rical combinations playing in the West
and Northwest, as the present eXor-
bitant rate charged by railroads is said
to be disastrous to theatrical interests
in this part of the country. In city
the size of Minneapolis. with some 49,
600 souls, the two principal theaters will
be obliged to remain closed al
most half of the present month.
This can also be said of st. Paul,
with its magnificent temples of amuse-
ment. The railroad rate from Chicago
to Minneapolis at present is said to be
S1l.5O, and not the slightest concession
is made as to the number of people,
whether it be 10 or 100. Therefore the
big companies absolutely refuse to take
such an enormous financial risk for the
sake of visiting many of the cities in the
Northwest and West. Itwas the unan-
imous voice of the theatrical managers
assembled here yesterday to, ii neces-
sary, make their contracts with COM
paDies so as to include the railroad
fares, and then appoint one man to rep
resent the association, who, unless a
concession is made that will be consid-
cred fair, will route all attractions play
ing in the West and Northwest over but
one railroad. which will make some
sort Of reduction.