Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-11
ON AND OFF THE STAGE
Interesting Notes About the Greatest
Snowman on Earth.
HOW BARNUM BECAME RICH
How Money IL Secured for the Actors' Fund
Wilton Lackaye's Adsptability-An Actress
and Her Magnificent wiE-Ths Beauty Who
Snored.
Written for The Evening Star.

Wntsen Tor The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, April TO- 1891.
TNHE AMERICAN PUBLIC ALWAYS HAS
Il money in its mind and is therefore inter-
ested in the finances as well as the artistic
qualities of its public amusements. In all the
obituary matter published about Phineas Tay-
Tor Barnum since his demise the secret of his
business arrangements during the past twenty
years has not been revealed. Here it is:
During the decade between 1870 and 1880 Bar
mum had not dollars worth Of ownership in
any Of the shows which went under his name.
Instead OF being proprietor in the smallest
degree he simply leased out the use Of his
name and fame on a royalty Of S25, 900 per
year. Instead Of being the audacious and en-
terprising Snowman he virtually retired upon
his Lurels and decided that henceforth he
would let others take the risks while he con-
tentedly and placidly enjoyed good and sure
income. The last of his own ventures previous
to this had not been very remunerative. Fire
had destroyed his last and not extremely pros
porous museum in this city and his private
fortune amounted to just nothing at all. While
uncertain what to do and casting about for
new capital he received an offer from four
circus managers-Hurd, Coup, Bunnell and
Castelo-of sum equaling the salary Of the
President Of the United States for his name
v
Barnum's greatest shows on earth" went forth.
The came arrangement with some changes in
the makeup Of the firm really owning the ex-
hibition, continued until 1880. Barnum lent
his presence to the ring once in a while in the
big cities and kept up an appearance of direc-
ton, but for o fact he had no voice in the man
agement. He lived handsomely at Bridgeport,
married for a second time and spent all his in
come The proprietors of the show made goodly
profits for themselves, but no great fortunes,
and during the season of 1879 they encountered
great opposition from Bailey Il Hutchinson's
Great London Show. as it was called. The two
concerns travelled through the same territory
and damaged each other seriously by competi-
ton, but the Barnum party came of second best.
At the end OF the years struggle Barnum be-
came convinced that Bailey & Hutchinson were
hveher and ADLER operators than the party with
whom he had been associated. So the shrewd
old man had an intimation conveyed by q
friend that he would lease his name to the
stronger party rather than to the weaker one.
NAME AND CAPITAL COMBINED.
1--WE don't want your name alone" was the
Bailey d Hutchinson reply, unless at the same
time we can wipe out the opposition from
which we have suffered during the past season.
Now, we haven't money enough to buy them
out. Ii you will purchase that property we
receiver of half the profits, while we will
assume all the cares of management as an offset
to the value Of your name.
Barnum hesitated over the risk, because it
involved the mortSaging Of his home at Bridge
port and the assumption of payments on
heavy debt, in order TO buy out the other show;
but at length he decided in the affirmative and
the firm of Barnum, Bailey & Hutchinson was
formed. The circus business is based on
enormous exaggerations, of course, but the
clear fact is that the profits of this concern
nave been tremendous. Hutchinson sold out
his quarter interest to Bailey several years ago
and retired with what is believed to amount to
two millions. Barnum's wealth Will prove to
be not less than twice that sum-so those
nearest to him say; and Bailey is two-thirds as
rich as that, with one OF the costliest and hand
somess residences on Manhattan Island, free
indulgence for his family in every desired
luxury, and every evidence needful to convince
his acquaintance that he really is a millionaire
three times over. The receipts of this show
just now are not less than $4,000 a day, and
tho expenses, ciphere. down from circus
figures to truthful ones, do not probably
exceed $4,000. The interesting point in all
this matter is that with all Of Barnum S
glorious, or at least famboyant career as the
greatest OF the worlds showmen, he would have
died wlthout leaving any estate worth me2-
tioning if younger anG really more audacious
showmen had not taken hold Of him.
MONEY FROM STRANGE SOURCE.
The actors fund will soon receive some
money from curious sources. 1t will consist of
nothing less strange than money accumulated
from drunkenness Theatrical managers are
not inclined, nowadays, toward much tolerance
of inebriety by their actors. Time was when
genius could beboozy, but theatricals have set
tied down into something like straightfor-
ward business, and those who conduct it need
not, nor will they, take the chances of employ
ing sots In cases where they do SO they have
lately contrived a queer sort of insurance
against alcoholic loss. Henry Aveling and
Henry Holland were excellent actors. well worth
500 week apiece, but for the fact that they
were given to sprees. At the commencement
OF the past season they both engaged with the
proviso that ont of each weeks wages Is Der
cent should be reserved by their employers
These funds were to be forfeited in case of
failure, through intoxication, to perform prop
erly in any single performance. The two
actors, thus conditioned, remained sober and
industrious until springtime. Then Holland
went off on a debauch and last week he died of
alcoholism in Bellevue Hospital. OF course
the 10 per cent of his salary belongs to his
manager. Aveling acted with regularity until
the end Of the tour OF the company to which he
belonged, and 80 might have drawn the accu-
muiated money, but he then hurried off to get
drunk, and the inebriety went to his head in a
manner provocative OF suicide. The manner
in which he poisoned himself to death has been
described in the current news within three
weeks. Now, SO far as yet known, he left
neither natural heirs nor a written will; but to
a professional friend, on the day OF his self
he said that in case he died he wished
the money to go to the actors fund. There is
an actress who used to be his wife, and perhaps
a court will be called upon to decide whether
she is legally his widow. with a claim on one
third Of his estate. A judicial opinion will be
requisite, also, to settle the question whether
Aveling's expressed wish will operate as a valid
bequeathment. 1t looks as though the actors
fund would get more or less of the Aveling in
ebriety money.
Booty cassie.
An incident Of Booths final week on the
stage was an impersonation of drunken
man by a drunken man. No; it was
not Booth himself. The tales of his
alcoholic indulgence are positively denied by
his closest friends, and there is no reason to
believe that his disability arises from other
than IA general physical break down. The actor
who Was bibulous in mimicry and in fact at the
same time played Michael Cassie in "Othello,"
and on this occasion Cassie began to be booty