The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-02

The daily cost of moving theatrical peo-
PIE ana things froU place % place about
the country ls estimated at seVentN-hNe
thousand dollars and the cost Of sus-
tenanCe and shelter for the players ana
those who go with them Us not under
sixty thursdnd dollars for every twenty
four hours an this time OF year. IT -
fair to figure that thc weekly total ~
salaries paid by theatrical managers viii
average at least a quarter OF "a million
dollars during the carly part of this dra-
matte sc9 until February perhaps
Later IN VIII shriu~ because many COM
panicS wh0s% efforts fail to gain the
subiie's appreciation viii iisband and
scatter
These figures aro not my own. precise
rs. ana are at rho best SO vague t5
impossible tO approach accuracy m pre-
pairing thcm-thdt they would be- of no
value to statsticlan. Most OF them
Wer" secured by cutting M estimates ~
conservative theatrical manager In
half. They are advanced. however, with
certainty that they are NOT TOO large.
But even a. they are not too large,
they are StupeudOus They oUer a pfettN
contrast 10 the records OF only two Years
more than a century ago tmidWinter. lls1i,
when in Boston. about NE hundred
dollars were devoted 20 the building OF
the first theatre there. yelled because
theatres ana theatrical performances
were prohibited bv the Legislature and
ahhored hy the gavcruorl under the name
Of he New Exhibition Hail. The GOV
anOr in fact, suppressed the performance
ON the uight OF December T. 1892 in the
midst of a rebellious riot The drst Ira
matte peri rmduce I'm New YORK of Whirb
authentic record exists. occurred sixty
Years earlier, in hall, the use ~ which
was donated by one Rip Van Dam, and
so fearful Of official Interference were
those interested I'm IL that pickets were
posted to watch, and. II Necessary, 10
But the nineteenth century nad well
begun before the theatre had gained
gOod foOthOld iu America. IL les even
true that AS late "a 1888 "A whole company
of theatrical folk who were bold enough
TO attempt 10 give their show In Lowell.
Mass. DWELL known Hs stronghold or
prejudice against such thingst. were ar
rested because they We're following no
lawful aud honorable profession
America has had tis share ~ influence
on the drama of the world. aud has
given its quota IL almost overything
good and bat. That goes IN make the In
gradients of dramatic history-exccpt
srcat plays Good dramas have been
penned with Yankee ink but nothing. 80
far. that viii Withstand the wear OF
years. and last 10 anything approaching
Immortality. American layishness has
forced the managers Of Europe 10 OK
ravagance I'm playhouse and M scenery.
OF which they w0uii rot have dreamed
without the influence ~ ms speudlhrlft
republic. More money has been made hv
PLAYERS here than riSrN here. and alas.
more also has been lost When a New
York manager seeks ara artist tn London.
Paris. or Berlin. competition Is aban-
dOned. Great tales are told OF individual
salaries paid by ruierpri-iug american
managers 10 European star and most
of them should bc euf iu Lalf fOr truths
sake, yet 10 Is true ihlt one Icuess was
guaranteed weekly income Of fifteen
thousand dollars. besides her oNpenses.
during an Amerl an tour. and that opera
~ stipends have sometimes risen 70
heights truly Incredible 20 the iayman.-
Edward Marshall. in Mcclure -llgazne
for January