The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-03
ABOUT TOM MAGUlRE
He Had Handled Fortunes, But Died
in Poverty.
KNOWN IN THEATER CIRCLES
His Was a Career of Honor and Ex-
citement-Cossip About the La
test Attra ctions on the Boards
Personal and Comment.
KNOWN IN THEATER CIRCLES

Tom Mcguire, whose death occurred
in New York a few days ago, had an
eventful career. and it is doubtful II
man in the theatrical profession has
had more friends or befriended more
men and women than he did, ana yet
saws a private letter from New York,
less than half a dozen of those friends
respected his memory enough TO attend
his funeral. In many ways Tom Ma
guire was a remarkable man. He was
a prince among men and Napoleon In
the profession. During his active life
he handled many fortunes, but he died
in actual poverty. He was a man who
knew not the value of money. The
greater part Of his career was spent in
California, and with him, in many of
his ventures, was associated John Ma
guire of Butte, who knew him, perhaps.
as we'll as any man in the profession,
and speaks of him in the highest eulo-
gy. There were two things about Tom
Mcguire that accounted for both his
success and his failure" says "a writer
in the San Francisco Chronicle. He
| had an almost insane pride and ambl-
ton to give San Francisco the highest
! quality of the legitimate drama, wheth-
er in plays or grand opera, and he new
er knew the value of a dollar. His pride
| and ambition led him to pour out the
| money that rolled into him from his
| minstrel-show ventures and other sour
| ces in prodigal expenditures to bring
| actors from the East and singers from
Europe His absolute inability to value
| dollar made it impossible for him TO
| husband his resources when he had
| them or to check reckless expenditures,
| when his income began to grow
small.
Tom Mcguire was an older man than
| the papers have stated. He was 80
| years old If he was a day. / know, for
| a good many reasons. / have met men
| who knew him in New York when they
| were boys, and they always spoke or
| him as being considerably older than
| they were, and they were old enough 20
push his age at the time ne died up 10
| the figure l have mentioned. Then L
| remember meeting him in Chicago in
1884 when he was on his way to New
| York. Several old-time Calffornians
| met there in the Palmer house, and in
| talking about ages Tom confessed to
being two or three years older than
! any of the party who was then ~
Then Tom was old enough and a
! man Of enough consequence to make
| the trip from New York to New Orleans
in the early 40s to see a prize fight and
| be commissioned with other people
money TO place on the fight Tom was
a man of influence and prominence III
New York before he came out here. Fol
several years, in the early 40's, he rar
the star house on Reade street between
Broadway and Church. At that time Il
was one of the best known resorts fol
sports and theatrical men. He ran 8
livery stable in connection with 1t, ano
among the men who drove hack fol
him were Barney Flaherty, afterwart
known as Barney Williams, the actor
and Country McCloskey, who fough'
Tom Hyer for the champaOnshdp in 1872
Those were the days of the volun
teer fire department, and Tom Magutr'
ran with the machine like most OF TN
| other active young men of his time
| Through this and his livery business
and the associations his position as pro
prietor of the Star house brought hin
into, he got into politics more or less
was a member of Tammany hall ana
took his part in both primaries ant
elections. His business also brough
him into association with the theatrica
business, and he had had some exper
fence managing both houses and show
before he came here.
Tom didn't drift into the theatrica
business here. He had a natural liking
for it and he came here to engage in n
Before he left New York he had a the
ater built in sections and shipped here
When II came 1t was put together oil
the old city hall site. 1t burned dow
after about one or two performa noes
and Tom built another frame theate
Immediately. This also burned dow
after few performances and then h
decided to build Of stone. This buildin
| was the famous Jenny Lind theatel
which he sold to the city in 1853 or 1856
Then he built on Washington street
| building ne called San Francisco hal
in which he gave theatrical perform
ances of one kind and another A yea
| or two later. probably in 1855, he en-
larged this building and called it Ma
| CURES opera house. And such IL re
: | manned until 1872, when Montgomer
; avenue was cut through. During mos
| Of this time. too. he leased the Metro
pol.tan, which was just around the col
: ner, on Montgomery, between Washing
ton and Jackson streets. The lease 10
, | the Metropolitan. which was owned !
| part, at least, by Billy Yyon, was nc
held in Maguire's name for variou
reasons, one Of them being that he an
Lyon were not on good terms wit
each other But 1t was held in his IL
terest and controlled and directed b
him. In Maguire's opera house o
Washington street he played minstrel
variety and popular pieces, and mad
: money, which he Immediately sunk
= legitimate and grand opera, which b
presented at the Metropolitan.
For % years Tom Mcguire Wa
| building tleac5rs. Some time IN the 80
h built the Forest Theater in Sacr5
memo on leased ground. In 1865
bult Maguire's opera house in Nirg
MIA. Ney. In 1864 h built rne Academ
u Music on Pine street He took col
troll Of the Alham5rl and Standard
| abou. 1872. And The Baldwin was opel
= "a "a 1876.
5 During this period he was indeed n
Napoleon Of theatricals on the PaCif
4 coast. He had a monopoly Of the bus
- ness He was holder. more enterprii
n ing. more successful than anybody els
n lie undertook bigger enterprises, an
!, some Of his successes We're commensul
/ ate with the holiness that conceive
I them.
Tom Mcguire conducted two lint
e Of theatriCals And he was equally 81
terprising in each line He played mil
strels and popular stun and mao