The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-21


gang at night Is not one OF my lieuten-
ants"
His we'll known illiteracy was no more
marked than his vulgarity In general
conversation. A woman's bushes never
"phazed" the manager, who looked on
women, on and of the stage, as utterly
undeserving OF consideration.
NO one but thorough-going British
stage manager of burlesque could COM
mand such collection OF expletives as
stetson employed during yehearsals of
| productions in which women figured.
| The bully stood out in all his dealings
with subordiDates. And he apparently
| gloried In his reputation as a bully.
Those OF his employees compelled to asso-
'iate closely with him were usually time
servers, subservient during his pres
ence, jumping at his com nand, and
damning him behind his back. Stetson
saw through such shams and despised
| them.
1t is told upon the Rialto that on
Broadway one day tie Boston manager
launched a volley OF Characteristic abuse
at Charley Scroeder, then his lieutenant
at the Fifth Avenue Theater. Passers by
heard the torrent of vituperation, saw
Big Johns list shaken under Scroeder's
nose, ana were awe struck when they
heard and saw Schroeder retaliate in
kind. 1t was the only play for Charley
to make. He beat the old man at his
own game, established himself upon tho
Rialto as "a man who dared to talk back
TO Stetson," and was always a pr ime
| favorite of the eccentric millionaire.
The stories OF Stetson's butchery of the
English language would fill volume,
I even IL confined TO those admitted by him
to be true. One most familiar to habitues
| OF the stage deals 18th Stetson's imperi-
Gus disposition. He sent on the road an
| opera company under the stage manage
ment of chap named Sharp. Stetson
wired orders for a rehearsal in Albany.
| The stage manager posted the customary
| notice: "All members report for rehear-
| sal at 10:30 q. m, sharp" Stetson ar
rived scanned the notice, tore 1t down
and substituted one reading. "Rehearsal
] l0:30 a. M, Stetson not Sharp"
When some theatrical pirates put out a
garbled verson of "'Therese RaQuin" in
the one night stands, Stetson issued
notice in which he said:
"A garbaged versionsof "Therese," ets.
But John was money getter. not. "a
| scholar. Sensitive as to interference
with his rrerogativo as an amusement
! king, and vindictive In pursuit of those
who opposed him, S,etson had withal a
kindly side. A few years ago a we'll
| known coined ian, then not in the best Of
luck, induced Uncle John to lease to him
his Globe Theater Tor a summer run of
| comic opera. The comedian was play
| ing on expectations Stetson liked him,
and desired to hoom him. The comedian
| got swelled head, cut Stetson's name
| out OF all the printing, told the treasurer
to charge the old man s2O a night for his
| own private box, and Stetson never dark
| ened the doors of the house during that
engagement. The engagement failed.
Stetson smiled then.
When Digby Bells comic opera COM
| pany was winding up disastrous engage
ment at the ola GloDe, New York credi-
tors attempted TO attach scenery and cos
\ tunes on Saturday night. Digby was
much perturbed. The performance was
about over Stetson heard of the row.
To bis local manager the usually adamant
| old fellow said:
"They're in rotten luck, amt they?
I'm going to sneak over to Clark's, and
| you'll find me there until you quit. Take
care OF these poor people. Don't let
damned sheriffs deputy, in the house If
you have to barricade-weli, keep 'em
out. That's all. I'll stand the expense
OF gettin' the show out of town."
And ne did. Twas a memorable night.
| Digby Bell IN hiding, arrayed in Jupiter's
costume. Louise Montague cheering the
female members of the company and
saying. "Don't mind me- / can keep
! warm in ma tights, old chap" Stage
hands, grips, ushers and gasmeD barri-
! cadfng the iron doors at the stage en-
trance, and score OF deputy sheriffs
clamoring for admission in the name of
the commonwealth of Massachusetts" !"
|
| freshments to the .besieged actors Stet-
sons manager soother the quaking ster,
| and when the Sabbath dawned the sher-
| IFS hirelings retired defeated. the
"show" got out Of town, and old, ugly
John opened several bottles, although his
profits on the engagement would not pay
| the expenses of subsequent lawsuits at
| the sherif's instance.
Stetson was great believer in the
'sl1ding scale" in booking attractions at
his own theaters, though he preferred a
guarantee for his attractions on the road.
| III his terms to the 'Sudden Deatho
| company were 90 per cent. of the first
| 5000 60 of all over up to 5000, and 20 IL
| playing to over $1,000, il was of course
vastly important for the company to play
| TO s50O1. Stetson would hold out for his
last dollar until after the count-up on
| saturday night. Then If the show had
| suited him. he would cock his remaining
| eye at his man OF affairs and say:
"How much, si900?"
"Yes, sir, just about. We hold 'em
/ down on the percentage"
"Oh, HE'LL" Stetson would remark.
They've got long haul Split with
them on the same racket as though they'd
| played to over 5000. I'm no hog, ii 1 do
| look it,.
As real estate manipulation, Stetson's
| superior did not exist in Boston. He
early foresaw the possibilities Of Boylston
| quietly got large holdings there OIL when
| he realized huge profits. He branched
| out into mercantile, pursuits, opened a
| five or six-story swell cloak and dress
| goods ests sblishment, opened on the samo
| thoroughfare q Partisan millinery estab-
| lishment, really under the direction of
| his queenly young wife, and just before
| his death completed what he intended to
be the crack hotel OF Boston, on the site
of the burned down Globe Theater. 90
The old man with his intense dslixes
could scarcely have felt at home In tire
little Park Theater, his last venture.
Lotta Crabtree owns the building. Her
brother Jack, once its manager, played
many pranks on Stetson, then running
the Globe Once while at the HOLMAN
House in gay coterie, Crabtrce circu-
lated the report that "John stetson has
Just dropped dead OF heart disease In Bos-
ton. I have a dispatch saying he died on
a bank steps irving to count his money.
Ha1 too much"
Stetson never forgave Jack. IL was
rumored in Boston that the old man i'm