The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-16
STORIES OF THE DAY.
Como Interesting Anecdotes OF tho Late
John Stetson.

Some Interesting Anecdotes OF tho Into
John Stetsou.
There was no better known theatrical
manager in the United States than John
Stetson, whose death in Boston was re-
Gently recorded. And! while tho man
had his onemies-it was favorite re-
mark of his that theatrical man who
had no enemies was not worth his salt,
or words to that cffect-the men who
had harsh things to say of him during
his life were unit i'll praise of his
many admirable personal characters
tics There was no man more charitable
than he when it suited him to be chart
table, and, ut the same time, it was
next to impossible to impose upon him.
Not few of the anecdotes that arc be-
ing banded back and forth by the gen.
tlemen along the Rialto bear directly
upon this trait of tho distinguished Bos-
tonian's makeup. One Of them, for in
stance. bore upon tho case Of n favorite
employee of Stetson's, more or less
deserving youth who served him Us
treasurer during the season, but who
once found himself in the middle OF
particularly long summer without mon
ey or the next thing to it. He approach
ed Mr.. Stetson with what theatrical
preople call "a long hard luck story"
and besought him for o loan Of 800.
'Not centr' snapped tho manager.
"G'wan away with you'll The young
man retreated in good order and later
in the day, having taken counsel Of
some friends, once more approached the
man of wealth. He told him frankly
hot n erir1 Il 30
on tho eve of starting out with bur-
lesque company and simply had to have
some new clothes. He wanted the 800
to give TO her why the deuce didn't
you tell me that ut first?'' inquired Mr..
Stetson ficrcely as no handed over tho
money. Everybody knows you can't
feed love on hay
While Mr.. Stetson Justly pridcd him.
self on his ability to draw up contract
without loophole for tho other fellow
to wriggle through, there is one case ON
record where he got the worst of it.
The Kiralfys wero playing an engage
ment at tho Globe theater with one of
their famous spectacular shows and in
their contract had managed to secure
the insertion of clause providing that
all so called extras, &" including calci-
ums, advertising, extra stage hands and
so forth should be provided for by the
house. Thus it happened that while the
receipts for the week figured up nearly
Sc, 900, Mr.. Stetsons share came to lust
Sc 90. He accepted this facer without q
murmur but took his vengeance in his
dry way by heading his advertisement
In all the Sunday papers with the an
nonncement in large type, Positively
the last appearance Of tho Kiralfys at
the Globe theater forever and ever
Mr.. Stetson died very rich man,
and while no ono knows exactly how he
acquired the foundation Of his fortune
he himself was proud of his humble
origin and subsequent rise to fortune,
and it is quite certain that no boy ever
worked harder than he. 1t was while
his father kept a little grocery store in
Charlestown that he secured his first
position-that Of office boy on the Bos-
ton Herald His duty was to keep the
lamps in order, and his salary was 81. 80
week. He ran the distance to and
from his home-fve miles-night and
morning, and in this way doubtless laid
the foundation for his future fame as
the champion long distance runner of
the world. 1t was in his famous race
with the Indian Lightfoot when no
was II or 16 years old, that he received
the facial Disagreement that he bore to
the day Of his death. 1t was while near
ing the finishing line that some evil
disposed person, who had presumably
bet ON the red man, threw a brick at
the white one and struck him over the
eye. Naturally this lost Stetson the
race, but in u subsequent match with
the Indian, with brick throwing barred,
he beat him handsomely and soon after
retired from that line of business on his
laurels
The late manager was described to
me by one Of his sorrowing friends az u
curious mixture Of brightness and
roughness. There arc great many sto-
r1es told illustrative Of his well known
propensity Cor the commission of so call
ed breaks" or bulls" and while he
has doubtless been saddled with much
moro than he ever perpetrated in this
direction several Of the yarns will bear
repetition. At rehearsal Of q vaude-
vile company on one occasion the di-
rector raped for the accompanist to
stop, and, turning TO- Mr.. Stetson, who
sat alone in the parquet. said plaintive-
Iy: MIR. StetSon, this piano will never