The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-09-10
OSCAR HAMMERsTEIN OFFERED
s3,OOO,OOO FOR THE OLYMPIA.
London Empire Music Hall First
Bid, and Now the AIhambra
Wants to Give an Enor-
nous Fortune,


New. York special: Oscar Hammer
stem mas received an offer of $4,000, 900
ior the Olympia in New York City. The
oid was made by the Empire Theatre
company OF London, whose music halls
nave been depleted Of their best actors
and singers by the recklessly extrava-
CANT bids of American managers. The
London company saw this and decided
70 enter into retaliating war, invade
New York and establish themselves
firmly on Broadway. The offer was
large enough to stagger the determine
tlon OF almost any manager, and its re.
fusal was enough to stagger almost any
bidder In the theatrical market. But
London Is famous for its dealings on a
large scale and Mr.. Hammerstein's re-
fusal of the tremendous bid has not
ended the London music hall managers
determination to get foothold in New
York City.
Ever since the success Of Oscar Ham,
merstein's mammoth amusement empo-
rum was assured, other managers have
been casting envious and covetous looks
In the direction of Long Acre SQUARE
In upper Broadway. The fame Of
Olympia speedily became the talk of
London theatrical circles, as 1t did all
over the United States, and in the music
nails OF Vienna and Paris the names
OF olympia was generally ACCEPTED as
synonymous with a good thing. In
england, where the music hall idea has
been established and has fiourished for
many years, these great amusement re-
sorts have long enjoyed degree of pros
perity quite as astounding as that
which has fallen to the lot of OLYMPIA
since its opening last November. Most
OF the London music halls are run by
stock companies, backed by powerful
and shrewd syndicates, with the man
agement OF each hall vested In a man.
aging director. The stock of these music
halls is considered a gilt-edged invest
ment and command handsome pre-
miums. Having large profits to invest
Il Is not strange that this English cap
ital should look across the Atlantic for
suitable opportunities.
Early last May the management of the
London Empire Music Hall made a prop
osition to Oscar Hammerstein for con-
solidation of the interests OF Olympia
ana the Empire. The plan was not Sc
riously considered by Mr.. Hammerstein.
VINO was then deep in his preparations
for the opening of the Olympia Root
Garden, and the matter was dropped
The whirlwind Of success, however.
which has greeted Mr.. Hammerstein's
fairyland aerial resort has speedily
stirred English interests into activity
and the Alhambra Theatre Company
Limited. have come to the front with
a similar proposition and decline to
take mo- for an answer The Alham-
bra is another great music hall Of Lon
don, conducted on the same lavish scale
Of expenditure as the Empire, its mighty
rival, and this wealthy corporation, pre-
sumably to gain another score Of points
on the Empire, has now come forward
as another bidder for the great theatre,
roof garden, music hall, concert hall
and Egyptian hall known as the Olym-
pia in New York City on the Broadway
block between Forty-fourth and Forty
fifth streets. 1t has opened negotiations
with Mr.. Hammerstein and has sent a
representative, who is now on the At
iantic, to New York, to see II some
terms cannot be made FOR a transfer OF
the New York house to English hands