Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-05-06
STORIES OF THE DAY.
Some Interesting Anecdotes of the Late
 John Etetson.

There was no better known theatrical manager in the United States than John Stetson, whose death in Boston was re- gently recorded. And while the man had his enemies-it was fayorite re- mark of his that theatrical man who had no enemies was not worth his salt. or words to that effect-the men who had harsh things to say of him during h1s life were unit in praise of his many admirable personal characteris- t1cs. There was no man more charitable than he when it suited him to be chari- table, and, at the same time. it was next to impossible to impose upon him. Not few of the anecdotes that are be- ing banded back and forth by the gen. tlemen along the Rialto bear directly upon this trait of the distinguished Bos- tonlan's makeup One of them, for in- stance. bore upon the case of fayorite employee of Stetson's, more or less deserving youth who served him as treasurer during the season, but who once found himself in the middle of a particularly long summer without mon- ey or the next thing to it. He approach ed MT. Stetson with what theatrical preop1e call "a long hard luck story" 2" and besought him for loan of S1o0. Not centl" snapped the manager. "G'wan away with youl" 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 that very sweet girl, his fiancee, was on the eve of starting out with bur- lesque company and simply had to have some new clothes. He wanted the $100 to give to her. "Why the deuce didn' t you tell me that at first?" inquired Mir. Stetson fiereely as he handed over the money. Everybody knows you can t feed love on hay. !"
 While MT. Stetson justly prided him. self on his ability to draw up contract without loophole for the other fellow to wriggle through, there is one case on record where he got the worst of it. The Kiralfys were playing an engage ment at the 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 ca1ei- 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, MT. Stetson's share came to just SC. 50 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- nouncement in large type, Positively the last appearance of the Kiralfys at the Globe theater forever and ever. :"
 Mir. Stetson died very rich man, and while no one 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 It 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 ill order. and his salary was $1. 50 a week. He ran the distance to and from his home-five 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. It was ill his famous race with the Indian Lightfoot, when he was IT or IS years old, that he received the facial disfigurement that he bore to the day of his death. It was while near ing the finishing line that some evil disposed person, who had presumably bet on the red man, threw brick at the white one and struck him over the eye. Naturally this lost Stetson the race, but in a 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 as 8 curious mixture of brightness and roughness. There are great many sto- ries told illustrative of his we'll known propensity for the commission of so call ed "breaks" or s'bulls, and while he has doubtless been saddled with much more than he ever perpetrated i'll this direction several of the yarns will bear repetition At rehearsal of vaude- vile company on one occasion the &- rector trapped for the accompanist to stop, and, turning to MT. Stetson, who sat alone i'll the parquet, said plaintive- ly: "Mr. Stetson, this piano will never do. We'll have to get another.
 Whats the matter with the rano" asked the manager.
 Its pitched too high. ,
 "That's all right , answered MT. Stetson amiably. 'Send for the carpen
 Al. |.