The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-25

Albany. The stage manager posted the
customary notice: "All members report
for rehearsal at 1890 A. M. Sharp. u
Stetson arrived, scanned the notice, tore
1t down, and substituted one reading:
Rehearsal 1890 A. M. Stetson, not
Sharp"
When some theatrical pirates put out
garpled version of "Theress Raquin" in
the one-night stands, Stetson issued a
notice. in which he said:
A garbaged version of "Therese, &c.
but John was a money getter, not a
scholar Sensitive as to interference with
his prerogative as an amusement king,
and yindictive in pursuit of those who
opposed him, Stetson had withal kindly
SIDE A few years ago well-known
comedian, then not in the best luck, in
duoed Uncle John to lease to him his
Globe Theatre for summer run of comic
opera. The comedian was playing On ex-
pectations. Stetson liked him. and de-
sired to boom him. The comedian got a
swelled head, cut Stetson's name out of
all the printing, told the treasurer to
charge the old man $50 a night for his
darkened the doors of the house during
that engagement. The engagement
failed. Stetson smiled then. 79a
When Digby Bells comic opera COM
pany was winding up d disastrous en-
gagement at the old Globe, New York
orodirOrn Mt ,todt 70 OFT md
costumes on Saturday night. Digby
was much perturbed. The performance
was about over. Stetson heard IF the
row. 10 his local manager the usually
adamant old fellow said
They're in rotten luck, amt they?
I'm going to sneak over to Cark's, and
you'll find me there until you quit.
Take care of these poor people. Don't lat
a damned Sheriff's deputy in the house If
you have to barrioade-well, keep lem
out. That's all. I'll stand the expense
of gettin' the show out of town.
And he did. Twas memorable night.
Digby Bell in hiding, arrayed in Jupiter's
costume. Louise Montague cheering the
female members Of the company and say
ing, Don't mind me. I can keep warm
in me tights, old chap" Stage hands
grips, ushers, and gasmen barricading
the iron doors at the stage entrance, and
a score of deputy sheriffs olamoring for
admission in the name of the Comm on
wealth of Massachusetts,. -
Stetsons' private saloon furnished re-
freshments to the beseiged actors. Stet-
sons manager soothed the quaking star,
and when the Sabbath daW ned the Sher-
ifs hirelings returned 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 Sheriff's instance.
Stetson was great believer In the
sliding scale'' In booking attractions
at his own theatres, though he preferred
a guarantees for his attractions on the
road. If his terms to tho "Sudden
Death company were so per cent of the
first So. 900, go of all over up to $4,000,
and rs il playing to over S., 600, 1t was
of course vastly important for the COM
pany to play to S., DOL. Stetson would
hold out for his last dollar until after the
oount-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, 81, 900T'
eyes, sir, just about. We hold 'em
down on the percentage"
"Oh, hell" Stetson would remark.
"They've got a long haul. Split with
them on the same racket rs though they'd
played to over S., 600. I'm no hog, if
do look it.
AS real estate manipulation, Stetson's
superior did not exist in Boston n. He
early foresaw the possibilities of Boylston
street as business thoroughfare and
quietly got large holdings there On which
he realized huge profits. He branched
out into mercantile pursuits, opened
five or six story swell cloak and dress
goods esta blishment, opened on the same
Partisan millinery estab-
lishment. really under the direction of
his queenly young wife, and just before
HIS N0bcu w ulplouou NIlhu u6 llUtutl6U
to be the crack hotel of Boston, On the
site of the burned down Globe Theatre.
The old man with intense dislikes could
scarcely have felt at home in the little
Park Theatre, his last venture. Lolita
Crabtree owns the building. Her broth
err Jack, once it's manager, played many
pranks Oh Stetson, then running the
Globe. Once while at the Hoffman
House in a gay coterie, Crabtree oircu-
lated the report that "John Stetson has
just dropped dead of heart disease in
Boston. have despach say ing he died
on a bank step trying to count his
money. Had too much
Stetson never fcrgave Jack. 1t was
rumored in Boston that the old man
his hired bruiser to "do up"
the brother of Lolita, but that never came
about. 80
One of the sinoerest mourners for old
John Stetson, aside from his young wife
now In possession of millions, is the cat
for whose needs the old man never failed
to provide. If he turned down a man