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

Torrance. Mrs. Stetson, superbly
| gowned, could see nothing in Cora Pot
| ter's acting, Zola's lines, or the cheap
| costuning of the actors. That night be-
fore the close of the performance Stetson
| strobe from his box, aocosted two of his
managers. one of whom was Ariel Bar
ney, and said gruffiy:
"Close the damn house. Hear met It's
full of rats. This piece ia too villa for my
theatre. Change the bill or shut up the
| Joint"
Remonstrance was vain. The MILL on
ARE managers Judgment was echoed by
that of three oronies, one q medical spec-
ialist, one saloon keeper in Stetson's
employ, and the third a gambler who
couldn't see beyond the curtain line.
The bill was changed. The Potter Bellew
engagement looked like failure but
the two managers referred to, tactily
agreed with Stetson, for their own pur-
poses. Several letters attacking the
motive of "Therese'' appeared in Boston
papers. A writer of erotic novels deplored
the dissertation of the Stetsonian stage.
and one night Manager Ariel Barney was
startled by receiving orders from Stetson
to announce "Therese'' for farewell
week as "vindioation of the policy Of
the family theatre of Boston," Cora
Potter smiled, Kyrle Bellew elevated his
head, Barney and Stetson's local manag-
er kept quiet, but billed the rsopening
heavily. The result was 81, ZOO house
and a week to receipts of $1,000. Stetson
always said that the result was
stroke of business Judgment on his part.
He never said rats again In the pres
enee OF the two managers.
The gruff old fellow regarded all SOM
ers with suspicion. To newspaper man
employed as his business manager, Stet-
son once said:
Il suppose every da mined man and boy
in this house is thief Those who
haven't stolen from me will, if YOU give
'em chance, Look on every one as
crook until you find out he's honest
Yet the eccentric money maker had in
his employ men SO faithful that no
amount of the coarsest abuse and vituper-
alton from their employer could make
them careless as to his interests. He
knew this and in way showed his ap-
probation. From his lonely Back Bay
mansion, John coald and did oommuni-
cate each morning by telephone with his
theatre, his show printing office, his
stock brokerage concern, his real estate
bureau, his mercantile houses, his stable
and hiQ oalnon tho lot
ostensible management of one of Stetson's
proteges). This was his style:
10 30 A. M.-Stetson at the 'phone-
Meet me at the theatre in half an hour.
Sure Bring everything with you. l
want to settle all accounts. See that all
hands are there. IT not there'Il be
trouble
At those morning sessions in the
private office of the old Globe Theatre,
an apartment filed with romantic
memories antedating Stetson's entrance
into matrimony, men were gathered who
handled daily thousands upon thousands
OF dollars of suspicious Stetson's funds
One would tell how the rents of North
End resorts were coming in, and how
sugar certificates PANIED out the day be-
fore; another would give the figures Of
business and profits of the big Stetson
pawn shops, sometimes patronized by
people of Beacon Hill; third would
report the outstanding claims of the
show printing house, and advise squeez-
ing some struggling Snowman in debt,
while another would report purchases of
or loans upon Boston real estate.
The local manager of the theatre would
state his case. If the attraction then
running was on big sharing terms, and
playing to big money, Stetson invaria-
bly, growled. If the week looked like
a loser for both house and attraction, the
old man gruffly said:
"Teach 'em better. Good. Serves 'em
right. They'll 60 to some other house
next time.''
Stetson was a high liver, but not at
home. At the hotels around Boston's
business centre his patronage was valued.
He rarely drank to excess during the day,
He would transact hinge volume of
varied business, sit through show, sug-
gest changes, sign contracts. dictate a
dozen letters OF dispatches, and then,
when the curtain rang down, old John,
to quote him, "opened up"
"Tve no use for 'ginner," he ga d,
"but the man who can't do big days
work..for me and then sit up with the
gang at night is not one of my lieuten-
ants"
His well-known illiteraoy 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 kcollection Of expletives as
Stetson employed during rehearsals of
productions in witch women figured. |
The bully stood out in all his dealings
with subordinates. And he apparently
gloried In his reputation as bully. |
Those OF his employees compelled to asso-
C1ate closely with him we're ,1suallv TINA