Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-20

Written for fhe Evening Star.
ut would be interesting" said an old the
ater-goer TO a Star reporter, If some one
would prepare an article on the early the
aters of Washington. If it is not done
soon much of the material will be lost. for
the very old theater-goers are rapidly
passing away Mr.. Jeffersons remark last
week that he first played Caleb Plummer
in the Cricket on the Hearth in this city
sixty years ago brought to my mind the
fact that ] saw him in the very perform
ance that he spoke of. 1t was in the old
Washington Theater. at the corner of 11th
and C. which has been modernized into the
Lyceum. / also saw Mr.. Jefferson play
the same character in what was known as
Walkers Writer Circus. over forty years
ago. Walkers Circus ran for several sea-
sons. 1t was in what is now livery stable
on c street between Az and 9th streets. in
the rear and to the east of the National
Hotel. His father and mother were both
engaged there. his father being the stage
manage The performance was not strict
1y theatrical one, for between the acts
or at intervals during the plays there che
stage was moved away and regular cir
Gus performance took place in the ring.
The JefferSonS also played in a theater at
the corner of Louisiana avenue and ~
street, which is now and has been for over
thirty-fve years known as the Bradley law
building The theater was small, but 1t
accommodated all who desired to attend.
The Washington Theater was burned in
1890. and it was not rebuilt for nearly ten
years. II was during this time that the
building / refer to at the corner of Louis
lana avenue and ~ streets was used. A
history of the old Canterbury on Louisiana
avenue between AZ and 9th streets would
be of great interest. The building was
originally headquarters for military or
ganization and was transformed into a
thpater- hy Col VIM Il. Sim The
formances there We're of the variety order,
now known as vaudeville, though many
dramas entire were produced there. Odeon
Hail. at the corner of AZ street and Penn
sylvania avenue. was at one time a theater,
though il was principally used for minstrel
companies. The original Christy Ministries
played in this hail. they did another
season in what was then known as Iron
Hail, on Pennsylvania avenue between 9th
and 10th streets. afterward known as
MetZerott's Hall This was a favorite hall
for minstrel performances.
SO also was Coombs Hail. on the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue near 10Th
street, near the headquarters of the Saliva
ton Army. 1t was there that the since
famous Billy Emerson first made his pro-
fess:onal appearance as a dancer. / re-
member his mother very we'll She kept
daEuerreotype gallery on Market space The
hey got interested in the minstrel business
by the performers going into his mothers
gallery to have their pictures taken. Billy's
first engagement was secured by Michael
Coouhs. the grocer. who owned the build
ing His first appearance IN an amateur
way was at Odd Fellows Hall at a benefit
performance / remember that Mr.. Coombs
once told me that he paid - cents for the
first pair of red-spangled pants that Emer-
son ever wore on any stage. metropolitan
Hall, which probably took in more money
during the years of the war thar any other
place of amusement in the city, was on
the south side of the avenue, neXt to the
then Star office. on the site of the new
pest office building At the Metropolitan,
at the Canterbury, drinks of all kinds We're
sold in the audience, the receipts from the
sale Of liquor SURPRISING the amount taken
in for admissions. When it was torn down.
Metropolitan Hall had changed its name to
the Globe Tkeater- Another place of amuse
me1t which did a great deal of business in
It's time though rot strictly a theater.
Itn street few doors below Pennsyl-
vania avenue 1t was variety show OF
the free ard easy order. though now and
then there was a drama produced there.
This place seems to have been entirely for
gotten. If the box office receipts al
lowed to play any part in dramatic history
ii certainly should have place. The the
atrical history of Forrest Hall in George
town would also deserve notice. for / nave
seen rIany really good plays and perform
ances there. operas and vaudevilles as
thousands of the best people of the Distric.
can testify. The ground under the orches-
ira chairs of the present National Theater
has teen the scene of many circus per-
fOrmances. for there were many circuses
followed the first three times that build
ing was destroyed by fire. Dan Gardner's
circus was located there for one entire sea-
son. Tom Kings circus also played a sea-
sen there, and profitable one. The play
p history of Washington has been varied
one. and | am sure ii would be read with
great interest II the proper article or arti-
CleS on the subject were prepared. Much
of IL is entirely a matter of memory, for
the newspapers of early times in Wash
irgton were so much engaged in dealing
out politics and policies. making and I'M
making administrations and the like, that
they rarely gave any OF their space to the
theatrical amusements of the times, and,
therefore, q. record of them cannot easily
be found"
THE advent of the bicycle saved the
Typewriter remarked a patent attorney
TO a Star reporter. land allowed the manu-
fl cturers OF them to get such good hold
on the pJ.biic that it will be difficult to
0islodSe them. There are signs in the air
now. however. that in less than year
break will occur in the combination prices
for the typewriter which will surpass the
break in the bicycle. Only two years ago,
yoH may remember. the bicycle corpora
tons put out official edict that let come
what wculd. there were business reasons
70 why there never would and never could be
a break in bicycle prices. Notwithstand-
wheels had dropped quite fifty per cent and
there IS no telling where it will stop. Even
at the reduced prices the bicycle manufac-
tLrers can manage to get three good meals
a day and chicken or turkey on SUNDAYS
The cost of turning out typewriter is not
as large as that OF turning out a first rate
bicycle by any means. but the Old rate slo0
Is maintained by all the leading type
writers, which are IN combination as far
as prices are concerned. One of the lead
ing typewriter concerns holds that nearly
ali Those who have 500 TO spare have pur-
CHASED a machine, and that an effort
should De made 10 reach those of smaller
capital. and has given notice of its inten-
lion OF drawing out of the combina ton
IN January psAt- If this occurs and it
looks muGn more probable than did the
Dfeik IN The bicycle business the price of
typewriters will drop even more than fifty
per cent, as dad The bicycles. II a break
once takes place in the typewriter com
fination- The Lower price will be reached
much More rapidly than followed in the
plcycies episooe--ef course this break will
De denied ever more strenuousIy than was
thdt Ia the case OF the bicycle but the
same reasons will bring il about The
Esaa= l..