New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15
ALBERT BIAL DEAD.
LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF THE FA-
NOUS FIRM OF ROSTER & BIAL Elk
PIREs AT HIS HOME


Albert Bial Of the old and famous firm of Kos
ter Bial. died at o'clock yesterday afternoon
at his home, No. 1874 West Forty-eight-st. He had
been sick since last January. and for several
months hope Of his recovery had been enter
tanned. His death accordingly occasioned no sur
prise. Neither will It probably be tho cause OF any
change In the conduct of tho music hall In Thirty
fourth-st. which bears the name of Mr. Bal and
his old partner, who died two years ago. The
house. or, rather the roof garden. was closed last
night, and many persons learned Of the death OF
Mr.. Bal from the placards on the doors that an
nounced the reason why there was no entertain
ment.
Albert Bial born IN Berlin in 1874. and he
came to this country when he was about twenty
ono years old. He entered the employ Of John
Roster and soon afterward became his partner
| They had at first one small restaurant downtown
the East Side. but their prosperity grew they
| opened others. They began beer-bottlng bust
ness at No. $50 Park Row in 1873 This business
| too, was extremely prosperous, and grew rapidly
new establishment, a restaurant and barroom,
was soon added at Park Row and Worth-st.
Roster Bial began the management Of con-
cert garden In 1879 In West Twenty thrd-st, where
Rudolph Bal. of Berlin. engaged to give
series Of concerts with American orchestra
Good luck attended them and the place soon had to
be enlarged by the addition Of an open-air garden
Here the concerts were continued for two years
the orchestra being assisted by such sooists as
! August WhelmJ Eduard Remeny, Maurice Dem
gremont and Jules Levy Rudolph Bal then retired
and Patrick Sarsheld Gilmore began an engage
ment January %, 1881. which lasted for six
months The place OF amusement thus started was
the one In which Roster & Bal the most Of
their fame managers.
AS the business still grew the open-alr garden
was abandoned and the hall adjoining 1t was put
into better shape for the accommodation of audi
enccs by the building of boxes and other changes In
| ha nd furnishings.
enormously large one as to area, though Its
seating capacity small for the space occupied,
much Of the room being taken up by tables and
| the gallery being devoted to the boxes. which,
| though there considerable number OF them,
held comparatively few people Then the enter
tainment was changed from OF music entirely
| to variety and the firm began to bring over many
| foreign performers of more or less importance
A great change began to come over the fortunes
| Carmencta. Whatever her own merits may have
| been-and there were differing opinions about
| them-she created great deal of comment and
excited much admiration and she filled Roster &
Balls for many months. She filled the place too,
with better class Of people tnan mad been IN tne
habit OF frequenting 1t. The managers were shrewd
to- held this new class of amusement-seekers, and
they began to try to suit their tastes more than
Paulus the French singer and pantommist added
to the effect which Carmencita had produced r.
Roster & Bal had formed partnership. witt,
Oscar Hammerstein. and would take possession Of
| hall Of 1t. 1t was thought by many that this move
| was mistake, as the firm was so well established
In Twenty third-st that any attempt TO move might
| be disastrous. But the house still prospered. A
corporation formed. consisting of Messrs. Kos
ter. Bal and Hammerstein, and called Roster. Bal
& Co Messrs Roster and Bal owned enough of
| the stock control the business, and Mr.. Ham
! nerstein owned the rest After a time serious
| quarrel arose between Messrs. Roster and Bal on
| the one side and Mr.. Hammersein on the other,
! and 1t ragged In and out OF court for long time.
| At last Messrs. Roster and Bial bought MI liam
| nerstens interest, and Mr. Hammerstein built the
| Olympia Music Hall and Theatre The two music
halls ran vigorous opposition to each other, and
each paid fabulous prices for foreign entertainers,
| in the hope of drawing business away from the
| other The total result was, doubtless. greatly to
the detrment of both.
! John Roster died in March, 1895, and additional
| care of the business thrown upon Mr. Bial He
| employed assistants but he did large amount OF
| work himself, and doubtless injured his health.
For the last year he had been able TO do little Mr.:
| Bial leaves widow. but no children. The bulk Of
| the music hall property now belongs to Mrs Bal
| and to Mrs Roster John Roster; q nephew OF the
| former John Roster, also has an interest in the
| business, and is one OF the directors.