The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-05
H%AMMERSTEIN GIVES UP.
NAKES AN AssIoNMENr FOB MS
CREDITORS BENEFIT.

hASeAV-
says he IL Tired Out ana Needs = Rest-Oues
$4,000 and will Pay Dollar for Dollar.
Oscar Hammerstein, the designer, builder,
end manager Of the Olympia and the Lyric Thea
TIRE. made an assignment yesterday morning for
the benent OF his creditors to Louis J. Phillips, q
real estate auctioleer at 159 Broadway, who 10
his personal friend and has looked after his real
estate ventures for years. The assignment was
the outcome OF q consultation with his counsel.
fElihu Root. and was followed by orders to close
the Olympia Music Hall and the Lyric Theatre
and stop all work on tho rcdttinE of the Olym-
pia Winter Garden. which has been In progress
Tor several dayp. Mr.. Hammerstein's decision
appears to have boon o defensive measure,
brought about by some creditors who have been
pressing him for tho past fortnight, having
taken alarm at the failure Of LA Poupee'' to
realize the success that Mr.. Hammerstein had
hoped to achieve with it
Mr.. Hammerstein himself said last nirht that
the trouble was brought about chiefly by Anna
Held, whose refusal to play o few nights ago
gave rise to the rumor that he was In financial
difficulties. He spoke very bitterly Of her, and
declared that he had invested $3o. 900 In the
opera which she had imperilled. He also said
that illness madeit absolutely necessary for him
to escape further worry and seek rest and real
recreation. and that the only way to secure rest
"o1 W bhut uu"u pubincbS una mhk0 the as
Signment. He said that he would have waited
until next Saturday to close the Olympia except
that the delay would only have served to in
crease the amount Of Indebtedness.
"It In not . failure" he said. my whole in
debtedness will hardly exceed $4,000. That is
nearly covered by the value of the stock and
fixtures Of Olympia alone. which are unincum-
bered by . lien OF any kind. II this had hap
pened i've years ago, why it would have
amounted to nothing at all, for I would
have fought It out without turning q
hair. But I Am really tired out now and
can't stand the strain. I have made
and superintended three big productions
In the last six weeks, and that work alone was
enough to kill o horse. Miss Held's desertion
brought things to o crisis and forced me to sur
1hsye been manager Of olympic three years,
two stsacEs Of vertigo this Wssf. and that that warns
me that must rest; Nobody who knows mo
Ever aInce I came here i tSi ,tl.9S ye Slst aso 1
have paid 100 cents on tho dollar. and / shall
'c %HitSoaSS az The % Olympia 10 in the name of my
wife. the property yill be used as security to in;
sSei in 1sa bsssSS%sa' e q f %y tnesssieai %sres MGsi 81
s sH,I p ssss. ssf; sss viii Y 6 III. "a a ssssls sna saia az
e ssi go 6 sqS; ~ sss S ss - a !: Z l Ssoo: f ! INK ssS:
gage on the building, nor is. tSers a dollar Of a
70 as1 ps ss On ~ Z ds5siy % IS. ssG Sly Raaa out A faasi tsss
1--WE nothing put sinsS then ny Losses have
e sssa lint. in The pnS and Saa4 II the h firs. 1 seaso ase earned sasI
S1S5. 900, Many circumstance! combined to
a. fornssriy nat Wouldn't make any disaron Z
II. ,Hammerstein said that 10 hadn't made up
his mind yet whether be would allow Olympic
the Il % pr rope sSd to sf lie wife rift' la. : yea year Z ' = no@insi
confederation. Tho business went into the
9 9snas q last s f he Receiver w os aSs dls assS; eas an IL
Of the Hsrism Opera House 70 secure ready
Mr.. Hammerstein owns ffty-six different
patents on inventions made by himself. Some
featuring which pay him q steady and profitable
royalty. He became e theatre proprietor eight
He. was then The. editor OF the Tobacco Jour.
nal, and for years had been interested in theat.
B isGft ieeI peesrtn nee se Over an tho b sds[Esl w snd had sai
arow with the police. too. and made q complaint
ss. shS eG I'll sSe B tsss.t 81 e. tsp R'Hfs esF:4. ns saas
he accused Of harssSIng him and intsrfeItng
Thaatr s,' in P asrls@. and ND t ontls dhe shs Sol BY .Un.
built the present Koster g BieI Music Hall.
Olympia. This building and his residence in
9shSs sh ssss.'l AVN! IL been Sssn ssolS. rs = :o ms
Mr.. aammers.sin's personai COUNSEL Fir.
Iichtensteln, Of Wise & Ichtsnstein. said last
Mr.. Hammerstein 10 broken down and needs
rest and NO are going to clear up the atmos.
creditors to see what can Be- done. Il Is merely ne
temporary embarra1sment And he will be able
s %o gsy eVe TS. SnG SAW IN full Ia. c tSs SrsI H " a. th .hs
ppiymDis ives not paying and they began to
Mr.. Hammerstein formerly owned q factory
building in. Avenue d and Il big row Of fats,
but he said last night that no had disposed OF
PRESENT S1 sSns PRI s 3 on lI2F t sSS; "a s's ess saia tsa' h Il
added that he would determine within a week
With Olympia. his son HAIRY who did q great
% afnt Of r .as work 4 at Of pr asstnss iS up sas Sfy Il tSs
Third Avenue Theatre.
~, Oscar ssarI ar% INNS Rsl4.. built u ia, the o.. Olympia mp ,is after
and nSd a music S Mith w n1st eps q sio on s Nov .h S5 th 1919
In the theatre Rice's company produced "Ex-
c%elsior. Jr.," and in the music hall a number
rrst sppearance in this country. A few weeks
later Ivette Guilbert made her American debut
sttarted off with every appearance of success.
There Vas KS soon Con. a diSssreement: however, be- ,
the terms on which the burlesque company was
70 appear in the theatre. One by one the good
New York @ aHs sS@pf fna It arS1 a4d work SI'i to T Feep
one broadway heatre'supplied with a profitable
hands. and his difficulties We're increased by
the fact that for one admission fee the music
Theatrical men thought this one OF the most
dangerous drawbaeks to the success of such an
this conclusion himself when he reopened his
Theatre this year. Then admission TO the thea.
ticket.
Ultimately Excelsior. Jr." was withdrawn,
and the theatre, barring some casual perform
ances, remained shut. A combination OF ballet
and living pictures produced under the name
Marguerite" closed the first SEQ son in the
music hall with success. But that was the only
part OF the vast building in use. The rest
was closed tight. The following fall Santa
Maria. with the words and music by Oscar
Hammerstein, opened the theatre with a com
pany including Camille D'Arville. James
Powers, Lucille sturgis, Marie Halton. and
other expensive actors; Tho performance was "A
DISASTROUS failure. and lost a great deal OF money
for Mr., hammerstein. In the music hall there
sWinmSs tfaoesty OF the SeeleSrdinner and other
opened In the summer OF 1895, proved highly
the theatre 70 stAnd ROmG Of the oncnlnR lnsies.