The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-09

Conss Italian Grand Opera Conpanv q.
Tue Seattle theatsr last night po:h tire
aoao's b1i ard the company have been
excessively written sGp, and their farewell
appearance IN this city last nistlt. before
starting east los, 10 friends or admirers
for them.
The theatrical event OF the seven cavz.
however, uzs the adven. OF the Butte
MANAGER, John Mcguire, who quietly
sHpped into town and quietly slipped out
again "Wednesday afternoon. without cor
Feying much OF an idea as 10 his fnten-
sions- Mr. Mcguire r. a diplomat conse-
9aenfiy he 6oesa't talk much when ne
means 70 act lie has taken a prominent
part IN the fight against the big thear-
'1k1ai syndicate on the ground that he does
not Believe In dIctatson Of the kinG TN
posed BY the trust One Mr.. Shakes
peare. said Mcguire In converse ton.
several hundred years ago wrote the
PLAY ths thing. Put a poor Play IN a
me shsater with marble coionnsdes Plush
covered ratings and siiksn draper.es car
pets and gliding. and / will take the at
tfactfoas can name, and play them IN a
oarn against your poor play and do the
business" Mr. Mcguire says he Is the
oldest manager Ia America. The death
or hrs. Drew. Mcyicker and HooIey re-
moved the last OF those who were con-
temporary with him In his earliest efforts
as a manager. He has been Identified
WITH theatrical matters ali through the
West. and particularly on the Pacific
coast Il was his cousin. Tom Mcguire.
wfacse name was indiss alub.y coane red
with the best days OF the California the
alter. He fathered the stock company
system In the Northwest and he brought
Ars. Scots-slddoHs. Frank Mayo Jsha
r.. Owens and host OF other nld-tlsners
10 the circuit that bow includes string
OF handsome modern theateTs. and played
them Ia old halls ana places that could
not be rented now as wash-houses Ma
guire was on his way to Seattle TO play
ModJeska. supported By the Booth & Bar
rett Company, when he received a teie-
gram from Theodore Bromley. the man
agef, that the town was burning up. The
engagement Was 10 have been at Frye's
opera hoase, ard that old-time playhouse
went up IN smoke. as did also the ware
houses on Sesier wharf, where all OF the
company printing was stored. In speak
InE again or the syndicate Mr.. Mcguire
said that II was dead now. The rebellion
% many leading stars and managers has
killed IL. He reviewed the oid-tlme Circuit
OF Brooks, Dickson a. Hickey that extend
eli from New York TO New Orleans by
way of Detroit. and subsequent efforts of
managers 10 control o b1z. list of thea
tears. saying that such efforts were like
lEsiftR 10 cover n large piece OF bread
with a limited amount Of butter The
more the spreading process was carried
the thinner becomes the butter and the
less satisfactory become the results Ma
guira controls little circuit Of seven
houses Ia Montana, but he says that they
are all In bunch only few hours apart
Even these seven theatcrs require all his
attention. and he says that sometimes
they are more than he wishes he had.
Mr. Maguire's presence In Seattle re-
wives II good story that heard Of him in
which Nat Goodwin fell victim 10 an
over Intelligent telegraph operator, some
such specimen, doubtless. as the breezy
chap fl THE JucklinS." and "a result
he got AT cross-purp0ses with the mag
nate of the Montana circuit. II hap
pened this way: Goodwin was playing in
Spokane. ore night just as he was
leaving his dressing room. he received a
telegram from John Mcguire. The mess
agp read. House completely sold out
Biggest advaHce sale ever known. How
Is that for ~