The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-07-16
FROHMANIA4 THE WINDOW
A Washingtenian Recalls the Mag
nate as HayerIy's Treasurer.
Memories of Some Famous Old Plays
and Players-BInnche Bates Turns
Press Agent and Works Wonders.
Kate Masterdon Attempts to Defy
Thcspinns With But Poor Results.

| shSspiahs Win but toor RESULTS.
so the Star Theatre is to be torn down
too bad"
| 1t was in the advertising room of the
Columbia, and nearly a dozen people, nine
OF them more or less remotely connected
with 'the profession" had gathered there
| for the sake of the lowered temperature
in the well-ventilated little apartment.
Hans Roberts, who is to be with why
Smith Left Home" next season. leaned
against a Autograph of Charles B. Han
ford and looked happy; Godfrey Stein,
! temporary member OF Eugene Blair's
company, sat in an open window tanning
himself vigorously with pasteboard like
ness of Anna Held; Joe Luckett, master
of all he surveyed, was perched upon
paste table, and the speaker shared the
accompanying bench with a Times man.
NJ B. Franklin was the individual no
had commented upon the passing of New
York's celebrated house, and so well
known is he for the quality and number of
his "reminiscences that everyone else pres
ent waited for what was to follow the ex-
preston of regret
Well" continued Mr.. Franklin, after
pausing a short time for some of his neigh
| bors to take up the train OF thought be
| had suggested when the Star has been
evened with the ground Greater Gotham
! will have left only one relic OF the palmy
days-the venerable Bowery. If it is true
| that Wallack's old block is being abolished
in order to make room for big office
building, the place is really becoming
victim to the uptown trend which 1t may
be said to have inaugurated. Despite the
| contemporary magnitude of the metropo-
lis, only a few years have passed since
New York was Il comparatively small city,
reaching only about one-third the length
| of Manhattan Island. When the census of
1860 was taken its population was given
as $4,000, and everything past Union
Square was suburban. dilapidated tav-
ern stood where the Fifth Avenue Hotel
now is, and / have searched for acorns
! in a miniature forest known as Jones
Wood which began at what is now Sixty
sixth Street. The centre of business and
general interest was about Houston, and
though the far-seeing might have prophe-
sled that Ii would not remain there, little
ground was given for such claim.
For an extended period before that
term Lester Wallack and his father had
conducted a theatre at the corner OF Broad
way and Broome Streets. When they Sc
cured the plot, Of earth at Thirteenth and
announced that they would construct an
amusement resort there the wiseacres OF
the day were not slow in predicting hnan-
cial ruin for both. The Academy of Music
had then been running successfully for
five years, but managers said that two
houses could not do business in such an
out -the-way locality, even though each
a Gald RI in Ire
career the Academy was given over main
ly to big musical productions, and shortly
after the time of which / speak made
record for itself by introducing such sing
ers as Clara Louise Kellog and her famous
rivals. The Wallacks evidently had taken
all this into consideration, however, for
they put up whattwas then deemed one of
the most magnificent places of entertain
ment in the country. For two seasons the
structure was known as the Germanic and
then it was rechristened and called the
Star.
From the first few months of its exist
ence the enterprise was a mint to its own
ers. The war. which broke out imme-
diately after, and which involved in dis
aster some of the best known dramatic
caterers in New York, did not affect it in
the slightest Tom Taylor's comedy, 'The
New President was the first piece pre-
scented at the Star and it made a great hit
Subsequently the stage there was trod
upon by such people as John Gilbert,
George Holland, Dan Bryant. Charles
Matthews, E. L. Davenport, E. H. Sothern,
Charles Fechter, John Broughman, Dion
Boucicault, Alexandra Salvini Mr.. and
Mrs. Florence Fanny Davenport, H. J.
Montague F. S. Chanfrau, Edwin Booth.
Lawrence Barrett, Sir Henry Irving. Sarah
Bernhard, Nine. Modjeska, William II.
Crane. the two Wallacks. and a great num-
Der OF others whom | couldn't remember IL
l tried. So influential was the success of
the house that the Union Square was built
shortly after; and so the march up Broad
way was inaugurated-the march in which
so many old-timers Joined that half the
theatres we visit now in Gotham are only
the play homes of managers like Nixon,
Pike, WalIack, and Booth under new
names.
"Of late years the Star has been contin-
ually in artistically evil hands. Neil Bur-
CESS failure there in The Year One start
ed the place on downward career that
was eliminated when ii became the tenn
porary property of Davis G. Keogh. But
the structure stands as monument to all
that is best in the American drama, and
as a monument it should continue to stand
if might have my way"
Godfrey Stein, who had given Anna
Held a rest of full five minutes duration,
began tanning himself once more. and The
Times critic made a diligent attempt to
memorize the interesting recital he had
Just heard. Joe Luckett took upon him
self the position Of nterlocutor. Where
was Niblo's Garden?" he asked.
| Mr.. Franklin, who was evidently as
much absorbed in his recollections as any
one else present, did not find it necessary
10 pause an instant before replying. NIB
los" he continued, was pretty well
downtown. Before the enterprislng indl-
yiduals who formed its first management
purchased the property a hotel, known as
the Metropolitan. occupied the site bound
ed by Houston, Prince, Crosby, and Broad
way. 1t was a big hostelry for its time,
and was built about a great court that
originally gave the place its title. When
the theatre was erected it took the bound
aries OF the former block, and was con-
sequently one of the most commodious
houses in the world. Even the wealthiest
of hackers do not spend their money in
such enormous amusement palaces now
adays. The auditorium of the structure
was considerably larger than that OF the
Grand Opera House in this city. II had
four galleries, instead OF tive, and would
comfortably seat $500 spectators. Be
sides this immense space, Niblo's con-
tanned a number of Hobbies and prone
nades, several waiting and lounging
rooms, a marvelously capacious entrance
and a garden, in which gentlemen used
TO do their smoking. So you see the ed
! ifce covered quite stretch OF what
Bobby Gaylor calls teddy firma.'
II began work at Niblos in 1866 as q
programme boy and fought my way UP
| thrnugb most Of the Offices on the STAFF