The times., 1899-05-14
LOCAL season TO Be
TEMPORARILY REVIVED
Managerial Hopes Centred Oh
Peace Jubilee Week.
Julia Arthur's Independent Stand
Against the Syndicate.
Talks With and Chats of the Players
Seen Last Week on Washing
toms Curtailed RiaIto.

81 have noticed" said George Lane Al
len in his book on THE Trade in Money"
a treatise on the methods of Wall Street
Il have noticed that the men VINO risk
most think least" The statement was the
result of considerable observation and its
author is entitle to such respect that one
does not feel like debating the matter with
him. But it occurs to the individual IA
miliar with things theatrical that if Mr..
Allen had left the hurry and hustle OF New
York's exchange for the more secluded dis
trict in which are located the offices of the
managers who direct the supply of amuse-
ments for this country his claim would
have been considerably strengthened. If
there is one venturer above all others who
seems to work solely by sort of blind in
stinct the entertainment caterer is that
person.
| Some months ago The Times took occa-
sion to review the prospect held out for a
supplementary season in Washington and
| to remark that the companies projected
were about three times as numerous as the
city could be expected to support. 1t
pointed out the foolishness OF the proceed
! ing, related a few facts in the way of
precedent, and warned those interested so
effectually that most of the planning for
summer snaps" has ceased. But now the
very conductors who were arranging to
disconcert the weather bureau by provid-
ing performances in the heat of summer
have another scheme afioat. and it is even
more impractical than was the former one.
| Since the term regularly given over TO
| histrionic commerce has ceased, the pro-
prietor of almost every place OF amuse-
| ment in town is straining his nerves with
the idea of keeping open during the week
| in which the Peace Jubilee occurs and thus
reaping an anticipated harvest OF enor-
nous value.
Precisely how managers are able to de-
lude themselves with the hope OF coming
money during the celebration it is diff
| cult TO imagine. Such festivals have never
been known to bring good fortune to the
theatres and the fact that by May % the
asphalt on the streets of the Capital Will
porbably be molten does not improve af-
| fairs in the least. Visitors who come to
this city would not be likely to risk suf-
location in stuffy auditoriums were all
! ether conditions favorable. When it is
considered that the attractions engaged at
| this time of the year cannot be the strong
| est and that guests will probably be kept
exceedingly busy during their stay here
| one can see very little reason for conf
dence on the part of those who intend to
| supply entertainment during the period.
| No ordinary traveller can manage to see
all the sights of Washington, pay due at
tention to the many free features of the
Jubilee and devote few minutes daily to
eating and sleeping without consuming
| every moment at his disposal. And when
| il Is considered that the local populace
has failed to crowd the three irst-class
houses open since Easter and that most
of it will be employed in taking charge of
the transients the theatrical prcspector
seems to be in a singularly resourceless
state.
In the matter Of preparation for the
/ crowd which 1T is believed will come to
| Washington, directors Of Thespian resorts
| are only aiding histrionic history to repeat
| itself When President Mckinley was in
| augurated and the centre of the Nation s
| interest was the district lying between the
Capitol and the White House the mercurial
ventures were even more elated than they
are now Many OF them prepared at once
for daily matinees and E. x. Edwards,
who was then in charge OF the Grand 0p-
era House, even advertised midnight per-
formanees. Special combinations were
booked and every possible arrangement
made for the accommodation of the i'm
mense gatherings expected. And when
March came at last, and with II the con-
course Of politicians and sightseers contin-
gent to such occasions surprise was uni
yersal at the fact that none of the theatres
in town did anything like an unusual busi-
ness Eddie Foy, who was appearing at
the Grand in "Off the Earth" gave the u
O'Clock renderings OF his piece for which
he had contracted, but did not bring his
receipts up to the ordinary mark by great
deal. Several other stars suffered severely
and not one was encouraged to a remarka- =
BILE degree. The visitors had their hands
and minds too much occupied to think of
playgoing.
This is the result that threatens now.
When it is considered that five places of
amusement will be open on the local Rial
to during Jubilee Week. that Glen Echo
and the various river resorts will be in
full swing, and that the number OF arri-
walls is still very uncertain, the enterprise
of the projectors seems decidedly uncalled-
for. 1t is not yet certain that, as was the
case with a religious convention held here
not very long ago, many of the guests will
not come from nearby rural districts with
striped shirts. two-dollar bills and the in
tention of changing neither before their
return. At best the tourists will be from
cities in which theatres are not such rari-
ties that they will feel called upon either
to forsake the festivities provided by the
various Jubilee committees for the sake oi
witnessing some performance or 10 drag
| their tired bones into hot enclosure for
midnight entertainments The continuous
vaudeville shows" furnished at Kernan's
and the Grand may prosper, for idle mo-
ments occur in the busiest periods, but
there is a great deal of doubt shrouding
the promise for the rest. The Times has
no wish to appear pessimistic but it feels
the necessity of urging that local mana
gers look before they leap" The goal
on the other side of the Peace Jubilee may
not be a miniature mint.
Some two years ago, when the Ora
matte Mirror" was attempting to under
mine the influence OF the so-cailed thea
trical trust by printing interviews in
which certain celebrities declared that In
their estimation the influence OF the com.
bine was pernicious and evil. Brandel
Matthews announced his opinion that, il
the syndicate was all that 1t had been said
TO be, il would ultimately tumble OF II.
own weight. Mr.. Matthews proved his
statement logically and the remarks were
published. The events of the last few
months. however, have seemed to mark
such a series of signal triumphs for thu
organization that interest in the recent
fight has been lost and to most people II
has appeared that Charles Frohman and hi:
partners were having things their owr
way.
Just now-even before attractions hav,
begun TO do their booking for next year
IL becomes apparent that the author!
words had more truth than would hav,
been imagined. II is hardly possible Il
tell anything definite OF discord in th
ranks of the syndicate, but the atmospher;
is not redoient OF the security that should