The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-14
LIT WANTS THE GRAND
Negotiations for the Lease of
Montana's Big Theaters.
A STRING TO THE COAST
A Strong Possibility Of the Well-Known
Chicago Manager Securing Control
ofthe Houses in Butte, Anaconda,
Helena and Great Falls.

negotiations are in progress in Butte
Tor an important theatrical deal which,
II contaminated, will put into the con-
troll of Jacob Lift, the well-known man.
ager, the four principal theaters in
Montana. L. Stafford of Minneapolis
representing Mr. Lift, is in the city
j carrying on the negotiations to secure
leases on the Grand opera house in
Butte, the Margaret in Anaconda, the
| Great Falls house and Ming's in Hell
ena. 1t is not publicly known how far
the deal has progressed, but it is un-
derstood that Mr.. Lift has made sew
eral liberal offers to Park &, McFar-
land, the present lessees of the Butte
and Great Falls houses, for the pur-
chase of their interests under the
leases, but neither offer has yet been
accepted, and counter propositions
nave been made to Mr. Lift Mr. Lift
| hopes to get the Anaconda and Helena
| houses but it is understood his con-
| troll of those will depend entirely on
his getting the Grand in Butte, and
| from present appearances it looks as if
ne may be able to close a deal with
Park & Mcfarland to their mutual
benefit. The present lessees have a
good thing in the Grand, and if they
are induced to part with their lease it
VII :. De Tor good consideration. Mr.
STAFFORD came to Butte first over a
week ago and the negotiations have
been under way ever since A few
days ago he went to Anaconda, Hell
ena and Great Falls to look over the
ground there and returned to Butte
yesterday. Mr. Lift has been anxious
to get hold of the Butte house for sew
eral years, and when he learned that
Mr.. Mcguire was to retire from the
management he made another effort
TO get 1t, but James A. Murray had
already closed with Park & McFar-
land. Mr.. Lift has McVicker's theater
in Chicago and other houses in Mil
Waukee, Minneapolis and st. Paul, and
It is his ambition to secure a string of
the best houses from Chicago to the
coast. It will be to the great benefit
of the cities in which they are located
II he does, for Mr.. Lift is recognized as
one OF the most enterprising amuse-
ment managers in the country He
owns dozen or more of the best at
fractions now touring the country and
his management of any theater is a
guarantee of it's popularity and of
strictly first-class attractions
After many struggles and great anx-
iety, Mrs Julia Calhoun few days
ago secured a divorce from Kirkland
Calhoun, the comic opera singer and
manager who is now with the Eel
Captain" company, which will shortly
appear in Butte. Both Mr.. and Mrs.
Calhoun are well known throughout
the Northwest. Mrs. Calhoun, who is
woman of about 35 years, was once
we'll known comic opera singer, being
prima donna of the company known
as the Calhoun Opera company of
which her husband was manager.
Several years ago, when the company
was on the Pacific coast Mr. Calhoun,
it has been alleged, deserted her for
one of the chorus girls of his COM
pany. Mrs. Calhoun then went to New
York, where she had a hard struggle
for support, according to the story she
told in a Brooklyn court Her hus-
band contributed nothing to her liveli-
hood, and she, sorely against her will.
was compelled to accept the bounty of
her friends for a year or more. Now
that she is free she expects to marry a
wealthy young man and thus hopes to
end all her troubles.
Two years ago she obtained an en-
gagement with an extravaganza COM
pany in Philadelphia, but the engage
ment did not last long. Mrs Calhoun.
while still retaining her excellent voice,
fers from managers had not been
numerous 1t seemed as if the mis-
fortunes which were constantly visiting
her would never end, but they did and
for nearly year past she has been
more prosperous. She has been living
in comparative luxury in New York I'M
der the name of Schwartz.
Mrs Calhoun stated in court that she
had positive evidence of her husbands |
infidelity, and several witnesses testi-
fled that they had been introduced to
young woman other than the plain
tiff as Mrs. kirkland Calhoun. Mr. CAL
houn offered no defense to his wife's
suit
The most interesting portion of New
York to the people of this country, who |
live outside of it, is undoubtedly that |
great hive of humanity, the East |
Side in which is located that famous
"Hogan's Alley" This paradise" has
become SO famous throughout the
country in the last few years, through
the efforts of numerous journalists,
that w. H. Macart has taken the most
famous of it's characters and woven
them into the merry farce comedy
Which will be seen at the Grand to-
morrow night. Probably the most
prominent of the various characters of
"Hogan's Alley" is Mickey Dugan. the
original yellow Kid" Mickey's wit is
nimble and as sharp as tack and
many of his sayings have become
household proverbs. Thousands have
read of his famous trip around the
globe, and the best of the many
humorous incidents of that pilgrimage
are incorporated in the farce. "Hogan's
Alley Some of the other features of
the comedy include Hogan's cycle club,
Hogan's illuminated roof garden, the
Yellow Kid vaudeville entertainment
and a big array of European novel
ties.
Mrs. Minnie Alice French Evans wife
Of Charles f. Evans, manager of the
Herald Square theater in New York,
who died a few days ago, is we'll re-
membered by the theater-goers of
Butte and elsewhere as Minnie French,
the Innocent Kidd in Hoyt's "A Par
Tor Match" one of the first of the farce
comedy successes and perhaps the big
sest money-maker of the lot. Minnie
French and her sister Helen had been
11inpr a Cly iIe ha