Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-18

M ! MN y
mn r.
bers to prove that the purpose of the man
agement to present entertainment to which
the most conservative could not object was
recognized and accepted i'll good faith the
box Office did not respond favorably to the
new condition of affairs.
1T is not our intention, said Manager
Schlesinger yesterday. Ito offer burlesque
of the kind that can be objected to on any
grounds. We look for difficulty in OBJ
tanning high-class bills which cannot Of
fend the most sensitive. Indeed, clean bur
lesque and vaudeville is coming into such
demand In all parts of the country that 1t
is not necessary for house manager even
of regular variety theater to exercise as
much vigilance as formerly in cutting out
material which would be objected to by
Washington audiences. 1t is a disappoint-
ment to relinquish the family theater pol
icy: yet 1t is a relief to return to basis
which. under present conditions, assures
prosperity.
will you return to the idea of a stock
company"
Not In the form that prevailed when
the theater was known as the Bl1ou.
doubt if many people realize what an ex-
penSive organization that stock company
was. And with the time at our disposal it
was very difficult to give performances
which We're satisfactory III all details. We
hope in the future to arrange a stock COM
pany scheme which will include several
cities and give ample time for the rehear-
sal of each new production For the present,
however, We have arranged to play num-
Der of combinations and we may occasion
ally introduce Il special bill of our own
make up. In any event it is not our lnten-
ton to present any entertainment to which
any patron Of current amusements. lady or
gentleman. could reasonably object
DO you think that ladies will continue
to come to the theater under the new pol.
icy?"
from New York" answered Mr.. Schlesinger
regretfuIly But in New York ladies' do
not hesitate to go to Weber and Fields and
the roof gardens. where both smoking anu
drinking are permitted
The large financial returns that accrue
to a successful star nowadays in compari-
son to the incomes of the great lights OF
the drama not many years back recalls
to mind story in connection with John
Mccullough, as tod by Charles B. Han
ford, the tragedian. who just now Is him
self playing to large business in the south.
One of the very first managers approached
by Mr.. Hanford when he finally decided
to adopt the stage as mode of livelihood,
was the eminent tradegian, John McCul-
Tough, and armed with letters from the
Justice Field of the supreme Court of the
United States and cx-Representative Page
of California, both Of whom were warm
personal friends of the tragedian. Nc
Cullough received Mr.. Hanford pleasant
Iy and after the aspirant for a dramatic
career had stated his business, said:
Young man, l would do anything in the
world to acquieSce in the wishes of the
two gentlemen whose Endorsement you
bring, but at the present time l am over
run with such requests. Right now l have
-hn
never be able to make a dollar at the
business
Though he did not mention their names.
the two young men Mccullough referred
TO We're f. II. Sothcrn and James Voor-
hees. AS is well known, in the case of the
former, the famous tragcdians prophecy
went for naught for today Sothern is one
of the prosperous stars of the dramatic
stage, while his artistic success is like
wise notable. Mr.. NoI 'hees abandoned the
stage for the profession OF 4 lawye~.
Kyrle BeIlew the famous English actor,
soon to be seen here in "A Gentleman of
France" is part owner Of nine gold mines
IN the Maytown fields of North Queensland
His partner is Frank Gardiner, the multi
millionaire fnancler of London and Paris
The story of Bellows gold strike and his
partnership with Gardner, now a financial
dictator IN England. IS Interesting.
Bellew was an ensign on H. NJ. s. Con-
way, lying in the harbor of Melbourne,
when the first gold discovery was made IN
Australia. With an adventurous spirit, he
could not resist the rush that followed the
wild excitement of the hour. With a single
shipmate, Lieut. Cecil Farquhar he plunged
into the bush for the Queensland fields
Afte" nearly year of successful digging
3ellew and Farquhar started back to the
coast to take boat for England, where
they Intended to buy machinery. Faruuhar
died in the bush of exposure and another
young wayfarer who came up at the time
helped heartbroken Rellew bury the body
Of his shipmate and chum. This young man
was Frank Gardiner of New York city,
L. S. A.
They journeYed together toward the coast.
When within three days reach of Brisbane
they were set upon by bushrangers and
their bags of gold dust, the entire results
of about a years frenzied digging were
stolen from them. BY selling their clothes,
pistols and horses they finally reached Sgd
ney, broken in spirit. friendless, utterly dis
couraged. Bellew. Sailor-likc, applied for a
berth a merchantmen bound for Eng
land next day, and kind-hearted skipper
believing his story, let both work their pas
sage back to England
These vicissitudes shared together COM
menced an enduring friendship between the
two young seekers after fortune. :
Arriving in London, penniless. both
scanned the advertisements in the daily pa
pers for work. Bellew read one: Wanted
A light comedian to join provincial theat-
rical company" He applied for and Sc
cured the place and that is how the future
star happened to go on the stage.
Gardiner got back TO America somehow
and few years afterward formed, curl
ously enough, the theatrical firm of Gil
| more. Gallagher & Gardiner, which pro-
duced several plays in New York twenty
years ago THE Devils Auction was one
when Bellew came to New York in 'S4
TO become leading man of Lester Wallack' S
Stock Company the first thing he did was to
| look up Gardiner, and at that time they en-
| tered into compact to start again In min
| Ing operations in Queensland. the under
standing being that the first one that
| struck it rich would stake" the other
| Ten years later Bellew went out and. with
money earned as an actor. acquired leases
| to three mines and some good machinery
| The yield was good and the prospects big.
! He wrote to Gardiner, who soon came out.
| Bellew made him manager of his mines and
| staked him. true to the promise. to $4,000
for independent operations. This money
| proved the beginning of Frank GARDENERS
! rapid rise to great wealth, and the fuIcrum
| to Bellows fortunes as we'll for Gardiner
| made good" to the comrade who befriended
| him so generously. Together Messrs. Rel
lew and Gardiner now own nine of the big
| gest and best-paylns mines in Australia
| They lie in what is called the Maytown