The Topeka state journal., 1903-04-11
SCHEME THAT FAILED.
Manager JOhnston's Posters Did
Not Suit Aesthetic Stars.

When the announcement first came 70
Topeka that Nordica and De Reszke
would sing here IN May there came a
few small poster cards of which the
picture is representation. In few
days those cards We're given out and TO
more came They were rather clever
little cards and appeared to be an at
tractive way of advertising for they
were done in color in an artistic and
skillful manner. Here is a story from
the New York Sun about those cards
and why they so suddenly disappeared
from the public view:
This picture is a monument to
great advertising scheme that failed
More than LOG, coo of these cards were
printed and all but a few were destroy
ed.
In the wheelbarrow are Edouard de
Reszke, Lillian Nordica and John Duss,
who viii be the conductor of the Met
ropolitan Opera House orchestra when
it starts on concert tour next month
The person pushing the barrow over the
route of the concert tour is r. E. john
ston, who has been the manager Of
John Duss ever since the bandmaster
concluded that his musical gifts requlr-
ed a larger field than his native town
Of Economy, Pa.
Mr. Johnston.s method of manage
ment has been violent at times. but he
has at least succeeded in making Mr.
Duss' name known all over the country
and it is. of course. nobody's business
how much this has cost Mr.. Duss is
ambitious and willing to pay for the
qualification of his wishes.
This spring he is to conduct the or
chestra of the Metropolitan Opera
House on a concert tour which IS to be
resumed next autumn and continue un-
til the opening of the season at the
Metropolitan. Edouard de Reszke ana
lillian Nordica have been engaged as
the soloists of these two tours
Mr.. Duss is very proud OF the ract
that he is to conduct for two Sucn dlS-
tinguished artists and his enter2rising
manager wanted to get as much noto-
riety as possible out of the association.
So he got a Baltimore artist to design
the group composed of Nine. Nordlca,
NJ. de Reszke and Mr.. Duss in a wheel
barrow pushed by Duss' manager
This poster was to be sent by mail
through the country and it was conf
IDENTIFY expected by the hopeful Nj.
Johnston to create sensation. It did.
But the sensation was of quite a dit
ferent kind from that which the man
ager loked for.
Nine Nordica felt the sensation the
minute her eyes fell on the poster
GENTLY she tele2honed for Mr. john
stoa.
HE is in the habit of dealing with
Drima donnas and he has seen soma of
lheIn IN state OF excitement, DuL ne
had never seen any of them quite SO
angry as Nine Nordica was when she
discussed that picture of herself in the
wheelbarrow. Those posters had to be
Withdrawn or she would consider hel.
contract Cancelled. Those were Mime
Nordica's conditions and Mr.. Johnston
started back to his Office to ponder over
them.
He found NJ de Reszke awaiting him
there. NJ. de Reszke is proverbially good
humored, but on that day the big basso
was plainly out Of sorts. His whiskers
expressed indignation wounded pride
and all kinds of determination
AS he speaks English with less
f1uency than Nine. Nordica, he was able
to protest with less emphasis. But he
made it plain that unless the picture