The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-31

caused by his sensational diyoree un-
doubleday did make him grabbed. But
he was big hearted. and the world can
never know the extent Of his charities,
81 secretly were many Of them extend
ed. Had Davenport possessed some Of
Forests administrative capacity he
would have won the rank bis talents
warranted him ia assuming. He had
40 executive powers. I'D he never
found just the person TO handle his af-
fairs properly
MT. BlaisdeIl was q member of the
stock company which figured SO largely
in the early history Of Hooley's nov
Powers) theatre. This house was
opened to the public IN 1872 with an en-
terJainment managed By the brothers
Kiralry. II held the stage for two or
three weeks. Then the stock company,
organized by Air. Hooley and sIr. Blais
dell. inaugurated its career with the
performance Of a play called Partners
for Life For three years this conn-
pany commanded the loyal and remun-
erative patronage of the town. II in
cluded the following. players1
Kate Meek. John DilloH,
Emma Kline. Nate SALISBURY.
Sidney Coweil (SIiss.JlC. =. Bishop
Phyllis Glover. George Giddons.
y
Marie Louise DILLON II. A. Weber.
John ". BlaisdeE
This organization gave the best mod
ern comedies, and the admlttanee fees
ranged from % cents to 81. The re-
ceipts ran from SEQ to s9o0 nightly and
throughout its three seasons the COM
psny had but three losing nights. This
particular Renaissance of Mr. Blais-
dell's will indicate te the public OF the
present day how grossly il is beng
overcharged for theatrical amusement
The subtitle. ''Parlor Home of Com
edy. which wag so long a part of the
name of Hooley's theatre. was decided
upon early in the history OF the house.
For the first few weeks it was known
merely as Hooleys. one evening when
Mr.. Hooiey, MIR. Blaisdell and BARLEY
Campbell were visiting. the matter Of
an additional name came up. "Hooley's
{ Garrick theatre" and .Hooley's Cri-
/ terion'' were suggested. but Campbell,
| then a press agent, said: As you VIII
| be playing mostly comedies here. sup
pose you call It The Home of Com
/ edy.
yes, said Mr.. Hooley. ~the Parlor
Home Of Comedy and SO the name
! that ultimately stood for all that was
best in the theatrical life IF Chicago
vas hit upon.
+! 4 group Of Broadwayites were talk
/ ing about the bad business which pre-
walls at the theatres generally this
! Season. when Joseph c. Miron, of the
.Winsome Winnie company remarked
/ that he could recall Just one Se.milaI
! condition of affairs.
1T was about twenty years ago
/ when the craze for roller skating swept
over the country" he said. Every
I town had its rink, big or little, and
every member of the family from
! granddad to grandchild had his pair
( Of roller skates. 1t simply paralyzed
business in small cities and towns for
/ US.
Il was then with 4 minstrel COM
! panS9 whose managers have since re-
! tired to a veIvet-lIned privacy. ac-
quired in the 25-35-5 0-cent field Of min
streisy. The show. cost them about
$50 per day to run, and when we
struck the roller skating craze oul
business dropped to $40 q night. and
when We took in $50 business was con-
sidered great. OF course the managers
had money in the bank and expected
the tide to turn any week. or We
wouldn't have stayed out. As it was
we went up against this sort of rf1ing
for twenty straight weeks.
My professional duties included
playing the bass drum IN the band
taking tickets at the door until
O'Clock, interlocutor in the first part
playing in the middle act, in the OliO
singing a bass song straight, and play
nag in the after piece, tor which Ia
bors I received the largest stipend
among the aggregation of singers-$li
per week.
About the fourth week Of tbs
frost the managers conceived the idea
OF utilizing me as a sort Of press agent
was sent to the skating Kinks in tht
afternoon, with a supporting quar-
tette, to sing and drum up business
for the nights performance. and as
We We're playing week stands our al
vance man would gently insinuate II
each town that. if diplOmaticaily ap-
preached. Mr.. Miron might be induced
TO sing the offertory in church tbs
next Sunday the company arrivine
ea.ly Sunday morning. and Nj. Mirror
being thoroughly familiar with Cath
/ Ollie church music.
And did Mr. Miron do it? Web, sou
can Just believe he did.
He was young then, and his ont
fear was that the company might close
Talk about hard times, Those were
the days when the actor cid tie 'wor-
rying. Now he leaves that to the
, manager, who draws on his rentals ans
his real estate ventures to float the
/ company over a streak Of bad bust
ness
I
The actor may have stretched tht
facts soma hut he told rather al
/ amusing experience in which he 6guret
1 in Minneapolis some years asc,
While I was there he said. II wa:
asked to take part in benefit perform
/ anee given BY the Elk, of which | an
a member. On the same bill was Fred
+ erick War5e. who, with d part of ii:
company, was 10 play. the forum scen'
from 'Virgin:Us. At the climax OF IN!
sketch I was pulled TO the flies bl
means of q rope attached about my
waist. The stays hands who Wer'
delegated 10 do the pulling either in
advertently or in a joke, when thes
had me just above the border lights