The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-19
JAKE WELLS SECURES McDONALD'S THEATRE;
 MANAGER MCDONALD LEAVES THE BUSINESS

| with Miss Palmer required him to pro- vide four local children for the cast of My Sweetheart" and that at least one l of these children is now a prominent business man of Montgomery. Playgoers who in recent years laugh ed with Robert E. Graham in The Belle of New York;" The Little Ty- interested in the statement that he was one of the comedians with Minnie Pal mer in that production of My Sweet heart" Joe Arthur, later an ambi- tious actor, manager and playwright. was also a comedian in the same com pany.
 Following My Sweetheart" the late Charlotte Thompson-Mrs. Lorraine Rogers-claimed by Montgomery as it's | own, played a weeks engagement at
 the opera house opening on the night , of November 21, 1881. with The Plant CTS Wife"
 The old programs show that the next bookings in the order named were Pete Baker in Chris and Lena" Fred erick Warde in Damon and Pythias, " Denman Thompson in Joshua Whit comb" which was graduated into "The Old Homestead" and made MT. Thomp- son an immense fortune; Joseph Mur- phy in Kerry Cow and others we'll known to patrons of the theatres.
 As has been said Professor Mcdonald has seen forty-five years of service with theatres in Montgomery. Long before he conceived the idea of build ing a theatre on Blbb Street he had managed the Montgomery Theatre sec ond only to the Walnut Theatre. Phil adelphia,. as the oldest playhouse in the United States.
 In 1857 Professor Mcdonald began playing second violin in the Montgom- cry theatre orchestra, when Matt w. Canning was managing the theatre. He was born in Rockford, Coosa Coun- ty, and had lived until young manhood in Coosa and Elmore counties. The glamor of the theatre appealed to him and he never gave it up except when he went to war. Serving in some ca pacity or another about the theatre until 1875 Professor Mcdonald leased the Montgomery theatre and on Octo- Der 8. 1875. 1t was opened under his management with a performance by Dupree and Benedict's Minstrels. He continued to manage the Perry Street play house until he built McDonald's s Opera House. Later, from 1889 to 1894. he managed both houses.
 Professor Mcdonald was a contem- porary and personal friend of Edwin Booth, John Mccullough. John T. Ford. the old Baltimore manager, Lawrence Barrett, John T. Raymond, Janauschek Mary Anderson, Modjeska, Frank Mayo. Joseph Jefferson. Emma Abbott. Lotta. Caroline Richings Bernard. Sol Smith Russell, Roland Reed, Kate Claxton. Fanny Davenport Stuart Robson and other eminent actors of the old Ameri- can school. He managed the theatre here at time when the booking de- pended largely on the relationship be- tween the star and the house manager and he points with pride to the fact that 1t was mainly through his efforts that many of these really great artists were first introduced to Montgomery audiences.
 Honest" John Templeton, father of Fay Templeton now playing in "A Lit tie of Everything" at a New York roof garden and a favorite burlesque actress in the metropolis. was a great friend of Professor Mcdonald and the old man ager takes pleasure in talking of the olden days when The Fay Templeton Company" played in Montgomery under the management of Honest John," In November 1878. "the fairy Fay as she was advertised. played weeks en- gagement at the Montgomery theatre The programs in possession of Profes- sor Mcdonald show that her repertoire required versatility that would rack the modern actor. In one week she and her company produced Lost Love" Miss Mutton" Aimee" Puck" Rip Van Winkle," Mariana" and Cuba 1; A Story of Captain Fry and the Ill., fated Virginius."
 Many years ago. Professor Mo Donald adopted as his. motto "The Lord Will Take Care of His People" On every program printed by the veteran and hEo motto has appeared in black types and has caused much comment among strangers unacquainted with his quaint philosophy.
 That motto" says Professor Mo Donald means to me just the way it reads. ''The Lord has promised to provide for the faithful He has taken care of me and mine and in my old age l have a competency"
 Professor Mcdonald taught dancing in Montgomery twenty-five years and thousands of matrons and men of mid dle Alabama owe their knowledge of the Terpsichorean art to his teaching When he retired from that business in 1890. The Advertiser said of him:
 Professor Mcdonald closed his danc- ing school for the season yesterday The Professor has taught the polite art in this city for an even quarter of a century during the whole of which time his fame as a master and his per sonal popularity have increased and the advancing years find him still in his prime. Professor Mcdonald is not only superior teacher of the poetry of motion. but he is also a good citi- zen, energetic and clever and verifes his original maxim The Lord Will Take Care of His People,"
 The Wells syndicate has leased all of the Mcdonald building and Profess sor and Mrs. Mcdonald will remove from their apartments in the building where they have lived so many years
 The future of Professor Mcdonald is not uncertain.
 T will take life easy now he said yesterday and I will live and die right here in Montgomery"
 
 20 Pounds Standard GranuIated Su- Ear $1.OO, with every purchase amount ing to three dollars or over, Monday Hnw