Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-17
Vaudeville Theater Passes Into
the Hands of the king
of Koins"
TAKES POSSESSION DECEMBER %
Now Proprietor Will Put on Himself
as an Opener, in Connection With
the Appearance Of his Friend, e. II.
Martin, of Webster city-Martin
Comes on as Result Of a Bet.

Tommy Downs, or, to be more
koirs," today bought the Bijou theater,
at 127 East Main street, of M. Tarl-
ton. Mr.. Downs has had the deal In
contemplation for several days, and
buys the property as am investment. He
will manage 1t personally during the
balance of the present season, and after
that will place the theater in the hands
of some competent manager, who will
run 1t while his own theatrical en-
gagements keep him away from the
city.
Mr.. Downs has had just such little
while home from a recent trip made
Mr.. Tarlton an offer. Mr.. Tarlton set
his price over which there was no
clubbing, and after next Sunday, De-
cember %, the Bijou will belong to T.
Nelson Downs.
Mr.. Downs has ideas of his own on
how to conduct a vaudeville theater.
He has appeared in all Of the leading
vaudeville houses In this country and
Europe, and he thinks he knows how
to run one. He will make speciality
OF moving pictures, as he says that the
moving picture is the life of the vaude-
vile today With that end in view he
Will put on 1000 feet Of new films every
week, including all the new and up to-
date pictures aside from refined and
high class vaudeville
Himself as an Opener.
Mr.. Downs will feature himself as an
opener for Christmas week, when he
will appear in his coin and card work,
and In new illusions that have never
been introduced outside OF London,
Berlin and Paris. With him will be his
friend, e. II. Martin, of Webster City,
a we'll known Iowa capitalist and tele-
phone owner, who is known thru APP
pearances here in Swede dialect and a
whistlirg stunt. Mr.. Martin fills an
engagement here on a bet The bet
Martin lost was made last July at his
summer home. Martin offered to bet
Downs he could dive from a bridge to
the water forty feet below and swim
a mile down the river Downs accept
ed the bet and stipulated that II Mar
tin should fail he was to appear in
Downs home town for a full week in
vaudeville. Martin failed and Downs
has exacted payment. If the roads will
permit Mr.. Martin will come to the city
in his new auto, bought recently at a
cost OF $4,000.
Downs We'll Known.
Tommy" Downs is one Of the best
known men in the vaudeville world, and
was founs by Ike" s;peers. Downs
was telegraph operator for the North
western here for several years, and ir
his odd moments practiced palmine
coins. He became so clever thai
Speers wouldn't listen to anything but
that he go on the road. Ike" helped
him from managerial standpoint, and
the result is that Downs has beer
abroad two or three times, played IL
all the European capitals, and in every
city of any size in this country. Hit
Marshalltown friends will be pleased tt
learn that while he may not be In Mar.
shautown all of the time he has bus.
mess interest here.
Mr.. Tarltom who opened the Bijor
on September "a has accepted a posi-
ton with the Carl Hagenbeck shows II
Mexico and will leave, accompanied by
Mrs Tarlton, for the south next week