Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10

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| 1t was time for the bananas, oranges and
| carrots-the produce of my genius-to fly
But they didn't. l rushed up into the box
and found that the forlorn Individual had
| eaten up everything himself"
Oscar has given the American stage many
| novel things since the day of his failure
He was the living exploiter of living pic
lures ON big scale. and when the people
| saw them they gasped Not few OF the
Partisan and Viennese actresses that also
made the country gasp decade or so ago
| were brought over by him. He was the ge-
| MUS that gave New York its Roster &
Balls. modelled after the English music
| halls. and for the location of which strang-
| ers still INQUIRE. though the playhouse has
| been leveled some years now. But perhaps
| the most novel thing he has contributed to
| the amusement history of this country was
his Kissing of one Of his own headliners.
Kisses His Own Headliner.
| The incident. characteristic of the man.
| occurred when Oscar was interested in Kos
ter & Biars. Oscar has never been known
| as flnicky individual by his friends or
enemies, yet for some reason or other he got
| 1t into his head that Mile. Dido, Wen
nese songstress who had been imported at
| large figure. was altogether too risque. Os
| car registered strong kick against her
| further appearance, but his partners
| laughed at him. Oscar seated himself in
| prominent box night or too later and just
| as the singer was leaving the stage he let
| out a series of Kisses that sounded marvel
ously like a locomotive letting off steam.
Kissing always more or less excites an
| American audience, and when this particu-
| lar audience discovered that one of the
| theater's own proprietors was doing the
| Kissing the excitement rose to the highest
! pitch. And it was not lessened when Oscar
| shouted a singing sentence at a wine mer-
chant. now famous the country over, who
hay1f fvor1 nI4 i
monStrated with him for his conduct to-
ward the lady in question.
The sequel of this incident Is also charac-
| teristic of Baron Oscar Hammerstein.
After being consigned to very warm but
| still not definitely located region the wine
merchant left his box. Oscar, mad all
| through and exudng excitement from every
| pore, followed him, vainly tried to have
| him arrested. and then, although a much
smaller man. physically undertook to chas-
tise Mr.. Wine Agent. Result: When Oscar
appeared in court as a prisoner and coun-
ter-complainant. he carried various marks
of his late encounter on his face. Did Oscar
thirst for legal vengeance for his injuries?
Not he.
Never mind your honor" he said, when
the justice soIicitously quered about the
assault. Il am not injured. Let the as
sault pass" What he did thirst for. how
ever, was a decision that he had a right TO
hiss In his own theater, and he got 1t In
these words. after both men had been
warned to keep the peace:
LAS to this kissing business, I must say
that in his own theater or anywhere else a
man has right SO to express his disap-
prevail Good-day, gentlemen"
Then Oscar went in triumph to his office
In the theater, wrecked 1t after gathering
his private papers and thereafter harassed
his former partners In the courts for many
a cold moon. Peace finally came with the
payment of a half million dollars to the re-
doubtable Oscar as his share of the bust
ness.
Oscars Failures.
The theater which housed Roster & Balls
was built by Hammerstein. 1t was his first
downtown enterprise, and his first Manhat
tan opera house, md his idea was to ded-
icate the place to grand opera. If his plans
had gone right Melba, supported by an Ital-
ian company, would have been heard there
for the first time in this country. But there
occurred one of those numerous slips that
have generally punctuated Oscars theatre
cal career. and shortly after Oscar tried
grand opera on his own hook at popular
prices. His venture was a failure, and
then he gave to New York his novelty in
the shape of a music hall along English
lines-Koster e. BiaPs.
Oscars first attempt to obtain secure
footing IN the grand opera field was made
when he was running the Harlem Opera
House. He put forward Lilli Lehman,
among other well-known operate stars
but Notwithstanding all the talent and the
extraordinary publicity lodges Oscar could
work, Harlem did not look with favor upon
the classic performances
Oscar had his heart set on giving grand
opera, so he tried II in English at popular
prices. II brought out "Cavalleria Rust-
cana" he said. But the Harlemites evil
IDENTIFY thought that a landscape composed
of rocks and goats was rustfcana enough
for them, and lost so much money on the
production that 1 rechristened the piece
'Cavalleria Busticana-"
Oscar has always cheerful way of de-
| scribing his experiences, even those that
have been failures.
Referring to his troubles with the Man
haitian Opera House, which became famous
as Roster & Balls after Mrs Bernard Beere
had failed to make good there. and grand
opera had done the same, he said:
81 may sum up my connection with this
beautiful house by saying that began with
Bernard Beere, continued with Meyerbeer
and ended with lager beer"
A Familiar Figure In Court.
1t is doubtful whether Oscar himself can
remember the numerous times he has been
mixed up with the law or its representa-
tives. For the better part of six months he
was engaged in squabble after squabble
with the authorities about the matter of a
license for the Harlem Opera House. In
the end he got what he was after-not only
WELL incidentally. the town then learned
to smile at and with Mr., Hammerstein.
At the end of his first year In Harlem,
while he was busy losing several thousand
dollars daily, Oscar was arrested by Police
Captain Hooker on the charge of running
a playhouse without a license. Oscar
promptly came back with the statement
that his arrest had resulted because the
captain had not been furnished with COM
plimentary tickets to a performance at
which Lilli Lehman was to appear The
doughty manager carried the fight before
the police commissioners. where he proved
his charges. with marvellous display OF
linguistic pyrotechnics, and Hooker came
within ace of being dismissed from the
force. He was transferred and heavily
fined.
Oscars style as a witness at this trial Is
typical OF the divers times he has oc-
cupied witness chair.
Touching his career as proprietor OF
tobacco trade journal. Capt. Hooker's coun-
sci asked him:
Were you not indicted for criminal
libel2'
you lie II you say so!' shouted Oscar
We're you not put on the limits of the
county after Judgment had been obtained
against you, and did you not break jail by
running away and going to Europe?"
You lie again. shouted Oscar as he
pounded the desk with his fist
Oscar has always said what he thinks.
both on the witness stand and elsewhere
No one can ever charge him with eQuivo-
cation. diplomatic or otherwise.
Hia Own Lawyer.