The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-06-10
Avery amusing
little cnSs

world Oscar had made his debut as
Playwright and composer In the late
three one-act comedies for the manager
of a German theater in New York His
success In this line inspired him to be-
come himself a manager of German
theater, and year or two later he leased
playhouse.
History of His First Failure.
Here 1t was that Oscar experienced his
first theatrical failure, He has vividly
described this incident in his life;
Der Geschundcne Paubritter.' farce on
knight crrantry, which had made a Juror
in Germany. In one of the acts a knight
and is incarcerated In tower, bees for
food. My craze for introducing some
novel effect took possession OF me at that
early day, and as the piece was farce,
/ thought IL would add to the sport 10
have food pelted at him from one of the
| boxes.
so l gathered in q forlorn individual
from the Bowery and stationed him in
an upper box with basket of oranges.
ment came, the knight begged pitcously
for food. 1t was time for the bananas,
oranges and carrots-the produce of my
genlus-to fy. But they didn't l rushed
up into the box and found that the for
loru individual had eaten up everything
himself"
many novel things since the day of this
failure. He was the leading eNploiter of
living pictures on big scale and when
people saw them they gasped. Not q few
OF the Partisan and Nlcnnese actresses
that also made the country gasp q DE-
| cade or so ago were brought over by him.
| His was the genius that gave New York
It's Roster & Balls, modelled after tho
English music halls. and for the location
Of which strangers stu inquire, though
| years now But perhaps the most novel
| thing he has contributed to the amuSe-
ment history of this country was his
pT q hea6llnpTS
Oscar Kisses His Own Headliner.
The incident. characteristic of the man.
! occurred when Oscar interested in
| Roster & Blals Oscar has never been
Known as a flnicky individual by his
! friends or enemies, yet for some reason
| or other he got It into his head that Mile.
| Di-DIo. Vicnnese songstress who had
| been imported at a large hgure was al
together too risque oscar registered
strong Kick against her further appear
! ance, but his partners laughed at him
! oscar seated himself In prominent box
! a night or two later and just as the
series Of Kisses that sounded mervelously
Ike a locomotive letting of steam.
Kissing always more or less eXcltes an
American audience. and when this par
| tcular audience discovered that one OF
| the theater's own proprietors was doing
| the kissing the excitement rose TO the
highest pitch And II was not lessened
| wren Oscar shouted singing sentence
| at a wine merchant now famous the
|
| joining box and demonstrated with him
| for his conduct toward the lady in ques-
| tion-
The sequel of this incident Is also
characteristic of Baron Oscar Hammer
! stein.
After being consigned to n very warm
! but still not definitely located region.
| the wine merchant left his box Oscar.
mad all through and exuding excite
valniy tried TO have him arrested, and
| then. although much smaller man,
physically. undertook to chastise Mt
Wine-Agent Result: When Oscar ap
| counter-complainan he carried various
marks of his late encounter on his
| face. Did Oscar thirst for legal ven
geenee for his injuries? Not he.
Never mind. your Honor" he said
when the Justice soliticiously ,querled
about the assault. II am not injured
thirst for, however. was a decision that
he had a right TO hiss In his own thea
| ter and he got II In these words after
both men had been warned to Keep the
| peace.
''As TO this hssing business. I must
say that In his own theater or any
where else a man has a right so 10 ex-
press his dsapproval. Good-day, gentle
| men"
Then oscar went In triumph TO his
office in the theatcr. wrecked II after
gathering his private papers and there
after harasscd his former partners IN
the courts for many a cold moon. Peace
half million dollars TO the redoubtable
Oscar as his snare OF the business
Attempts to Give Grand Opera.
The theater which housed Roster &
Balls was built by HammersteiD.
II was his first downtown enterprise.
and his first Manhattan opera-house. and
his Idea was 10 dedicate the place 10
grand opera. II his plans had gone right,
Melha, supported by an italian company
would have been heard there for the first
4 timo In this Seuntry. But there oc-