Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-29
JAMES NELL ON
STOCK COMPANIES
Tells How Blanch Bates Sold
Theater Tickets in
Denver.
SOME ACTORS EXPERIENCES.
Veteran Who Opened the Grand The
ntcr In This city Ia 1894 Tells
Some Stories.

James Neil, the veteran actor for
whom the Grand thcater was built on
Second South by Jay Rogers and assoc
ciates in 1894, and who is now in vande-
VILE, was IN a reminiscent mood this
morning. Mr. Neill is among the pio-
noers Of western stock companies and
On his time has handled many embryo
stars. At the Orpheum this morning
he told incidents in the careers OF peo-
pie who have been in his companies, in
Guiding the following galaxy: Blanche
Bates. Julia Arthur, Madge Carr Cooke.
Henrietta Crosman. Eleanor Robson.
Mary Hampton. Belle Archer. Jane
Remark, Arnold DAILY, Sandol Miliken.
Robert Drouet, Daniel Frawley. Harry
Carson Clark. Mary Elizabeth Forbes.
Walter Clark Bellows. Howard Kyle,
Eugene Ormond.
He is one of the veteran actors OF the
west, and when one hears him tell Of
the stage folk he has played with one
almost wonders at his memory and ex-
periences. Yet he looks youthful and
the years have been kind to him.
lHlS Is not ms uiSi NlnlA w Eiiil l-1hNs
for he has played here n number Of
times. Back in the early eighties he
appeared IN the Salt Lake theater when
Phil Margetts was in his prime.
He was the founder OF the modern
stock company and for the last 10
years one Of Its most successful ex-
ponents, both in the way of the dollar
and the more meritoious one of good
and abiding art.
hnA n
stock companies before the exentful
time in 1898 when he took little
theatcr in Denver at the modest rem
tai of $50 n week and proposed to
operate It as a stock company house
during tho regular season, He, HIM
self, had played for two years in
Denver in hot weather companies and
since tho time that tho present star
system came into vogue and passed
sponge over the old time stock COM
panies there had always been these
summer snaps. But this Denver ven
ture was the first to revive the good
old stock company.
HIS DENVER VENTURE.
This Denver venture was inspired
by Mr.. Neill's popularity there Two
seasons with the impulsive thehter-
Eoers Of that breezy town had made
hin a great favorite and so when a
young IellOW Named X. L. tllleI,
came to him with proposition to
join forces in a stock company dur
ing the winter season Mr.. Neill was
taken with the scheme. Zach had
$3.50 and with this joint capital safely
in the bank. Mr.. Neill went to New
York and engaged a compact and
clever little company whose members
knew the extent of his purse but were
willing to take a chance with him.
They didn't suffer. nor, so he says,
has any actor who ever played with
him. Somehow or other. even when
the business was terribly bad, the
ghost always walked"
These players Of the first company
were more than mere actors: they
were friends and comrades and help
ers. They turned In and assisted him
with that generosity of deed as well
as money that Is characteristic OF the
actor.
Things went against us for a time"
said Mr.. NELL smiling tenderly over the
memory. Blood to-the- Bridles'' Waite
was then n candidate for recollection to
the governorship ana the campaign was
the Interest ever known That pulled
all the men away. The women We're
allowed TO vote for the first time and
the novelty of the act made them forget
their old love. the theater. We played
to wretched business, but throughout
II all / never let n salary day go by.
J got nothing, neither did Mr.. Giffen,
but he was a clerk In business
house and had that salary to live upon.
But I was penniless. | ate and slept
and not In the open air, But that was
ALL know l wore an old frayed tie on the
stage for over a month because 1 had
no money TO get a new one.
BLANCHE BATES SOLD TICKETS.
II ran the theater just as cheaply as /
could. Fortunately, salaries were low
then. The stage was small and only
needed four stage hands. Then we had
no hired person In tho front of the
house to sell tickets. The actors used
to take II during the daytime and then
Mr. ulffen would be there at night.
Tim Frawley, who always was an
early riser would be I'm the box Office
by s o'clock In the morning to open up
and would stay until some OF the
longer sleepers would come 10 relieve
him. He would put In the time study
ing his part, for the interruptions I'm
sorry to say, were not frequent, Then
perhaps I would come TO his rescue.
And anyone not needed a short time
at rehearsals would take his trick at
selling tickets until his cue came Even
the ladies of the company would help
md many a time Blanche Bates had
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