Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-20
AND BECAME MOST WIDELY
KNOWN OF THEATRICAL
MANAGERS.
STARTED MANY ACTORS ON CA
REER TO FAME AND
FORTUNE.
OGNMAN THOMPSON, MAY IRWIN
AND LILLIAN RUSSELL
AMONG THEM,

New York, Aug. I5.-Tony Pastor,
known IN America and Europe as
theatrical manager, and one Of the
most picturesque veterans OF the
stage, Is nearing his end at his homo
at Elmhurst. l. |.
Mr.. Pastor is rs years old. He mar
ried twice, having one son by his FIRST
marriage.
Mr.. Pastor is a rich man, but Of late
his theater in New York has Iapnae
behind the brilliant music and yaude.
vile halls of Broadway. and ne had
decided not TO reopen it This season.
His forte was variety, not vaudeville.
Net long ago he celebrated The forty
third anniversary OF his career a. 4
manager by appearing and singing
some of the oId-time songs amons
them Sarahs Young Man and Down
in a Coal Mine-With the same jauu,y
ness that made him a Gayoritc in sa,
days before his hair was frosted
Tonys father was a dealer in per
fumes in Greenwich street, New YOgN,
and there Tony was born in MAJ.
1885. He made his first public ap-
Ipearance when he was years Old,
singing in a duet with Christian
Woodruff at a temperance revival at
the Dey street church. His profess
sional debut as an infant prodigy"
took place when he was s at Barnum' $
Museum.
At II he went on the road with Ray
mond & Warnings circus and mena.
gerie doing a blaCkface stunt al a
singer and tambourinist in the
concert that always followed the CIR.
Gus performance at that period aud
until several years after the civil war
He had become a clever bareback II.
der, and now played the star part OF
Pete Jenkins, the comtryman who
comes staggering into the ring and
bets the ringmaster that he can ride
the horse as well as the rider m
spangles. He took delight in obsery
ing the establishment of the young PEG
pie, who seemed to fear that he would
fall off, when they saw him reveal
himself as the crack acrobatic rider
of the show
In 1861 he was a singer in a variety
theater on Broadway. The firing Oh
Sumter aroused his patriotism, ami
he bought a large American flag and
Ia copy of the Star-Spangled Banner,
every stanza Of which he committed
to memory in few hours. He came
out that night waving the flag and
singing the anthem. The audience
went wild, and every man and boy IN
the house-no women were admitted
to variety shows then-stood up,
waved his hat and cheered. He in.
vited all to join in the chorus, and
they did Justify
In 1865 Tony opened an opera
house at Paterson, N. J. II was HIS
first attempt as a manager and 1t was
successful. He was the first mana
ger to let down the bars excluding
women from variety performances.
He says that his Paterson venture
really was the pioneer vaudeville en-
tertainment, as it is now understood
He gave up his Bowery playhouse
to open at 585 Broadway, where Lii
liam Russell, a name he is credited
with inVenting, made her first stage
appearance in q Pinafore burlesque,
and in 1881 he moved into the Four
teenth street theater Until about
three years ago he sang there almost
regularly.
Here are the names of some Ameri-
can and English stage folk that Tony
says he has mad the honor OF intro
ducing to the New York public; May
Irwin, Gus Williams, Pat Rooney,
"Old Hoss" Hoey Francis Wilson,
William J. Scanlon, Lillian Russell,
Vesta TiIley and Bessie Bonehill
Tony has a collection Of progl mines
in which his name appears with those
of many of the great ones Of the lasr
sixty years