Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-08-28

iui tenor voice of that young ma,
near the center" In the after par
oi the show, she appeared in a beau
: ciiul dress and always responded tC
nve, SIX and eight encores. Bairf
"'eu On MS farm several years ago.
All old-time Territorial musicians
VIII remember Navoni.' the bril-
iiant musician and musical directo,
oi The Hattie Moore Comic Oper;
Company. He was one of the best
known musicians on the Paci6,
Coast In those days, but whisky and
iarobank ruined him. He lost his
position with the company and drift.
20 from town-tO-town along the
coast, and but for his love of booze
and 'bank" could have been drawing
a good salary, but much preferred to
work in saloon for whatever waye
he could get, and if at any time he
received good pay it was as nothing
ior poor Navoni drank and gambled
ms money away. He wrecked his
own life. He had career that would
make an interesting tale. have no
space nor inclination to write it at
present, but he had no one to CEN
sure but himself. Still, as a musi
clan he had no superior on this Coast
tie was well known in San Francisco
Travelled with the leading musical
organizations as musical director
and was q solo violinist of note. At
last he was engaged to play the
piano in the Anchor saloon, at AS
torla, and he rOOmed above it. The
building was burning, it seems he
came down stairs and missing his be-
loved violin, rushed up stairs to Sc
cure it when it is supposed the
smoke sutfocated him. He left a
wife in San Francisco and | under
stand his body was shipped there for
burial
Old-Iime "reminiscences Of the Drama in
Portland.
The first dramatic performances
in Portland, half a century ago. were
IN hall, over saloon, by the Tho
man company, consisting of less than
half dozen people, and their reper-
tOirc embracing such petite dramas
as Morning Call, Box and Cox"
Loan of Lover" Ghost in
Spite of HIMSELF" and the like. The
next step of progress was the Il.
Patterson company, which ventured
upon more pretentious plays, requir-
ing larger caste. such as Rosina
Meadows or THE Corsican Broth
ers. 1t was not till the latter part
OF that decade that Lizzie Gordon
and her sister Louise, appeared, and
made decided hit by adapting local
lines to the song then hummed and
whistled by everybody Il Shouldn't
Wonder. " These were sometimes i'm
provised at the moment of singing.
and necessarily imperfect in rhetoric
and faulty in rythm, but all defects
were covered by the generous ap-
plause. Another of the company
made similar record on the song
Joe Bowers, then young and seem
ing to suit the rollicking spirit of the
West. To the good looks and cred
liable acting of Lizzie, however, may
be attributed the creation of the first
regular theater in Portland. A man
owning stable and fast horses.
named Stewart, became infatuated
with the charming Lizzie and mar
ried her, whereupon the transition
from fast horses to fair women seemed
to follow as natural sequence. The
immense barn was, regardless of ex-
pense, converted into y cosy little
theater, the first and for long time
the best, in the then Territory of Or
egOn. Newmarket, succeedingi it was
the first brick theater in Portland, but
failed, doubtless from inadaptability
of location, and was soon converted
into and agricultural implement
warehouse. Orc Fino hall, more
centrally located, had better run of
business, and had an ample support
as was accorded Miss Stone, the
emotional actress, in Under Two
Flags, in a long season about two
decades ago.
In concluding this article, and in
speaking heretofore of the Bijou
theater, it reminds me of an incident
which at the time it happened fur
nished good conversation" amongst
variety performers for weeks.
Here is the Tale.
Chas. E. Bray, the brilliant COM
poser and arranger. was leader of
orchestra at the Bijou at this time,
and when any manager of variety
in any of the small towns near Sc
attic, and for distance, too, for this
matter, was in need of musician,
they invariably sent to Bray to send
them the man wanted, knowing that
Charley" would not send them an
incompetent musician.
Jimmy" Smith, besides owning
the BiiOu theater. at the time | write
of, which was before the big
fire, conducted the Bank Exchange
saloon, as we'll.
The night barkeeper was a man
named Burgess, he was tuba,
or bass-player, and by the way a
good one, and played with the band
in front of the Biiou each evening
for an hour, during the concert, then
he'd return to the saloon and assume
the apron.
The manager of the Montana
Variety" at Port Townsend, was in
need of a piano player, and tele-
graphed Bray to send him first
class pianist. BY some hook or
crook, no one ever knew why, the
message was delivered to the Bank
Exchange, addressed to Chas. f.
Bray, and Of course Burgess took the
Telegram in CHARGE and Dlaced il be-