Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-08-28
SOME EARLY ACTORS.
ONTEE MIMIC STAGE. WITH THE
FOREST FORA BACKGROUND

l.
FOREST FOR A BACKGROUND
Names OF Some of the " Hail Fellows" VIII
Helped to Drive Dull Care Away"
Pioneer Days-To Many the Closing Az
| Has Been Played and the Curtain Run
Down on Lies Briei Drama.
Some one has said that, " Memor,
IS a tyrant which "ft-times force
Itself upon Us unbidden, yet il
this instance. however, it seems NJ
coaXing, implOring, threats nor fiat
terry, will induce Memory to ever
whisper the forgotten names of man,
Old-tlme variety performers, who b,
their talent, ability and artistic wOrl
gained the sincere applause, and tn
lasting friendship of hundreds ant
hundreds of people who patronizet
the Bijou pronounced Li@-yon, mean
ing JewelD Beattie's ; Cafe, and tn,
Standard theater, in the Queen City
years ago.
Only the whereabout of the per
formers of years ago, whose name.
come readily to mind, will be attempt
ed in this article, and knowing thu
hearts, hospitality and mannerisms o
We old-time variety people, drink
health to each and every one of them
no matter where they may be, thai
not single one of can say, I've beer
forgotten!
The oldtime variety theatel
has strutted its allotted day and
it, as peer over all the country will
soon pass into oblivion. High-class
vaudeville houses have superseded
it, and in place of the beer jerker''
walking up and down the aisles yell.
ing Beer, only five a glass, gentle.
men, we now have walters" pass
ing among the spectators of 1O-2O-5O
high class vaudeville honses" gaily
announcing you can purchase choco-
late chips, lemon drops, and chewing
gum at five cents a package.
But the Old-time variety theater
with its three sheet" announce
ment of the stars who will appear
the coming week" printed in vari-
gated colors; the hand painted"
billboard in front of the "show-shop. "
has disappeared from sight forever.
Don't you remember them? Has
memory played you false so soon?
OF course not; you grin and chuckle
now as you remember the night you
and your friend had that corking"
good time at the variety; the short
skirted cute, dashing, chic, vivacious
soubrette, who skipped so sprightly
around the stage, doing merrily, that
never-to-be forgotten song and dance:
" Pretty Little Rosy Cheeks. :"
You remember the song. You
couldn't forget it though you tried.
Then there was the tall, thin, pale
face vocalist. billed on the programme
as our sweet-voiced balladist will
now please" who sang the song
about home and MOTHER" all the
while smiling, winking, and coquet-
ting with Mr.. Ruben, in the right
hand box, as she sang the tear-fetch-
ing, sentimental song, and wonder
ing how many bottles of beer, at a
dollar a bottle, he would buy her, or
perhaps wine, at s. per, and think
ing what she would do with her per-
centage money.
Then the Dutch comedian, with
his big stomach and blonde wig,
with stereotyped song about LENA
and Fritz" his wOOden-shoe dance.
The two street-scene comedian; the
negro delineatOr," my, how the
stage manager used to over-work
those two words on the programme!
Then the sketch team, the balladist.
and the performance closing with q
farce, Razor Jim, 1.-The Ghost in
the Pawn Shop" "A Dollar for a
Kiss, My Uncle From Puyallup. a"
or perhaps Irish Justice. And
can you recall any comedy you
have witnessed since those days
that was half SO humorous as the
character of the Judge in the farce of
" Irish Justice" as was protrayed by
the king of Old-time Irish COM
edians-Jim Post! Then the lights
went out far as the audience were
concerned, but they blazed and
twinkled in the boxes long after many
who had witnessed the SHOW" were
asleep. and perhaps glimmered until
daylight appeared. Don't you re-
member the regular Monday after.
noon parade of the company engaged
at the variety theater? In Territor-
ial days the citizens looked for it.
same as they do for the circus parade
nowadays; it was customary, and
nothing was thought of it.
Every variety theater on the
Pacific coast, those days, possessed
its regulation $4,000 challenge
band and orchestra" even though if
truth be strictly adhered to, the band
consisted of only BIB cornet and
drum. or the orchestra boasted only
a violin and an out-of-tune piano.
The Bijou, Jimmy" Smith pro-
prietor, was for a long time the
leading variety theater of Seattle.
1t was the headquarters for all va
riety performers and musicians, and
what was the best thing about the
Bijou, after all is said, which is 80
dear to both performers and musi-
clans, it can be said, and truthfully so.
that in the long career of Jimmy
Smith, as proprietor and manager of
the BijOu, the IMAM in white" or
the ghost" never failed to walk.
regularly, as each week came round.
Flora Moore is dead.
Kitty O'Neil is dead.
Alice Hamilton is playing in the
East.
Jim Post is playing dates in Cali
fornia.
Amy Tudor is dead. John is in
Australia.
Jennie Quigley, the midget, is still
on the boards.
The Birds" recently filled date
at the Lyric, in Seattle.
The Chapman Sisters" have re-
tired from the business.
Ed. MOncrief, of the team Mon