The San Francisco call., 1909-01-03


with it's leaping trout; some see IN
diamond only carats. and others the re
frscted prismatic shots of light; while
others behold a potential pawn ticket
So with a play. I heard people who
would pay much money TO hear the
music In concert form. and applaud 1t
loudly. chatter the while that Edgar
Stillmsn Kelley's illuminative music IN
Ben Hur" was throbbing significantly
IN the orchestra at the Van Ness. Some
did not hear the music at all. and some
would no doubt have laid a bet on the
chariot race II it hadn't been fixed"
To Charles T. Towle. acting man
sger OF the Ben Hur' company and
standing on the road for Messrs. Klaw
e. Erlanger, the scenic splendors-as
the publicity agent has it-and the
heroic acting. the livestock and the
carloads OF properties. the players and
the singers, the supers and the mechan-
store, whose commodity and stock in
trade IS tickets.
1T IS a department store" said
Towle, surrounded by papers IN his ho-
tel room at the St. James, near by the
thester; this Ben Hur' is a great in
dustrisl institution. and the response
Il over the country are heavy, indeed.
u IL were not for the statistical system
which has been evolved 60 keep ac-
oeunt OF profits and losses il would be
p nightmare and the death Of any man
who would attempt to handle so large
. proposition.
BEHIND the glamour of the presenta-
ton are rows OF figures, nicely disposed
70 right and left. have my account
ants, my assistants, my secretary,
stenographer. I have my departmental
managers. whom I hold accountable for
All that takes place IN their territory
They are my captains, and they have
their Ieutenants and corporals and
their common soldiers.
First I have my dramatic and
amusement department. J. X. Adams
is IN charge, and his first assistant is
the musical director. oscar Janovsky.
Then there ls the scenic and mechanical
department. over which William Ayres
is fn control. He is the highest sal
sried stage carpenter in the world He
can build anything that is made.
Finally ] have the livestock de-
partment, which Charles J. O'Brien at 4
tends 20. These mep make written re-
ports 20 me daily. and bills are submit /
ted 20 them for their o. X just as in
department store. although, 10 tell /
the truth. ia the theatrical business /
This regime is regarded more like q
circus management, and the trio named, 4
with myself added. are styled rather ir- I
reverently, I think, the sacred circus 4
We're always moving. That's where /
were more like a circus and less like /
a department store. Adams loads his 4
people, their trunks and their effects. /
supply him the transportation and 4
equipment and a master Of transporta-
ti0n F0rtier. with y men to help.
..HrH
horses and other livestock, and Ayres 4
is responsible for the scenery. Fortier
and his little army Of movers have no
easy time. I can tell you.
II buy the tickets There are lust I
665s Of US. Where does the one-haIf 4
come in2 Oh. that's the ticket for the 4
Tot who dances in the scene in the
grove Of Daphne in the third act. OF
course. we gather an army OF assist
ants in the cities where we play to add 4
numbers 10 the ensembles. There are
asst 2SO people on the stage in the last
scene We added to our regular forces \
- children, so supers and 20 extra
women FOR the production at the Van
Ness. The stage manager attends to
that and sends me a formidable ac-
count Of the matter.
But I keep the books myself The
heart sthrobs Of a great business like
lhis are too sacred for other attention,
and j keep my own finger on the pulse /
~ Ben Hur.' SO I am sort Of chief
accoUntant. to whose notice and atten-
ion come the accumulated figures,
which. rolling along like a SNOWFALL,
gather size and verify until they reach
me-"
Towie is an American type. Not the
George Cohan type of Yankee Doodle
boy but the style Of man whom for