The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-31

vaudeville business) that there is
tremendous lower element In New York,
comprising BARRIERS fruit peddlers and
folk Of that Tx who would save up
their hard earned money to spend it
for gallery seats at the classical opera.
So he concluded to cater TO these nat
ural born music lovers as well as to
the millionaires.
SECURES FAMOUS ARTISTS
People laughed when Hammerstein
first preached this idea. but with his
characteristic energy he plunged into
the scheme. without outside support,
made a visit TO Europe and signed con
tracts with such world famed artists
a. Tetrazzini, Melba, Mary Garden and
a score or more OF renowned song
birds. Hammerstein was enabled to do
this because Of his well known reputa
ton for prodigious energy and for
making success OF everything that
he had heretofore undertaken.
Then his ambition scared still higher.
and IL was announced recently that the
Metropolitan and the Manhattan opera
companies might be merged under the
direction OF the great impresario Ham
merstein. Then he sought TO engage
Cavalier. the peerless Italian beauty,
who had sung last year at the Metro
pOlitan and who had been released Cor
rather not re-engaged) for reasons
that are now better understood than
they were at that time. But here
Hammerstein reckoned without due
consideration and the rebellious Mary
Garden showed him his error. all OF
which has been duly chronicled.
The New York Press was disfnclined
to believe the story of a row between
Cavalier and Mary Garden and dubbed
oscar the king OF press agents"
CAUSE OF THE WAR
whereupon Hammerstein through
VIII Guard, his press agent, dictated
the following letter TO Mana ging Editor
Hennessey of the Press:
Manhattan Opera House, Jan. q. 1909.
Publishers and Editors of the New
York Press:
representatives OF your paper drunken,
seedy and unclean persons. 1 can not
continue the expensive use of distn-
fectants after their departure from my
house. Any one representing himself
hereafter as coming from your paper
viii be dealt with as a vagabond by
OSCAR HAAIAIERSTEIN.
In reply the managing editor of the
Press sent this:
The New York Press, 1911 Spruce
street Editorial Department.;
Oscar Hammerstein:
sir received your letter today, in
which you say that the members of my
staff sent TO your opera house have
appeared there drunk and generally SO
I'll smelling that you have found II
necessary TO use disinfectants.
1t is hardly necessary to say that you
are a liar.
only a keen sense of duty by the men
sent TO see you would induce them to
90 into your germ infected house.
For your SANDER on the men have
not the least doubt that they VIII hold
YOU personally responsible.
As I assigned them to the stories
and indicated how they should be
treated, you viii readily see that I am
the person you are cunning for
Ny opinion Of you is that you are the
sort of man who would steal bones
from the grave and sell them to buy
old TO resent this in person, but YOU
have sons. You can show them this
letter and tell them that while my
office hours are from 3 p. m. to a. m.
/ won't let them interfere in any way
with an effort by them to Justify the
BLACKBOARD father.
SUNDAY MORNING BATTLE
These epistles are what led TO the
fights between the Hammersteins and
the New York Press stats. and which
set all of Broadway by the ears.
Imagine a throng Of hatless and coat
less. painting and struggling men. fight
ing in the rain, before Justices court,
on an otherwise peaceful Sunday morn
ing, each of the contending parties
being encouraged and cheered on by
its respective band of adherents and
admirers. Up and down Broadway sped
the news of the battle. carried by ex-
cited and in some instances hatless in
dividuals. And II has been the talk
OF the town since last Saturday night
Such is a rustic phase of life in this
great city, dubbed by some as pro-
vincial, and by the more discreet as
"insular."
IArcnEcr ~ rr,sr.