The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-17

EARE-I mean Mr.. Thomas
Leary-has written a doggerel
song about dear old Frisco. -
which lie unloads at the Princess
theater and tells me that he
doesn't think much Of it, That word
Frisco ought 10 queer him, and
I.earv was one Of US long enough
NJ 10 have forgotten one Of our
PEI pre5udices. Nevertheless. I like
The sentiment. It's a breath from the
o-her days and Leary is a sort of
nhenix. risen from the ashes of the
Cd BY the way, he reminds me about
Marcus NJ Blum. who wrote the music
to- the verses that Leary sings at the
Princess. Blum has been composer ex-
traordinary to Leary since the time
when the memory Of the present gen
ration ceases to run back. Blum is a
addition why said Mr.. Leary to
re. nobody in the old DAYS would
mink of singing topical verses unless
Blum wrote the melody and arranged
for his orchestra. For instance.
charlie Reed at the old Standard the
ter always had Blum for a melodious
rartner. II Blum didn't write it. no
Hody sang it, in those old days.
rHERE were Mr. Leary and his
daughter. Georgena. and his wife
in the interview up at the Princess.
without doing violence to the proprie-
g.. dad was the youngest Of the
aarty He exuded "reminiscences, but
e was not old. He went back to a
rear that is merely historic TO me and
tslked OF players and persons of whom
had never even heard. He brought
san Francisco up TO date, and made
The old TivoI. the Wigwam-that is,
The Wigwam where Alice Nielsen sang;
The Winter Garden. and even Happy
Jacks place living, present issues
Spea king Of Happy" Jacks re-
inded Leary. The rendezvous was on
lie corner of Third and Mission streets
and was called Happy Jacks Varie-
ICES" II you were a stranger in the
town the first place you'd hear about
was Happy Jacks. Everybody went
tAe-e. so Leary told me, at one time
or mother and the place was open all
night. Happy" Jack was a handsome
fe1ow-a typical westerner as the
easterner imagines him. He wore
Sig white sombrero hat, and his mus
che was long and flowing; he
weighed about 225 pounds and stood
over 8 feet taU. He resembled Buff
ralo Bill" Leary says, and he had
heart to fit his person Both were big.
Il went into his theater one night"
r,cary said. and it was empty. Scarcely
"A soul was in the place. Jack saw me
and sat down beside me- What is the
astterg L asked. You seem to be
deserted this night
Jack replied, OF course there's no
body here. Don't you know that Ade-
laide Nielsen is playing tonight? My
audience is over listening TO her And
Jack believed it. too. How long ago
az that? History tells US" said
I,eary, impersonally, that that event
occurred in 1876, just 100 years after
the declaration of independence was
made"
DUT Leary was in San Francisco be
X fore that. He was one of the play
- ers at the Bella Union, where Lolita
also appeared. Il was the stock ser
geSS" he says IF there was role
for sergeant in any play, it was mine.
First wed have a female minstrel
Saow: then there would be an olio, and
a melodrama would close the per-
Torrance. remember W. G. Crosby, |
who in his day was one Of the clever |
est comedians in the country. He was
stage manager at the Bella Union, and !