The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-14
ROUNDUP week
AT DODGE CITY
All the Old Time COWpunchers
VIII Be There.
The New Chalk BeeSOn Thea
ter Will Be Dedicated.
lnlGE Girl WILL OPEN IT
DODGE GIRL WILL OPEN 1T
Tickets Are Being Snapped Up
at S. Each.
All in Memory of Man Whose
Name the House Bears.

Pioneer pIainsmen and COW punch
ers of western Kansas will hold an
I other roundup in Dodge City TINS
week when the new Chalk Beeson
! theater is dedicated Because of the
sentiments surrounding the memories
/ of the days of Beeson, every old timer
I in the Dodge City country is buying
/ SIS tickets for the opening of the new
/ theater That there may be nothing
/ lacking in the local settings sur
rounding the dedication of the new
$4,000 Becson theater, Elsie Baird, q
Dodge City girl. will realize a lifelong
ambition to appear as pr1na donna
I in her home town and will head the
only Girl company which will dedI-
cate the new play house.
Out in western Kansas the opening
of the Chalk BeeSon theater is an
event that is attracting attention In
ten counties. 1t isn't the mere fact
that Dodge City is to have a new opera
house 1t isn't the fact that a big road
show with music and legs and pretty
faces is coming for two nights 1t Is
memories of the late Chalk BeeSon
and the days when Dodge City was
wild, wide open, frenZied frontier
town that causes people to spend So
a seat for tickets at the opening per-
forrnance And when Elsie Baird,
home product, steps out in front OF the
footIights, the 500 seats in the theater
will represent $4,000 in the box office.
The Opening Night.
This week Dodge City and the old
timers are talking about the opening
night at the new theater. But they
are talking also about the old days
when Chalk Beeson ran the Long
Branch saloon, the days when Chalk
Beeson was sheriff, when life on the
cattle range was cheap and when
Dodge was the widest town in all the
western country and when Chalk Bee
r..
he was the best gun man this side of
Laramie.
1t was in the days of forty years
ago when Dodge City was just few
rows of wooden shacks that Chalk
Beeson became an important factor in
the affairs of the town. That was
when Beeson operated the Long
Branch saloon. The saloon was the
loafing place of every COW puncher
who came to Dodge for a roundup.
Eddie Foy, the comedian, won his
first p1audits. when he sang before the
crowds OF COW men in Beeson's place.
That was Toys first start on his stage
career. Years later, when Beeson had
closed his saloon and the town had
gone dry Beeson was often Foy's
guest at a Kansas City or Chicago
theater. One night in Kansas City,
Blossoms two sons-the same sons who
have built the new theater-played in
FoyS orchestra.
Both of the younger Beesons are
Chalk Beeson was himself
a musician and a lover of music. 1t
was Chalk Beeson who organized and
made famous the Dodge City Cowboy
band. Ten years ago, when Beeson
was a member of the state legislature
from Ford county, he directed the or
chestra which played for the Kansas
Day club at the annual Republican
banquet in Topeka
But in that period between the time
when Eddie Foy sang in Chalk Bee
f1,a
son led the orchestra in Topeka, the
Dodge City man became sheriff. 1t
was Beeson who has given Dodge her
widest thrills-women, wine, song,
the COW paths. 1t was the
same Chalk Beeson who cleaned up
the town.
When Chalk Beeson became sheriff, |
the old days began to fade. Beeson |
sent word to the COW men that the old |
days were no more. The men on the |
range were inclined to doubt Bee
sons sincerity. Later they were in
were taken to an undertaking shop in
a little frame building after disputing |
Beeson's right to clamp down the lid. |
The Doolin Gang.
Then the Doolin gang doubted Bee |
sons ability to enforce the law in
Ford county. They robbed the Spear
vile bank and Beeson followed the /
gang into Oklahoma. killed two of the |
men and with his posse brought the
others to Dodge City for trial. Those
were just some of the instances Of the
early days when Beeson was a factor
in Dodge City affairs.
Several years ago Beeson was
thrown from his horse and killed
Every pioneer in the western country
who could reach Dodge City attended |
the funeral Now the two sons have
built 4 modern playhouse and dedi-
Gated 1t to his memorable Chalk
Beeson theater.
Beeson's widow will sit in a box az
the theater Wednesday night. W. J.
former lieutenant govern
or; L. J. Pettyjohn, former receiver
Of the land office; Mike Sutton Lew
T. L. McCarty, Sam Stubs, i
Brick Bond, and a score of other
pioneers of Dodge City will attend the /
dedication. w. E. Davis, state audi
tor, is going home for the festivities
Il wouldn't miss it for $780," Da-
Wis said today Every old-timer in
that country will be there
Bob Crawford and John Kelly of
Dodge and Steve Cave has sent an or
der for tickets from Sublette Bob
Painter of Meade. c. NJ. Bray of SYRIA
cuse and Judge Hutchings of Garden
City are some of the other celebrities
of Chalk Beeson and they
won't miss an opportunity to see that
the theater is properly opened
Y' BOWLERS TO MEET.