The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-28
WILLIAM HARRIS,
 FAMOUS SNOWMAN,
 WAS LOCAL. YOUTH
Game to Bridgeport as Small Boy, Later Returned as
 Stage Magnate.

The death of William Harris, one
 of the oldest and most active theatri. cal managers in the country will re- call to few of the older residents of Bridgeport the early life of the great theatre owners and producer which began in Bridgeport at the age of six years and was resumed for a brief space of time when he conduct ed a small store on Water street.
 He will be better recalled by the present generation as a warm sup porter of his son, the late Henry B. Harris lost on the Titanic, who upon the taking over the Park theatre from Ira Jackson, then known as Jackson's theatre, was a frequent wis., itor here that he might give his son the benefit of his broad knowledge of the show business.
 MT. Harris who was 71 years of age came to this country when six years old. With his father, who was a ped- 1ler,4,he came to Bridgeport. The fam fly remained here but a short time removing to St. Louis. At the age of sixteen years his natural aptitude for the show business as it was then called, but which Mr. Harris always declared was a misnomer. asserted it. self and he left home to become an actor. He was partially successful having made his debut in cellar in St. Louis with a partner under the name of Bowman & Harris. This as- sociation lasted about 12 years and MT. Harris had saved considerable money.
 At the earnest. solicitation of his father, who was always adverse to his being an actor young Harris invested in thes Water street store. The ven- ture was given up after short period.
 After relinquishing the business here he Joined with an actor named Carroll and in 1876 was at Tony Pas tors famous house in New York. Lat CT he joined hands with Josh Hart in Boston in the management of the Howard Athaneum. He was stage manager, played a part and aided in the afterpiece which was then popu-
 He later took the theatre from Hart and became associated with Isaac Rich, as Rich & Harris. The funda- }, ton of his large fortune was laid in Bostoi where he lived until 1Ses..
 MT. Harris died at Bayshore, L. T., ' on Saturday morning, while preparing to launch The Thirteenth Chair in New York.
 Since the death of Henry B. liar ris who was one of the Titanic vic- 1, tin1s, his father had been engaged largely in straighteningl -out the af- fairs of the son and in promoting the interests of the second son, Will liam Harris, IT. With the elder son he was heavily interested in the pro- ductiOn of such plays as 'The Lion and the Mouse, and s.The Third De- gree" which had long engagements ] at the Hudson Theatre. When Will liam Harris, IT,, began the work of | producing trThe Thirteenth Chairj' | this season, the elder Harris insisted ! on reinaining a silent factor iii the en- terprise, but when the play was tried | out at New Haven it gave such prom ! ise of the sensational success it has | since proved to be that the son pre- vailed upon the father to permit the l use of his name in connection with l the production, although William Har- ris, IT,. declined to accept credit for ate success of this play pleased him | tremendously.
 The approximate value of William | Harris's estate is not known, but 1t is known that he was one of the ! largest owners of theatres in this country, being interested in no less than fifty important playhouses. His | interest however, in some 1of these | was.as small as, 5. per cent,
 His more important holdings were represented in nine theatres in New York, four in Chicago. four in Boston and one in Syracuse.
 The New York theatres of which he was part owner are the Hudson, Fulton Harris. Empire, Lyceum. Knickerbocker, Liberty, New York stone Illinois, Powers and Colonfal; Boston theatres, Park (now devoted to motion pictures). Colonial. Hollis Street and Boston; Syracuse, the Elm pire.
 At present the Harris family, or the Harris office, is interested in only three attractions. These are ''The Thirteenth Chair" at the Forty eighth Street theatre; Arms and the GirlY at the Fulton, and Arnold Daily in a play called t"-The Master" at the Hollis Street theatre, Boston.
 After the IroQuois Theatre fire in Chicago he took over the remnants of that property and established a speciality house. He was at one time interested in New York with Frank MChe0 Tn the ola GaTT1CK theatre ana subsequently, came further uptown to the Criterion and became identified with at Subsequently,. he retired from active theatrical management until the death of Henry B. Harris.
 Among William Harris's best re- 1nembered enterprises were Peter Daley in '-Thea Night Clerk "Al Straight Tip," '@The Country Sort" 'Champagne Charne,' Hodge, Podge & Co" "A Good Thing" and '.rhe Mad Bargain" All were profit able except .tThe Mad Bargain,L "AI Straight Tip'' which had James T. Powers as its star,. recorded the long est run of any farce up to that time. John J. McNal1y, Boston newspaper man. was the author of them all, and they paved the way for modern must cal comedy.
 Later MT. Harris produced under his own name a few plays, notably Are You as Mason?" < All On Ac- count of Ef1za," and recently ~Dam- aged Goods =
 Under MT. Harris's management also May Irwin appeared in .-rhe Widow Jones'" and ''Courted Into Court" It was he, too, who brought Andrew Mack into prominence. For ten years Mack and Harris made a