The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-08-08
Blanche Bates and
Early Phoebe Days

Blanche Bates in the Electric Movies
at Thompsons hall.
Sounds as modern as day after to-
morrow and even suggests a modern
advertisement But to some good peo-
pie of Phoebe it suggests other DAYS
and happenings. 1t recalls the par
ents of Blanche Bates when they were
in Phoebe. 1t recalls the opera house
west of Mrs. Nora Donohue's residence,
ana recalls the opening night forty
eight years ago when Mr.. and Mrs F.
M Bates, we'll known and popular
young theatrical stars, gave "a splendid
performance of Robertson's play,
Caste, to house crowded with APP
preciative people.
Blanche Bates, dressed in celluloid
attracts today some of the people who
remember her parents although Ma
guire's opera house has long since dis
appeared and Miss Bates appears at
Thompson
Forty y-eight years ago Mr. and Mrs
Bates We're appearing at the Salt Lake
theater. While their contract was linn
tied to few weeks, such was the pop
ularity of Mrs. Bates and such was her
social success in the town that their
engagement was heightened to months.
| At that time Salt Lake was enjoying
one of the most prosperous periods of
+ its history. Alta, Cottonwood and Bing-
ham We're producing mining districts
| near by and other rich districts con-
tributed to the life of the town The
greatest district was Phoebe, and the
name Phoebe was in the mouths of all
of the townspeople of Salt Lake Salt
Lake itself, with it's substantial log
cabins, was progressive frontier set
tlement, and it's theater, among other
things, marked the progress of the city
from the uninhabited valley of twenty
four years before. 1t is hard to realize
that within the memory of living man
the prosperous valleys and the product
cultivated and developed, just as it is
hard to realize that other brave men
undaunted by the encouragement OF
the ra bbit hearted rabble, will develop
other valleys and make other mines
One afternoon when the Phoebe eX-
citement was at it's height Frank Bates
and John Mcguire We're taking theii
usual walk and passed a corral on the
outskirts of Salt Lake. Close by was
an encampment of about forty wagons
of stout build and ranged in a semi
circle. their long tongues pointing out
ward, with the harnesses for the eigh
, yoke of oxen or mules lying on tn,
ground beside them. Around the wag
ons there, We're busy groups of team
sters, tall, stalwart young Mormons
! engaged in preparation for the morrow
; The wagons were heavily loaded AM
ready for an immediate start. All wer
bound for Phoebe.
. Frank" said John Mcguire. turning
! abruptly to his companion, 'Tll leav
! for Phoebe at once. I'll get a releas
i from the management and in thre
+ weeks from now I will have theate
. in Phoebe, with a good company heade
; by yourself and Mrs. Bates as stoc
:. stars" And three weeks later the
$ appeared and played before Pioch
c audience.
+ It took seven days to make the tri
e by stage. Leaving Fillmore. the coun
: try had few inhabitants except at Bea
: ver which was even then a tradin
: point of Importance. Between River
g side, near the present site of Mllfor'
= and the new mining camp of Pioch
9 there was nothing except the stage sta
! tons.
e Today the movies and the railroa
But the hardships overcome by tt
) pioneers are recalled not by the inver
e tions in electricity or by progress
l. transportation, but rather by the hare
= ships which are endured and overcon
IS todav. Phoebe today is suffering fro
Us the failure of ice cream to arrive b,
of the young and brave generation WI
p not murmur-provided the film arriV'
rt and Blanche Bates shows.