The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-02
HAMME ERSTE|N,
FAMOUS OPERA
EXPL0|TER, DIES
End Comes at 72 After Turbu-
lent Career
MADE SEVERAL FORTUNES
Builder of Eleven Theatreo-Hitcr
Heavy Losses He Sold HIS
Interests for 100000

New York, August Oscar liam
merstein, theatre builder and producer
of grand opera, died in hospital here
tonight of a complication CT diseases,
after an illness of several days. Mr.
Hammerstein had been in state OF
coma since late Monday afternoon, and
died without regaining consciousness.
His wife and son, Arthur, were at his
bedside when the end came at 1885
o'clock.
Oscar Hammerstein's chief claim to
fame as an impresario and theatrical
manager, it has been said, will rest in
the fact that he set new records for
presenting grand operas of composers
never before heard in America and
that he introduced to the western
musical world singers who afterward
won grea. names fer themselves.
Mr.. Hammerstein was born in Ber-
lin, Ger, in 1847 and came to the
United States in 1858, as he later
wrote ito be free" His father, an
austere man, Oscar said, tyrannized
his family and the boy ran away from
home. Arriving in New York he be-
came cigarmakers apprentice,
learned the trade and subsequently
started a tobacco trade journal which
proved successful.
Music was my favorite study at
home" said Mr. Hammerstein. 81
p aged the flute the piano and the vio-
lin all before was 16. l always had
a great love for the theatre. Early
in life became associated with Adolph
Neuendorf, manager of Bowery
theatre 1t was kncwn as the Stadt.
wrote three plays about 1870 all of
which were produced there. They
were called, Solo Sixty Our Poor Re-
lations' and Antonio Lobster They
achieved but little popularity"
Before this Mr.. Hammerstein had
made little money in Harlem real
estate and invested 1t wisely Later
he became silent partner of Neun-
dorf in the control OF the 14th street
theatre, where German plays were
presented. The first theatre he built
in Harlem lost 5000, 900 in three years,
but the promoter never lost heart.
He built another one and made money
Similar ventures were undertaken and
were successful AT the time of the
music hall craze Mr.. Hammerstein en-
tered into partnership with Roster
and Bial an dretired with increased for
tunes. Then in 1895 he paid $1000.-
600 for the site of the Olympia theatre
and put another million into the build
ing. Yvette Giulbert opened it, and
for a time it was big money maker
but failed at last.
The Harlem opera house he built in
1880. This was followed by the erec-
tcn of the Columbus theatre Manhat-
tan opera house, Olympia (now New
York theatre), Victoria theatre. Belas-
co theatre and the New opera house.
For many years the Metropolitan
opera company had clear field and
on December 3, 1906, when Mr.. Ham
merstein began as competitor with the
Manhattan opera company he was
met with many prophecies of failure.
Among the opera singers he en-.
gagged, who were stars of the first vo.
cal magnitude at the time or became
SO lately partly as the. result of Mr..
Hammerstein's leadership were Ed.
Guard de Reszke, Mary Garden, Luise
N@Nt t-N1%<4A4is A]iNeiipi uG AISlitINS,
ice Renard, Maria Sammarco. Nellie
Melba, Lima Cavalieri, Jeanne Gerville.
Reach, Charles Dalmores, John McCor.
mack, M Zentaelo and others.
In 1910 Mr.. Hammerstein sold ont
his Philadelphia opera house and
scenery and costumes of the Manhat
tan, together with all contracts with
his singers for sum said to have
been S2,000,000, to the Metropolitan
opera company and as result of the
agreement entered into at the time
and which later was the subject OF
litigation, the famous impresario was
enjcyned from producing opera in New
York until April 26. 1920.
II am curious man." Mr.. Hammer
stein once said to friend. 81 live
only for tomorrow. | don't drink
have never played game of cards II
my life. When find have no none,
in my pocket | go to the box Office
and draw SO and it lasts me so Ions
that it really makes me feel ASHAMED
of myself. But | have made and los
money | couldn't possibly tell yo,
how many fortunes have amasset
and spent in the past 35 years.