The sun., 1919-08-02

OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN.
OF machine that gave a violet ray foot
bath, which he declared had cured him
Of Illness after the best doctors in New
York had failed.
Thanks to that machine" he said at
tho time, you can say that little old
Oscar is very much alive and kicking"
But whether fortune smiled or
frowned on him Mr.. Hammerstein never
altered his manner of living He lived
most OF the time in a small room in the
third floor of the old Victoria Theatre
so long as that structure was standing,
and after that he moved to a small room
in a hotel In this little room he also
kept a machine for trying out his cigar
making inventions. and another small
machine on which he made all the
cigars he smoked himself, great black,
strong things that no one else In the
world could have smoked. His way Of
life was always simple. and It was char
acteristic of him tina, ne should be found
after the opening OF the Manhattan
Opera House, with the plaudits of hit
friends still ringing in his ears, eating
a modest supper in a dairy restaurant.
Mr.. Hammersteip's life was troubled
with financial vicissitudes and with dis
appointments of every kind, but he knew
how to play and he knew how to have
fun. He used to say even when his
difficulties were at their height that he
was having fun enough to compensate
him for some Of the money he was los
iHg and the constant trouble he was
having
His naive enjoyment Of the applause
with which the audiences brought him
before the curtain at the old Manhattan
never ceased. Mr.. Hammerstein gloried
in it. It was his greatest moment, the
moment in which he stood before the
curtain and listened TO the cheering
and the applause 1t was said OF him
that the one thing that reconciled him
to retirement was the fact that this APP
plause had grown less and less as the
novelty OF the opera house wore OF and
the public ceased to take advantage of
| It's qualities as a new plaything.
Worried Rival Opera People.
Mr.. Hammerstein used to worry the
directors OF The Metropolitan Opera
| House greatly because he and his Man.
haitian got into the newspapers so much.
| The Metropolitan discharged several
press agents because they could not get
| as much stun printed about the Metro
| politan as was being written about the
rival place Press agents were never
| satisfactory TO the Metropolitan man.
| agement. for the simple reason that no
press agent living could compete with
| Oscar Hammerstein and the Hammer
| stein personality. There never was
time when Mr.. Hammerstein did not
| have something picturesque and pointed
| to say to reporters who went to see him,
| consequently they went to see him
oftener than they did the people Of the
\ other house.
A story characteristic of Mr.. Hammer
| STEMS remarks is that one about the
| grand opera STAR who in former years
had been popular at the Metropolitan
| and who had been engaged by him for
| his Manhattan. But she failed utterly
to make an impression on the Manhattan
audiences and brought nobody there TO
| hear her sing. She drew a large salary
and Mr.. Hammerstein used to scrutinize
| the ticket rack thoughtfully and sorrow
| fully as he glanced over the small houses
that she drew. and thought OF the prom
Uses she had made to bring thousands
OF admirers to the Manhattan to hear
her sing.
One night when she was singing to a
particularly poor house Mr.. Hammer
| stein walked up to a group OF reporters
In the lobby with a rather sad express
sion on his face and the inevitable cigar
In his mouth.
Would any OF you gentlemen here"
ne said blRndly. do me the favor of
| marrying Madame X? II would be a
great kindness TO me and should ap-
preciate 1t very much?"
Then he shifted his cigar to the other
side OF his mouth, and with his hands
behind him walked contemplatlvely to
his Office.
| on another occasion Mr.. Hammerstein
lost the good will of one of his most
famous singers and n number OF her
admirers who had spent money for flow
ers for her because he did not want
her to get all the applause and atten-
ton. This was when he had cas-,
one night in which were the famous
singer and others who were unknown
From the early evening flowers had been
pouring into the house for the famous
singer. She had baskets and set pieces
and all sorts OF floral tributes, but moth
ing had arrived for the others. At the
end of the third act the ushers brought
the flowers to be handed over the foot
lights to the singers. and came near
where Mr. Hammerstein sat in the wings
They carried one floral piece after an.
other, but before she had received more
than one-thrd OF them Mr.. Hammersteir
became furious as to what was intended
for the other singers.
!, Flowers All for the Soprano.
'"They are all for the soprano" said
an usher.
Don't you believe IT," said Mr. Ham.
merstein. you have made a mista kt
about that. She has had enough Di
vide all the rest among the others. DOM
give her another bouquet"
| Mr.. Hammerstein, curing the perform
ances at his opera house, always sat OF
an ordinary kitchen chair placed for
him in the front entrance. and there he
} was from the beginning to the end OF
every performance, noting carefully
everything that went on and not hest.
: tating TO tell the artist atterward what
: he or she had done that was not good
, Two or three of the singers were hii
particular favorites and were among the
less conspicuous artists. To them III
. always gave a quarter at every per
Torrance Just as they walked on tn,
!. stage. They came TO look upon II as Z
, nece ssary talisman.
! It was amusing to see little Trentin
CT Zepilll come on the stage prepare,
| anDea and uyaIL /,