Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-28

was made.
In another seven years the Seventh
and Shipley building became too small.
and II was necessary TO make am
other change, Mr.. Dockstater then be-
gan TO look to Market street, and
after thinking tho matter over for
some time and consulting many OF his
friends, he bought the properties
whore the C'arrick Is now located. on4
Market street between Eighth and
Ninth, and the latter theatre was
erected. The property was sold last
June to the Toplsis- Glnns interests for
100000.
Mr.. Dockstater had accumulated |
other city real estate, and a few years |
ago he erected the fine dwelling. at |
1916 Market street. in which he and |
Mrs. Dockstntcr made their home |
from that time on. lie also owned n
number OF dwellings IN different parts
OF tho city I'm addition to some busi-
ness houses on King street, in the
rear Of the theatre property.
| Tha sole credit for developing the
business from the very start--fnany
/ others who had tried IL before hav-
| ing failed--was due Mr.. Doclsstader
and his helpful wife. They gavo their
personal attention 20 every detail, en-
! gaging the acts and seeing to &c that
they were put on properly. They also
rigidly censored every act. and If any
of the people in any OF the acts en-
gagged attempted to overstep the
bounds of propriety they were stopped
at once and could never repeat the
offence. IL was the ddsire Of tho Dock
staders 10 cater only 10 those who
sought clean amusement They
would tolerate nothing else.
The same was true with audiences.
If an unruly person or persons got
into the house they were compelled
10 dosst from any annoyance they
might be creating and IL the offence
was repeated they were elected.
Mr.. Dockstador could always he
found I'm the box office. He knew
nearly every one of his patrons 10y
name--and they came from all over
the state and nearby States. He AL
ways had a pleasant word for every
body and everybody felt that in him
they had n friend. If he felt that any
person did not so regard him the i'm
preston hurt until he could in some
manner clear il up and dissipate what
always proved to be something fan
cled and not real--when it came to
supposed grievance.
For years il was a weekly custom
r OF Mr.. misunderstanding the tho
l atrical season-to go to New Yorl
b each Tuesday morning and engage
$ the show for the next week. His oh
| iective was the United Booking OF
r fee. where he was always provide'
- with a list Of the best that could b
= had.
h Hello. Bill" shouted the elevate
9 boy. as soon as he saw Mr.. Dock
/ stader enter the building in which tn
o United Booking Office Is located.
Hello. how are you?' was til
= cheerful reply.
q These salutes were DoCkstader'
n everywhere he went I'm the ''big town.
/. lC. he didn't get them he though
everybody was suffering fror
@ dyspepsia.
Il "Why this familiarity" asked
4 dieniied friend who was with Dock
! stader on one occasion. Il shoul
think that elevator boy might call yo
. Mr.. Dockstader." "I don't think so
Dockstader replied. II want him I
;, call me what everybody else doe
= He's q friend of mine just the sam
as the manager, and | want him I
:. feel that am only a big brother"
- That was Dockstader. He believe
that all men were created free ar
e equal, and he had no time for frills.
n Bought Out Stars.
L Because OF his popularity and repl
1 tation for fair dealing. Mr.. Doci
oi stader was enabled TO book the veI
T. best attractions obtainable, and on II
ie most favorable terms. The actOl
IL and actresses. as well as the manager
" esteemed it favor to book a WI
~ mington engagement.
~ Because of Mr.. Dockstader's abili'
io 10 review a new act. many of the ne
- ones came here before going 10 Ne
io York. If they got Dockstaden's O.
81 they were solid for New York, othe
= wise they were not. Partly because
:. this. ii is true that a number OF star
some Of them now on the legitima
stage. were developed. Mr.. Dockstad
y, was a great admirer of B. +. Keit
aa who, he said, had done more ths
-, any other man to make vaudevil
of what it is today. He was also {
az admirer OF others who had in any W;
cd helped the stage.
he 1t often happened that some Of N
re, Dockstaoer theatrlcal irlenus OF loi
.th ago dropped in on him at his theat
,ed here. Some had become people of a
we fluence. while others were less 70
* tunate. All received the same cOrdi
Ise reception, however, and good advice
tai they needed it-and help too, If tn
was needed.
eld Mr.. Dockstader had the same frien
lrn ly feeling for the unfortunate of /
'ek own community, and he was co
ma tinually helping the needy. though
ne made no fuss about it and alwa
els frovned on any nublicitv in this dire
ne ton. He wanted TO help and did he
pc, hut didn't want the world IN kn,
about it,
AS an evidence of the interest
act took in his busiess, last spring he "
a planning TO greatly enlarge the Ga
ion rick, having obtained options on
II but one parcel Of property requir
at for the purpose. While this was har
as ing fire he sold the theatre 10 I
IAN Toplis-Ginns interests.
He was a member of the Friars Cl
his New York, the Theatrical Manage
up- Association. the Vaudeville Manage
ter Association and other theatrical
ohs ganizations. He was n member Of
ltlc Wilmington Rotary Club and FL
hed and was active in all. lie was
ted miliarly known by nearly everybC
ore. as BOSS" or Dock"
and
ak hoNeu HIS nome