The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-04-30
Old-Time Montana Actors Held to Tradition
That the "Sh0w Must Go On" Regardless

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early-day Montana actors into
and out Of some remarkably
ludicrous situations. At times
some Of the most important scenes in
plays had to be revamped in q few
minutes simply. because some of the
duction was not to be conveniently OBJ
tanned. For instance, John Mcguire,
from whose time in this state most
Of M0ntana's stage history dates, once
found 1t necessary when his company
was playing in Anaconda. presenting
Camille" to have the heroine die sud.
IDENTIFY from heart disease, instead Of
the slow stages of tuberculosis because
there was not available in the city q
bed which would fit upOn the stage,
or at least none which the company
could obtain in the limited time at its
command.
The incident occurred In 1884. Ma
CURES leading lady was Phrosa Meal
lister, later a star with the Daniel
most popular theatrical aggregations SO
years ago. There was no regular the
alter in Anaconda at that time, and q
large room In q, building on Front
street, which paralleled the Butte, An
aconda & Pacific railroad. had been
and rudely. constructed stage had been
placed in 1t.
The stage furniture consisted Of a
small table and a couple Of. chairs.
Just before the show Mcguire told
Miss McAlliSter that there. was no bed
or lounge available and that Camille
would have to change her system for
that once and die OF heart disease
usual lingering illness. Miss McAllister
protested vigorously, but had to give
In. When the death scene was due, she
walked on the stage, said her lines,
pushed the chairs and table out Of the
way, looked for a soft spot and then
fell dead" on the floor like a sack Of
Camille, but Miss McAllister said after
wards in relating the incident that it
KILLED the performance also"
The audiences of that time were not
over critical, however, and it Is quite
probable that very few Of them were
ware that Camille was not running
true to form in her sudden demise.
pany to visit Montana was that headed
by Julia Dean Haynes, which played
its way into the territory from Salt
Lake City during the winter Of 1865,
arriving in Virginia City for the
Christmas season, and giving several
performances. Miss Haynes was sup
ported by Tony Ward, who later en-
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county and who became widely known.
Candles for Cash
On the way to Montana from Utah,
the company played in several Nor
mon communities under the sponsor
ship of the Mormon church. In those
communities farm produce was the
principal circulating medium of ex-
change. In one OF the towns the cur
rency consisted Of talloW candles. The
show would take these things for adj
mittance charge, and the next day
cash them in at the church tithing
house and get the money for them.
In the town where the tallow candles
were in use for money, there was a
long line Of farmers waiting at the
each with an armful Of tallow candles.
The local church bishop was taking
tickets" and as fast as the candles
were received they were piled on the
sill in the recess of one of the win
dows of the building.
The manager of the show, with moth
ing else to do for the moment but look
around noticed that while the crowd
was growing larger, the pile of candles
vealed that some of the audience had
obtained their admission fee by help
ing themselves to the pile of candles
from the outside. When the attention
of the bishop was called to the exist
ing state of affairs, he placed q sub
called for silence, and then asked all
those who had gained admission with
stolen candles to stand up.
To the amazement of the manager
and the members Of the troupe, about
60 persons in the audience o to
their feet. The bishop told them to
bring tn The Gar sand l;sI1 they S owed Tor Pr adm ndst
morning, went back and resumed his
place at the door, and the show went
on. The next morning the 60 brought
their candles. All Of the admission
candles were then redeemed at the tith-
ing house and the company paid off in
cash.
Fish for Tickets
Another similar instance in which
the show troupe did not fare so well
occurred in Astoria, Ore, in 1880. A
Grismer company was playing there.
There had been a big run of salmon
in the Columbia river that season, but
there was no money in the country.
The show company, of which w. A.
Brady, later a noted theatrical pro-
Thal1, afterwards an advance man
widely known in Montana, a member,
took salmon for admission at the rate
of SO cents per fish. It was two days
before the theatrical people discovered
that there was a certain kind of sal
mon which was not marketable, and
that that kind Of salmon was what
they had mostly received at the door.
After that they put a fish expert on
the door, and did pretty we'll, selling
their 50-cent fish for 81 cents each.
Fred Roberts, another advance man
we'll known in Montana 40 years ago,
and who was out ahead Of why Smith
Left Home" for. several seasons, struck
Cheyenne with his company once in
1874, just after IA men had been
hanged by the members of the home
guard. A banner made of bed sheets
was strung across the street and on
it a warning. in big letters advising all
town. The place was almost depopu-
lated next day, he said, and the show
played to a very poor business.
Once in Ogallala, Neb., Roberts was