Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-11-16
By EDWARD B. REYNOLDS

OF all the stage great who
fripped across the boards of Butte
theaters in the days when it was
a sure stop on all circuits, there
probably was no one who, heart
and mind, body and soul, belonged
TO the show world as did "Uncie
Dick" Sutton. The writer could
write his own version Of the life
of "UncIe Dick" but in 1908 an
other reporter, his name now for
gotten, d d such an excellent task
that / am going to let you read
his words instead. So, cast your
mind back to 1903, you who can
remember vaudeville and the thrill
of the circus and sideshow and,
let's go!
It's the Forgotten Reporter speak
ing: ~, e,.4 NJ
body else. Just the one man in Butte
whose name has been on most every
billboard in the United States; has
decorated every sid S hoW fence
throughout this great country.
"'Uncle Dick has been there. From
the little wagon show Of pre-Civu
war days to the management OF Butte
biggest and finest theater. is far
cry, but the raspy wheezy tones OF
the pudgy little man who WaddleS
across your path at every amusement
stage have made the distance-made
It through showers of coin of the
realm in fulfilling the great prOphesv
of P T. Barnum that the people al
ways will like to be humbugged.
Not that Uncle Dick IS humbug-
ging the people of Butte. Far from
Il are the presentations of the man
who Is the originator and one OF the
trio which as a syndicate controls %
opera houses in what is known as the
Northwestern Theatrical circuit and
which reaches from eastern Montana
to the Pacific coast. There isn't much
nImbug in the bookings made by
Klaw & Erlanger, the Fromans and
other kings of the theatrical word
who send their productions to the
Northwest syndicate and consequently
Fake Magician
"But there have been times--and
Uncle Dick will coyly admit it If you
catch him in the right mood-when
even this veteran of the amusement
field has blushed-mentally, II not
physically-as he gathered In the
shekels of the great American people
and calmly introduced them to
man with two cigar boxes filled with
sawdust or sugar as the greatest ma
gician since the days Of Merlin.
There is no more unique character
In the profession than this same Dick |
p. Sutton, who makes his annual bow
TO you this happy Christmas day and
wishes you the returns Of the occa-
sion. From the Atlantic to the Pacific |
and from Manitoba to Mexico he Is |
known to the profession as Uncle
Dick And he is an uncle In more
senses than one.
GAS a veteran in the business he is |
sort of godfather to a lot of stage |
people-some good, some bad-who
have made ther way to wealth and
fame through the medium of his adj
vertising bills.
"As the manager of the Broadway
theater in Butte, he is known all the
way across the country as uncle to
the ever-needy advance agent, who,
no matter what his expense account
has been, knows that when he reaches
Butte he can land on the uncle for
a century a great deal easier than
he can wire back to his own manager
for the money.
Feelings Injured
$50 well known and so well estab-
lished is this latter generous trait of
Uncle Dick that they tell a story in
every box office across the territory
of how one man, general agent of
Kirk LaShelle, reached Butte one
morning, and in answer to the CHEEKY
salutation Of, Well, son, how much