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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1912)
3 I NEW YORK MANAGERS NOW SEEM TO STRIVE TO SEE WHO CAN BUILD SMALLEST THEATER Latest Is That "Annie Russell Old" Comedy Company" Will Erect Playhouse Opposite Mazine Elliott Theater, .Which Will Seat Less Than 300 Persons House Probably Will Be Called Princess. efxigerators THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN. PORTLAND, JULY 21. 1912. Reduced 25 o f, . 4f sJih WcniLzj- " "" ' -. Lr' u:- :r r z E : i A fs- r, . y r- BT MITD F. LONERGAN. NEW YORK. July 20. (Special.) Managers seemingly are interest ed nowadays in seeing who can build the smallest theater. The Com edy. Maxine Elliott and Fulton were types of tiny playhouses before the Lit tle Theater entered the field last Spring. Now th "Annie Kussell Old Comedy Company comes aloni; with plans for a playhouse that will throw the others Into the shade. The new showhousc, which is to be directly opposite the Maxine Elliott Theater, will seat less than 300 persons. this accommodation including the ca paclty of 12 boxes. The name of the nouse as at present agreed upon is the Princess, but tt may be changed to the Annie Russell before the time of open ing, which is set for November. Miss Roiuiell In Repertoire. Miss Russell will present a repertoire which includes, so far as at present settled. "She Stoops to Conquer," "Much Ado About Nothing" ami "The Rivals." Associated with Miss Russell will be Oswald Vorke. who hat had a long ex perience with F. K. Benson s produc tions of the classical drama in England and Beatrice Hereford, who has here tofore been known only as a monolo- Slst. Miss Hereford will make her first appearance as a regular actress, play ing Mrs. Malaprop in "The Rivals," and Mrs. Hardcastie in "She fetoops to Con qur." The idea of the company originated at a luncheon where a discussion arose as to the difficulty of finding plays suitable to children,, and the Impossi bility of making them acquainted with the classical Kngllsh comedies. Miss Russell, who was among those present. was requested by the other women to f"irm a company which might produce some of the dramas now so rarely seen on the New York stage. As an evidence of their enthusiasm they all agreed to take tickets for such an engagement, on condition that the company really came into existence. Her ideas were put into pamphlet form, passed around, and met with such ap proval that It is said that enough sub scribers have already been secured to make the venture a success. Carle Hard at Work. With Richard Carle and Hattie Wil liams as Joint stars. "The Girl From Montmarte" company Is passing the hot July days in energetic rehearsals. There will be a week's road trip to straighten out some of the kinks, and parly Into August the production will move into the Criterion Theater for what la hoped will be a long run. Miss Williams Is the girl, of course, while Crle has the part of an eccentric ad venturous doctor and Is said to be very funny. Added Interest is attached to the principal cf "The Girl From iloni- marte," as they form the nucleus of Charles Frohman's international mu sical comedy company. It is his Inten tion that it will appear alternate sea sons in London and America. The first of the shut-down Shubert theaters to be reopened will be the Ca sino, where on or about August 1 "The Night Birds" will be presented. This production will be the version by Gladys Unger which ran last season at the Lyric Theater, London. It will be presented by a company of American and European artists, including Maurice Faroka, a light-opera tenor who will be heard in New York for the first time. The Americans include Jose Collins, Martin Brown, Forrest Huff and Fritzl von Busing. Mistake la Realised. Local theatrical managers are not worrying In the slightest over their troubles with the Musical Union, and the men are gradually awakening to a realization of the fact that they have made a grave mistake. It would not be surprising If the present demands were greatly modified within a very short lime. The present union scale is $14 a week but the musicians demand a raise to loO, with extra allowances for rehears als, etc. According to the managers me men are overpaid now, and, with theatrical business in its nresent rrltl- cal condition, they should be happy to retain their present income. it is one or the most arrozant nnlnm of the whole lot." said one manager today, referring to the musicians. "They have absolutely no consideration for us. and the time has come when we think we can get along without them. -une tning mat has annoyed us ex tremely has been the system our best men have followed of leaving us in the lurch whenever they could Dick up an extra dollar outside. In such cases, of course, they would send substitutes. in many cases absolutely unfit for the work that they were supposed to do. Under the union rules we had to take them, however, and our regular men made no bones of admitting that they had been making extra remuneration at some ball or party. The fact that -they affected the efficiency of our orches tra did not affect them at all or even Interest them. Naturally, we have llt-j tie sympathy for these men now, and are glad to drop them." Flower Garden Planned. The Winter Garden is to be the first New York theater to have its own flower garden, William A. Swazey, the architect, has been commissioned by the Shuberts to prepare plans .for the con struction of a conservatory. The roof space extending from Broadway to Seventh avenue along the Fiftieth street Bide of the building will be uti lized. The Intention is to use the flow ers, which will be grown both Winter and Summer, for distribution at mati nees and first nights, as well as for decorative purposes about the lobbies. foyers and white room. Klaw & Erlanger will present at the Knickerbocker Theater in October the new musical comedy, "Her Left Shoul der," an adaptation from the French farce, "Villa Primrose," by Georges Berr and Marcel Guillemaud. The book and lvrics are bv C. M. S. McLellan and the music by Ivan (laryll, the author and composer of "The Pink Lady, one of last season's big successes. The comedy will be staged by Julian Mitchell and Herbert Gresltam. and re hearsals will begin on August 5. The company will number more than 100, and among the principals already en gaged are Frank Mclntyre, Wallace Mc Cutcheon. Frank Doane, George A. Beane, Mabel Weeks, B. Grace Ed munds, Octavla Broske and Helen Ray mond. The Union Square Theater has in stalled a novelty In the shape of an in formation bureau, an attendant being Installed in a special booth at the en trance simply lor the purpose of an swering questions. In discussing the matter the other day B. F. Keith said: 'Fully one-half of a theater's patrons are persons from out of town, and it Is a good business policy to cater to them. There are lots of things they want to know, and an information bu reau fills a long-felt want. Further more, It makes them talk .about our house ' when they return home, and is bound to bring their friends to us when they in turn visit New York." , . Questions Are Varied. The young man in charge of, "infor mation" is called upon to give rapid fire advice concerning all the points of interest in the city, the best way to reach seaside and suburban resorts, the location of and prices charged at ho tels, and all about department stores. It is an interesting fact that the spe cific query that leads all the rest con cerns the location of the homes of Gotham's big men, and seemingly more persons are interested in knowing where John D. Rockefeller lives, than in - anything else. Next in order, ac cording to the quories, are Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Andrew Carnegie, the Met ropolitan Tower, the Outlook office, the Singer building and the home of J. Pierpont Morgan. With the churches the ones that lead in popularity are t. f atrick s cathedral ana the Little Church Around the Corner. LONDON HAS "DEAF" CLUB Bells Replaced by Lights to Summon Waiters and Signals. LONDON, July 20. (Special.) A novel club was opened this week In Euston road. The new resort Is for the benefit of the deaf. Conversation is carried on by oral or manual signs. There are no bells In the club, the assumption being that if they were to ring nobody would notice them.-Lnder the dGorplate a button resembling an electric bellpush certainly does exist, but when pressed there is no respon sive sound. Instead a red electric light is automatically switched on, and the members knojr that someone is at the door. Similarly when the services of the waiter are invoked,, a red light is the means by which he Is summoned. l . Our famous line of Cold Storage Re frigerators, the acknowledged leader in the United States, will be reduced as above, without resevre. $11 Refrigerators, this sale. . .$ 8.25 $14 Refrigerators, this sale. . .$10.50 $16 Refrigerators, this sale. . .$12.00 $20 Refrigerators, this sale. . .$15.00 $25 Refrigerators, this sale. . .$18.75 $30 Refrigerators, this sale. . .$22.50 All others reduced in same proportion. A refrigerator is a necessity from the standpoints of economy and sanitation. The food does not spoil, is always ap petizing and is kept free of microbes. The economical features of this refrig erator are too numerous to enumerate, therefore personal inspection requested. ig Reductions on Dressers Solid Oak Dresser, with a genuine 18x24 French Plate di i Glass, regular price $19.50, for this sale: v All Quarter-Sawed Oak, 24x30 French beveled plate glass djl o mirror, regular price $30 for this sale.' J)XO. O This Entire Line, in All Finishes, Reduced From 20 to 40 Per Cent , Big Reductions in Our Carpet Department. Don't Fail to Take Advantage of This Great Mid-Summer Sale. In All Kinds of Furniture, Carpets, Rugs, Ranges, Etc., This Store Is Headquarters. We Can Save You Money on Every Purchase. Liberal Credit When Desired. ' enry Jenning & Sons CORNER SECOND AND MORRISON STREETS The Home of Good Furniture One Year Ahead of Competitors RATE REDUCTION ORDERED WHEN PRIZE DIVIDEND-PAYING ROAD IS DISCOVERED 'Sunset Line to Oil Fields of California Pays 160 Per Cent in Two Years Schwerin Declines Presidency of Newport News Shipyards Expert Champagne Mater Wants to Try His Trade on Pacific Coast. BY HARRY B. SMITH. SAN FIIANCISCO, July 20. (Spe cial.) The prize railroad of the country as a dividend-payer has been discovered in California. It is known as the Sunset Railroad, and ac cording to the State Railway Commis sion, Is without a parallel among rail roads for Its earning: capacity. While capitalized at $500,000 it paid $300,000 In dividends in 1910, and followed it up with another dividend of 1500,000 for the next year. What might have been the profits In 1912 can only be surmised, for the Commission has or dered a cut In rates of from 10 per cent to 50 per cent. The Sunset Railroad operates out of Bakersfield through the West Side oil fields to Shale. It is owned Jointly by the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe. Because of the vast size to which the oil industry has attained, points on the Sunset and McKittrick branch have become the most important ship' ping points in California, the amount of freight moving to Taft being equal to that which goes and comes from an ordinary city. The rates and dividends were not the only points, however, that the Commis sion found to criticise. The right-of- way of the railroad was apparently its most valuable asset. Out of the Jo00, 000 capital stock, J470.000 was issued for the right-of-way, which witnesses testified cost the railroad but $4000. What with declaring dividends of 160 per cent In two years and evidence that there was $470,000 of water in Its capitalization of $500,000. the' commis sion held that it had sufficient rea sons "for declaring these reductions' R, P. Schwerin, vice-president of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, was recently offered,- but declined, the presidency of the Newport News ship yards. The latter is the Joint prop erty of Henry E. Huntington. . of Los Angeles, and Mrs. Arabella Hunting ton, of New Tork, the widow of Collis P. Huntington. It was a part of the latter's estate which was willed to them in equal shares. It is the largest shipbuilding plant in the United States, and Is said to represent an investment of $20,000,- 000. Schwerin has always been nign In the favor of the Huntingtons. and It Collis P. Huntington who first gave him his position here in 1893 on his resiKnatlon Irom tne lunneo. states Navy. Schwerin was in the good graces of Edward t. narriman, ana is earn to stand equally well with Judge Rob ert S. Lovett and the bankers who own the Pacific Mail as an asset of the Southern Pacific Company. . Southern Pacific bankers who are behind the Pacific Mail are much per turbed by the fight of the Chamber of Commerce, of this city. Portland. Seat tle and Los Angeles, against the use of the Canal by their steamer line. Schwerin. has been In Washington for several months seeking - to dissuade Congress from adopting a law which will forbid the Pacific Mall, as a rail-- road-owned steamship line, from using the Panama Canal for coast-to-coast traffic William R. Wheeler, traffic manager of the San Francisco Cham ber of Commerce ' is in the (National capital for just the reverse object. The members of the Chamber here are di vided over the subject, and some of them ere signing a petition favorable to the Schwerin mission. The maritime committee of the Chamber, headed by Captain William the fight 'has developed some bitter feelngs both here and In Washing ton. Soichiro Asano, the Morgan of Japan, and one of the richest men of his coun try, has a son in the United States os tensibly inquiring into the successful method employed by American cement manufacturers for controlling the dust. The son at present is in Washington, where he Is said to.'be watching the fight to put the Pacific Mail out of business as a carrier of domestic freight through the Canal. Several years before Harrlman died. Asano of fered $18,000,000 for the Pacific Mall property. The offer Included the San Kranclsco-Panama steamer service as well as the Transpacific. Harrlman declined to part with the property at any price, saying he was in a position to maintain the only line flying the American flag across the Pacific to and from San Francisco. The Asano syndicate is said to be still anxious to buy the Pacific Mail, and hopes, if it meets with adverse legislation by Congress, that negotia tions can be renewed with the people now In control. Whether, if the Pa cific Mall Is finally knocked out of charing in the coastwise trade through the canal, Its owners may be in mocd to sell is 'something they alone know. The presumption is they would not sell, even then, unless a very flat tering offer tempted them. . 9 An expert champagne maker, named Jadeau, from the Rheims district in France, where the best of the cliam pagnes come from, has closed a con tract with certain California wine men at a large salary, with a percentage of the profits per case thrown In, on his . agreement to make the same champagne as produced in the Rheims district. Jadeau has been In the state study ing the subject for some time, and is confident that he can carry out his part of the agreement. This is inter esting to know, when It is recalled that the United States buys $35,000,000 of French champagne annually. California is credited with $6,000,000 of this Import trade. This man Jadeau is said to-know the secret of extracting all the sediment from the filled bot tles after they have stood bqttom-up for a year or two. This is said to be the delicate, vital process In the mak ing of a perfect brand of the so-called "laughing water." He is so confident he can turn the trick that he has stipulated he will take part of his pay In the shape of a bonus for every perfect case of cham pagne he turns out. The men behind him believe they are nnaiiy on the road to secure for the state a wine fully the equal in every respect of the best French variety. 'The lid Is on," so far as the beach resorts are concerned and San Fran ciscans who like music in the wee small hours and dancing late at night. will have to secure their pleasures be fore 1 o'clock "in the morning. Charles M. Flckett, District Attorney, was the chap who helped in putting on "the lid" and says that It will re main Just where he placed it. Some months back, there was an order that no music was to be per mitted at the beach resorts after 1 o'clock In. the morning. Then came a decision from Police Judge Tread well that where there was a hotel In connection with these resorts music could go on all night, if the proprietor desired.- The music started merrily and for a- long time there has been no interruption. Last Saturday night however, the District Attorney decided to take the the Chief of Police, who hasn't been taking any action, Flckert, with an as sistant and a special police officer at tached to his office, proceeded to maka a survey of conditions. In several of the resorts the music was In full swing with dancers on the floor. He noted the time, which was well after 1 o'clock, and ordered the music to stop forthwith. At other places he found everything quiet, word having been telephoned along the line that the District Attorney wad enjoying a raid all of his own. Flckert says that he will keep It up, and If he does music after 1 o'clock will be a thing of the past. Most of the beach resorts are so situated that the music doesn't bother anyone and the chances are that the same old con ditions will be in existence before many weeks pass. Mrs. Rae Copley Raum. of San Pi ego, who has announced her candi dacy ror mayor of that city at the next municipal election and who has been In town this week, says she fav ors a tax on bachelors as a means of protecting society against race suicide. "We ought to have more large fam ilies here in California, like they do back in some of the small towns of Illlnos, my former home." Mrs. Raum laughingly remarked the other night. "Decidedly 1 am in favor of a tax on bachelors." One of the Important engagements affecting San Francisco society Is that of Miss Abbie Parrott and Edwin J. Tobln. The Parrott-Tobin engagement will unite two old and prominent fam ilies of California, which have had for years much wealth and high social prestige. The grandmother of the young wom an, Mrs. Abbie Parrott, was the leader of San Francisco society 40 years ago and In that role was famed as a most gracious social queen. .Mrs. Parrott has long been considered the richest widow in the state. Young Tobin Is a manly fellow and one of the seven living children of the late founder of the Hibernia Savings Bank, the largest of its kind west of Chicago. With his marriage there will be only one of the Tobin children left single. This Is Richard M. Tobin, who is probably the most active of the four brothers In the bank. UGLY SIGNS SOON TO GO France Proposes Prohibitive Tax on Billboard Ads. Matson. Is standing by Wheeler, and matter Into his own hands. Isnoring PARIS. July -6. (Special.) Pas sengers from London to Paris will be delighted at the news that the Jour ney on French soli will be, In all prob ability, no longer disfigured by th thousands of hideous advertisements that at present line the railway. ' M. Klotz. the Minister of Finance, has recently proposed a law by which a prohibitive tax Is to be placed on all -uch disfiguring boardlnra. liereas at present these signboards are merely subject to a - fixed tax of from 25 to 50 cents each, henceforward, according to the proposed law, the tax will be changed Into an annual duty of $75 a square yard of advertisement. The tax will be doubled or trebled If the sign contains two or three anj nouncements. Moreover, the tax on the land on which the signs are erected Is to be increased by the amount of profit which the landlord derives from al lowing their erection, so that all pos sible Inducement to let space for the purpose will be remove"'-