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
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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"'-