The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 28, 1901, Page 5

- "nfrv».\k { BEL DEMONICY — T VESTVALL "Z5 MOTTO neventful begin- eatrically considered and e promise of the interes udgets of superior attract which began to pour in Lefore the second er had feirly begun, it was soon ap- parent that San Francisco was on the eve of a period of unprecedented activity In theatrica and Manager Thomas Maguire was determined to apply the seme methods to that business that he had found most profitable in his lcss rep- utable pursuits. It was 2t this time that the sporting and speculative fever came upon t and was found in every anch ef business It seemed to everybody interested as if the downtown theaters were too far downtown, and vet there had been many admonitory signs that it would be fatal to venture far from the big business cen- ter. There were many thickly tenanted boarding-houses, private hotels and com- fortable lodging-houses in the old district, where there was also a great floating pop- 1ation. Halls were being located as far uptown as Post and Bush stroets and naturally e's Academy of Music en the north f Pine street, esst of Montgomery, was an early venture, its first introduc- tion to the public having been made May 5, 1864 coes mpany from the opera-house on street having been sent up opening, the last named d in the hands of anics for extensive reno- this difficult for a person standing in splendid bullding of the Stock Pine street to realize that e on the ouposite side of the nearlv forty vears ago \ndsome and fashionable # history as a place of amuse- paratively brief and it surprisingly few of the brities which came to this at time, ment was com ord exhibits ny great ce st about tk The academy began its career with higher f admuission than were in voxue at time and In a little more than & year there was an advance to $? for reserved seats and a: explanatory no- tice to the public stating that the expense per week for running the house was $4000, The total loss the Adelaide Phillips Opera Company was $30,000, The fnal performance in this hou: prices the was VESTVALL IN DURES. MOTTO a benefit for George Ciprico, a well-known barber, who had a great ambition to be-« come an actor and who was backed at that time and more heavily thereafter by John Mackay, the millionaire, in return, it was alleged, for a favor to the wealthy miner years before. Ciprico, who spent_a small fortune in pursuit of histrionic me, is the only man who ever played Hamlet with a ghost in black face. The affair created so much amusement at the time that it is pardon- able to make a slight digression to relate it, although it belongs to another section of San Francisco’s history. The Orientals, a local amateur society, tendered the benefit to Ciprico. at which he essayed Hamlet, and some of the local celebrities were drafted into service to strengthen the bill. Lew Rattler, always 2 fine reader, was then playing in a min- strel company and was importuned by the management to play the ‘“ghost” in support of Ciprico. He very naturally demurred, saying that he would not have time to make up for the ghost owing to the fact that he was playing in black face in the minstrel performance. The emergency being very great the manager insisted that Rattler must com- ply and the minstrel answered that he would play the part 17 necessary, but would have to appear in black, to which the answer was, “No matter how you manage, you'll have to do it.” Nobody believed for a moment that Rattler was in earnest and when he stalked on as the shade of the departed King, remarking that he ‘“‘was doomed for a certain time to walk the nigit,” there was a raas which gave the ambitious amateur's per- formance a tinge of humor which con- trasted strongly with the traditional in- terpretations of the character of the Mel- ancholy Dane, George Clprico was a good fellow and had considerable dramatic talent mixed up with his creditable ambition, but his was a case of spolling ar. unusually prom- fsing barber to make a pretty bad actor, the rare advantage of wealthy backing later on having falled to make him suo- cesstul. To return briefly to the fate of the academy on Pine street 1L is enough to say that it was sold at auction August 31, 1866, and was soon thereafter converted into stores and offices, It was not an uncoramon thing In early days for ladies of the profession to lease and manage theaters. .Very early in the fifties Mrs, Sincladr, Mrs, Judah and other THE SUNDAY CALL. nated actresses were vrominent in man- agement and In March, 1564, Sally Stark and Emily Jordan (formerly Emily Thorne) reopened. the Metropolitan for a brief dramatic n with the first reo- resentation of ‘“Leah the Forsaken,” by Dr. H. M. Bien. Three popular players appeared at bei:- to San Fran- Thev efits, then bade cisco went E were J. B. Booth Jr., La Pelite Lotta and Adah Isaacs Menken, the last of whom had such an eventful career that it is well to mention her specially at this time, As she was strikingly vouthful in ap pearance and was brilliantly beautiful. it will surprise some of those who saw her in 1864 to know that she was then in her thirtieth year and had already been mar- ried three times. She began her stage career as a danseuse in New Orleans, where she was born, and she émbraced the Hebrew faith when she married Ai- exander Isaacs Menken in 185, Her sec- ond husband was John C. Heenan, the pugilist, who was known as the Benicia Boy. They were married in 1859 and di- vorced in 182, and her third husband was R. C. Newell, who wrote over the nom de plume of Orpheus C. Kerr. Mr. Newell came with her to this coast the next year, when she made her dcbut in “‘Mazeppa’ at Maguire's Opera-house August 24 to an immense audience. In 1865 she was di- vorced from Mr. Newell and in 1366 was married to James Barclay. She was very successful as a manager as well as an actress thereafter and her tour of Europe included Paris, her knowledge of the French language securing her a favorable reception. Although she went over to London and was directress of the Sadlers' Wells for a short time, she returned to Paris, where she dled in 1868, and was Interred In Pere Ia Chaise temporarily,sher final resting place being Mont Parnagse Cemetery, “The Menkin' was an uncommonly bril- llant woman, an accomplished linguist and a charming poetess. In Parls she ways much admired and sought after and was a warm friend of Dumas Pere. Glibert's Museum on Market street, op- posite Second, became Blegrist's Museum in September, 1865, was in favor in the early part of 1864 and there might be seen there, as well us at Bert's New Idea, Jo. cated on Commercial street, above Kearny, really Interesting variety bills, as well as a line of freaks and curlosities, and Manager E. G. Bert also made a suécess- ful venture with Ben Cotton’s Minstrels at the Eureka in July and it was for a com- plimentary benefit to tlys popular gen- tleman that Lotta made her farewell ap- pearance on April 22 at the Metropolitan. Owing to the destruction by fire of the main building at Willows Park early in 1864, several other outside places did an increased business. the Pavilion, at Hayes Park, being particularly popular. Every Sunday resort was well patron- ized and there began among the clergy and other religionists another crusade against Sunday performances at the theaters. Nothing was done of a serious nature, however, and there never has been a time in the history of the Golden City when respectable entertainments were for- bidden. If a law to that effect was en- acted it was certain to become a dead letter. Nc previous period in the theatrical his- tory had witnepsed a greater influx of sterling actors. The city by the Golden Gate had become world-renowned as tne Mecca for high-class people in any pro- fession. They were a little tardy in be- ginning to come, but once started they made 1864 a memorable year. 1t was equally notable for the departures for China, which all at once sprang into tmportance as an amusement fleld. , The entire Thorne outfit, excepting Charles Jr., sailed for the Celestial em- pire May 11, but they had scarcely gone When In the lead of the procession of new- comers then arrived Caroline Richings, operatic artiste, and her father, the well- known actor, who opened at the Academy on the 30th in “The Enchantress, The Wheatlelghs returned from the East June § and were warmly received. 7lLe Richings had long ' and prosperous seasons of both Itallan and English opera before they returned to the East, Although the news came that Mrs. Thomas Thorne had died of cholera in China, Charles Thorne Jr, Messrs H. Chtton and L. W. Brown sailed for that country on the 21st, but on October 1 there arrived from Australla the following emi- nent artists, who opened on the Sth in a grand presentation of “King Henry VIII" at the opera-house; Mr. and Mrs, Charles Kean, Miss Chiapman, Mr. Catheart, Mr, Everett and George Coppin, Of Charles Kean, the great tragedian, America had already heard the most cred- ftable report, He was recognized and ap- preciated ‘at once, as in fact were all the niembers of his talented company, but ho intrcduced to San Trancisco one of the most celebrated as well as best respected men among thousands who have orna- mented and honored the stage. George Coppin, who was not only man- ager of the Kean party, but the distinctly successful comedian of, that organization, was a distinguished member of the pro- fession in Australia; for many years lessee and manager of the Theater Royal, Melbourne, of which city he was also Meyor. He served with much honor as Member of the Provincial Parliament and in many other prominent positions repre- sented the Government while still actively engaged in theatrical pursuits. if there is another instance on record where a player has been so highly honored it has never reached the knowl- edge of the writer, who, as a son of the Revolution, naturally regards the civil honors bestowed upon honest old George Coppin as greater even than the patent of knighthood so deservedly conferred upon Henry Irving. The engagement of Mr. Mrs. Clarles Kean's company continued at the opera-house until February 1, 1865, and the average receipts per performance were $1100. Other noted arrivals from the East were the Brambilla Opera Company, under Sig- nor Bianchi's management, April 7, 1865. As all houses were closed on account of the death of President Lincoln, this or- ganization did not open at the Metropoli- tan until the 17th, and on the 27th Ade- laide Phillips' company arrived. They opened May 2 at the Academy of Music in “Il Trovatore.” Dan Setchell, come- dlan, came by the same boat. Gottschalk, the celebrated playist, was also concertiz ing here at the date last mentioned. The Bianchi season closed abruptly and on the whole the opera was not a brilllant financial sudcess during 1864 and 1585, as may be seen by the correspondence pub- lished In the dally papers at that time, Annle Yeamans, George Pauncefort, W, D. Shiels, the Buislay family, G. C. Boni- face, J. B. Studley, Daniel E. Bandmann, Sedley Brown, Harry Jackson and Annle Lockhart, Charlotte Crampton 'and other celebrities were also' seen here during 186405, . ' Chiet Winnemucea, with two daughters and elght braves, were on exhibition early in 1864 at the Metropolitan, and the gar- dens were all doing a fine business in good weather, offering special attractions and all kinds of curios, and It is a remarkable fact that there was always a circus or two exhibiting in San Francisco in the fifties and the early six- ties. They changed owners and spots as frequently as did old Bill Worrel's leop- ard, which got tired of one spot and went to another. They played vacant lots or theaters indiscriminately. Worrell's Olympic dropped its first name May 1, 1865, and Gilbert's Museum, on Market street, closed on the last day of the same month, the proprietor reopening the Willows Gardens a few days later. In October, 1365, a shadow was thrown upon theatrical affairs by the accidental explosion of the steamer Yosemite at Rio Vista, on the Sacramento kiver, October 13, 1865. J. E. Meyers and W. Stephen- son, actors, and two others, Mat Fallon, treasurer,:and H. Major, stage mechanic, were killed.~ The Eureka Theater was temporarily converted into an anatomica! museum De- cember 1, and business drifted back to the old theaters in the vicinity of Wash- ington and Montgomery streets. Several notable marriages occurred in the ranks of the people of the stage dur- ing the middle of the second decade of the theatrical business in California. Pler- pont Thayer and Sallie Goodrich, twe well-known players, were married Feb- ruary 24, and Fanny Morgan married Ralph Phelps on the 8th. There were more casuvalties tnan usual, the first of which occurred at the Ogera- house during a performance of “Sata- nella” by the Richings Company. Annie Pink, a child of eight years, was fright- fully burned and died of her injuries the next day. Sam Wells, the ploneer of min- strelsy on the cqast, was thrown from his norse' at Gold Hill and fatally injured. Had there been a few more members of the celebrated Bulslay family during thelr first engagement here the list of accidents would have been much longer. The per- sistent regularity with which the Buls- lays tried to break something by falling from balloons, tight ropes and horizontal bars was really surprising. In 1865 and 1868 the representative man. ager, Thomas Maguire~who was prepar- ing to become the only one also—begun a short system of settling disputes and con. troversies with the people with whom he aid business. It worked very nicely until he threatened to thump Madame Vestvall for refusing to play and subsequently as- saulted the manager of a concert com- pany, tor which he was arrested aud flaed, SEORGE TOPPIN 2 PAUL PRY Hn escaped easier on the Vestvall com= plaint, which was dismissed, and his une important assaults on tenors or barytunes whe refused to sing on account of hoatse- ness generally resulted in a sudden cure. Dramatic amateurs were almost as thick as real actors jn 1365-66, the swell soclety contingent of budding thesplans glving their entertainments at Professcr Miel's Institute in South Park. Their or- ganfzation was The Hawthorne, and many of the staid and serious business men of to-day will relate their experiences on the stage with The Hawthornes and contem- porary associations of amateur actors who gave entertalnments frequently at the various halls. It was very near the middle of 1366 when two of the most noted actors of America came to this coast. Hdwin Forrest, the great tragedian, and John McCullough, then playing leads with the eluer actor, arrived May 3 and on the 14th opened at Maguire’s Opera-house in “Richelleu.” Forrest appeared as the Cardinal, McCul- lough as De Mauprat and Miss Lillle as Julle de Mortimar. The premium sale of reserved seats brought 93750, Bob Tiffany, the well- mown hatter and theatrical enthusiast, having purchased first cholce for $500. ° This engagement was not a long one, as the prices had been advanced and them, as now, San Francisco rebelled against any advance In prices except for opera. Mr. Forrest and Miss Lillie, with Sallle Goodrich Thayer, left for the East Octo- ber 19, John McCullough having retired trom Mr. Forrest's engagement and joined the stock company at the Opera-house en June 0. A condensed record of Mr. McCullough's career on this coast will be presented later on. Mr. Forrest, whose former wife, Miss Sinclair, had been a prominent figure in early theatrical management here, was 6 years of age when he visited San Fran- cisco and he had married Miss Sinolalr thirty vears befors. Their union was un- happy and some of the associations of his marital life were revived in San Frane cisco to the old actor's extreme annoyance and grief. His death after having foundsd the cele- prated Forrest Home for Aged and Ine firm Actors is & matter of public history. Many of his old friends and admirers and some of his enemies have lived and died in the comfortable home provided for them by his noble generosity,