The evening world. Newspaper, July 6, 1903, Page 11

é The Birth of Polite Vaudeville in the Bow- ery Forty Years Ago—Then Women First Patronized Variety Shows—The Big and Little Salaries of Long Ago— Some of Tony’s Old Songs—Present Stars First Shone at 444 Broadway. HILY Tony Pastor still enjoys the fame of being the oldest living variety W manager, his practical retirement from the stage about two years since deprives him of the dual honor of also being the oldest acting-actor Mr, Pastor's managerial career extends over @ period of about thirty-eight years, @uring which time he has started upon thelr courses hundreds of actors of Greater or less merit. His career as a public performer dates back to 1818, when in the old Dey Street Church he sang duets with former State Senator Christian B, Woodruff at the meetings of the Hand-in-Hand Temperance Society, The debutant was then six years of age, but had already evinced @ marked Predilection for the stage. To check thla his father, who was a sort of solo violinist with the Grand Orchestra, sent him into the country to visit a farmer friend. Within a few weeks he was back with his father, the bearer of a note fm which the farmer explained that young Pastor's impromptu performances seriously interfered with the work of his farm hands. Seeing the impossibility of keeping his son from a stage career, the senior Pastor shortly afterward permitted him to appear at the old Barnum Museun @s an infant prodig “I felt all along,” sald Mr. Pastor, “that the theatrical field was to be the Seene of my endeavors, and I renlly enjoyed my appearances at Barnum's. There malleniast) Soclety in those days and my engagement here was practically “In 1847 I Joined Raymond & Waring's Menagerie, appeart: @laying on the tambourine end of a minstrel show. Tiare ead, siehyeoe aad work, but I enjoyed it, and after this engagement gave out in th fall of that year I signed as an apprentice with John J, Nathan, then a well-known ciroult manager, My circuit debut was made in the fall of 187 at Welch's National Aeottinestes, Piliadsipiie: I rode In the entry, played juventle parts in the leces, were then made a featur a Dinner ne '@ of the performances, and also con “The following summer was passed with Welch, Delevan & Nathan's Circus MONDAY EVENING, JULY 6, 1908, TW Helly "the ; on tthe road, and it was here that I had my first taste of management at the age of twelve. 3 “In those days It was not customary for a circus to give q might performanca, owing to the inadequagy of the lighting facilities. I organized a concert troupe among the oircys peogla and gaye night performanees in school-hauses and other Places in the towns in Wiléh We showed. After a while the managers seemed to feel that I was divertig ¢ame’efthe money from thelr show to the conoert fea- ture, and by special request I temporarily retired ‘trom the managerjal field. “After that I went to the Federal Strest Theatre 1n Boston, remaining until the tenting season. In 1861 the-death of! the ringmnmater gave me an opportunity to wear the top boots, and jn addition J servedigig ypealist, played the country- man in ‘Pete Jenkins,'one-of the old-fgne aft ard @anced ‘Lucy Long’ in the side shows, Tas following tall Bwas ringfhaster of Bowers's Amphitheatre, also taking parts in d as, folfowing spring I went out with Francols's Travelling Hippodrome, and 4m the winter I again appeared in New York as Bones with a minstrel show. r “The following spring I went with Mable's Circus as singing clown. In those days a singing clown was virtually the star of the performance and occupied @ far more important position than he docs taday. It was part of the ringmaster's business to ‘feed’ the clown, who virtually offered both a monologue and what 1s now In stage parlance known as tho ‘cross talk’ or ‘sidewalk conversation.’ “The following year I went with Levi North's Circus as ringmaster and gen- eral performer, continuing with North in the fall at his Amphitheatre, Chicago. Tho following season I was on the road again with North and then turned my attention to New York, where I put my clowning experience to advantage as a come singer. In passing I might say that I antedate George L. Fox (Humpty Dumpty). “The approach of the Civil War determined me to stay in New York instead of trusting to the hazard of the road, “Highteen hundred and sixty-one found me at the famous old ‘No, 444 Hroad- and I remained there until 1865. I was one of the very first performers to ature ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and tt was during this time that I virtually originated Mlustrated songs ty employing a stereopticon in connection with my singing speolalty. I had a large number of songs specially written lfor me, of which the best-known was probably the one with this chorus," Mr. Pastor searched his memory and with the ald of Harry Sanderson, his Dusinese manager, finally recalled the lines of this chorus: “/Tls only an old tattered piece of bunting, ‘Tis only an old piece of rag; But heroes have shed their best blood in tts honor And fondly we chorish that old tattered flag.” revived this with considdrable success during the Inte Spanish«Amertoan war, singing it for several weeks. At that time it was quite the fashion to invite the audience to join in the chorus, and there were stirring scenes in the old con- cert hall. “Ht that time the vaudevilllp houses were patronized almost exclusively by men, During my stay at 444 I etudied the situation closely, and determined that if the women could also be induped to attend the patronage could be very mat rially extended. Men and boys jallke smoked (furiously throughout the perform- ance and waiters patrolied the aales hawking beer and stronger fluids. ‘The result of my @tudy encouraged me to abandon the circus profession and to unite my fortunes to those pf Sam Sharpley, the minstrel manager, in the conduct of the old Volks Garden at No. 201 Bowery. ‘This we changed into a cosy theatre and virtually instituted polite vaudeville as it is known to~lay, “Our investment, though comparatively small, was a large one for those days. Now millions of dollars are invested in vaudeville theatres alone. “At the new house we made\a special appeal to ladies, and after plenty of good, ard. work on the part of my partner and myself we won the battle. Even in those early days we looked tojEngland ‘for special attractions, and among my earliest !mportations were James! Taylor, then the greatest comic singer on the English stage, and Georgina Smitfison, a serio-comic known as the Gainsborough Girl, This was about 1879—after Ij had opened my new, theatre at No. 685 Broad- way. “This theatre served as the artistic birthplace of quite a number of well- known performers, and it was here that Nat Goodwin made tis professional debut on Feb. 5, 1876, “Lilian Russell also made her Kebut there, as did May Irwin, Sappho, once a very well-known comedian; the Hiansel troupe, the first troupe of Tyrolese war- piers; Florence Bindley, Gus Willams, Richam Carroll, then known simply as Little Dick;' Francis Wilson, who did a song and dance; Denman Thompson, who presented a rural sketch, ‘Josaun Whitcomb,’ from which “The Old Hame- stead’ was evolved (he made his debut, I recall, Nov. 12, 1876); ‘Old Hoss’ Hoey, Charles Evans, the French etsters,\ Minnie and Helena, who afterward married Pvans and Hoey, and many others, “The late Billy Barry presented\his first negro monologue there; Willtam J. Scanlon made his debut as an Irish comedian and Jennie Yeamans, Harry and John Kernel] and the elder Pat Rooney all had thelr start in this theatre. It was here also that I presented my \first condensed comic opera, an abbreviated version of ‘Pinafore’ being the first production, * “I moved to my present theatre fin Tammany Hall in 1831, where Jennte Hil! (who has never had an equal on the music hall stage as @ comedienne) came over as a personal compliment. Vesta Tilley, Bessie Bellwood, Besste Bonehill, the only Panuerette and Vesta Victoria were amang those who played at this house during the 80s, Here also was introduced J. W. Kelley, the Rolling Mill man, the most original of the Irish comediats, atfd a host of others. “During the better part of my managerial career I also conducted a road company, appearing with them a parttot the season and at my own house in the # AER HEART'S DESIRE. By Permission of Geo. Munro's Sons. OHAPTER I, The Love of a Lord, ¥F Decima Deane had not wandered into the inclosure about the Hons’ cages and lost her way returning this story might not have been written. But she did wander away from her aunt, Lady Pauline Lascelles, and Lord Gaunt found her. Or, rather, he was near when Decima, having Bot too near a young lion, was almost in the grasp of the fierce brute’s claws and Lord Gaunt ‘saved her. He would not show his arm, which bore the marks of the claws that had swiftly struck at her face, but led:her away and holped her to find her aunt. Declma poured out her tale of adven- ture, but Lady Lascelles touched the girl's arm as an ex- hortation to sileace, and addressed the gentleman. “I am greatly obliged to you for your care of my niece, sir. Iam afra'd she has given you some trouble. To whom am I indebted? The gentleman frowned slightly, as if the question were an unwelcome one, From his cigarette case lying on the ‘table he took a card and give it to her. “That 1s my name,’ he sald auletly, Lady Lascellos started slightly as she crushed the card in her palm, her face flushing, He bowed as if he understood, his lips set tight, the weary, Ustleas look back in his eyes again, “Decima, you are nothing more than a chtld—a mere child, You must never do such a thing again!" “Why not? What harm have I done?” insisted the git. “It is-it is not usual; It ts bad etiquette, manners, form, to walk about with a strange man; to take tea with him Is worse, Any strange gentleman 1s bad enough; but thet man of all snen in the wide world!" + “Why was It worse to walk atiout and stt down to tes with him than any.one else, aunt?” Declnp asked, Lady Lascelles bit her lip.” “Because—my dear girl. you would not understana"— “But, aunt—why?" “Because he {s a bad, wicked man—one of the most wicked men in the world!" ‘And Decima was silenced at last. Lor’ Gaunt had been @ model nobleman until, travelling fncognito as Edward Barnard in Switzerland, he met and married a scheming adventuress. He was soon disi!lusfoned, but his view of life had undergone eo terrible a change that he could not return to his old manner of living. There were tales of wild dissipation associated with his name, and equally, he was known as a traveller, ‘a daring explorer. Morgan Thorpe, the brother of his wife, had tracked him down and had bargained with him for silence. For £1,000 @ year Thorpe agreed not to tell the woman where to find her husband, nor his real namo and rank, Gaunt met Decima again at Leafmore. His estates gave sald pleasure in life. wealth. Mershon's ful, presided at were gone, “What the world?" under her breath, my wife.” and the freedom of And Decima, and be silent. form and girlish clad, of brother and sister. Scaroely knowing why, Gaunt abandoned the disstpations which had given him so evil a condition of his tenan| }at last and threw himself into the work he had so long im- | plored Gaunt to undertake with Infectious enthusiaam, Her father was a dreamer, an remaining facultles were xed upon his inventions, Mershon, who had made marvellous wealth as a promoter, ere was millions would form a company to exploit It and Deane found a new Tho Deanes dined with Mr. Mershon in his too-new palace. Decima when Mershon was not looking. ‘What do you think of her?’ as he stood with Mrs. Sherborne in the hail after thelr guests do you think of her? he demanded beautiful, lovely? Is there any girl, woman, like her In all “She—she is very Weautiful, very sweet,’ she assented, Mr. Mershon laughed. ‘I'm glad you think so,” he sata: “for I mean to make her Bobby went up to London to Anish his cramming for the examinations and Gaunt gave him tho use of his chambers the young man into the hands of Morgan Thorpe and under the fascination of the adventuress sister. their net about him and fleeced him of the little he had in the brave delusion that because he lived so well on Gaunt’s bounty he had Gaunt's wealth. The sister was known as Mrs, Dalton, and from her Thorpe sedulously concealed all, knowledge of Bobby's relations with Gaunt, and yet used her ag his willing accomplice in the fleecing of the youth. | very day Gaunt was falling deeper in love with! He had emerged from the shadow of his old trouble to come upon this greator sorrow~that he must love | She was the most beautiful woman in Leafmore the night of his grand dfaner. beauty attracted more admiring glances than were bestowed on all the famed beauties gorgeously Mershon saw the sensation she mado and 4!d not need to be told that after that night h and Gaunt followed her with hun) BY CHARLES GARVICE. A ROMANCE 0 word more, “I—I did not know. know. I never thought, reputation, and led by the|me. You must belleve me." warmed her back (to life, she shuddered and opened her eyes, candid girl, devoted himself to the work of bettering the| “If you don't hate or even dislike me, you can grow to| For a moment there was no intelligence in them, then she His agent, Bright, was made happy | !{ke me," he sald doggedly, with the persistence which had/saw and recognize him. A shiver ran through her, and, all helped him to make his monay. want to hurry you. “Tm i absent old man whose few Theodore must—say no, a thousand times n in one of Deane's inventions, He, Mr. Mershon?" The dinner was endless and glaringly evident of Its giver's|which made the blood rush to his heart. half-sister, Mrs. Sherborne, timid, fear- This 1s our dance,’ he sald, simply. the table. She looked pltyingly often at. © whom you have deserted—are rend Prepared to be rent also,"* Morshon demande suddenty, {Tsn't she; tinguished, as if a hand had passed over with all a strong man's self-possession, r LOVE, SHIPWRECK s& FORTUNE, innocent girt that was almost as close and sweet as the love|tered in her eagerness to stop him, to Ve saved one single| parently still danaing, toward the palm-house. Indeed—indeed, I did not never guessed. I'll give you time to think ft over.” “I am sorry!" she saT% in a low, clear voice, “I must—I please find my father and tell him I would like to go home, She sat like one in a dream, And thus Gaunt foynd he: She id not hear his step until he was close upon her; then she seemed to awake, and turned to him with an eagerness She rose without a word, and he led her to the tallroom. Suddenly the room began to swim, the music grew to a roar in her ears, and the lights seemed to have been ex- He felt her sink on to his breast, felt the collapse, and, He bent his head until his lips touched hers, Hts own Hps | Were hot with the fever of passion, ard, as if their fire had Oh, do—do belleve I don’t} unconsciously, her \arms tightened round him, “I—am—so—glad’ she murmured, unconsciously. “So glad—dearest!” he whispered. “Yog," she said, tfaintly, "I have been asleep—and dream- Ing, and—and I thought tt was some one else. Have I fainted, Lord Gaunt? | “Yes,” he said, hoarsely, as he allowed her—and helped her—to stand upright. With a great, a nlever to be described effort, he controlled himself, ( “Good night and {good-by,"" he said as he wrapped her tenderly tn the carripge rugs. Bne smiled at his, solemnity: “Oh, you will see that to- morrow I'm all right" In the morning Bright told her that Lord Gaunt was gone. “5 fear that he wll never come back to Leafmore,” sald Bright, in deep dejection (to Be Continued.) This Story Wil) End Saturday, in no hurry. Will you—will you ‘Your partners— ing their hatr; I am them, he carried her, ap- his club, It was like the fates to throw The harples wove | HO RIDA MNRIIR VNR RAG PUAN WG aha KNOW E14 UAT ERE od A eng | VUANGAT Chat ide on he RM ADT EMH DEE Dy ne) PATE ATR Mey cae M1 ee € LON SHY LOVE Naot AAS dstqae 4} | Simply clad, without jewels, her slight! Sree ne task would be diMoult. y eyes, He Gaunt did not ask her to dance until late and then ho must wait because {i laimnery the district its name and the little home of the Deanes was| Mershon had forestalled him Pec yliealctas Peeps eae Rear his grander house. Decima's brother Bobby, intended The promoter found her tired and led her fnto a quiet! peror Monelik. Abyssinia, granting for the army, was preparing for Sandhurst. Gaunt made} nook, where, determining to force the issue, he told her of the American explor McMillan, Bobby his loyal friend and gradually an intimacy sprang up| ile love, [ietve fortune’ in “Abyssinian “domain Wptrreen the blawe man of the world and the fresh, unapolled,| “Oh, atop—stop!” ahé sild, Eler voice was broken and tal- (8M 4 (rayelaon of “of Juda jag delay A ROYAL PERMIT TO KILL, |goravert,atenein » the elect of God, King of Kings, of Ethiopia’ An Ameri: Amusements. HAIR > "ELLE, On Hes Poston Imports pring and fall. In 196 my entire show of nine acts, togethet with officers, cost me $250, andl were I able to dupitcate that show to-day sum would not pay for the performers alone. In the old days, when I paid Billy Emerson, then in his prime, $75 a week, I was regarded as a and for years the $160 a week I paid John Thompson in ‘67 was the breaking price. At that you must remember that very frequently a perf: appeared in the ollo, played with the stock company and was seen agein in the afterpiece. Now they work twenty minutes, twice a day. “IT have made it a rule not to speak definitely of the various salaries I have pald, but there are hundreds of actors, both in the vaufleville and legitimate fields, whose services I have secured for less than $50. Why, I can remember paying Shertdan and Mack, then one of the etur attractions, $12.50 apiece. “I suppose In my career I have memorized more than 1,500 eongs, most of which I have forgotten. I often used to aing eight and ten songs a week and had to make frequent changes. One of the most popular of the old-time song was ‘Down in @ Coal Mine,’ the chorus of which used to run: “Down in a coal mine, underneath the ground, Where no ray of eunshine ever can be found, Digging dusky diamonds all the season round; Down fn @ coal mine, underneath the ground.’ “Another very popular ditty used to be ‘Sarah's Young Man,’ which was ‘sung to the air of ‘Kitty of Coleraine’ or ‘Jenny Jones.’ It told of a young man infate uated with a servant girl by the name of Sarah, whose love affair ran througts seven verses of eight Hnes each. He finds her one day keeping company with @ soldier, and a fight follows, in which the master’s attention {s attracted. He comes down stairs to investigate the row and finds him under the kitchen table ‘The last verse reads: “I gave to her master all due explanation, He then let me go and thus ended my fright. Misa Sarah, of course, she lost her situation, And also her soldier, which served her quite right. ‘The last time we met she was full of regret i And sad “Oh, forgive me this once you can!” But, sald ‘Oh, no; fools often fall between two stool: And I'm happy I'm no longer Sarah's young man.’ b “I sang my first parodies in 180 and introduced medleys one year before thats Some of the same ideas I find in parodies of to-day, and hundreds of the jokes are.relics of fifty years ago. The oldest gag is the one referred to in The Evening World of last week about the chieken crossing the street. This was the first Joke I ever heard, and I think Adam must have told it to Cain and Abel: To sum it all up, I have virtually been In the business from 183 to 1903 and hava, watched vaudeville grow from a thing to be shunned to a thing sought after, and T expect to live to see {t make greater strides yet.” K And then Mr, Pastor excused himself and sprinted for the train to his summed home at Elmhurst, L. I., with all the alacrity of a youthful commuter, FALLING === DANDRUFF IRRITATION ITCHING ‘alp speedily, and safely cured. Amusements. MANHATTAN BEACH TO-DA eu TONIGHT DAIN'S. POMPEII 8. L ne RAND FIREWoRKs, AT *| THE SULTAN OF SULU a NATINBE RATURDAY A a NEXT SUNDAY AT 3 & 8 . th —_— RICE’S SUNDAY POP, ———-——-NEXT WEEK LEW DOCKSTADER And AIS GREAT MINSTREL COMPANY, JAM Rig, PROGTOR'S #2348 ex vi ery Aft. @ Bye —Pull Orchestras, Dat $I CONTINUOUS VAUDEVILLE. Paike® 4 THE SENATOR. FLOREN CHAS. 8. ABBE and Ali ‘Bock NGS, Vaude, Souvenirs Mate, NIGHOLAS atic and thorough ‘All information JOHN . WOODBURY D.1. 22 Went St., New York, F CHER. ORA@FORD, ) (CUMM! ed ‘Py (PINK DOMINORS. + KEIM, WALLACE ERS | Stock Favorkes, Big BVERY EVDNING INCLUDING SUN can gentleman, whose name is Mr. Mo- Milan, is coming to Addis Abeba. 1 have ‘given him permission to kill one elephant and to hunt and kill as muen as he likes of the other wild animals in Jirea and the Hawash Valley. there. don't stop him. Written the bth of ember, 1902.—Ain-Abada."” — A POE MEMORIAL. The building in which Edgar Allan Poe edited the Southern Literary Mes- SB ROOF 85.2%, 805 | . JAPAN BY NIGHT. hear deear™ OTOY O (BROADWAY Teme. 4st 6. & Bway. “VOS You EF ER tein NNATI SE Itenry W. ‘oes Coady, Continuous Modern | Vaudeville and Restaurant the Cast | CASTORIA For Infants and Children, The Kind You Have Always Bough! | KATH’ and : agin se. | /AUSIC HALL: KNICKERBOCKER Theatre, pi way Rvip.. 8.16. Mat, Sat.2.15. Ledere: Diway | BRST SHOW IN Tor S0—OREAT ACTS—3: PRIOBS, 260, and H0o. || The cause | MAJESTIC QRAND CIRCLE “Diway & Goth at, | | arat & 38 . Pee | || NA. j Buanche Ring in The Blonde in Black. | [UBKAK j iG, VICTOR'S ROYAL STIL THA MIDSUMMER NIGHT DELIGHT t non, Kine & Gotthold; 25 other, ‘Ol Ait, vorites. Big Vaudeville, Continuous SURE pre ‘and Lock. Tato tue Real Canal and Pel | ROEN, {VENETIAN BAND, DUSS .2 ati "S 0g JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. CONEY ISLAND, ‘NEW MEW ORK EGENS SOG, | Kasbe Piase | used. FLOATING ROOF GARDEN. senger in Richmond, Va, {s etill stand- TH Ww ~—$TH_ MONTH. ‘ga, 8. Mate, Wed, and Sat, 2. (Be Satter ees ct PRINCE or PILSEN 200th Tine." Soni, serum npene, ue i amin | pias bak ec ae al . eee WIZARD OF OZ | pei ttatiga, | “every Evening Extent Play. Fare a with Mont &Stone 0, oS — — ae PETRIFIED SHIPS. Pa ane ROOF GARDENS, |" SocsomereSotcne _ Savsee 0 PASTOR'S +82 “sities Borgupine River JW miles] trom! Bot YAUDEVILLE ERBRAQN: | (UMURARDY, Avot Tug Rte ©, | ym Dandy Hare slo Pig and them Yukon, there are two petrified ships} TRAVAGANZA & B. oP LI ‘DARLING OF THE GALL RY « nie soeacees Ww = lying stranded in the mountains. ens : biel TEN ee) DRESS PARADE" and VAUDEVILLE. | TERRACE GARDEN oad a ENDERSON’S Hoga i cee) SACS Manhattan THE EARL OF PAWIUCK HE RUNAWAYS) 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA a al} the Dundy Shows CONEY'S BEST. | ~ Brooklyn Amusem: BRIGHTON iss, atiais® ‘ are BEACH inikacst: learn ‘