Nebraska Newspapers

    NEBRASKA III BRIEF
WBfem Million
NEWS NOTES OF INTERE8T FROM
VARIOUS SECTION8.
i.
.-
ALL SUBJECTS TOUCHED UPON
Religious, Social, Agricultural, Pollt
leal and other Matters Given
Due Consideration.
Tho county commissioners of Otoo
county lmvo mado tho lovy samo n8
Inst year.
Tho proposition for Issuing $150,000
Mi bonds for tho lnirchnso of tho city
wntor plant at Kearney- from the
American Water company was voted
pn at a special election and beaten.
II. E. Lcudmnn, who has boon sell
ing nccldont insuranco at David City
(or tho Fidelity Accident Insurnnco
company of Lincoln, was arrosted by
Sheriff West and was taken to Lin
coln by Captain McGuIro of tho Lin
coln police.
A peculiar accident befell a man
named Dohl at tho farm of William
Mooro, near Pickrell. Ho fell head
foremost from n ladder Into n tool
chest, with tho result that his nose
was broken and nonrlv Rnvnrnrl In
coming In contact with some of the
sharp tools In tho box.
Tho management or tho dago Coun
ty Fair association havo booked John
L. Sullivan and Jako Kllraln to ap
pear thoro during fair week. They
will spart every afternoon on u tem
porary slago to bo placed beforo the
amphltreatcr.
Tho Missouri Pnclilc railroad has
auswered tho petition of W. F. DIcrs
asking for n tolophono to bo installed
at tho station at Loulsvillo by Baying
that tho station is well supplied with
telephone and telegraphic facilities,
and that tho petition was filed to help
another tolophono company got busi
ness. Tho caso Is beforo tho railway
commission.
Howard Collator, a lG-year-old boy,
met with an appalling accident near
Oxford. Whllo driving a mowing
machino on tho farm of Frank Kline,
north of town, tho boy was In somo
manner thrown from tho machino,
Which passed over his body, soverlng
ono arm and mutilating tho other so
badly that amputation will bo neces
sary. Tho appraisers appointed to fix tho
value of tho land opposite Bridgeport,
wanted by the Union Pacific Uallroad
company for depot grounds and ter
minals, viowed tho property and mado
their roport to tho court, placing the
vnluo on Mrs. Young's property at $03
an aero, or for tho cntlro tract
$8,801.25; on Mrs. Ada Melvln's prop
erty $45 an aero, or $G30.50 for lhat
portion required.
For tho Nebraska state fair races
this year 183 entries woro made, only
ouo raco falling to finish, tho free-for-all.
To dato 151 machinery exhib
itors havo secured space. Tho swlno
exhibit will bo unusually large, at
tracting more breeders than any other
attraction on tho grounds. Tho en
tries indlcato that tho Poland-China
and Duroc-Jersoys will run neck nnd
neck In point of numbers.
A series of nccidents occurred in
Nebraska City. Albert Harman, a
fnrmer residing south of tho city, was
thrown from his buggy by a runaway
team and fractured his nnklo. Mrs.
Hcfiling, an aged woman, was knocked
down by a cow and soverely gored. 1.
V. Hudson was seriously Injured In a
runaway. Mrs. C. W. Schneider fell
nnd broko her right limb nt tho ankle.
V)lllnm Gussott, an elevator cm
ployo, was overcomo by heat.
Tho first tornndo that ever struck
the sandhills visited that placo re
cently. It took Itov. Mr. Spraguo's
summer kitchen down tho street, de
molished Henry Crow's Hvory barn
and J. C. Ewing's stable, took tho cu
pola, bell nnd nil, off tho church, the
chimney off tho school building, and
did much other damago to trees, win
dows and windmills. It was accom
panied by a terrlllc electrical storm
and downpour of rain.
What appears to bo a veritable
scourgo of Insects Is reported as hav
ing descended upon tho truck gardens
surrounding Fremont. ThomaB Hnu
rlgan, who raised watermelons north
west of tho city, reports that his on
tiro crop of twenty ncres has been al
ready destroyed by tho posts. Other
gardeners are experiencing tho samo
loss. Paris green has been used In
different places, but does not seem to
havo effect.
Doost for tho Corn show, is tlio or
der sent out by tho Hock Island lines
to all roprcsontntlveH. A circular
sent out by John Sebnstlon, pnsscnger
trnlllc manager, nnd II. (lower, freight
trnfllc manager, runs ns follows: "To
all representatives: Tho work accom
plished by tho National Corn exposi
tion last year has been very far
reaching In Its effect. An Interest has
been, nroused to tho bottormont of
corn and other smnll grain which will
add mntorinlly to tho woalth of our
section, nnd wo fool that ovory effort
Bhould bo mado to encourago those
who aro devoting their tlmo and ener
gies to this mattor."
Will Edwards, charged with steal
ing a bunch of cattle belonging to A.
,C. Vistrop, nnd selling them to 11. J.
Ticrnoy of Ansley, who had been in
hiding for a wooje, was arrested by
tho sheriff thirty miles southeast of
Drokon How and brought to Jail. Ed
wards had hired himself out as a la
borer, nnd wns busy working when
arrested.
Petitions requesting that tho divid
ing of Custor county bo voted on nt
tho general election in Novcmbor
have boon filed, and tho county board
of supervisors will net upon tho petitions.
iSf SB
llOM tlmo
to tlmo
m n g a
zlnes and
n 0 w s pa
pers havo
printed
stories dealing with tho
amount of money expended by tho public in lta
senrch for nmusemcnts, nnd tho nggregnto In
dollars, running well up toward $20,000,000 for
a single season's theater-going, Is a fairly ron
sonnblo estimate. What It costs to provldo
theso thentrical amuRomonts for n yenr, n
month, a week, or oven a day, Is a subject,
however, of such indefinite conjecture that It
hns not yet got Into type, or, if It hns, in such
a desultory and fragmentary way, and with so
much omitted nnd so much taken for granted,
that tho figures cannot bo said to havo carried
much conviction. It Is practically lmposslblo
to estimnto exactly what amount of money tho
theatrical producers of Amorica expend lu
their efforts to cater to tho vast cllontelo
which looks to this form of amusement for
relief from tho dull enrcs of tho dally routlno
or tho highly charged norvous wear and tear
of n swift commercial era, but averages aro
possible. And, though lacking Gomowhnt In
deflnlteness, they toll a story of vast trens
uro all being poured through practically the
ono channel of enterprise.
To nny one who has not stopped to consid
er tho number of theators required In a groat
country llko this, tho number of peoplo cm
ployed, tho multifarious business enterprises
directly or Indirectly affect
ed by tho unceasing de
mand for theatrical amuse
ment, tho figures at first
sight may seem woll-nigh In
credible. Hut It may be
borno in mind that nny fig
ures quoted hero represent
5, Cleveland 8, Columbus 5, Cincinnati 11, De
troit 8, Chicago 27, St. Louis 11, Mllwnukeo 8,
St. Paul ti, Minneapolis 10, Omaha 4, Kansas
City 8, Denver -1, San Francisco 7, Los Angolcs
7, New Orleans 9, Loulsvillo 5, Indianapolis 1,
Toledo 5.
Number of Thcntcrs In Ench Stnte (List
ilocs not includo theaters in cities mentioned
nbovo) Alabamn 27, Arizona 12, Arkansas 11),
California C3, Colorado 30, Connecticut 31, Del
awnro 4, Florida 19, Georgia 35, ldnho 20, Illi
nois 12C, Indiana 95, Indian Territory 7, Iowa
124, Kansas SI, Kentucky 3G, Louisiana 21,
Mnlno 37, Maryland 20, Massachusetts 70,
Michigan OS, Minnesota 57, Mississippi 2C, Mis
souri SI, Montana 1-1, Nebraska 70, Nevada 10,
New Hampshlro 22, Now JorBey 33, Now York
150, North Cnrollna 16, Ohio 134, Oklahoma 17,
Oregon 22, Pennsylvania 111, Rhode Island 11,
South Carolina 27, South Dakota .n.fi, North Da
kota 10, Tennessee 31, Texas 90, Utah 39, Vcr-A
mont 20, Virginia 12, Washington 22, West Vlr
ginia 29, Wisconsin C7, Wyo
ming 13.
Here, then, wo havo an aggre
gate of 2.G1C
th 0 a t o r b of
ono kind or
another which
got regular
bookings.
It Is n pe
culiar fact
that even tho
most narrow
minded a 11 d
.... L I
J Wm&& i 1,10 Vftr,tma estimates and summaries
Wfyltflf f I l'o activities of only the three most
,,, -YCial Jr nctlvo producing organizations novo
jlWii ' vA- 1)00,1 considered, nnd that thero aro
if S5!SB: JfM ' 1 I nt lca3t n llozcn ,,rmB operating In Now
" y av 9 ' YOr, "n(l C'll,cnR0 wl, mnk from
l v. i V - v MtMllffl fl 1 I , N
nn average ar
rived at only
after soparato
consulta tlo 11
w i t h repre
sentatives of
thrco or four
of tho most
important nnd
persist o n 1 1 y
active theat
rical organiza
tions In Amcr
I c n ; t h 0 y
should there
fore, bo ac
cepted as rea
sonably trust
worthy, lu round ligurcs thoro is invested ln
thentrical ventures in this country about $100,
000,000. Does this sum seem excessive?
Then remember tho wide oxpanso of ter
ritory represented by the words Unltod Stntoa
of America, nnd try to roallzo that practically
ovcry city and hamlet In tho land has Its the
ater or opera house, that In every caso tho ac
cessibility of tho theater Itself Is a matter of
supreme Importance, nnd that thin fact at
onco necessitates tho expenditure of high rent
als or tho purchaso of high-priced properties
that tho operator of a theater, In fnct, must ex
pect nt tho very outset to pay tho maximum
of property values, whether ho lenses or buys.
In Now York, for lnstnnco, tho Itialto has
steadily moved uptown, kocplng pneo with tho
city's growth northward, and to day tho costli
est thentora in tho world aro centered about
Times Squnre ln Broadway and In tho adja
cent aide "streets within a radius of half a
dozen blocks from tho point of supremo com
mercial competition.
Main strcot ln tlwj nvorago American vlllago
would not bo Main street without Its theater
or "Opera Houso," nnd thoro can bo no doubt
that In theso smaller communities, ns In tho
grenl metropolitan cities, tho theator proporty
will bo found listed nmong the most valuable
holdings ln realty.
In Chicago thoro aro 27, Unltlmoro 9, Wash
ington 8, Buffalo 7, Cincinnati 11, whllo prac
tically ovcry ono of tho lnrgor cities through
out tho country has an nvorago of from thrco
to flvo theaters, and though for tho tlmo being
many of them aro given over to moving plcturo
Hhows, thoy nil represent nn aggregate of cap
ltnl Invested for tho Bnko of providing amuse
ment for tho public. Moreover, ln ovcry stato
of the union tho smaller towns ns well as tho
capitals and metropolis aro well supplied with
temples to tho muse, Tho following tablo gives
nn approximate of tho numbor of placos In
each stnto whoro regular attractions nro
booked, though there nro somo of the number
undoubtedly that aro moroly public hnlls rath
er than woll-cqulpped theaters. Hut It must bo
remombored also that Innumerable minor
towns havo halls whore thontricnl entertain
ments aro given, nnd theso aro not comprised
ln tho booking schedules.
Principal Cities; Number of Thoators. Now
York 75, Drooklyu 23, Jorsoy City 1, Hobokenl,
Newark 8, Boston 15, Providence 6, Philadel
phia 23, Baltimore 9, Washington S, Buffalo 7,
Kochcster 5, Albany 5, Syracuse 3, Pittsburg
puritanically inclined fnrmer with a bond dead
set against tho thoators, Is often, though ho
may not know it, under obligations to tho the
ntrical producer for tho profits that onnblo him
to "lift the mortgngo from tho old plnco." For
tho scenery thero 1b required lumber, from
which tho frames to hold tho canvas nro made,
bringing n profit to the lumber ynrdB, then to
tho mill, and finally back to tho lumberman or
farmer who owned tho standing timber. Hun
dreds of thousands of squnre ynrds of canvnH
and linen aro used to cover theso frames, and
here tho returns, first to the denier, event
ually reach tho manufacturer who sold him the
material, nnd ultimntoly get to tho men who
grow tho cotton nnd flax tho farmor onco
ngnln. Immonso qunntltlon of hardwaro aro
nUo used, with tho resultant prollt to tho deal
er, tho manufacturer, nnd tho miner, nnd from
many sources tho wngo earner, had ho tho
mind to do no, might ultimately traco his earn
ings to the door of tho theater.
In Klnw & Erlnngor's production of "Bon
Hur," for lnstanco, ono of tho lnrgest of all
thcatricnl organizations, for which nu entirely
now equipment In being made thin season,
over flvo miles of rope nro used for hoisting
and lowering tho scenery, nnd nnotlior clnss of
peoplo deiivo their vnrlous benoiltB from this
need of tho producer. Thero nro used nlso
thousnnds or ynrdB of Invlslblo nottlng and
gauzes. All of this was Imported formerly,
but most of It Ib now manufactured In this
country. Lnst, but by no means least, over
2,000 costumes nro used In "Ben Hur" nlono.
Tho lowest ostlmato of a good ono-nlght
stand houso Is $400 a week, and this Is pos
slblo only when tho local manager can get
frco labor for tho running of tho stage, aH in
(owns whero boys and young mon will qunll
fy as grips in ordor to havo tho prlvllego of
seeing tho shows. In such casos thoy chnrgo
nothing for their services.
Tho regular stago staff of a theater for a
small show consists of six fly nnd gnllory men,
two property men, two olectrlclnns, two car
penters and six grips. Tho carpontorn and olec
trlclnns get from $25 to $30 n wcok, tho grips
get from $1.00 to $1.50 n night. This Is only
for n smnll show. In n largo spoctnelo llko
"Llttlo Nomo," for Instnnco, 10 property boys
nlono weto required. "Tho Sins of Socloty," a
Inrgo, spectacular molodranin which Klaw &
Erlangor produced ln Chicago In tho spring,
required 35 atago hands, 21 clearors, 14 elec
tricians, extra wardrobe women, nnd enlarged
orchestra. Tho regular acting staff wbb sup
plemented, moreover by 120 mon Buprs and
50 or moro womon supers. Theso peoplo got
an average of 50 contB a night, nnd nB thoro
nro numerous shows on tho road which ro
qulro from ten to fifty "extra peoplo" anothor
lnrgo sum of money Is expended in Items not
covering tho actual noting cast.
Boforo tho curtain lino for tho nvorago at
traction nn orchestra lcador and an orchostrn
of ton men nro roqulred. Tho lender gets $30,
and tho others $25 a wcok.
Flvo hundred taIIors,""senmstressos, dross
makers, buttonhole mnkers, nnd bootnmkors
draw rovonuo from this department alone,
which must still depend upon occasional out
Bldo concerns ln tlmos of apecinl pressure,
when mnny Hhows nro ranking roady for tho
reason. If armor Is requlrod, It Is Imported.
In a senson ln New York thoro aro em
ployed ln tho various theaters nnd depart
ments about 200 wig makers, S00 ushers, 1,000
bill po!t5rs, 2,000 stage hands, 200 property
men, 500 scenic urtists, 200 hoeinukers, 1,000
musicians, 200 electricians, 5,000 costuinei-B,
dressmakers, etc. It Is estimated that 05 peo
plo on an nverngo nro employed to opornto n
big Broadway theater, and with tho nctoi-B,
singers nnd choruses Included, It Is possibly
no cxnggorntlon to nny thnt such u theator em
ploys moro peoplo nnd payB thorn better than
tho largest store In a town of 100,000 inhabi
tants. In tho Hoason thero nro employed In
Now York about 5,000 choruB girls, Including
thoso who hnvc small ioIcb, and whom tho
showmen still regnrd ns members of tho chor
us, though thoy nnd their frlondn would prob
ably resent tho Imputation. Tho nverngo sal
ary of theso girls 1b $18 a week. Principals,
of course, command largo Bums when thoy can
And work, und tho few favored onoa may enrn
nt times ns much as $1,000. Tho oft-ropeatcd
Btatoment that star actora aro hotter paid than
Unltod States senators, supremo court Jus
tices, governors or mayors, Is probably not-un-truo
ln certain Hpoclflc cases.
Tho printing bill for largo cities In tho caso
of a big show llko "Ben Hur" will call for
$1,000 a wook, nnd will not drop much below
thnt In smnllor plncoB. Tho salary shoot, tho
llvo stock, tho orchestra, and tho printing aro
tho fixed charges of n show. Those nro never
changed, excopt In caso business does not como
up to expectations, lu which onso tho shrewd
mnnnger, nB one representative put It, will In
crease his ndvertlBlng tho only real mothod
of Increasing bin receipts.
Varlablo ltoniB nro tho rnllrond faren and
trnnsfor accounts, tho luttcr being tho chargeH
for hauling tho Bcenory and proportloB, trunks,
etc., to nnd from tho theaters to tho cara, In
a broken wcok tho local transfer charges of
about $300 nro doubled.
Tho nverngo profit of n successful season
for a manager is about ten per cent,
It Ih estimated that CharloB Frohmnn oin
ploys, directly or Indirectly, In America and
England about 10,000 persons. Tho extent of thin
manager's cntorprlBos may bo Imagined from
tho following letter, which wbb recently sent
by Alf Hayman to Hollls E, Cooloy, secrotary
of tho National Association of Thentrical Pro
ducing Mnnngcrs, lu response to Mr. Cooloy'fl
request, at tho tlmo tho thentrical copyright
was bolng Jointly sought by nil tho mnnngers,
for a statement of Chnrlos Frohmnn's gross
Investments In thontricnl properties:
Mr. Hollls E. Cooloy, Secrotary, Tho Nation
nl Association of Theatrical Producing
Mnnngnrs, 1,110-11 TIiuob Building, City:
Dcnr Sir: Ab requested by you, I am horo
with handing you a statement of tho gross In
vestment In theatrical proportlos, together
with n tabulated statement of annual expend!
turos nnd persons employed. Tho Btutcmont
InvolvoR tho vnluo of tho theaters both owned
nnd controlled by us nnd nro nB follows:
Thontors $G,000,000
Annual salaries, porformors nnd
thontor employes , 3,750,000
Annunl cost of productions (ovor) 400,000
AnnunI railroad faros 760,000
Annual printing nnd advertising. 500,000
Annunl transfor nnd hauling
churgea 76,000
Tho foregoing statomont 1b, as you under
stand, not computod to n ponny from our
books, but It Is an approximate ntromont nnd
Is rensonnbly accurate. If I can furnish you
with any further Information In tho promise
pl-jsn advise me. Yours sincerely,
ALF H A Y.MAN.
three to ten productions a season,
while Innumerable companies aro
operated by lndlvldunls, tho orlg
lnnl estimnto of $100,000,000 Invest
ed will seem reasonable enough.
With tho Now York thenler occu
pying an expensive site, nnd half n
dozen other theators ln process of
erection lu Now York, with new
thontors projected In Chicago nnd
vnrloim othor largo cities, with n
constant Incrcnso ln competition
and tho nacesslty for augmented
expenditures, ench firm trying to
outdo Its rival In lavlshness of pro
duction, more and moro money Is
bolng poured onch year Into this
ono channel of enterprise, and
more nnd more of It, overflowing
tho contlues of its original Inton
tlon, filters out through various
chnnnolB to bring proilt to tnnum
o'rublo peoplo who would bo groatly
surprised to lenm to whom thoy
nro Indebted for their wages. Tho strictly,
practical economists might put much of tho"
expenditure under tho head of unproductive
consumption of wealth, Blnco much of It Is ul
timntoly wnsted. Tho samo amount, for In
Etnnco, employed In fertilizing vnBt ncres of
barren unused laud would ultimntoly prod 11 co
n greater communnl boneflt.
HARD TIMES
AND MATRIMONY
Thoro Is probnbly not moro than n fraction
of one per cent, of truth In that unpleasant
old proverb. "When poverty comes In nt tho
door love files out of tho window," but It Ib
not to bo denied thnt when poverty is tho
first to tako possession poor lovo linn to alt
on tho dooiBtop nnd wnlt,
All through tho yenr 1908 tho llttlo god
had boon shivering outaldo mnny homos whoro
ho hnd ovory oxpectntlon of spending n cozy
and perfectly delightful twolvomonth. And
during tho yenr of hnrd times mnrrlngoB foil
ofr 20 per cent.
In Mnnhnttnn borough nlono nearly 20,000
persons aro going about In single blessedness
or othcrwlso, us thoy tnko It who ought
from tho Blntlstlclnn's point of vlow to hnvo
been mnrrlcd lust year.
Tho statistician tnkos a cold-blooded view
of It. merely marking It down ns nn Interest
ing fact to bo "footed up" with other Interest
ing fuels. Ho hnsn't n word to say about
lovo's young drenm and hopo deferred and nil
tho furtive tenra for which thoso 10,000 non
existent murrlngoH nro responsible. You enn't
mnko nvorngcB of such thlngH nB n young
mnn'B disappointment nnd a nlco girl's henrt
ncho. Tho results of hnrd tlmos nro always, first
of nil, fewer diamonds Imported and fewer
marriages recorded. Jewels and matrimony
go hand In hnnd, as Indications of n rising or
falling lu tho barometer of prosperity.
HE BOUGHT
It was ono of thoso moments when nftor
dinner comfort nnd n porvndlng ntmospuoro
of congeniality nnd well bolng nro conducive
to n flow of intellectuality. Smith, casting
nhout for a topic thnt might sorvo ns n ve
hicle for n flight nmong tho uppor spheres,
hit upon n happy thought.
"How romarkoblo It is thnt nftor Michael
Angolo Italy produced eo few grcnt archi
tects," ho romnrkod.
Jnnos hoard with a slntstor smile.
"Why, what's tho mattor with Lanuche?"
ho asked,
"Well, Lanucho hardly ndded anything to
tho nrt, should you sny?" said Smith.
"Then there's Torucho," commented Jones.
"I hnvo nlwnyn regnrded Terucho us rather
deendont," wns Smith's response, accompanied
by n lofty wave.
"SaluchoT"
"Oh, distinctly fourth rate."
' Thero still remnlns Sknbucho," suggested
Jciios.
Smith turned n fishy eyo upon each member
of tho group nnd lnst of all upon Jones, And
then enmo tho oxploslon. When tho merri
ment hnd subsided somewhat 8mtl came q
tho rxratch manfully.
"Walter!" ho railed.