Month: October 2018

Part 542: Bestor G. Brown and the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

I discovered an interesting article about Bestor G. Brown and the San Francisco earthquake while researching Freemasonry in Kansas during 1906. It is a fascinating eyewitness account of the natural disaster and subsequent fire. Brown was in town attending a meeting at the San Francisco Masonic Temple. It was while lodging at the Union League Club that Brown experienced the first tremors during the early morning hours on April 18, 1906. The earthquake triggered several fires that burned the city for two days. This article really gives you a sense of Brown’s personality, story-telling ability and charisma, much more so than any published history. The article was first posted in the “Topeka Daily Capital” on April 25, 1906, page 7.

Here is the first half of the article:

“Bestor G. Brown who is in Topeka attending the Scottish Rite Masonic reunion, was in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake, and puts in the time at the Masonic hall, when he is not helping with degree work, in relating his experience. Most of yesterday afternoon he sat in a big armchair in the smoking room and lodge quarters and told the story of the disaster. His audience changed continuously and he would finish the story to one party, some fresh listeners would drop in, and he would have to tell the story over again for their benefit.

He stated that if it had not been for the fire, the damage to San Francisco would have been comparatively slight. Many of the buildings were destroyed by the earthquake, but the largest and finest structures stood through the successive shocks, only to be consumed by the flames which swept over the unfortunate city. He left San Francisco in the afternoon of the day on which the disaster occurred and remained in Oakland until the next days before he started for Kansas. He arrived in San Francisco late Tuesday evening and his baggage was left at Oakland to be brought across the bay the following morning. What personal baggage he had with him at the time of the earthquake he saved so he lost nothing on account of the earthquake except his breakfast and dinner which he did not get.

“‘I can’t describe an earthquake of the feelings one has who experiences one,’ said Mr. Brown. ‘The best description I have heard of the earthquake, I heard from a Los Angeles man. He said that it was like he was a nice red apple in the top of a tree with a crown of husky boys around the tree trying to shake him down.

“All I can say is that I felt frightened and couldn’t tell why. I felt eight shocks. They say that there were forty-eight. I don’t know what became of the other forty. Eight was more than a plenty for me. I suppose that the first shock was the most severe, but it was the later ones that frightened me. I suppose that was because I was not thoroughly awake when the first one was in progress, and did not realize how severe it was until I got downstairs. The real horror about an earthquake shock is the uncertainty of it. You never feel just sure about how it will end or what it will do. A cyclone you can see and can form some idea of what will happen next, but with an earthquake it is all mystery and uncertainty.

“I got into San Francisco late Tuesday night and went to the Union League club. I was sleeping soundly at the time of the most disastrous shock. I got up, dressed and went out with my overcoat and grip. The destruction in that part of town had not been extensive. The fire that came afterward was the horrible feature. [The Union League Club is located at 1000 California Street and along with the Fairmont Hotel across the street, the only structure to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire in the area].

“It was curious to note the different effects the earthquake had on the buildings in different sections. In some sections the buildings were twisted and out of shape or totally destroyed and in others they did not seem greatly affected.

“The terror of each severe shock is something that cannot be forgotten. The longest shock I felt probably continued five seconds, but it seemed much longer. The earth seemed to rise and fall and rock back and forth and then finally the shock ended with a sudden jar. It felt like the rising up of some huge animal in an effort to shake something off its back. That is as near as I can describe it.

“The Grand Chapter of Masons met in the forenoon at the Masonic temple and were holding their meeting when the military came in an said it was time to move as they were going to dynamite the Palace hotel.

I went out to the street and saw the fire creeping up from two sides. I saw it creep up to the back door off the meat market on Market Street and the minute it touched the rear of the building it seemed to sweep through and bulge out into the street in front. About the time I took to the woods, I started for the waterfront and got there in about an hour and a half.

“When I left the Masonic temple I saw the fire creeping into the center of town. I decided that the town was doomed and that I could do no good so I decided to get out. It was not so hard to get out if one used head and feet. It took me about an hour and a half to reach the waterfront, but I got there. I had to take a rather roundabout route, though, I would start down one street until I was stopped by fire. I would cross over the next street and maybe meet the military there being ordered to move on. And so dodging fires and military from street to street I finally reached the dock.

“My route took me down through the poorer part of town and it was almost ludicrous to see people trying to get out with their effects. They seemed to use anything that had casters on it and haul their things on. I saw one man shoving an old carpet lounge with some small articles on it down the streets. I wondered how long the cheap casters and legs of the lounge would last. I saw another man shoving a cheap piano stool ahead of him and all there was on it was a brass birdcage with a canary in it. It was funny, and still it was rather pathetic.

“At the ferry boat landing there was no confusion. I got there in time to catch the 2 o’clock boat to Oakland. The boat was greatly crowded. In fact it was not a larger load that can be frequently seen in the evenings at San Francisco. The crowd on the boat was not excited. The Southern Pacific was very nice about taking people out of San Francisco, but they would not take anybody into it. They ran their boats across the bay on schedule time and carried all who came to the dock without saying a thing about fares or trying to charge. At the Oakland docks the people were allowed to get into the suburban trains for Berkley, Alamdeda or Oakland, according as they chose to go, and they were carried free.

“When I got to Oakland I had not had breakfast or dinner so about the first thing I did was hunt up a restaurant. I ordered two poached eggs on toast. They were very fine. I had just eaten one of the eggs when I saw the chandeliers of the dining room begin to shake and I decided to eat another egg some other time. Everybody else left the dining room at the same time I did and without completing their meals so that I do not feel the least ashamed.

“From Oakland I saw the most magnificent spectacle I ever witnessed in my life. The papers stated that the flames at San Francisco were fanned by a high wind. That is a mistake. The great clouds of smoke and flame floated straight up into the sky. I saw the Palace hotel catch fire and burn. It made a beautiful blaze. Wednesday night I went down to the pier to see about my trunks which had not been sent over to San Francisco the night before and so were never taken over. I loitered about the pier talking to the baggage man as he looked for my trunks. I looked across the bay and the sight was wonderful. The boats were still bringing people from San Francisco and I managed to slip into one of them before it started back to San Francisco. I remained on the boat as it came back across the bay to Oakland it looked like great waves of flames were following the boat an account of the reflection from the fire in the waves which were caused by the boat. The fire lit up the bay so that it looked like it was afire. It looked like a sea of fire.”

To be continued…

Part 541: Fifty Years of Freemasonry in Kansas, 1906

There were a few significant events that occurred during 1906; the same year that Sosman & Landis delivered new scenery and stage machinery to the Scottish Rite in Topeka, Kansas. 1906 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Freemasonry in the state of Kansas.

The event was celebrated at the newly constructed Scottish Rite auditorium. The Scottish Rite bodies of Topeka spent over $20,000 furnishing their lodge room and stage. The stage measured thirty-five feet in depth and housed 110 new backdrops produced by Sosman & Landis (Topeka Daily Capital, 21 Feb. 1906, page 5).

“The Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of the Most Worshipful grand lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas will be celebrated at the Auditorium February 22 during the session of the grand lodge in Topeka (The Topeka Daily Capital, 12 Feb. 1906, page 6). The article continued, “The semi-centennial celebration of the Masons will bring to the city the largest gathering of Masons that has been held and the Topeka bodies have prepared elaborate entertainment for the visitors. A. K. Wilson, grand secretary of the grand lodge, has secured the history of the first Masonic lodge in the state and relics of historical interest. The relics will be exhibited at the auditorium and will consist, among other things, the first Masonic seal used by the Kansas lodge. John W. Smith, who organized Smithton lodge No. 1 in Doniphan county and was the first master of the lodge in Kansas, made with his own hands the quaint seal, the square and compass and the candlestick, al made by Smith are now in the possession f Secretary Wilson and he also has three of the charters of the first five lodges organized in Kansas.

Smithton lodge No. 1 was organized in Doniphan county and met in six different places in the county and is now the lodge at Highland. When Mr. Smith organized Smithton lodge it met under a burr oak tree, east of Troy, on the Missouri river. A stump was used for the altar and the lodge was tiled by a man on horseback. A photograph of this tree has been secured and a complete history of the lodge from persons who knew about it. The veteran Kansas Mason who is to be present at the semi-centennial meeting is William Yates of Lawrence, the only living charter member of one of the first five lodges organized in Kansas. He belongs to the Lawrence lodge which was the fourth to be organized. The anniversary meeting at the Auditorium is open to the public. The main floor will be reserved for Masons and the gallery will be open to the public. The Art Music club, led by Prof. G. B. Penny, will furnish the music. Grand Master Samuel R. Peters of Newton will speak and Thomas E. Dewey will deliver the address of the evening. The week of February 19, will be devoted to the fiftieth communication of the grand lodge, the fifty-first convocation of the grand chapter and thirty-eighth assembly of the grand council.” The article included a schedule of events and officers for the semi-centennial celebration, school of instruction, chapter work, order of high priests, and council work.

Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) led the special committee on history and museum. Brown was the western representative of M. C. Lilley. Brown worked for M. C. Lilley in Chicago from 1892 to 1898, and then in Topeka, Kansas, starting in 1899. Brown moved to Kansas City by 1904, continuing as the western sales manager of M. C. Lilley Company in their new offices. Brown was instrumental in promoting the staging of degree work and Scottish Rite theaters in Little Rock, Arkansas (1896), Wichita, Kansas (1898), Guthrie (1900), Salina, Kansas (1901), McAlester, Oklahoma (1901), Fort Scott, Kansas (1904), and many others.

By 1903 Brown was credited with the creation and development of “the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States.” He was also the Grand Master of Kansas in 1904, and had been extremely active since his admission to the Fraternity in 1884.

Brown was praised for his devotion of Masonry and the article reported, “Mr. Brown is called the only Masonic stage carpenter in the country” (Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 12 June 1903, page 3). Less than a decade later, the counterweight system installed in Scottish Rite theaters by M. C. Lilley subcontractors (Sosman & Landis) was referred to as “”Brown’s special system.”

The first year after Brown passed away, members of the Wichita Consistory organized an annual pilgrimage to Topeka, Kansas, to honor of his memory (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). The paper reported that Brown was “one of the most scholarly and best loved Kansas Masons. All of the Scottish Rite bodies in the state were invited to join in the placing of a floral tribute on the grave of ‘their best loved brother.’” Brown remained incredibly close to all Masonic activities in Topeka, and in 1906 the Topeka Scottish Rite stage was the crown jewel of the Southern Jurisdiction.

There are two significant moments to consider when examining the construction of any early-twentieth century Scottish Rite stage, as the production of Masonic scenery escalates. The first is that Brown is a fabulous salesman and extremely active member of the Fraternity; many Masons help promote his vision work. The second is that SGIGs have a monetary incentive to help Brown with this vision; starting in 1905, SGIGs personally received a $2 payment per incoming 32^nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. This practice lasted until 1909 when plans for the House of the Temple were implemented. Those lost funds were needed elsewhere. Setting the aesthetics and entertainment, there was already a dual incentive to build massive auditoriums that would accommodate ever-increasing candidate classes at Scottish Rite reunions.

 

To be continued…

Part 540: Thomas G. Moses and the Topeka Scottish Rite

In 1906, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The New Year found me at work on some new work for Topeka, Masonic Hall. Very nice work.”

The “Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “The Scottish Rite bodies of Topeka purchased the building now occupied by the local Masonic bodies three years ago, and they have spent over $20,000 in the last four months in furnishing a lodge room that will compare favorably with any in the United States. A new stage thirty-five feet in depth has been built, and it is said to have more scenery than any other in the country. There are 110 drops, over one hundred of which are the property of, and will be used by, the Scottish Rite in conferring their degrees, which are peculiarly adapted to stage work. The electrical effects that can be produced are almost without number, and are controlled by a marble switch-board eight feet long.” (21 Feb. 1906, page 5).

Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery to the Masonic building located on Jackson Street in Topeka, Kansas. $15,000 worth of scenery had been sold to the Valley of Topeka, allowing candidates to be conferred in full form during the spring reunion of 1906 (The Topeka Daily, 23 April 1906, page 2). For the event, there were 200 candidates, the largest class ever assembled in the state. The reunion took place over the course of three days (The Topeka Daily, 23 April 1906, page 7). Two of the candidates were Dr. F. O. Hetrick and A. Haggart from Ottawa, Kansas. Their local newspaper, “The Evening Herald” reported that the two men “went to Topeka this morning to attend the twenty-sixth semi-annual reunion of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Bodies of the Orient of Kansas, Valley of Topeka. Both gentlemen are going to take degree work” (24 April 1906, page 3). This notice is not unusual, and often newspapers would list all of the candidates in a Scottish Rite class. Articles would also describe which degrees were conferred and communicated; conferred often meant that the degree was theatrically staged. Although Freemasonry might be considered a “secret” society, the identity of incoming members was often published in the local newspaper. It says a lot about the size and prominence of the organization at the time. Scottish Rite membership was on the rise and it meant something to be associated with the Fraternity.

For the Fall Reunion in Topeka, Grand Commander James D. Richardson and his associates in the Grand Commandery were in attendance. They were attending various Scottish Rite Reunions. After Topeka, they would visit Reunions in Denver, Colorado, and Salina, Kansas. Richardson was a well-known national legislator; for twenty years he served in congress from Tennessee, concluding his service on March 4, 1905. The article reported, “He gave up a brilliant political career to devote his time and energies to the interests of Scottish Rite Masonry and is now one of the highest Masons in the land. He is sovereign grand commander of the supreme council for the southern jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.” By the end of the fall Reunion, the “Topeka State Journal” published a picture of Richardson and an article titled, “He Likes Topeka. James D. Richardson, ex-Democratic Leader, Visiting Here.” He was quoted saying, “You have a fine city here and there are evidences on every hand that it is in a most flourishing condition.” When questioned about things political, Richardson replied, “Politics and Masonry do not mix, and I will never mix them, so you will have to excuse me from discussing any phase of politics.”

An article in the Topeka State Journal listed the activities at the Fall Reunion in detail,” Sessions yesterday were devoted to the registration of classes and preliminaries and the festivities will close Saturday evening with a reception and banquet in honor of James Daniel Richardson, of Washington. D. C., sovereign grand commander and his associates and the members of the consistory. Arrangements have been made to use the large room on the first floor of the Masonic building formerly occupied by the Topeka Athletic Association, as a banquet room during the reunion. Congressman Richardson of Tennessee is one of the orators. A condensed schedule of the work which will be accomplished during the four days of the reunion is as follows:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24

Afternoon and evening, registration of class

 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25

9:00 a.m., 4 deg. Secret Master, conferred

9:45 a.m., 5 deg. Perfect Master, conferred

11:00 a.m., 6 deg. Provost and Judge, communicated

1:30 p.m., 8 deg. Intendant of the Building, conferred

2:00 p.m., 9 deg. Elus of the Nine, conferred

3:15 p.m., 10 deg. 11 deg., 12 deg. And 13 deg., communicated

4:00 p.m., 14 deg. Perfect Elu, conferred

7:15 p.m., 15 deg. Knight of the East, conferred

8:30 p.m., 16 deg. Prince of Jerusalem, conferred

 

FRIDAY. OCTOBER 26

9:00 a.m., 17 deg. Knight of the East and West, conferred

10:00 a.m.,18 deg. Prince Rose Croix, conferred

1:00 p.m., 19 deg. communicated

1:15 p.m., 20 deg. Master of the Symbolic Lodge, conferred

2:00 p.m., 21 deg. Noachite, or Prussian Knight, conferred

3:15 p.m., 22 deg. Knight Royal Axe, Prince of Libanus, conferred

4:00 p.m., 23 deg. And 24 deg., communicated

4:15 p.m., 25 deg. Knight of the Brazen Serpent, conferred

4:45 p.m., 26 deg. 27 deg. And 28 deg., communicated

5:00 p.m., 29 deg. Scottish Knight of Saint Andrew, conferred

7:30 p.m., 30 deg. Knight Kadosh, conferred.

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27

9:00 a.m., 31 deg. Inspector Inquisitor, conferred

2:00 p.m., 32 deg. Master of the Royal Secret, conferred

6:30 p.m., Reception and banquet

(The Topeka State Journal, 24 Oct. 1906, page 8).

The reunion either ran like a well-oiled machine, or it was one chaotic mess. With 100 drops and 17 of the 29 degrees staged, a lot occurred over the course of three action-packed days. The members and the money just kept rolling into Kansas. They were really the first state to soar in the southern jurisdiction.

During November of 1906, the Topeka Scottish Rite again broke ground again for a $100,000 addition to the building. The second floor that contained the stage and auditorium remained unaltered, but the Fraternity needed more space if the membership continued to increase at the same rapid rate (The Wichita Daily Eagle, 13 Nov. 1906, page 6).

To be continued…

Part 539: Origins of the Jolly Corks and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, B.P.O.E

Yesterday’s post explored the Sosman & Landis scenery and stage machinery at the Elks Opera House in Prescott, Arizona. In 1905, 54 Elks lodges were established and membership increased by 22,888 over the preceding year. I would be remiss to not include the origins of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, especially as it is celebrating its 150^th anniversary this year. Besides, it was an organization founded by theatre people.

The Elks were just one of many fraternal organizations that emerged during the nineteenth century. Clandestine meetings, secret grips, symbols, emblems and passwords characterized most of these groups. Elevated stages also appeared in many lodge rooms, complete with front curtain, stage machinery and scenery. Like the Scottish Rite Masons, the Elks constructed theaters with specific scenery to stage portions of their ritual work. I was able to identify one of their stage settings in a photograph of the Elks’ opera house in Prescott, Arizona.

This Elk’s began as a group named the Corks, who were soon called the Jolly Corks.

The cork part involved a game in regard to who was picking up the drinking tab. Here is the story:

On Friday, November 15, 1867, the English comic singer Charles A. Vivian (25 yrs. old), arrived in New York, after traveling from South Hampton.

On the night of his arrival he stopped at the Star Hotel. This was an establishment kept by John Ireland, located on Lispenard Street near Broadway. Richard “Dick” Steirly, was a piano player at the hotel. As Steirly was also from England, Vivian struck up a conversation and volunteered to sing a few songs that evening. His songs included “Jimmy Riddle who Played Upon the Fiddle” and “Who Stole the Donkey?”

Vivian’s baritone voice made such an impression on Ireland, that he sent a waiter to fetch his friend, Robert Butler. Butler was the manager of the American Theater on Broadway. Butler was so impressed that he engaged Vivian for $50 a week to perform at the American Theatre. The next day, Steirly invited Vivian to Mrs. Geisman’s boarding house where he lodged at 188 Elm Street; Vivian soon became a boarder there too. It was there that Vivian first met many of the gentlemen who would form the Jolly Corks.

On November 23, 1867, Steirly went to the American Theater to see Vivian. After the matinee, Vivian took Steirly over to Sandy Spencer’s place at Broadway and Fulton Street where they met Hughley Dougherty, Cool Burgess and Henry Vandemark. It was suggested that the party shake dice for the refreshments. Vivian replied that he never handled the cubes, but would show them a new game – a “cork trick.” It had long been in vogue with Vivian’s English associates at the tavern near the Westminster Bridge in London. Calling for three corks he gave one to Steirly, one to Vandemark and kept the remaining cork for himself. Vivian asked Burgess to be the judge and asked Dougherty to count to three. At the count of three, each dropped his cork on the bar, then picked it up as rapidly as possible. Some accounts suggest that the corks were just seized. The last man to lift his cork would buy the round. The game became very popular with the group and soon a “member” was charged with always carrying a cork in his pocket. Upon meeting another member, and if he was unable to produce a cork, the penalty was to by the challenger a drink.

About this same time, New York City’s Excise Law was being strictly enforced; Sunday was a very dry day. On Sunday, the group gathered at Mrs. Giesman’s to enjoy the stock of beer they purchased and stored the night before. Some accounts say that they also set aside sandwiches and a piano. The men who participated in this event, named themselves the Corks, with Vivian as the Imperial Cork. One member later referred to the group as the “Jolly Corks” after being so delighted with the Sunday game. Unfortunately, their activities began disturbing the other boarders and Mrs. Giesman finally asked the group forego their Sunday gatherings in her house. The Corks found new quarters at 17 Delancy Street, in a room over a saloon kept by Paul Sommers; their meetings continued. The main object of the Corks was convivial in nature, with a membership composed primarily of vaudeville artists -musical entertainers, minstrels, and song and dance men. In March or April of 1868, “Bob” Fraser, the old pantomimist clown and scenic artist designed and painted the original charter for the Grand Lodge of “Jolly Corks” of the United States.”

The group began to rapidly grow and some acknowledged that their profession needed a brotherhood with a greater purpose. Occasionally a member would be missing and others would explain they may be ill, not working or in hard luck. All would vote about sending financial aid to the member, often five or ten dollars. Keep in mind that the Theatrical Mechanics Association was formed in 1866 and TMA members were “initiated into some of the mysteries of stage mechanism.”

It was George F. McDonald who suggested that the Jolly Corks become a protective and benevolent society. During their meeting on February, 2, 1868, a new name and mission were proposed for the group. McDonald offered a motion to organize the Jolly Corks as a benevolent and fraternal order. A committee was appointed to formulate rules and regulations, select a new name and create a suitable ritual. Vivian, then presiding officer appointed McDonald as chairman with William Sheppard, Vivian, Edgar N. Platt and Thomas G. Riggs. Vivian suggested something along the lines of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffalos, an English organization. However, the majority wanted a distinctly American title for their new organization. The committee visited the Cooper Institute Library, where the members located a description for an Elk described in a Natural History book. The elk was described as being fleet of foot, timorous of doing wrong, and always ready to defend himself and his herd. This description appealed to the committee as it contained admirable qualities for emulation by members belonging to a benevolent fraternity, causing the title Elk to be incorporated in its report.

The order was officially founded on February 16, 1868, in New York City. It was George W. Thompson who helped develop the ritual with a second degree. Over the years, membership expanded to include many other professions and accepted those without any theatrical connections. There was also a “traveling herd” of Elks that would go out and establish lodges across the country.

The first Corks were Charles Vivian, Richard Steirly, John T. Kent, Frank C. Langhorne, William Lloyd Bowron, John H. Blume, Harry Bosworth, and and J.F. Norris (stage names Hilton or Wilton); many lived at Giesman’s. The fame of the Cork’s Sunday festivities drew others, including Tom Riggs, Matthew Ash, George McDonald, William Sheppard, Edgar Platt, Henry Vandemark, William Carlton, George Guy, Hugh Dougherty, Harry Stanwood and Hugh Egan. Membership in the Corks swelled to over 200 quasi-official members. before the group became the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

The Elks’ current mission stated on their website is “To inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization, and to provide for its government. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America will serve the people and communities through benevolent programs, demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share.” The Elks’ current purpose is “To promote and practice the four cardinal virtues of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its members; to quicken the spirit of American Patriotism and cultivate good fellowship.”

We could use a resurgence of the Elks right now.

To be continued…

Part 538: W. H. Clifton and the Elks Opera House

1905 there were two articles about the Sosman & Landis stage Carpenter, W. H. Clifton, in the “Weekly Journal-Miner” (Prescott, Arizona, 1 Feb. 1905, page 2). In February 1905, Clifton finished installing “the curtains and scenery” at the Elks Opera House in Prescott, Arizona. The theater was located in the Elks Building at 117 East Gurley Street. Clifton’s next Sosman & Landis installation was scheduled in North Carolina.

As a Sosman & Landis stage carpenter, Clifton quickly traveled from one location to another, installing the stage machinery and hanging painted scenery for each theater. In 1905, Clifton was on site to superintend the installation and arrangement of the scenery after it was shipped from Chicago to Prescott, Arizona.

Prior to Clifton’s departure for another theater, he exhibited the scenery for the Prescott clients. Here is the 1905 Weekly Journal-Miner article in its entirety:

“W. H. Clifton, stage carpenter for Sosman & Landis of Chicago gave a private matinee yesterday afternoon for the Elks’ theatre which was attended by about forty or fifty people. The entertainment consisted of an exhibition of all the curtains and scenery of the opera house and was given for the purpose of giving the building committee an opportunity to see what they have purchased and to check it up on the list in order to demonstrate that they have received all that they have paid for. The curtains, scenery and all the stage appointments are certainly up to date and quite handsome. Mr. Clifton is an expert also in the manipulating of them. The Elk’s seem to be well pleased with their purchase. The opera house, when completed, will without doubt be one of the finest in this territory, and a few, if any in the southwest will surpass it. There may be larger buildings of the kind but none more complete in its furnishings and all of its appointments” (Prescott, Arizona, 1 Feb. 1905, page 2).

The Elks Theatre initially hosted minstrel shows, balls, plays and theater performances. Silent films soon dominated the theater by 1915, transitioning to “talkies” by 1929. It remained a movie house until the 1980s. After the theatre changed hands multiple time, it was turned over to Arizona Community Foundation during the early 1980s. The City of Prescott purchased the theater in 2001. The Foundation in partnership with the City of Prescott began the restoration with the lobby, green room, dressing rooms and other parts of the building. Restoration of the Elks theater was completed in 2010. The stage now displays tri-layered vinyl backdrops, based on original black and white photographs. Yes, I re-read the sentence twice too – “tri-layered vinyl backdrops, based on original black and white photographs.”

As regard to Clifton, it appears that he left Sosman & Landis to take another stage carpenter position in Pennsylvania the after completing the 1905-1906 season. In Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1906-1907 and 1907-1908 W. H. Clifton is listed as the stage carpenter for the Lewis Opera House in Canton, Pennsylvania. Although there were many W. H. Clifton’s at the time, I believe that this particular one was born in 1853, passed away in 1926, and married to Eugenia Clifton (1855-1920). This information is not confirmed yet, just pieced together.

To be continued…

 

Part 537: W. H. Clifton and the Washington Opera House in Maysville, Kentucky

In 1899, Sosman & Landis had a project in Maysville, Kentucky. Maysville is located just down stream of Cincinnati along the Ohio River. W. H. Clinton, a Sosman & Landis’ stage carpenter, in the city to install scenery and stage machinery in the new Washington Opera House. The original Washington Opera house from 1851 had recently been destroyed by fire during January 1898. As with many communities of the time, as soon as one opera house down, plans were implemented for its replacement. Theaters were a significant part of many communities. The new Washington Opera House in Maysville was a combination Opera House and Fire Department. The “keeper of the keys” became the President of the Washington Fire Company, and not the theater manager. Interestingly, he was also the Editor of the local newspaper –Thomas A. Davis.

According to Harry Miner’s Dramatic Directory from 1884, the original Washington Opera House had a seating capacity of 600. At the time, Mayville also had a 500-seat Court House and 300-seat hall, both listed as available for touring shows in Miner’s directory. The size of the original stage was 36×47 and included a “full set of scenery.” Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide from 1896 provides a little more information about the the 1851 Washington Opera House. The proscenium opening was 26 feet wide by 22 feet high and had five sets of grooves. The height of the grooves accommodated painted wings that were 13 feet high. The size of the stage was listed as 38×45, and the height to the rigging loft was 24 feet. This venue likely used a wing and shutter system, with a few roll drops thrown in for good measure.

The new opera house boasted a rigging loft 66 feet above the stage floor with fly scenery, or drops that could be flown in and out during a production instead of rolled. By 1901, Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical guide noted “no grooves” at the second Washington Opera House, reinforcing that the venue was an up-to-date performance venue for touring shows.

 

The 1899 opening weekend for the second Washington Opera House was on February 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th (Maysville, Kentucky, 23 Jan. 1899, page 1). The first program included a series of tableaux vivant presented by Maysville women and a Corps Drill by men from the Commandery Knights of St. John No. 89. There was one nail-biting moment during opening week, however, and that was the scenery was delayed in its arrival.

On Monday February 6^th, only three days before opening, he “Public Ledger” reported, “The scenery for the Opera-house arrived Saturday and was immediately started for its proper place on stage. This statement is made so that any misgivings as to the opening Thursday night may be dispelled” (6 Feb. 1899, page 4). I am sure that this delay caused quite a bit of anxiety, especially for the local performers. However, on Sunday, February 13, “The Evening Bulletin” reported “Mr. W. H. Clifton, the stage carpenter who put up the scenery at the opera house, left for home in Chicago Sunday” (Maysville, Kentucky, 13 Feb 1899, page 4). Clifton stayed for all of the opening activities to ensure the scenery all worked properly and then immediately headed home.

A local newspaper reported the final cost of the New Washington Opera House (The Public Ledger, 20 Feb. 1899, page 1). Of the $23,543.28, Sosman & Landis were paid $1474.99 for “scenery and stage equipment.” The 1000-seat Washington Opera House included a proscenium opening measuring 28 feet wide by 26 feet high. Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1900-1901 season noted that the height of the scenery was 18 feet and the height to the rigging loft was 66 feet. There were no grooves, suggesting leg drops for masking. The depth under the stage was 12 feet with 3 traps. The Washington Opera House is listed as the fifth oldest performing arts theatre in the United States.

To be continued…

Part 536: W. H. Clifton, Yore’s Opera House, and Bell’s Opera House in Benton Harbor, Michigan

This is the second post installment about Sosman & Landis employee W. H. Clifton. In 1889, the “News-Palladium” reported on the completion of Yore’s Opera House in Benton Harbor, Michigan (Benton Harbor, Michigan, 14 June 1889, page 3). Clifton was mentioned as the Sosman & Landis stage machinist sent to superintend the installation.

The News-Palladium article noted, “Messrs. Sosman & Landis of Chicago, furnished the scenery and stage fixtures – Will H. Clifton, stage machinist, having been sent here by the firm to superintend the work some four weeks ago. He has just finished up this task of fitting the stage carpets – one green and the other red.

“The stage is admirably appointed. There are seven compete sets of scenery, namely, Parlor, Kitchen, Open Wood, Garden, Prison, Water View and Street, and all accompanying wings, borders, box scenes, etc., necessary to a first class theatre. All the doors and windows in scenery are “practicable: instead of being blind, as is usual in small theatres. There are also a number of “set” pieces – set rocks, set water, balustrades, a set house, a pair of garden vases, etc. The drop curtain is a handsome work of art and is unsurpassed in Michigan outside of Detroit and Grand Rapids, the scene being “The Hudson River from West Point.” Size of curtain 42×30 feet.

“Three traps, stage braces, stage screws and other stage paraphernalia complete Sosman & Landis’ branch of the work, which has been done in first-class shape. The proscenium opening is 36x24feet; depth of stage, 30 feet; 75 feet wide and 33 feet in length, with full set of grooves; flats 18×26; depth beneath stage, a little over 7 feet; sets of grooves, four; two roomy fly galleries. There is a special scenery entrance in the rear and also a private stage entrance. The stage will be brilliantly lighted by two rows of border lights, the footlights and numerous other side lights – electric” (Benton Harbor, Michigan, 14 June 1889, page 3). The seating capacity for the opera house was 1,027.

In 1896, the first Yore Opera House caught fire, sometime after manager J. J. Simon closed the theater around 11 p.m. This immense blaze threatened the entire town of Benton Harbor and calls of distress were sent to fire department of St. Joseph (The Herald-Palladium, 19 June 1992, page 44). Eleven firefighters lost their lives battling the flames when a theatre wall collapsed; a twelfth firefighter died from complications a few days later. The Yore opera house became an example in the dangers of firefighting in the area. However, like many theaters destroyed by fire during the late-nineteenth century, another was constructed in its place and the community soon anticipated the completion of their “new, modern, first-class playhouse” (News-Palladium, 15 August 1899, page 4).

In regard to the necessity of an opera house in Benton Harbor, the “News-Palladium” reported, “An opera house? Of course we need one. No city of any enterprise or importance but can boast of a large auditorium where meetings, conventions, and entertainments of whatever nature, political, religious or educational, can be held with comfort and convenience. One of the most forcible illustrations of our need of a large auditorium was the funeral of the brave boys who dies to save the Yore’s opera house. There was no room in the city that could hold the Congregations” (5 Sept. 1899, page 1). Several plans for a new building were proposed, but all failed, until Dr. John Bell and George A, Mills entered the picture.

On the August 14, 1899, a franchise was granted “for the construction of an electric road to connect various resorts about the city, and as soon as it was given the promoters of the road surprised the alderman by showing plans of a $25,000 opera house that they have arranged to build” (Owosso Times, 18 August 1899, page 3).

On November 11, 1899, the “News-Palladium” reported “The new auditorium, which is being constructed by Dr. John Bell and Geo. A Mills, was obtained in a novel way. The promoters of the opera house desired to know whether of not the citizens really wanted the play house and in order to see what encouragement they would receive, Dr. Bell and Mr. Mills offered to erect a modern building if the business men would buy 1000 tickets for the opening performances at $5 each. The citizens responded generously and in a few days the tickets were sold” (News Palladium, 11 Nov. 1899, page 3). The article also reported, “Representatives of Sosman & Landis a scenery firm of Chicago, are here today making estimates for the scenery and scenic supplies.” But the contract was not awarded to Sosman & Landis, instead the work went to Armbruster of Columbus, Ohio; accidentally published as “Ambrewster & Company on opening night.” By that fall, the cornerstone of the new Bell Opera House was laid and fraternal orders planned a grand celebration for the occasion. On Wednesday, May 9, 1900, the Bell Opera House was dedicated.

Architect C. A. Brehmer of South Bend, Indiana, planned Bell’s Opera House after the famous Harrigan’s of New York City. In speaking of the opera house, Mr. Brehmer said, “There are two points which no play in the entire country can excel – its points for egress in case of fire or other necessity and the superior arrangement of the seats” (News-Palladium, 10 May 1900, page 1). On opening day, the “News-Palladium” provided detailed descriptions of the new building (0 May 1900, page 1):

“The auditorium is lighted by 450 incandescent lights and the beautiful blue tinted dome is brilliantly illuminated with 99 electric lights. The system of lighting was planned by James W. Pearl and the wiring done by the English brothers under the supervision of Henry Mason. The switch board for the main part of the building is located on the stage and is so arranged that any number of lights may be turned on or off as the occasion demands. The switch board for the lights in the halls and ticket office is in the box office, Both boards are of the latest pattern. The stage is 9 feet longer and 2 feet wider that the stage of the burned Yore auditorium and the height of this part of the building is 60 feet from the stage to gridiron, giving accommodation for any spectacular performances played in the larger cities. The theatre is fully equipped with its own scenery of the latest patterns, including slide drop curtains, side scenes, flies, and other stage setting. The scenery was painted and manufactured by Armbruster & Company, or Columbus, Ohio. The stage has fourteen dressing rooms with all improvements and conveniences.”

To be continued…

 

Part 535: W. H. Clifton, Stage Carpenter for Sosman & Landis

In 1905 there were two articles about a Sosman & Landis stage carpenter in the “Weekly Journal-Miner” (Prescott, Arizona, 1 Feb. 1905, page 2). In February, W. H. Clifton finished installing the curtains and scenery at the Elks Opera House in Prescott, Arizona. It was a name that I had not encountered before and decided to do a little digging. By 1905, Clifton had worked at Sosman & Landis for fourteen years.

The earliest mention of Clifton working for Sosman & Landis was in 1889. That year the “Sterling Gazette” reported, “Mr. W. H. Clifton of Sosman & Landis, stage furnishers and scenic artists of Chicago, returned to Chicago this morning after completing his work in the Wallace Opera House. He has been engaged for the past two weeks in fitting up an entirely new outfit of scenes and stage appliances, and has done his work well. The Opera House now has, for its size, one of the best furnished stages in the state outside Chicago” (19 April 1889, page 3).

Thomas G. Moses grew up in Sterling, Illinois, before moving to Chicago where he became a scenic artist. In 1878 Moses returned to Sterling to paint scenery for various of venues. His incentive to return home was to marry his childhood sweetheart Ella Robbins. Moses continued to work as a scenic artist in Sterling after his marriage, painting an advertising drop and later some scenery for a “barn storming company.” Soon he was employed to both decorate Sterling’s Academy of Music and paint ten full sets of new scenery for the theater.  But there wasn’t enough work in Sterling to keep him there.

Moses returned to Sterling again in 1886 to repaint many of the Academy of Music scenes; this was the same year that his daughter, Lillian Ella Moses, was born. In 1886 Moses wrote that he was in Sterling “to repaint the work I did eight years ago. It didn’t look good and I soon made an improvement over the old stuff.” The Academy of Music was a 900-seat theater illuminated with gas and electricity. The proscenium measured 35 feet high by 30 feet wide. The depth of the stage was 40 feet from the footlights to the back wall. The height of the grooves was 16 feet. A decade later in 1896, Charles J. Kennedy was listed as the scenic artist for this venue in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide.

Harry Miner’s American Dramatic Directory for the season of 1884-1885 listed the Wallace Opera House as being a 1000-seat theater with a 21×23 stage, and “fair stock scenery.”

“The Sterling Gazette reported that same year, “The opening of the Wallace Opera House, tomorrow, promises to be one of the great theatrical events in the history of Sterling. The house has been thoroughly renovated and equipped with new and costly scenery, painted by Sosman & Landis, of Chicago, which is being put into place today, under the personal supervision of this celebrated firm of scenic artists. The attraction selected for the opening could not be better. The Gorman’s Spectacular Minstrels, is one of the leading recognized legitimate attractions on the road and that the opening will be a proud success there can be no doubt, as manager Lawrie has pledged the hearty support of our leading citizens. He has also received word from Prophetstown, Prairieville and Milledgeville that goodly crowds will come from those places. The Gorman’s have made it a feature to cater to the better classes, and this fact being so well known the wealth and culture of Sterling will be fully represented. The sale of seats has been very brisk and lovers of refined merriment of the very high order of excellence should procure seats as early as possible and avoid the rush which is sure to be at the door at night. This house will be opened to stay and the management and its support promise to furnish theatre-goers with nothing but the very best attractions” (The Sterling Daily Gazette, 3 April 1889, page 2).

To be continued…

Part 534: Thomas G. Moses and Marshall Field

Early-twentieth century scenic artists painted for a variety of venues, such as retail stores. What first brought Thomas G. Moses and Will Hamilton together to form Moses & Hamilton was the creation of Christmas decorations for a large New York department store. In 1905, Moses was still painting store displays.

Moses wrote “[I did] a lot of work for Marshall Field and Company, retail store-full decorations.”

The story of Marshall Field is quite interesting, especially in light of the BBC series about a once Marshal Field employee – Selfridge. In 1856, Marshall Field (1834-1906) moved to Chicago and worked at the dry goods firm of Cooley, Wadsworth & Company.  In 1860, the company’s bookkeeper Levi Z. Leiter (1834-1904), Field and John V. Farewell, Sr. (1825-1908) established Cooley, Farwell & Company. In 1864, the company was renamed Farwell, Field & Company.

The founder of P. Palmer & Co., a very successful dry goods store, was in very poor health and looking for a solution for his business. At the beginning of January 1865, Field and Leiter entered into partnership with Potter Palmer and his brother Milton Palmer, forming Field, Palmer, Leiter & Company. In 1867, the store was renamed Field, Leiter & Company, or “Field & Leiter.”

When news broke of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, the store’s employees at Field & Leiter worked tirelessly to remove much of the merchandise before fire overcame the structure. Six months later, Field & Leiter reopened in an unburned building at Madison and Market Streets. Two years later, during October 1873, Field & Leiter returned to State Street at Washington, and opened a new five-story store at their old location. They now leased space from the Singer Sewing Machine Company. This store was expanded in 1876, only to be destroyed by fire again in November 1877. The Singer Company built a new, and even larger, six-story building on the ruins of their old 1873 store. Field, Leiter & Company bought the structure and reclaimed their traditional location at the northeast corner of State and Washington by April 1879. By 1881, Field bought out the junior partners of the firm and renamed the company Marshall Field & Co. The firm was divided into a wholesale store and a retail store.  In 1887, Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858-1947) was appointed to lead the retail store as it evolved into a modern department store.

In 1892, the structures between the 1879 building on State Street and Wabash Avenue to the east were demolished; the architectural firm of D. H. Burnham & Co. was hired to design a new building in anticipation of the impending World Columbian Exposition. The Burnham associate, Charles B. Atwood, supervised the construction of the nine-story “Annex” at the northwest corner of Wabash and Washington Streets, that opened near the end of the World Fair. In 1897, the old 1879 store was rebuilt and had two additional floors added, while the first of Marshall Field’s iconic landmark Great Clocks was installed at the corner of State and Washington Streets.

In 1901, Marshall Field & Company was incorporated. Selfridge spurred on Marshall Field to raze the three buildings north of it, as well as the Cetral Music Hall at the southeast corner of State and Randolph Streets. The twelve-story building fronting State Street opened in 1902, and included a grand new entrance. A third new building was also under construction on Wabash Avenue, eventually to open in 1906. This was the project that Moses was working on. However, midway through the construction, Selfridge resigned and bought a rival store in 1904– Schlesinger & Mayer. However, he sold it only three months later to Otto Young, who leased it to Carson, Pirie Scott and Co. firm. After a brief retirement, Selfridge went on to open Selfridge’s of London.

On January 16, 1906, Marshal Field died in New York from pneumonia, a mere six weeks after the death of his son. A widower since 1896, Field, at the age of 70, had married fifty-year old Delia Spencer Caton. Caton was a widow and his neighbor for years. The couple had only been married four months at the time of his death.

On the day of Field’s funeral 900 stores and business offices in Chicago were closed. The artist, Luther D. Bradley, drew a tribute to Marshall Field after his death with the saying “There is an honest way to wealth.” It was published on January 19, 1906, in the Chicago Tribune.

To be continued…

 

 

 

 Part 533: George Cohan’s “45 Minutes from Broadway”

In 1905 Thomas G. Moses designed and created the models for George M. Cohan’s new show “45 Minutes from Broadway.”

Abraham Erlanger had just lured Fay Templeton away from Weber & Fields, convincing her to sign a contract with the Theatrical Syndicate. Erlanger approached Cohen to create a play for his new star.   This was to be a vehicle for Templeton that would possibly boost her career into stardom. Temple played the role Mary Jenkins for two seasons before leaving the stage to marry William J. Patterson, a Pittsburg Millionaire. “45 Minutes from Broadway” also starred “Kid” Burns as Victor Moore, Donald Brian as Tom Bennett, Julia Ralph as Mrs. David Dean, and James H. Manning as Daniel Krohman. Cohan created a show with only eight chorus girls, a new concept that concerned Erlanger in the beginning.

According to railroad timetables, New Rochelle, New York, is 45 minutes from Broadway. The plot began with Tom Bennett’s arrival to New Rochelle after the death of his millionaire Uncle Castleton, who presumably did not leave a will. Bennett’s wisecracking secretary, “Kid” Burns, accompanies him to New Rochelle, “Kid” is a retired prize-fighter. Bennett’s fiancée, Floradora Dean, follows him to New Rochelle with her mother, Mrs. David Dean.

“Kid” Burns discovers that Bennett’s uncle left all of his possessions to Mary Jenkins, the favorite servant of the millionaire. Jenkins, engaged to be married to Dan Cornin, is the most popular servant girl in New Rochelle. Cornin is a promoter of bucket shops; his business thrives in the first two acts. By the way, in a bucket shop “trades” were carried out instantly according to the prices listed on the board; the prices came from Wall Street by telephone or tickertape.

A scandal arises at the announcement of Jenkins and Cornin’s engagement; the girl is accused of being in league with Cornin, who it is soon discovered, has robbed the girl’s employer by selling him bogus shares in the Montana Copper Mine.

This information is only discovered at the death of Cornelious Castleton, for whom Mary has been working for thirteen years. Upon the arrival of the heir, Thomas Bennett, Jenkins is asked to leave town. She is upheld, however, by the citizens and asked to stay until proven innocent. The arrival upon the scene of young Bennett’s fiancée starts another scandal. Bennett’s fiancée is retiring from a musical comedy chorus to become the wife of the millionaire. It is only through the diplomacy of Mary Jenkins that the actress is accepted by the so-called New Rochelle society. Through methods that he employs, he accidentally discovers that Mrs. Dean is an old friend of Cornin. Finally he drives the woman and her daughter back to Broadway. He asks Mary to marry him, and having spent 24 hours in New Rochelle, starts back to New York, declaring that “the little town is 45 Minutes from Broadway isn’t any more civilized than Providence, R.I.”

“Kid” Burns goes to his employer and implores him not to marry the actress, whom he knows is one of the mercenary maidens. Meanwhile, Mrs. Dean plots to have both Jenkins and Burns discharges from Bennett’s employ. Enter, Daniel Krohman, the unscrupulous stock broker and con man who swindled the millionaire uncle with phony mine stocks. Krohman also knows Mrs. Dean and threatens to reveal her true identity unless she divulges the combination to Bennett’s safe. Although she concedes, Krohman is caught red-handed with attempting to steal back the phony bonds in New York. As the police close in, Mrs. Dean and Floradora flee to the city. Burns confesses to Jenkins that he is in love with her, but is unable to marry such a wealthy woman, handing her the millionaire’s will to which she is the recipient. Determined to make her own fate and happiness, she rips up the will.

The show went on to become the largest grossing musical since the “Black Crook” in 1866. During the show’s first eight weeks, it grossed $104,851.50 (The Scranton Republican, 24 Dec. 1905, page 6). Side note: For the “Black Crook,” it was Moses’ colleague and friend, David Austin Strong who was one of the original scenic artists for the 1866 “Black Crook” at Niblo’s Garden. In 1905 Moses and Strong were still working together at Sosman & Landis’ studio. Both the “Black Crook” and “45 Minutes from Broadway” had spectacular scenic effects. For the third act in “45 Minutes from Broadway,” Moses designed a life-size replica of a train car pulling out of the station.

After an exceptional run in Chicago during the fall of 1905 at the Colonial Theatre, the production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on January 1906 where it played a limited 90 performances before returning to Chicago for several months. Ad’s in Chicago included, “Yes, sweetheart, I’ve seen it a dozen times and, like old wine, it gets better as it lives on” (Chicago Tribune 19, November 1905, page 70. By November 5, 1906, “45 Minutes from Broadway” returned to Broadway at the New York Theater on November 5, 1906 for another 32 performances.

To be continued…