History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 20

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 20

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The Santa Clara Index was established in 1869 by a syndicate of printers. It lived for a few years and was followed by the Santa Clara News which had as publishers C. A. Gage, F. E. Ellis, Mason & Widney, and H. R. Roth. In 1920 Roth sold a half interest to Lawrence Lockney.

The Santa Clara Journal was established by N. H. Downing in 1889. He died in Decem- ber, 1904, and the paper has since been pub- lished by his daughter under the firm name of B. & B. Downing.

The Mayfield News is published by W. F. Nichols. It came into existence several years after the removal of the Enterprise.

The Campbell Press is published by Harry Smith. It was started by E. C. Hurlbert in 1895.

The Morgan Hill Times was established in 1898 by G. K. Estes. He sold to H. V. Pillow in 1918.

The Saratoga Star is a recent publication. L. C. Dick is the proprietor.

The Sunnyvale Standard was established in 1903. W. K. Roberts is the publisher.

The Palo Alto Times is published by G. F. Morell & Co. It has been in existence for twenty-eight years, having been started by W. H. Simpkins.

The Pacific Poultry Breeder was established in San Jose in 1885 by Chas. R. Harker. With one exception it is the only paper of its kind published in the United States.

Ray W. Harden started the Suburban Citi- zen in 1914. In 1922 it was changed to pocket size. It has won success by appealing to the between town and rural reader.

CHAPTER IX.

Early Days of the Drama in San Jose-The First Theater-Stark's Disgust- Other Theaters and Interesting Reminiscences of Actors, Professional and Amateur-A Few of the Old-Time Minstrels.

Those who are left of the pioneers of San Jose, the sturdy, adventurous men and women who planted the stakes for the advanced civili- zation of today, look back with pride and pleasure to the early days of the drama in San Jose. They recall the professional work of actors and actresses of world-wide fame, whose performances, if given nowadays would awak- en the highest interest, and they linger long and lovingly over favorite names and plays, peerless productions and delightful dramatic incidents. Those were the days of stock com- panies, in which the actor to win a high place in the profession had to study and strive years upon years and to appear in such a round of characters as to establish a perfect claim to dramatic versatility and merit. In the mimic world of that day lived and flourished Junius Brutus Booth, Edwin Forrest, Charlotte Cush- man, Edwin Booth, Julia Dean Hayne, E. L. Davenport, James E. Murdock and James Stark.

To James Stark is due the credit of estab- lishing the first theater in San Jose. The year was 1859 and he was then in the height of his fame, having but recently returned, with his wife, from a highly successful engagement in Australia. Of all the tragedians who came after him, but one bore any resemblance to him in style, appearance and ability and that one was John McCullough. It must in justice be said, however, that Stark had the finer intelli- gence, and that in the parts calling for deep, dramatic insight and the interpretation of the subtler shades of human emotion, he excelled the genial Mccullough, whose forte was not exactly in the line of the purely intellectual, but in the delineation of the heroic and the muscular. Endowed with a splendid physique, an imposing carriage, a deep, resonant, finely modulated voice and true conception of drama- tic requirements, added to a rare, personal magnetism, Stark compelled attention and won the most enthusiastic plaudits for his perform- ances. In the summer of 1859 he purchased a lot on First Street, opposite the site of the present Victory Theater and upon it erected San Jose's first place of dramatic amusement. The building, which was of wood, had an ex- cellent stage and all the appliances of the regu- lation theaters of those days. The grand open- ing took place on the tenth of October and the

bill was Richelieu with Stark as the "Cardinal Duke" and Mrs. Stark as "Julie de Mortimar." The price of admission to all the plays was one dollar, both for dress circle and parquet. Each program printed by the late C. L. Yates, con- tained the announcement, "Children in arms not admitted."

Mrs. Stark was a star, as well as her hus- band. Her first husband was J. H. Kirby, the tragedian, who died in San Francisco after playing an engagement at Maguire's Opera House. His great specialty was Richard III, and so powerful was his acting in the death scene that it became the delight of the gallery and perpetuated the well-known request, "Wake me up when Kirby dies."

Belle Devine, the ingenue of Stark's com- pany was a great favorite and during her stay in San Jose she was the idol of the male younger set. After her season at Stark's Thea- ter she married George Pauncefote, an English actor, who in 1866 engineered a remarkable polyglot entertainment at the American Thea- ter in San Francisco. The play was Othello. The title role was enacted by Pauncefote in English, "Iago" was given in French, "Cassio" in Danish and "Roderigo" in Spanish. The audience was large but the play only ran one night. Afterward Pauncefote went to China and never returned.

Two very popular members of Stark's com- pany were Harry Brown, who did the juveniles and walking gents ; and Nellie Brown, his wife, who was the soubrette. Brown afterward joined the stock company at Maguire's Opera House, San Francisco, and some years after the death of his wife married Mrs. Harry Jack- son, an English actress of high reputation, whose "Lady Macbeth" was considered one of the finest assumptions in the history of the American stage.

In building the theater Stark was financially assisted by the late James R. Lowe, Sr. The obligation was satisfied out of the proceeds of the first 'five weeks' performances. During these five weeks, though San Jose then had less than 5,000 population, the houses were large and the interest intense. The same patrons would attend the theater night after night, so strong and well balanced was the company, so meritorious the plays and so at- tractive the personality of Stark and his tal-

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ented wife. The leading man of the combina- tion was Walter Bray, who, when his engage- ment ended, forsook the sock and buskin to bask in the smiles of Momus. A few years later he was known as one of the brightest and most successful Ethiopean comedians on the Coast. For a time he was associated with Joe Murphy, then more appreciated as a bone player than a negro minstrel.

At the conclusion of the five weeks' season, Stark took his company to Sacramento where the San Jose success was repeated. Then came what old San Franciscans will always re- member-the phenomenal engagement at Ma- guire's Opera House in which Stark appearing in his round of Shakespearean characters, was hailed as one of the few great interpreters of "Hamlet," "Othello," "Macbeth," "Brutus," "Richard III" and "King Lear."

Fresh from his metropolitan triumphs Stark returned to San Jose and for three weeks crowded the benches of the theater, easily re- peating the success of his opening season. Now it was that he determined to make the Garden City his permanent place of residence, for from the substantial patronage bestowed upon him in the past he had acquired the faith to believe that the future was filled with golden promises. He purchased the property bounded by Second, Julian and Fourth Streets and the line of the proposed Western Pacific railway and upon it erected a handsome dwell- ing. Subsequently he went to Virginia City, Nev., to open a theater there and made con- siderable money. Seats for the first night sold as high as $500 each and the late Senator Wil- liam Sharon was credited with having paid $500 a night for a set of seats for his friends for the entire engagement.

Again returning to San Jose Stark began his last series of performances in the theater upon which he had builded so many glowing hopes. He had advertised a three weeks' sea- son, but owing to the scarcity of money which prevailed at that time, the attendance dimin- ished so that the three weeks were shortened to two. On the night of the closing perform- ance there was a "beggarly array of empty benches." Then the distinguished tragedian came forth in his wrath and made a speech to the audience in which he reproached the citi- zens of San Jose for their lack of appreciation of his efforts, closing with the announcement that he should never appear in that theater or in San Jose again. He was as good as his word. He sold his theater property to Judge William T. Wallace and his fine residence property to Hon. S. O. Houghton.

Shortly before this there had been differ- ences between Stark and his wife, which after a time culminated in a divorce. Mrs. Stark re-

mained single for a few years and then mar- ried Dr. Gray, of New York, who possessed a handsome fortune which became hers when he died. Her last husband was Charles R. Thorne, Sr., a veteran actor and manager and father of Charles R. Thorne, Jr., and Edwin Thorne, the actors.

Misfortune overtook Stark in his later years. For a time he played with Edwin Booth, but after a stroke of paralysis, was forced to aban- don the stage. His fortune was exhausted in endeavoring to obtain relief and when in dire pecuniary extremity he was remembered by his wife of former days, who sent him a large sum of money. He died in the East about forty years ago. Mrs. Thorne passed away in San Francisco in 1898.

Samuel W. Piercy, who died of small-pox in Boston in 1882, after having reached the top of his profession as an actor, made his first ap- pearance on any stage in Stark's Theater in 1865. The theater was also the scene of the debut of John W. Dunne, who became a popu- lar actor and manager and is now a resident of New York City.

After Stark's departure the theater, with name changed to the San Jose Theater, was turned over to traveling companies whose en- gagements were few and far between. The last performances given within its walls were on the 15th and 16th of March, 1867, by Robert Fulford's San Francisco Dramatic Company. The plays were Michael Erle, Don Caesar de Bazan and The Lady of Lyons. In Michael Erle the principal characters were taken by Fulford, Harry Colton, W. M. Martial, E. T. Sawyer, Miss Teresa Berrie and Belle De Nure. In April, 1867, the theater was con- verted into a carriage factory and leased to Hunt & Add. Alterations for other classes of business were made as the years rolled on. The building still stands, but there is nothing in its appearance to convey the faintest sug- gestion that it once covered the appurtenances of a theater.

From 1867 to 1870 San Jose theater-goers had to content themselves with the meager and unsatisfactory accommodations of Armory Hall on Santa Clara Street, near Third. Rob- ert Fulford did play "Hamlet" there on an im- provised stage with a few rickety wings con- stituting the entire set of scenery and the ghost arrayed in a horse blanket besprinkled with small squares of tin to represent a coat of mail. When "Hamlet," stepped on the end of a floor board which had not been nailed down, causing the other end to strike the "King of Denmark" and knock him against the wing, there was a quick collapse of the whole stage furniture and an inglorious termination of the performance.

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In 1870 Gustav Brohaska, the proprietor of Armory Hall, converted the place into a first- class theater and named it the San Jose Opera House. The opening night was August 18, and London Assurance was given in superb style by the John T. Raymond Dramatic Com- pany. Raymond, than whom a neater low comedian never tickled the risibilities of an American audience, was "Mark Meddle" and his wife, handsome and popular Marie Gordon, was "Lady Gay Spanker." Then followed a sea- son of prosperity, of fine actors and good plays. At this house appeared such popular favorites as John McCullough, Barton Hill, James O'Neill, Robson & Crane, "Billy" Flor- ence, Thomas W. Keene, Lawrence Barrett, James Carden, James A. Herne, Harry Cour- taine, Joseph Proctor, Joe Murphy, Sue Robin- son, Jennie and Alicia Mandeville, Fay Tem- pleton, Ellie Wilton, Mrs. Sophie Edwin, Mrs. Judah, Annie Louise Cary, Clara Louise Kel- logg and Caroline Richings. Proctor's connec- tion lasted several years as he was then man- aging a circuit of theaters. He was the crea- tor of that wonderful character in melodrama, "The Jibbenainosay," for many years the piece de resistance of the Bowery.

H. A. De Lacy was the lessee of the theater in 1874 and one of his first attractions was Fay Templeton, the charming vocalist and child actress. James A. Herne, whose "Shore Acres," netted him a fortune, was a member of the company. One of his great parts was "Rip Van Winkle," declared by David Belasco to be superior to the "Rip" of Joseph Jefferson.

It was at this theater that Eleanor Calhoun, afterward a popular London actress and at present writing the wife of Prince Lazarovich of Serbia, made her first appearance on any stage in E. T. Sawyer's military drama, "Loyal Hearts." The cast was a local one, John T. Malone and H. A. De Lacy sustaining the leading male roles. Malone, who was dep- uty district attorney at the time, afterwards adopted the stage as a profession, became an eastern star and died while officiating as sec- retary of the Players' Club, founded by Edwin Booth, in New York City.

On the morning of July 5, 1881, the Opera House was burned to the ground. But San Jose was not left without a place of amuse- ment, for the California Theater on Second Street near San Fernando, had been running for several years.

The California Theater was erected by Hayes & Downer in 1878-79 and was formally opened on May 12th, 1879, by a company of amateurs. The play was "Evadne" and the performers were J. J. Owen, editor of the Mercury ; J. H. Campbell, for many years dean of the law department of the Santa Clara Uni-

versity ; Charles F. Macy, who died in Chel- sea, Mass., in 1898; Prof. J. G. Kennedy, city school superintendent, now with the dead; Charles M. Shortridge, lawyer, newspaper publisher and state senator, who passed away in 1919, and Miss Mattie Patton, who after- ward became the wife of J. J. Owen. She died a few years ago. For the occasion a poem written by the late S. W. De Lacy, then pro- prietor of the Times, was appropriately re- cited by Mrs. Ida Benfey, the elocutionist.

During the few years of its existence, the California was managed most of the time by the late Chas. J. Martin, who served as mayor of the city for three terms. He made many notable engagements. It was at this house that the famous production of "The Rivals," with Joseph Jefferson and Mrs. John Drew in the cast, was given. Edwin Booth, W. E. Sheridan, Laurence Barrett, Thomas W. Keene, Louis James, Frederic Warde, W. H. Crane, Stuart Robson, John E. Owens, E. S. Willard, Joseph G. Grismer, Nat Goodwin, Louise Davenport, Minnie Maddern (who later became Mrs. Fiske), Ada Cavendish and others appeared.

Like the Opera House the California The- ater went up in smoke on the night of July 2, 1892. In the same fire the buildings on the block half way to Santa Clara, together with the South Methodist Church and other build- ings across the street were burned.

Two months after the destruction of the California Theater the Auditorium was doing business under the management of Walter Morosco, of the San Francisco Grand Opera House. The building had formerly been known as Horticultural Hall, but was without a proper stage or theatrical, appointments. Some of these necessities were furnished when Morosco took charge, others by Chas. P. Hall when he came in as Morosco's successor.

Other lessees of the Auditorium with its later name, the Garden City Theater, were Webster & Ross, Frank Bacon and a vaude- ville combination. During its few years of existence there appeared such attractions as Thomas W. Keene, Ward and James, Robert Downing, John W. Dunne and Mary Marble, Richard Mansfield, Nat Goodwin, Mme. Mod- jeska, James A. Herne; De Wolf Hopper, John. Drew, Henry Miller, The Bostonians, Herbert Kelsey, Robert Mantell, Maxine El- liott, Mrs. Leslie Carter and Fannie Daven- port. Fire destroyed the building in 1918.

The Victory Theater, erected by Senator James D. Phelan, was opened to the public on the evening of February 2, 1899. An audience that filled every seat applauded to the echo the fine acting of the performers in "The School for Scandal," the play selected for the occa-

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sion. Louis James, Frederick Warde, Harry Langdon and Kathryn Kidder had the princi- pal parts, and the performance as a whole was a clean-cut exhibition of high dramatic art. Charles P. Hall was the first lessee. He was succeeded by F. A. Giesea, who was in charge until 1918 when M. B. Haas came in as lessee.

During the past twenty-two years the Vic- tory has presented the cream of the eastern dramatic attractions booked for the Pacific Coast. Among them may be named Maude Adams, Billie Burke, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Mar- garet Anglin, E. A. Sothern, William Faver- sham, Otis Skinner, Forbes Robertson, J. E. Kellerd, Robert Mantell, David Warfield, Sa- rah Bernhardt, Anna Held, Geo. M. Cohan, Walker Whiteside, Ethel Barrymore, Hilda Spong, Henry Miller, Julia Marlowe, Louis James, W. H. Crane, Nat Goodwin, Blanch Walsh, Blanche Bates, Annie Russell, W. H. Thompson and several opera companies.

The Hippodrome, located on South First Street, near the corner of San Carlos, was erected by the Southern Development Com- pany in 1919 and was leased to Marcus Loew, a circuit manager. He is represented in San Jose by Ackerman & Harris; B. B. Levin is the local manager. The theater has been used mainly for vaudeville and motion pic- tures.

The T. & D. Theater, a motion picture house, on South First Street, near San An- tonio, was built by the Southern Development Company in 1913. The lessees are Turner & Dahnken and the local manager, A. M. Miller.

The Lyric Theater, a small amusement house for motion pictures, located on North Second Street, opposite the Evening News of- fice, has as lessee Geo. S. Jones. Louis Lieber is the owner of the building.

The Jose Theater on North Second Street, between Santa Clara and San Fernando Streets, was built in 1904 by David Jacks, of Monterey County. It was first leased by No- lan & Blum. After a few years Nolan retired and Blum was the lessee until his death in 1920. James Beatty is now in charge.

The Liberty (motion picture) Theater is located on Market Street, between San Fer- nando and Post, was built in 1914 by James Beatty, the present proprietor.

The first amateur dramatic company in San Jose was organized in the fall of 1865 with the following members: Charles De Lacy, Sam- uel W. Piercy, J. A. Leach, Charles A. Cleal, Thomas L. Cleal, John E. Pillot, Edgar M. Foster. J. F. McMahon, W. D. J. Hambly, W. W. Thomas and E. T. Sawyer, Misses Mary Yontz, Jessie Gavitt, Ellen and Clara Skinner. In 1866, A. P. Murgotten, Amherst J. Hoyt, John W. Dunne, E. M. Skinner, J. W.

Johnson and A. L. Hart joined the company, several of the 1865 members having removed from the city. In the years up to the early '80s, the members included H. A. De Lacy, F. E. York, A. S. York, Charles M. Shortridge, Frank Bacon, A. W. White, Eugene Rosen- thal, Chas. W. Williams, S. W. De Lacy, W. H. Sarles, W. G. Lorigan, H. C. Hansbrough, John T. Malone, Beatrice Lawrey, Mary Westphal, Louis Lieber, Geo. W. Alexander, Chas. E. Howes, Geo. C. Knapp, George Com- stock, James Carson, Henry Beach, Jennie Weidman, Eleanor Calhoun, Virginia Cal- houn, Holton Webb, A. Majors Jr., W. G. Miller, Harry Botsford. Guy Salisbury, Chas. WV. Oliver, Clyde Frost, F. G. Hartman and others whose names the historian does not re- call. Many of the members afterwards achieved eminence on the professional stage. Sam W. Piercy was one of the foremost actors in America when death called him in 1882. He came to California in the early '50s and the family home for many years was on Julian Street near Sixth. He was a student at the San Jose Institute when he joined the dra- matic club. In the fall of 1866 he left San Jose to enter upon the study of law in San Francisco. In 1870 he was invited to read the Declaration of Independence at the Fourth of July celebration. He acquitted himself so well that Col. W. H. L. Barnes, a personal friend, advised him to give up law for acting. The advice was followed and in November of that year he made his debut on the professional stage as "Iago" to the "Othello" of John Mc- Cullough. It was a complete success and Mc- Cullough said he had never witnessed a more satisfactory first appearance. After a tour of the state with Frank Wilton's barn-storming company, he played with Joe Murphy and other stars for a time and then he left for the East. For three years he developed his art by playing with such stars as Clara Morris, John Mccullough and Charlotte Thompson. In 1876 he sailed for London to play the leading part in The Virginians. The press notices were so laudatory and his reputation was so enhanced that on his return to New York he was at once engaged as leading man at the Grand Opera House. The next year he joined Edwin Booth's company and was with that great actor until the manager of Niblo's Gar- den offered him the position of stock star in the company playing regularly at that popular place of amusement. His best parts during the engagement were "Lagadere" in "The Duke's Motto," "Badger" in "The Streets of New York" and "Claude Melnotte" in the "Lady of Lyons." There followed an offer from San Francisco to come and play the lead- ing part in "Diplomacy." The offer was ac-

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cepted and a prosperous season was the result. In 1878 Piercy opened the San Jose Opera House, as enlarged and improved, presenting "Diplomacy." "Craiga Dhiol" and "Othello." In the last named play he appeared as "Iago" to the "Othello" of John T. Malone, a rising San Jose actor. In 1881 he rejoined Edwin Booth's company and the engagement was still on when he was stricken with small pox and died. Just before his illness J. H. Haver- ly, the well-known manager, was negotiating for his appearance as a star. In 1879 Piercy married the daughter of William Dunphy, the cattle king. She died in Philadelphia in 1881, leaving one daughter, who is now a resident of San Francisco.

Eleanor Calhoun was a Normal School stu- dent in San Jose when she resolved to make the stage her profession. This was in the late '70s. She was pretty and graceful, had a charming manner and an unconquerable am- bition to succeed in life. Her father, a nephew of John C. Calhoun, the South Carolina ora- tor and statesman, was a justice of the peace in Fresno County and her mother had removed to San Jose for the purpose of giving her daughters an education in the educational cen- ter of the state. Nellie (she did not call her- self Eleanor until after her departure from California) displayed remarkable dramatic talent at the Normal School and after leaving there gave elocutionary recitals in a tour of the coast counties. After this experience she entered the dramatic school of Mrs. Julia Mel- ville Snyder, mother of Emilie Melville, the popular actress and vocalist of the '70s and '80s. It was while she was studying for the stage that she was induced to come to San Jose and play the leading female role in E. T. Sawyer's military play, "Loyal Hearts." She gladly consented and made her first appear- ance on any stage at the San Jose Opera House in February, 1880. Hugh A. De Lacy, John T. Malone, Louis Lieber, the sign paint- er, and Miss Mary Westphal (now Mrs. Judge Richards) were in the cast. At the conclusion of the week's engagement she was tendered a benefit, as her exceptionally fine acting had made her a public favorite. The house was packed to the doors and the young actress in the glow of her success returned to San Francisco and arranged to appear at the Cali- fornia Theater, then under the management of John McCullough. She made her debut on the professional stage as "Juliet" to the "Romeo" of John T. Malone. The critics praised her acting and the engagement was continued until she had exhausted her small repertoire. Soon after the engagement she left for the East and for a year played leading parts in a stock company which gave per-

formances in middle eastern and southern cities. London next called her and it was not long before she had worked herself into a leading position in one of the high class thea- ters. Under the auspices of Lady Archibald Campbell she played "Rosalind" in "As You Like It" in an al fresco production, to the warm approbation of the large audience as- sembled. She was next heard of in Paris, where she studied French, attaining such a mastery over the language as to give her con- fidence to appear before the Paris footlights in a French play with the great Coquelin as leading support. About a dozen years ago she was married to Prince Lazarovich, a claimant to the throne of Serbia. After her marriage she made several visits to San Jose. A few years ago her London and Paris reminiscences were published in The Century. Written in a chatty style and directed mainly to a recital of her social triumphs and of meetings with the notables of the day, including Alfred Ten- nyson and James Russell Lowell, they made interesting reading. One of her sisters (Jes- sica) is married and lives in Los Angeles. An- other sister, Virginia, was a teacher in the Hester school on the Alameda, until she de- cided to follow in the footsteps of Eleanor and become an actress. Her first appearance on any stage was, like her sister's, in "Loyal Hearts." The performance was given at the California theater on Second Street in 1882. In the cast were Frank Bacon, Jennie Weid- man (afterward Mrs. Bacon), Louis Lieber, Geo. W. Alexander and other local lights.

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History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 20

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846- Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1928

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928