'As Cold as a Barn': The Olympia Theater Fight That Spilled Into Print

The Standard says THE TRIBUNE “kicks without reason” at some of the plays that have been presented at the Olympia theater as first-class shows. THE TRIBUNE has given the views of theater-goers in this city on that subject. They do not care to have their names mentioned for obvious reasons—one of which is, that the proprietor of the theater is the owner and editor of a weekly newspaper. There have been many first-class plays presented at the Olympia theater and no adverse criticisms have appeared thereon in these columns, nor have the people “kicked” about them. There have also been some vile attractions, and the proprietor of the theater has probably been fooled as well as the people. To attempt to say that people do not know when the best attractions arrive here, after they have been advertised a week in the daily and weekly newspapers, is to insult the intelligence of the residents of Olympia, and the statement of the Standard that THE TRIBUNE has a stereotyped complaint that the Olympia theater is as cold as a barn is a falsehood pure and simple. THE TRIBUNE charged that such was the case on two occasions, which fact can easily be substantiated by several hundred people. It said nothing of complaints which it knew the members of several companies have made—including the Kate Castleton company—of the cold and cheerless condition of the dressing rooms of the theater. THE TRIBUNE is very well aware that Mr. Murphy has had but little experience in the business of managing a theater and is probably doing the best he can, but it is no excuse that because a poor show appeared at the Marquam Grand it should be shoved on to the people here as a first-class attraction. The flings of the Standard about “dead-heads” and people who pay nothing do not affect THE TRIBUNE as every ticket it uses is paid for in advertising the attractions. THE TRIBUNE will continue to do what it can toward helping along a first-class theater, which should be conducted in a first-class manner, but it seriously objects to the Standard’s statement that this is a third-rate city so far as good theatrical entertainments are concerned. It does not believe the fault lies with the people. A word more. It was not “a straw man” that complained of the cold in the theater. It was a well-known lady theater-goer of flesh and blood that paid one dollar for a seat. A straw man could have stood it, at the mercury 30 degrees below zero and never “kicked.”