THE MOST TRAVELLED MAN AGER IN THE WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8676, 19 September 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MOST TRAVELLED MAN AGER IN THE WORLD.

[BY T. P. O'CONNOR, 51.p.] Last Sunday I was bidden by the wife of my friend, Max O'Rell to her last reception before going abroad. My attention, in the largo and distinguished company, was very soon attracted by a dapper little man, who seemed, under his quiet exterior, to be a bundle of electrical muscles and nerves. I asked who he was, and was told that it was R. S. Smythe—the great Smythe, the -travelled Smythe, " tho Moltke of managers," as Archibald Forbes delights to call him. I asked the veteran manager to come down to the Sun office, and let the readers of that journal have some idea of the romantic, nomadic, and picturesque life lie has led. Mr. Smythe, who is an old journalist himself, and knows all the arts and ways of the profession, promptly responded to my request, and seating himself in the electric chair, submitted himself to tho electrocutionary process of the interviewer.

" I was born in London," said Mr. Smythe. "No, I would sootier not say when; but you may guess that it was some time_ ago, because I went out to Australia in 1555, : and remained on the press until ISG2j and was the editor of the first illustrated paper published in that part of the world. Up till that time we had a curious system at the Antipodes. A sheet of letter-paper was filled on one side with printed news and a picture of some colonial scene or event, the other sheet being left blank for the correspondent to write to his friends upon. In this way people at home gob some litlle instruction as to our doings abroad. The proprietor of the Illustrated Post developed the idea, and started the paper which I edited." '' What induced you to give up journalism for your present work ?" "I had an impression that the taking over of the Government of India by the Queen, and the opening of the treaty ports in China and Japan, would make the FatEast a splendid field for exploiting good talent. 1 took my first company from Sydney to Shanghai, bub the cholera was raging when we arrived. People were dying at the rate of several hundreds a day, and the members of my company were almost frightened to death. By the advice of Mr. Henry Dent, a rich young merchant, I determined to go to Japan, and we took ship for Nagasaki. In crossing from Shanghai we were caught in the typhoon on the brink of which the action of Kagosima was fought by the allied fleet, "'lien both captain and commander of the admiral's ship (the Euryalus) were killed by ho same cannon shot. Admiral Kuyper was also on the bridge, but happened at the moment to be stooping, speaking to ati officer on deck. Owing to the terrible weather, the passage took thirteen days instead of two, and everything on board was eaten and drunk. There being, of course, no public hall, the concerts were given in the drawing-room of Mr. Loureiro, tho Portuguese Consul, who also provided wines and refreshments for the visitors, and the Russian admiral allowed his band to play in the gardens of the bungalow. As there was no newspaper or printing office, 1 set up the programmes myself, one of the merchants having a fount of type. We charged five dollars admission, equal to about a guinea of English money." " How many did your company consist of?"

"A magician (who subsequently became the famous Dr. Lynn, of the Egyptian Hall), a soprano vocalist, and a Scotch pianist named Chisholm, who afterwards took Chang the giant from China to England, and got him presented to the Princess of Wales."

"Did you travel much in Japan ?" "Leaving Dr. Lynn behind, for I found that music and magic did not form a happy combination, wo went from Nagasaki to Yokohama, where the , allied squadron was lying, and thence we returned to Shanghai, the unhealthy season being over. Then we went to Foochow, then, as now, the great English and American missionary station. The concerts were given in the drawingroom and on the wide verandah of the house of Dr. Beaumont, who had a grand piano, and acted as accompanist." " Well, and where did you go next "To Hong Kong, where we met Agostino Robbio, a pup'l of Paganini. Then we went to Singapore, and played in the Town Hall, afterwards visiting Penang, and from there we sailed for Ceylon, giving our first concert at Colombo in the Executive Council Chamber. I had only one vocalist, the remainder of the programme consisting of solos by a local pianiste and performances by the band of the 25th Regiment, the King's Own Borderers. From Colombo we drove to Kandy, and as far as Neweraellia. Here I strengthened my company by the addition of M. Horace Poussard, an excellent violinist, and a contralto vocalist, who had arrived together from Australia. From Ceylon we sailed for Bombay, and played in the Durbarroom of the Town Hall, the conductor of Cagli'? Opera Company acting as pianist. Then we travelled through Scinde and the l'unjaub, going as far as Peshawur, and calling at the principal Himalayan stations on cur way to Calcutta. We afterwards went to Madras, and brought our long Indian tour to a close at Pondicherry, the capital of the French Indies, where M. Poussard was naturally received with great enthusiasm."

" Where did you go after you left India ?" "To Mauritius. When wo arrived at Port Louis, '■.lie capital, fever was decimating the inhabitants. Everybody in the streets was in mourning. One day more than 400 died, and the scourge seriously affected the attendance at our concerts. We went in a sailing vessel to the Cape of Good Hope. Before leaving Capetown my company gavo more than forty concerts. This, too, was the first company that ever crossed the Orange River. Very high prices were charged in the Orange Free Stato, but the paper currency was at 33 per cent, discount. Metal money was very scarce. I have met people who had never even seen any. The small change of tho Republic consisted of bits of paper called good fors," which tho residents either wrote themselves or had printed. Cape Colony was at this time a charming place to live in. Before the opening of the Suez Canal ib was a favourite place for Indian officers to go when on furlough, and sometimes their children married and settled there, forming a very pleasant element in Cape society, It was during my stay in South Africa with this company that gold and diamonds were first discovered."

" Soon after, I believe, you visited England ?" " Yes, I went to England in ISGS with M. Poussard, who gave a concerb at St. Helena on the way. After stopping about six months in England 1 returned bo Australia with Daniel Bandmann, the AngloGerman tragedian, and his amiable wife, Millicent Palmer. After that I went to New Zealand for the first time with Robert Heller, magician and musician, ( and travelled with him and various companies until 1872, when I was appointed director of the concerts given at the Exhibition held in Melbourne in connection with the Vienna International Exposition. They were the only Exhibition concerts that I ever knew to yield a handsome surplus. Amongst) the vocalists I retained was the Tasmanian soprano, Amy Sherwin, who is now well known in this country; and it was' through offering her an engagement for these concerts that I first met the English contralto, Mary Ellen Christian, who continued for many years to be a highly-esteemed member of my concert companies. Shortly after Madame Arabella Goddard, the celebrated English pianist, arrived in Melbourne, and I was asked, after the opening concert, which was nob a financial success, to manage her Australian tour. I did, and she attracted crowded audiences. At the conclusion of her season I agreed to arrange a lecturing tour for the Rev. Charles Clark, with whom I travelled in the Australian colonies, the United States, Canada, and the Cape Colony for nearly five years." <•■■...• By this time you must have found public lectures a profitable business ?" "Yes; lectures by eminent men form a fashionable and popular entertainment in British colonies. Being again in England (this was in 18S0), I arranged with Mr. R. A, Proctor, the astronomer, to make a,

lecturing tour. Not knowing how scientific lectures would be, received, I declined to give .Mr. Proctor any guarantee, or even to pay his passage to Melbourne, but in seven months £5400 clear of all expenses was netted. This : success induced me to arrange with Mr. Archibald; Forbes, the war correspondent, for a long tour, which was exceedingly successful, and he was followed by Mr. George Augustus Sala. Mr. Sala's tour at first was not under my management, but ultimately it was deemed advisable to secure my services, and the financial result of the tour made by the famous litterateur through New Zealand and Tasmania was highly gratifying." " Who was your next star ?" " Madame Lydia Von Finkelstein. Of Russian parentage on both sides, this lady was a native of Jerusalem, and her lectures | were about life in the Holy Land, illustrative of Scripture history. The lecturess and her assistants were dressed in Oriental I costumes, and she drew immense audiences. At her matinees especially many hundreds of peoplo were unable to obtain i admission. About this time I engaged ; Mr. Best, organist of St. George's Hall, I Liverpool, for a. series of recitals in Melbourne and Sydney; and I managed the farewell concert) in Australia of that excellent pianist and charming woman, Madame Madeline Schiller, who appears to be held in as high regard in London as she was by the best people in Melbourne." " Wasn't it about that time that Mr. I Charles Santley visited Australia ?" " Yes. I was unable to come to terms with his advance agent, and the famous vocalist fellinto other hands. Troubles arose, leading to unpleasant law proceedings, and I was induced to take the management. In Melbourne, South Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania Mr. Santley made a brilliant tour, and ho still speaks in the highest terms of me as a manager, and of my son, Mr. Carlyle Greenwood Smythe, who now assists me in my various enterprises. For the Santley concerts in the Melbourne Town Hall I brought out Madame Marian Burton, the favourite contralto of the Carl Rosa Opera Company. At the close of Mr. Santley's tour, the Rev. Charles Clark (who on some occasions appeared with tho splendid baritone), after an absence of twelve years, returned to Australia, and, as his success was assured, I came to England to look for new talent." " And whom have you engaged ?" "I have made arrangements with Mr. H. M. Stanley, the most remarkable man that ever stood on the lecture platform, and with Max O'Rell, the amusing delineator of the national characteristics of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and America. During , the last month I have also succeeded, after much trouble, in effecting an engagement with the marvellous Pole, Ignatius Paderewski, the greatest pianist of the century, who leaves for Australia in June, 1892, and will visit all the colonies. Before leaving England I hope to arrange with Mr. Clifford Harrison, the best reciter I have ever heard; but I should nob be ready for him before 1893, for it is most difficult to secure a good agent, and I never engage in a new venture unless either I or my son is free to personally direct it." " Now, Mr. Smythe, let us sum up." " Well," said Mr. Smytlie in his blithe, cheery manner, " I was the first manager who ever took a company, to Japan, the first to thoroughly traverse India, and the first to cross the Orange River in South Africa. I claim to have had a wider experience than any other impressario—in fact, I am known all over the colonies .as the ' Much Travelled.' Letters sometimes reach me in Melbourne with simply that address. I am the only manager who deals exclusively with stars, and I make it a rule always to secure the best man in his line. There is no entrepreneur who knows the Australian colonies so thoroughly, or who has had so many opportunities for noting accurately the changes and fluctuations in the public taste. I have received the highest testimonials from everybody of importanco with whom I have been associated."

"I suppose, like other speculators, you ha had failures ?"

Nobody whom I introduced to Australia failed to meet with success, but occasionlly I have experimented with people who came there to air their talents. If I found that, their entertainment wag not suited to the colonies, I discontinued my relations with them, and would nob try to foist them upon the public by puffing them in newspaper advertisements." As'l gazed; at the small, dapper man who had gone through these extraordinary experiences, and saw his fresh colour, his bright keen'eyes, and his evidently perfect health, I wondered how ib was given to some men to endure so many changes of climate and fortune without turning a hair. I do nob suppose I shall ever put myself under Mr. Smythe, bub I would advise anybody elso who wants a good manager, cheerful . under all circumstances, nob frightened by any difficulties, and full of every resource, to place himself in the hands of "the Moltke of managers." From the Sun, August 2, 1891.