9. Song—"My Own Dearest Child" ………………… Abt
Mrs. George Careless.
10. Selection …………………………………….
Croxall's Silver Band.
Conductor ……………………. Prof. George Careless
Thursday, June 8th—For Three Nights. Louis Aldrich Company in his very successful play, "MY PARTNER." Superb Star Company.
In the spring of '82, when the Walker was approaching completion, Dr. McKenzie hied him to New York to secure attractions for the new theatre, for the erstwhile temperance lecturer had developed into the sole lessee and manager of a $100,000 theatre. He had already chosen me to attend to the local management, for which I was to have 5 per cent of the gross proceeds of everything we played there, with the privilege of getting up local performances in the interims. I had worked eleven months, superintending the construction of the building and was quite in favor. "Doc" was very successful in securing attractions, his somewhat extravagant and florid descriptions of the Walker Grand, as they chose to christen it, and its superiority to the old theatre, caught the agents and managers, and he secured so many of the attractions going to the coast the ensuing season that he virtually had the Salt Lake Theatre out of business.
The first dramatic performance given in the Walker was the Louis Aldrich Company in "My Partner." The house was well filled but not crowded; there was a very strong prejudice against the Walker among the Mormon part of the community, and a malicious report to the effect that the galleries were not safe was put in circulation with a view to injure the new theatre. Such mischievous whisperings, however, only had a temporary effect.
One of the earliest attractions at "The Walker" was Haverly's minstrels, and the house was crowded to its utmost capacity; as the galleries did not give way on that occasion, the reports which had been so industriously circulated were seen to be "a weak invention of the enemy."
The new house continued to get the attractions to such an extent, that the Salt Lake Theatre was virtually out of the swim. This was accomplished by Dr. McKenzie putting The Walker under the direction of Jack Haverly. Haverly at the time was one of the foremost managers of the country. He controlled more companies and theatres than any one in the field of amusement; so he booked everything in his control at The Walker, and the house during his regime was called Haverly's Walker Grand Opera House. "What's in a name?" In theatrical business much; it is everything. So serious indeed was the situation for the Salt Lake theatre that Mr. David McKenzie, who was at this time the acting manager of the house, found it necessary to go to San Francisco and have a business interview with Mr. Fred Bert, who was Haverly's San Francisco manager.