Complimentary Benefit.

The Butte Weekly Miner, Butte, 1884-10-18, p.1

Dateline: BUTTE, M. T., Oct. 15, 1884.

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Summary

A published correspondence: a long testimonial letter from named citizens of Butte to John Kelly — a musician about to leave the city for the East — asking him to give a complimentary musical entertainment as a tribute to his vocal and instrumental abilities. Roughly 29 named signers and "150 others." John Kelly's reply, dated the same day, names the date (Saturday October 18 at Renshaw Opera House) and announces that Mrs. Kelly will assist him. The Local News column on the same page carries a follow-up notice confirming the entertainment.

Narrative

A group of more than 150 Butte citizens, including Con Murphy, Lee Mantle, Dr. J. P. Tiernan, and N. J. Bielenberg among others, formally petition Mr. John Kelly to give a benefit musical entertainment before he leaves the city, citing their admiration for his vocal and instrumental gifts. Kelly accepts, naming Saturday the 18th at Renshaw Opera House, where he will be assisted by Mrs. Kelly. A local notice adds that Mrs. Kelly is described as one of the most accomplished organists and pianists in the East, and the event is expected to draw a large audience.

  • we are pleased to state that at the earnest solicitation of many of our citizens Mr. John Kelly has consented to give one of his rare musical entertainments
  • Mrs. Kelly who is one of the most accomplished organists and pianist in the East
  • those who are so fortunate as to be present will hear choice selections rendered as only true artists can render them

AI-generated (claude-sonnet-4-6). Verify against the transcription before quoting.

People

  • John Kelly(as printed: Mr. John Kelly / Jno. Kelly)
    role: subject · family confidence: 0 not family

    Kelly is in the user's associated-families list. Family confidence stays 0 until evidence positively links this John Kelly to a Murphy-Kelly connection.

Also mentioned

  • Mrs. Kelly · musical_assistant
  • H. Hazlett · testimonial_signer
  • Henry Jacobs · testimonial_signer
  • G. W. Beal · testimonial_signer
  • C. C. Lstrable · testimonial_signer
  • T. B. Glidden · testimonial_signer
  • F. W. Caplise · testimonial_signer
  • Leyson & Turck · testimonial_signer
  • J. R. Clark · testimonial_signer
  • A. W. Orton · testimonial_signer
  • Geo. P. Marsh · testimonial_signer
  • H. B. Smith · testimonial_signer
  • J. M. Foster · testimonial_signer
  • G. W. Newkirk · testimonial_signer
  • Perry H. Beal · testimonial_signer
  • Rod D. Leggat · testimonial_signer
  • Dr. J. P. Tiernan · testimonial_signer
  • Con Murphy · testimonial_signer

    First name "Con" (= Cornelius). A Butte Murphy with a first name — namesake_only by the confidence rule (no positive family alignment yet), but worth watching for recurrence in later Butte material. If a Cornelius Murphy turns up in subsequent clippings, promote to a person entry.

  • Daniel Searles · testimonial_signer
  • Lee Mantle · testimonial_signer
  • H. L. Frank · testimonial_signer
  • H. C. Bodley · testimonial_signer
  • H. C. Olmstead · testimonial_signer
  • Jno. J. Tooey · testimonial_signer
  • N. J. Bielenberg · testimonial_signer
  • H. Eustice · testimonial_signer
  • John Caplise · testimonial_signer
  • Dr. Robert Grix · testimonial_signer
  • A. C. Bishop · testimonial_signer
  • D. J. Welsh · testimonial_signer
  • H. Barnett · letter_addressee

Places

Themes

Story threads

Tags

  • evidence_supporting
  • collateral
  • color

Source type

news_item, testimonial, letter_to_editor

Related sources

Transcription
transcription: complete · confidence high
# Transcription — The Butte Weekly Miner, 1884-10-18, p.1 **Source**: The Butte Weekly Miner (Butte, Montana), Saturday 18 October 1884, p.1. **Status**: Complete (for the Kelly testimonial item). **Method**: Cleaned from OCR against the page image. The page carries multiple items in adjacent columns; only the Complimentary Benefit correspondence and the related Local News follow-up are transcribed here. Other items on the page (Meeting of Colored Citizens, Base Ball, etc.) are logged in page_metadata.yaml as peripheral_items. OCR uncertainty: "C C Lstrable" in the signer list reads ambiguously; the original spelling may be different. --- **Complimentary Benefit.** The following correspondence explains itself: *Mr. John Kelly, Butte, Montana:* DEAR SIR: — We the undersigned citizens of Butte and vicinity, entertaining a high appreciation of your new musical accomplishments and of yourself as a gentleman, and being desirous of hearing you in one of your vocal and instrumental entertainments before you leave the city, respectfully request you to name the evening on which we can tender you a benefit as a testimonial of and a deserved tribute to your worth as a man and to your genius as a musician. Hoping to hear a favorable response to our request at an early date we remain yours respectfully, etc. BUTTE, M. T., Oct. 15, 1884. NAMES. NAMES. H Hazlett Dr J P Tiernan Henry Jacobs Con Murphy G W Beal Daniel Searles C C Lstrable Lee Mantle T B Glidden H L Frank F W Caplise H C Bodley Leyson & Turck H C Olmstead J R Clark Jno J Tooey A W Orton N J Bielenberg Geo P Marsh H Eustice H B Smith John Caplise J M Foster Dr Robert Grix G W Newkirk A C Bishop Perry H Beal D J Welsh Rod D Leggat And 150 others. --- BUTTE, M. T., Oct. 15, 1884. To Messrs. J. R. Clark, John Caplise, D. J. Welch, Rod Leggat, Lee Mantle, H. L. Frank, H. Barnett, G. W. Beal and others. GENTLEMEN: — Your note of this date in which you kindly tender me a benefit is received. In reply I would state that on Saturday evening the 18th inst., and at Renshaw Opera House I will be pleased to meet you and at which time and place, assisted by Mrs. Kelly, I will render a series of selections which I feel assured will meet your approbation. Thanking you, gentlemen, for the very complimentary manner in which you express your appreciation of my efforts to entertain the public, I remain yours at command, JOHN KELLY. --- (From the Local News column, same page.) [...] we are pleased to state that at the earnest solicitation of many of our citizens Mr. John Kelly has consented to give one of his rare musical entertainments in Butte next Saturday evening. Mr. Kelly will be assisted by Mrs. Kelly who is one of the most accomplished organists and pianist in the East. The entertainment promises to be largely attended and those who are so fortunate as to be present will hear choice selections rendered as only true artists can render them.

Open questions

  • Con Murphy (Cornelius Murphy) in Butte in October 1884 — does he recur in later Butte clippings? If so, promote from the `mentioned` list to a person_con_murphy_butte entry.
  • Many signers (Lee Mantle, Rod D. Leggat, N. J. Bielenberg, Dr. J. P. Tiernan, the Caplises) are recognisably the civic / commercial elite of 1880s Butte. Useful for situating Kelly socially.
  • Where did John Kelly go "East"? If he reappears in the Butte papers years later, that's a chapter pivot.
  • Who is Mrs. Kelly — she is named only as the on-stage accompanist? Worth tracing.