The New York herald., 1871-01-02
SUPPLEMENTARY SPORTS.
New Years Eve Behind the
FOOtiigllts.

The suffsrings of an Amateur ''Supe' Beauties
Of the Ballet-stage Thunder and Beds Of
Roses-Gofsip Of the Angels"
1t was like hole broken through wall, and the
door itself was ribbed diagonaly like the scales on
sea serpents back. This stage door mad queer
fashion OF shutting too quickly and tripping people
headlong by their unwary feet. The streets without
were very sloppy on this New Years Eve and two
miserable young girls, with long, dirty black shawls
who hung around the stage entrance to Nblo's Gar
den, stood sniverlng in puddle, their once white
stockings draggled with the slushy mIre OF The gut
ters.
My companion was Mr.. Adophus Livingston Of
1905 Cranberry place, Brooklyn. AdolDhus was
known among his bosom acquaintances very
..fast young man, Adolphus was
'.cLEAN GOMEZ ON THE BALLET.
That was his forte. In all other essentials he was
weak but on tins point he was very strong. The
dearest wish of his twenty-third year was to 60
behind the scenes and look at the angels who night
after night dsport their goody shaped limbs in the
fantastic dances OF the great spectacle.
But Adolphus had been bluned at every point
He sought to go In Coryphees brother one night,
but there was no girl whose eyes were red enough
and watery enough IN the ballet TO be identified as
sal to his "Cousn;' but the Cerberus at the stage
door who uXuriates in the uncommon name OF John
Smith, has for ten years been lying IN wait
for all kinds OF ''salls.n he terms those amatory
feints made by gushing young men from time i'm.
memorial 10 get acquainted with ballet glrls
As a last resort, however, Aaophus had deter
mined 10 seek admission to The stage by applying for
the lucrative position OF supernumsrary." Thirty.
seven and half cents night Is the salary paid to
the useful sprouts who. tired OF their lives IN every
other respect seek the excitement afforded them by
enacting the characters OF
DEMONS AND WARRIORS
In pantomime or spectacle.
Mr.. Livingston chose the eve OF the New Year to
make his first attempt In hstrionics lie was fault
lessly atlred 10 broadcloh and wore lavender Kids
and his hair was curled to an intensity. The writer
also wished to become q ''supe,n but for different
object from that which governed the mind Of Ado-
phus. Accordingly we were companions by the
force OF circumstances.
The stage door swung open and medium sized
man, with pointed chin whiskers and lurking
doubt In his eyes, stood at the threshold. Behind
was small, square vestipule, with an iron water
tank in the corner, overwhlch glimmered reeby
gas jet half turned on. There were several lengths
OF hose hanging on the bare brick walls to serve in
case OF fire. and back OF this an inner door which
gave admission to the stage.
The guardian of the fairy realm asked gruny OF
Mr.. Livingston, whose watery eyes trembled with
excitement
"What dye wantp Are you q Charley or
Masher ~ these being the slang terms for foolish
young men who cluster around the stage door to
the corps de ballet pass out ana in.
Il am neither, sir Iwant to go on as a sure.' If
you please meekly answered Adolphus.
'Want 10 60 on as 'supe,' dyer Why don't you
DRIVE DIRT CART FOR LIvNG'?n
answered the unceremonious Mr.. Smith,
Now this remark OF the doorkeeper stung the old
miser OF the ballet to the SOUL for an allusion OF
that kind brought to the remembrance OF Adophus
the fact that his PA had commenced life driving
dirt cart and from this chrvsalis state he had finally
grubbed up to the station OF wealthy contractor.
Il only wish, SIR, to begin at the bottom Of the
ladder as an actor; that's all, pon me honorn
again replied the gushing young man.
"All right, go and see Joe; he's the captain Of the
Adolphus passed In, and the writer was admitted
with the nod OF the doorkeeper.
And now we had entered the region OF romance,
the sacred spot held hallOwed by all outsiders since
the days that William Shakespeare stuck his own
bills on the walls OF the old GLOBE theatre in South
wark. There was q concentrated buzz and uprOar
In space OF three or four hund ed feet OF nat sur
face. To the left and right Of us were score of
men In bIouses and rough and seedy breeches NOV.
Ing TO and fro, shifting scenes hoisting unknown
quantities by ropes and pulleys and working with
New Years Eve venemence. The roof OF the stage
hung like sombre pail over the
BUsTtE AN2 hURLTBURLY.
from the flies, which We're all lit up, and castle
walls, donlon keeps, cataracts, dungeons and huge
Pasteboard figures lay shoulder 20 shoulder In mex.
tricable confusion. The shrill scrapng of the
wooden bottomed scenes grated on the in Q
painful medley OF sound, combined with the shouts
Golah-like frame who issued his orders abruptly
to the perspring slaves of his will. Ballet girls,
within an inch OF their lives ran to and FRO
from dressing room TO dressing room, ana slipped
between scenes at right angles and Jumped over
wooden horses with great agility The curtain hung
down, blank surface. separating the fast gathering
audience from those who were In half an hour to
minister TO their organs OF sense, and all seemed
chaos that might be righted by hands OF man.
Adolpnus was knocked into a cooked hat in three
minutes. He ran against scene shifter. who
blessed his eyes Us the offspring Of q sea COOK
70 ESCAPE FROM MALED1cr1oN
he jumped frantcally across wooden rock and
barked MS shins successfully.
"Will you get out of the way, idiot :" said big
fellow, whose sleeves were rolled up 10 the elbows.
and he ran poor Adolphus into corner, where he
stood jammed like tapew0rn for moment
almost yelled the frightened Mr.. Livingston, who
was at this 1uncture In state OF terror from the
rough treatment
sWhat's that man doing there in the corner-is he
Prussian spyf" shouted John Vincent, the stage
manager who was setting the stage ter the curtain
"Ht's a super as has lost his way" exclaimed
the low comedian OF tile company, whs tells the
nuulcACc Hlxut hltcT nl8ut tu2g uo WanU6 10 "gO
home' whenever the Black Crook begins his terrible
tncantati0ns Finally ballet girl VINO was fasten-
ing the strings OF her sandals, took compassion on
the stranger and said to him
"Are you fresh superb Yes9 Well stupid,
60 down that ladder to the left, and leave me any
CHANGE THAT'S LOOSE In YOUR VEST,
for you'll never bring II up again.n
Down the ladder went Adolphus in fright, duck.
Ing his head everv moment and hopping out OF the
way OF obstructions like sparrow, and as ne dis.
appeared the voice OF the low comedienne In Bow
Bells accent shouted after him,
al saw, SDOOneV look out for those blessed trana.
II You fall through one you'll lad In 'OboKen or
some wuss place."
followed the ambitious youth down the rickety
ladder below the stage and l saw everywhere l
looked q mass Of wheels. pulleys, cranks, wooden
levers, belts and shafts and half suspended traps
Twenty or thirty men were at work wn here aud
the confusion seemed worse than above the stage.
"l declare this Is very rough pen me honor"
exclaimed the hope Of the LivIngstons, when from
what l took 10 be q hole In the wall out hurst a