The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-09
When to Laugh.

"AA'~A 10 AeSClA uOOucu u QuaTlcT Oh An
horT.-Iysis Cor. London Times.
When to Laugh.
WHEN the West was in an incipient
state of settlement, the audiences seemed
never to know when to cry, laugh or APP
plaud; at the same time they were tena-
cious of appearing intellectual and appre-
ciative lovers of the drama. j. A. j.
Neafie, now retired and enjoying the for.
tune he earned as popular star, had
many vicissitudes before reaching the
u NTH of his fame.
In 1912 he was managing q theater in
Mi ;lwaukee, Wis, and being determined
to have the best attraction possible, he
eng aged two quite famous actors, namely,
job Oxley and John Dunn. The former
Olga ity, but unfortunate, being always
down at heels and out ut elbows. Mr..
Dunn I, was, l believe, an Englishman,
who many years ago made great success
in thi country in farce called "Rascal
Jack. In fact, so identified did he be.
come with that part that he was always
after called Rascal Jack Dunn" He
acted a great deal in New York, and has
not Ion g been dead.
1t was the custom in those days to begin
the seas on with comedy and farce, and
follow with heavy pieces. When Neafie's
opening night was announced number
of the lea ,ding citizens of Milwaukee called
upon hin to assure him that he must have
no hesih ton in bringing the best of the
dramatic profession to play to them, as
they had resolved that the audience should
preserve Order-that no disturbance need
be appreh ended-which was comforting,
as Westsr,1 audiences, if the performance
did not pl, Ease them, had no objection to
an occasion lal free fight, in the course of
which sea is would be torn up, and up
holstery do wn, entailing great loss to the
poor man, sger-poor, indeed, too fire.
quently.
ton and gratitude, and 9 Rascal Jack"
was put up for the opening night. Ihave
been told that it was side-splitting"
farce. The house was packed with Mil
waukee's best and bravest sons and
and modification not laugh could he get
out of them. Occasionally some one
would be unable to resist tittering, but
was Immediately hushed down. At last
ane man gave loud OUTLAW; he was i'm
alediately seized and dragged out of the
theater by policeman, neck and crop.
Order being restored, the farce proceeded
and was listened to as if it were sermon.
Poor Dunn was so chagrinned at what he
thought his failure, that he absolutely
shed tears and was led nome in the deep.
est gloom-glo0m as profound as his
audience had been plunged during his
farce.
Only one person was elated at the mys-
terious and funeral silence, and that was
John Oxley, who kept rubbing his hands,
dancing about behind the scenes, exclaim.
"Ah, ha! At last I've got splendid
audience to play to! They are just the
people for me, eh Jack?'
The next day the same committee of
citizens again called upon the manager.
They surprised him in an unwilling at
tempt to console the comedian whose pro-
fessional pride had been so deeply
wounded the previous evening.
"Mr. Neafie," said the spokesman,
we have come to tender you our apollo
gies for the unseemly conduct of one of
our citizens last night, and to assure you
that such thing will never be permitted
to occur again; the offender has been ar.
rested for creating disturbance and will
% punlSneO 1Or IL.
Why, what did the man dor" in
quired Neafie.
We" :. We'll i, he sort of broke the peace"
Why, he laughed right out in the mid.
die OF the performance-at this little
mans acting"
Dunn, Joy once more beaming in his tear
dimmed eye.
1--WE did, and have called to say how
"Why, you-you-fools," said the
] aughing. Why, that's just what the
farce is for-to amuse you-to make you
laugh."
"Good heavens!' exclaimed the spokes.
I nan, in horror, is that SO? Why, we
though his behavior a reflection on the
good manners of our city, and were out
ragged at it, but you shall see that the citi.
zens OF Milwaukee can appreciate acting
as well as those of any city in the United
states, not even excepting New York.
And SO the acting was to make us laugh,
was it? Well, well, we'll never make
such mistake again. Well go and let
B. out of jail he's had a narrow es-
cape-tor there was some right smart talk
of 1ynching him last nights
Now this occurrence was not related to
JOAN Oxley, who was to appear that
evening in Hamlet" and who was still
in laigh glee at having struck "just the
audience to play to-the meditative kind,
you know, who don't burst out into un-
meaning applause on the impulse of the
m0lnent-but who takes in your points,
and thinks and weeps over them in silence
THAT'S the kind of people like" Night
fou nd the theater full again with almost
the same spectators. Oxley stalked on with
his deepest frown and tragedy gait and was
inste,ntly greeted by roar IF laughter. His
first thought was that some portion of his
dress was in disorder, but no, everything
was right. All his most pathetic points, the
murder Of P0)onius, the description Of
the drowning of Ophelia, her burial, and
the death of the King, Queen and Hamlet
we've received with shouts Of laughter, in
:" with . perfect hurrah." To add to
the " ings and every time Hamlet came of
the stage he would rub his hands and saw.
. Just; the kind Of an audience for YOU.
oh, 0 xley? Just the sort Of people you
like t., play o."-Cssio Logan, IN N. r.
-Currant pieis In season, and when .
man with false teeth gets about thirty-nine
seeds between the plate and the roof of
his mouth, he begins to think he is chew
Ing ON vagrant nutmeg CRATER that has
got mixed in with his pastry .-Burssagson
Hack Bye.
Tho robber of birds nest in New
Jersey II sent to Jail for sixty days.