West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-23

Of the chant than just given.)
And 50, the Farce progressed to
the evident satisfaction of the play
ers at least, till there arose an i'm
patience among the populace to
have a change of scenes. This Gu
riosity was soon gratifed in the
conviction of two saloon-keepers
before the Recorder; and the next
act was introduced by the Record
er's reporting said convictions in
accordance with the original resolu-
tions. But to the utter disappoint-
ment of the audience the act closed
with the introduction. The convic-
tions were officially ignored, and no
action taken.
Weeks passed on and the temper
ance people began to clamor for the
next act, and demanded that the
Farce should be played out. The
actors replied that they couldn't
bulge a peg further in the perform
ance, without "petition from an
inhabitant Of the city," praying
that the forfeited licenses be revok-
ed, claiming that they were so adj
vised by the legal attorney of the
troupe.
They were then told to have one
Of their license friends who were
interested in the success Of the play,
come to their relief with the reuuir-
ed petition. The people felt it to
be burning shame that a "roar-
ing farce" should be thus suddenly
cut short right in the midst Of the
roar. But the petition came not.
The people clamored, and still clam
ored, till the troupe becoming
alarmed for their salty began to
cry aloud for a petition. From the
green room the imploring shouts
went abroad-A Petition! A Petit
ton! Our reputation for a Petit
ton!
At last the beseeching appeals
were in pity heard by a good wo-
man and two kind-hearted gentle
men, and the petition was furnish
ed, all in due form, and notice serv-
ed on the saloonists as the law re-
CURED, so that they might be pres
ent at the next performance.
The curtains were rung up again,
when to,the surprise of the uninitia-
ted the petition, anread and unheard,
was rejected as "insulting" and
'impertinent," and cast out as an
unclean thing.
At the next meeting of the troupe
however, when the curtains were
again rung up, it transpired that
the notice to the saloonists had been
little "too previous" it being the
opinion of the performers with the
advice Of their attorney, that the
troupe was able to play its own
farce without outside help, and SO
it was then and there decided to
entertain the petition, minus the
notice, as all "regular," and order
the show to proceed.
We should remark, by the way,
that while these epochs were trans
piring, the central figure of the
play, the famous Star Resolution
was boiled over, re-cast and re-reso-
Iuted all out of recognition, SO as to
meet the changing emergencies Of
the farce, and prevent the play tax
ing anything like a serious turn to
the annoyance or inconvenience Of
the saloonists who were largely the
ticket holders and recognized pat
rons of the show.
Such being the state Of affairs
in the development Of the chanel
eon-hued plot, the denouenent in the
final "show-cause"-act furnished no
small amusement to curious spec
tators, and we may say, somewhat
of disappointment and disgust to
some sober-minded, honest-hearted
observers, who all the while had
persisted in the hope that the per-
Torrance would after all prove a
legitimate play and not a low
farce.
The final act was duly bulletined
and the convicted saloonists sol
emnly commanded to appear in full
dress to take part in the closing
scenes. With much boldness, &C
companied by eminent attorneys,
as their legal advisers, they were
II