Nebraska advertiser., 1882-05-18
A Montana "Theater."

The theater, which is well patronized
by the bar-room population, is print
tive structure. 1t is about seventy-fye
feet long by twenty-five feet wide, and
at the cntrancet has Il bar on one side
and faro table on the other, each do
ing thriving business If you are so
fortunate as to pass these attractions,
you enter the auditory, which has an
inclined floor, is fairly lighted, and heat
ed by an enormous stove piled full of
the soft coal which is so abundant
throughout his valley. In the orches-
ira is an excellent piano of the most eX-
pensiye kind, from whose interior one
OF the ladies of the thcater informed us
she frequently cleaned out dust-pan
full OF cigar Stumps and ashes, dropped
in by careless performers, but it seemed
none the worse for rough treatment.
and with a skillful pianist, and the as
slStance OF violin and flute, made very
acceptable music. Directly at the RIGHT
of the stage are two boxes decorated
with remnants of lace curtains. and
through these boxes certain favored Wis
ltorS at the performance pass to what is
called the wine room" This is an
ante-room Just off the wings and flies
from which one can see the stage, and
where. ut those intervals when not oc-
cupied on the boards, the actors and ac-
tresSes resort for conversation and re-
freShment To be sure, these processes
are somewhat interrupted when the car
penter passes through with bulky
piece OF stage property, for as space is
limited all the pumps, fences and large
articles are kept out of doors, and are
brought in through the wine-room'
as occasion demands all more or less
covered with snow or mud. TrineS like
these however, we do not mind i'm the
western country. The ladies of the
thealer are allable and pleased to meet
strangers. This being a wel-conductcd
entertainment they donot drink during
the performance, unless it be n glass of
lemonade or beer now and then. differ
ing IN thlS respect from their fair sis
ters at "Iendiye and Bismarck, but con-
tent themselves with smoking industri-
0usly when not occupied with the clog
uances or character songs which are
ther specialties. The hour for commence
ing the performance is ten o clock D. IN,
anu IL usually lasts until half past
Two IN the morning, during which time
the voice of the proprietor is frequently
heard saying; keep your seats, gen
tlemen, keep your seats. The show has
only Just commenced OF course,
the longer the gentlemen keep their
seats the more they drink, and toward
the close of the entertainment the audi
ehce Is anything but stolid. The gen
tiemen criticiSe freely and audibly, put
their feet on the backs of their neigh,
borS chairs, quarrel a little, drink some
more and make up their differences, but
their tayorte diversion is to send up to
some one on the stage whom they par.
ticularly admire glass of beer to drink
between the verses of his song. We
saw the comic man come off after 9
long series of recalls with a record OF
thirteen glasses consumed during his
last vocal effort, and he told us in the
Wine-room that he could "go a;
high as twenty-seven glasses without
giving up" The profits of the theatei
are considerable, and will be, doubtless
until the railway brings in a class o.
people who demand something better
than the present management fur,
nlshes. Cor NJ \. Evening Post.