The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-05-13
A Montana .STheater..


~ The tbeater which is well patronized
by the barroom population, is primi-
tive structure. 1t is about seventy FIVE
feet long by twenty-five feet wide, and
at the entrance has a bar on one side
and a 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 beat
ed by an enormous stove piled full of
the soft coal which is SO abundant
throughout this valley. In the orches-
ira is an excellent piano of the most ex-
pensye kind, from whose interior one
of the ladies Of the theater informed lis
she frequently cleaned out a 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'skinful pianist, and the as
siStance 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 swine room.n This is an
ante-room just off the wings and flies
from which one can see the stage, and
where, at 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 a 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. Trifes like
these, however, we do not mind in the
Western country. The ladies of the
theater are aflable and pleased to meet
strangers, This being well-conducted
entertainment, they do not drink during
the performances, unless it be glass of
lemonade or beer now and then, differ
ing in this respect from their fair sis
tiers at Glendive and Bismarck, but con-
tent themselves with smoking industri-
ously when not occupied with the clog
cances or character songs which are
their specialties. The hour for commenc-
ing the performance is ten o clock p. M,
and 1T 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
uemen, keep your seats. The show has
only just commenced, OF course,
the longer the gentlemen keep their
seats the more thev drink, and toward
the close of the entertainment the audi
ence is anything but stolid. The gen
tlemen criticise freely and audibly, put
their feet on the backs of their neigh
bors' chairs, quarrel a little, drink some
more and makelup their differences, but
their favorite diversion is to send up to
some one ON the stage whom they par
ucularly admire glass of beer to drink
between the verses of his song, We
saw the comic man come of after a
long series of recalls with record of
thirteen glasses consumed during his
last vocal effort, and he told us in the
9'' wine-roomn that he could Ngo as
high AS twenty-seyen glasses without
giving up. The profits of the theater
are considerable, and will be, doubtless,
until the railway brings in a class of
people who demand something better
t3an the present management fur
nlshes.-Cor ~ Y. EveRillg Post.