The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-05-31
Stage-Struck Youths.


"The recruiting season has opened"
said Manager Gilmore, of the Grand
Central Theater, yesterday, tossing over
to the reporter a pile of letters from
emateurS who wanted positions as clog
dancers and banjo pickers. After tell
ing an attendant to send away man
who had been importuning him for
months for a heavy salary in the role
of the executioner of I;isn breakdowns,
and who had come to demand payment
for rehearsal which had satisfied even
the scene-shifters of his incompetency,
Mr.. Gilmore remarked that during the
past week he had received thirty-four
epistles from alleged artists of both
sexes. Nine of the writers were ladies,
and one of them said she looked like
own words, s'immured in a dark and
pitiful boarding-school, and her request
was that the courteous and obliging
manager should come with ladder,
release her from her tyrannical oppres-
sors and place her on the stage. When
school girl of romantic imagination
quarrels with her guardians about her
allowance of pocket money she in
variably threatens to take the stage and
become independent. The drug clerk
who is censured by coroner's jury for
selling prussic acid for eod-liver oil, and
who, as a consequence, is thrown out
of work, rushes to desk and writes
play or indites letter to Manager Gil
more. 81 used to be a night-watch-
man." remarks one of the letters which
have come to the theater during the
past few days, sand it made me
thoughtful. Ispent a great deal of my
time repeating verses from Shakespeare
in the lonely night, and 1 always chose
the solemn ones. I think 1 could act
tragedy An answer was forthwith
sent offering the fellow a position OF
fifteen dollars month as bill-sticker.
The next item in the heap of letters
was one from a man named Hancock,
who had spoiled sixty-eight sheets of
paper with fearful drama. He wanted
to play leading murderer. On the first
page occurred the sentence, ''Stage di-
rection-Here die;'' on the second was
the inspiring remark, s.Pinguet slays
Mako;;" and in another act repeating
rifle plays havoc with lot of border
ruffians. "The other night ! felt wake
full" Mr.. Gilmore remarked, throwing
the drama into the drawer, sand I read
about thirty pages of it. / don't hesi-
tate to say that l wouldn't place it on
the boards for $1,000 performance.
The writer wrote to me a day or two
ago to send the play back, and I neg
lected to do so. Yesterday / received a
lawyers letter, threatening a suit fol
hundreds of dollars damages for will
fully preventing other managers from
swapping it up" .4
"We sometimes have splendid time
with these amateurs" Mr.. Gilmore. re-
sumed, getting tired of the letters.
"Stage madness, which is thing oi
itself, deprives those afflicted with it Of
all sense of being ridiculous. They
will let us daub them all over with mu-
cilage, paint them all the colors of the
rainbow, and bang them about at oul
own sweet will. A week ago two broth.
ers, who thought they could sing, hor
and perform a great guitar act, got or
the boards by sheer gall to rehearse
before the stage carpenters, call boys
and few men who were cleaning from
bones and things. They screwed theil
faces up and commenced together, =
go, my love, 1 CO. when suddenly they
both went. Where do you think they
went, though? 1t was through two
traps that had been purposeiy unfast
ened and down into two crooks of thicl
bill paste"
"a man came to me with sealed
letter of introduction from Baltimore
manager" he continued. 1t wa.
worded to the effect that the bearer wa'
of no use to any one, and that nigh
kill him if liked. I gave him the par
of good-goody dude, who was to g
into saloon and discourse virtue ant
morality to the assembled 'toughs.' Hi
speech was about four feet long. A
soon as the saloonists saw him the.
made in his direction. Well, sir,
| don't think ever saw such used-ul
man as he was after they got through
with him. They wasted bag of fiou
over his clothes, rubbed his face in
blacking-pot and rolled him around ol
the stage To all intents and purpose
they played base ball with him. HI
came to me afterwards painting wit
rage, but I explained that it was all il
the play. He said he had not beel
warned, but had been made to learn
speech which it was never intended h
should deliver, and he went away"
'.Yes, this is the time of year tina
they all long for the STAGE" the face
tious manager went on. 81 believ
spring has some peculiar effect on tn
brains not only of poets but of stage
struck heroes. Do dudes ever apply fo
places at the theater. Certainly,
should say so; but they want to pla
dude roles, which makes them objec
tionable. Once man named Johnsol
came to me and said that he liked t
visit the theater every night and nc
pay anything told him that I wa
sorry 1 could not oblige- him, but wa
not doing business of that kind. H
fastened, however, to explain that h
wanted to be clacquer! Now, that
a position that is almost unknown i
this country, but thought would gu
him. 1 therefore told him to get bras
heels put on his shoes and come along
After l had prompted him in waiting a
to when he should applaud, I gave hir
good front seat. Presently one of tn
actors remarked: 4 have an appoint
ment to keep, must 60 At this ou
friend with the metallic heels bega
stamping his feet, clapping his hand
and shouting. AS he was the only ma
in the house that moved, the effect wa
laughable, and every one looked at hin
He repeated this two or three time
during the performance, made himsel
the laughing stock of the audience, an
then resigned. Philadelphia Times.