The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-06-02

Tho recruiting season has opened"
said Manager Gilmore, of the Grand
Central Theater, yesterday. tossing over
% the reporter a pile of letters from
amateurs who wanted positions as clog
1ancers and banjo pickers. After tell
ng an attendant to send away man
who had been importuning him for
months for heavy salary in the role
If the executioner of Irish breakdowns,
md who had come to demand payment
or rehearsal which had satisfied even
he scene-shifters of his incompetency,
Mr.. Gilmore remarked that during the
oast week he had received thirty-four
spistles from alleged artists of both
sexes. Nine of the writers were ladies,
and one of them said she looked like
Mary Anderson. Another was, in her
own words, 'simmured in a dark and
9itiful boarding-school, and her request
was that the courteous and obliging
manager should come with a ladder,
release her from her tyrannical oppres-
sors and place her on the stage. When
school girl of romantic imagination
luarrels 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 cod-liver oil. and
who, as a consequence, is thrown out
Of work, rushes to desk and writes a
play or indites letter to Manager Gill
more. II used to be night-watch-
man. remarks one of the letters which
have come to the theater during the
past few days, land it made me
thoughtful. spent great deal of my
time repeating verses from Shakespeare
n the lonely night, and ! always chose
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 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, s'Stage di-
rection-Here de- on the second was
the inspiring remark, "Pinguet Stays
Mako;H and in another act a repeating
rifle plays havoc with a lot of border
rufiians 1.-The other night felt wake
full, Mr. Gilmore remarked, throwing
the drama into the drawer, land | read
about thirty pages of it. ! don't hesi-
tate to say that / wouldn't place 1t ON
the boards for 81 900 a performance.
The writer wrote TO me a day or two
ago to send the play back, and / neg
lectcd TO do so. Yesterday received a
LAWYERS letter, threatening suit for
hundreds of dollars damages for will
fully preventing other managers from
swapping it up
I'VE sometimes have a splendid time
with these amateurs Mr. Gilmore re-
sumed, getting tired of the letters.
s'Stage madness, which is thing of
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 our
own sweet will. A week ago two broth
ers, who thought they could sing, hop
and perform great guitar act, got on
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 their
faces up and commenced together, 4
go, my love, go, when suddenly they
both went Where do you think they
went, thought 1t was through two
traps that had been purposeiy unfast
ened and down into two crooks of thick
bill paste
"A man came to me with a sealed
letter of introduction from Baltimore
manager, he continued. 1t was
yorded to the effect that the bearer was
of no use to any one. and that / might
kill him If liked. Igave him the part
of good-goody dude, who was to go
into saloon and discourse virtue and
morality to the assembled 'toughs. His
speech was about four feet long. As
soon as the saloonists saw him they
made in his direction. Well, sir, /
don't think ever saw such a used-up
man as he was after they got through
with him. They wasted a bag Of flour
over his clothes, rubbed his face in a
blacking-pot and rolled him around on
the stage. To all intents and purposes
they played base ball with him. He
came to me afterwards painting with
rage, but / explained that it was all in
the play. He said he had not been
warned, but had been made to learn
speech which it was never intended he
should deliver, and he went away"
Eyes, this is the time Of year that
they all long for the stage" the face
tious manager went on. II believe
spring has some peculiar effect on the
brains not only Of poets but Of stage
struck heroes. Do dudes ever apply for
places at the theater. Certainly, l
should say so; but they want to play
dude roles, which makes them objec-
tionable. Once man named johnson
came to me and said that he liked to
visit the theater every night and not
pay anything. l told him that | was
sorry could not oblige him, but was
not doing business Of that kind. He
FASTENED, however, to explain that he
wanted to be clacquer! Now, that is
a position that is almost unknown in
this country, but thought would guy
him. / therefore told him TO get brass
heels put on his shoes and come along.
After / had prompted him in waiting as
to when he should applaud, i gave him
a good front seat. Presently one of the
actors remarked: i have an appoint
ment to keep, must co. At this our
friend with the metallic heels began
stamping his feet, clapping his hands
and shouting. AS he was the only man
in the house that moved, the effect was
laughable, and every one looked at him.
Al IL a