The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1884-01-06
THE BLACK CROOK.
Features of the Lives Of
the Girls OF the Ballet
DOnesticIty Among the Stage Fairies
--CharacteristIes OF the Dancers
Toll and Insult Incident
TO Their Existence.


tChicaRo NewAl
Not the least interesting feature Of Kiralfy's
"Black Crook is the school Of young women
who make up the ballet Of that company.
These girls collectively and individually are a
study. Their lumber includes young girls,
ripe girls, old girls, and girls whose ages ars
beyond human reckoning; fat girls and lean
girls; plump girls, bouy girls, and scrawuy
girls; tall girls and short girls; beautiful girls:
handsome girls, pretty girls, plain girls, and
homely girls: girls with good teeth, bad teeth,
and no teeth; girls who smile, laugh, and
sing, and girls who sulk, whine, and cry;
giddy girls, silly girls, serious girls, and sen
sible girls; pious girls and profane girls; busy
girls. and idle girls; active girls, and passive
girls; girls independent, fearless, bold, and
brave; girls modest, timid, and shy; girls
afraid to act or even to think for themselves,
and girls who, absolutely superior to influence
or circumstances, not only push their way
through the crowd, but stand up like little
warriors between want and privation and
whole families Of relatives.
o BOLD NOR BAD.
The nature of their profession Is such that
a very short apprenticeship will suffice TO
wear Off prudishness or extreme sensitive
ness, but let a body attempt the least famil-
iarity or presume TO overstep the chalk line
OF nropriety and the eyes of the injured girl
va nAAAPf iAAf ihoh VI llllkltllDn Il5t lA1DNt
the crimson rouge on her face, her defiant
lips will CULVER with anger, and she will
resent the indignity as quickly aud efectually
as though she was the reigning belle Of an
upper-ten ballroom.
Yes, Of course you may come In, but IT,
were less agreeable l would repel you, for
reporters are such treacherous creatures.
Here we are dressed almost nakedly, and |
would not be the least bit surprised to get
up In the morning and find all our photo
graphs In The Police Gazette" aud the hal
hal that came out Of five snowy Threats,
simultaneously, was almost deafening. There
were five in tho group; all were in tights
with colored trunks, low-necked bodice, bare
arms, shoulders, and neck, and fantastic
turbans pinned on their little heads nobody
knows how. They had Just come
off the stage thoroughly exhausted
from the last dance, which had been
done 30 we'll as to call for a repetition.
BETWEEN ACTS.
They were flushed with heat, big drops OF
perspiration covered their faces and threats,
and the attitudes assumed were thosa of
perfect abandon. One girl, more anxious
than tired, had changed her costume, and
stood with one foot on a chalr-to keep her
skirts from falling of-and half concealed,
half revealed by "a square post, was Juggling
hNhl NJ pun VI 4 hlh Ahled COIssln WHICH
appeared TO have no intentions Of getting
hooked. One blonde, with very big. round,
blue eyes and n dimpled face, had nothing
whatever to say, and sat in a dark corner ON
a low stool with her knees Rugged to her
bosom. She had n far-away look Ia her eyes,
but was les ah=ent-minded than she APP
pearcd, for she laughed heartily when any
humorous remark was made.
She said she came from Philadelphia, and
liked the stage well enough, but wished she
was not too old to become a premiere. AT
the door stood a girl, in her teens, of ex
ceeding beauty. knitting u blue worsted
undershirt.
"Can you knitr' asked the reporter.
Don't you see that | canr' was the pert
answer.
Whats you name, and what are you
making, and where do you liver
my name is Gussie, and | belong to Chi
cago, and l am making myself a shirt. How
did | learnt oh, Lizzie taught me how. She's
the best girl in the company. Everybody
likes her"
"Yes, indeed we do, sang out tho rest of
the girls In chorus, and a little, plump, pretty
woman blushed very red and, saying some
thing about blarney, began an unmorciful
attack upon the buckles chum who had
brought her into notice.
Gus is the worst sleepy-head you ever
saw all she wants 10 do Is TO snore and eat.
She can eat anything, but give her corn beef
and pretEels and she is in her glory"
WORK AND WAGES.
In answer to the writer's interrogations she
said; 81 was born In Berlin, studied In
the dancing college for four years, and have
been with this company for nearly two years.
We make $50 a week, have our travelling ex-
penses paid, and we manage to save some
money and have a pretty good time, Our
costumes are furnished by the manager, but
we have to find our own shoes. No, we
don't get rich very fast, as our board costs
us ~ a week, besides the expense Of wash
ing.
"What do we do with ourselves during the
day. Why, we are just like other girls, silly
and sensible at times. The public hnve some
very curious ideas about stage people, l de
clare; but II you saw us up at Z in the morn,
ing, and the sewing, and msn1ing, and
patching, and writing. and reading, and sor.
rowing, and rejoicing at disappointments
and unexpected pleasures l am sure you
would believe that we are flesh and blood and
human just as you are. What am l knittingl
Some silk socks for my father. He lives in
Brooklyn and is IS years old, and | am going
to send him six pairs for Christmas. keep
them in my bag and do a few stitches every
time | get a chance. l have only boon on
them a couple Of weeks, and | have three pair
done already, so you can't say the corps dc
ballet s%quanders all the time in idleness."
Here the caller clapped his hands; down
went Cad's corsets, the bigoyed girls knees,
Lizzie's silk socks, and GuSie's blue worsted
work, and five fairies jumed into silver.
plated TUNES, popped their heads into glitter
ing helmets, and scampered up stairs in single
file.
A BITTER EXISTENCE.
On the way a young girl, who could moi
have been more than IA, was met standing
on the landing OF the dirty, crooked staircase.
She had her bead hanging out OF a round
hole that commanded a view of the stage.
and wa industriously trying to spit on the
head OF "Gum-elastic,n one OF tho Ronaldc
brothers, win stood below leaning up against
the partition.
mo, do not like the stage, for a good
many reasons. You 500 | am only a chorus
dancer; | get little money, little or no
chance to rise above my condition, for better
actors and actresses than ! am would scorn
to recognize me. | send half of my salary
home, and the rest, SIS, scarcely keeps me
respectfully clad. There is no society OF
-eotnpanionship on the stage and none OF IL