The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-11-08
LEN GROWERS STORY.
How a Dramatic Company Travelled Two
Thousand Miles on GHe Clean shirt,

| How a Dramatic Company Travelled Two
Thousand Miles on fHe Clean Shirt,
| tFrom the New York STAR
l met Len Grover several weeks ago.
He is out of the dramatic race only be-
cause he has something more profitable
in hand.
Il may go back again, ,Cockey, said he /;
may 60 dead broke, you know, and if
do I'll try the dramatic field again-the
ouly one where fellow can get along
without capital"
without capital ?" asked in amaze
ment.
"Yes, without capital. My dear boy,
I've been carried all over this country
by my associate manager who engaged
a company with me, and yet who hadn't
dollar"
'But you thought he had ?"
eyes, and thought had good proof of
it," said Len.
"How?" l asked.
why, you see | wanted a backer
who'd be the money partner, the soiid
man of the firm, to take a dramatic
troupe over the routes. | went to an
agent who introduced me to solid
man, who put up the fares to take us
out of town."
"But you had further guarantees to
his solidity?"
Eyes, the best sort, / thought. l
asked my friend the agent how he was
fixed. First class said he. His father
is millionaire, and he always carries a
Doodle in his inside vest pocket. You
can see it bulge over his right breast.
1 looked closely and saw the prctuber
ance, and was satisfied"
"Well, how did it pan out?"
40, we got along swlmmingly. The
business was good at first and we made
| a little money en- route. So there was
| no need to call on our moneyed man.
| At the end of six weeks though, We be-
gan to thump around on the rocks. We
were on a wildcat route in Indiana, all
| one-nieht stands, and the business was
awful. Wewsnted money badly. l spoke
to my partner. He said it was tough,
didn't know how we'd get out of town,
feared we'd have to sacrifice our trunks,
and so on"
"You went for the boodle?"
Eyes. Invent for it. I told him now
| was the time for him to come to the
| front and put up the money to help us
out of hole and tide US over our diff
Guilty to glorious and prosperous fut-
| ure."
Then he produced, of course?" said
I, by way of helping the raconteur along
| in his story.
Producer" This with look of in
effable disgust. He asked me what he
was to pay it with. I touched the lump
on his breast. Pay 1T out of that said
1. This? What do you mean?' said
he. I mean that lump, that Doodle,
| said I, growing mad. Then he burst
| out laughing. Why, that amt Doodle,
said he. What is it then?' said 1. He
pulled it out, and guess what it WASP"
"Blest if [ can guess" said /.
"Why, it was clean shirt and collar.
He said he had no confidence in the
| company making go from the start,
| and was determined if he lost his trunk
he wouldn't be left without clean
shirt to walk home in"
THAT was sad"
"Sad? It was wonderful! 1t shows
the power of faith"
"How?'
"Why, we'd travelled 2,OOC miles on
that one clean shirt. Lived on it, my
boy; paid hotel bills with it, railroad
fares, hash, cocktails everything. Is
there any other business in which you
can accomplish so much or go SO far on
so little? l guess not"
/ guessed not, too, and agreed with
him that it is a good trade to 60 back
to when you're dead broke and can't
get a start in anv other line.