Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-23
sroar OF A sTaae.sTauck NAN.
The Experiences Of Season on the Road
In q Comic Opera Chorus
Ee,e York Ssu-.


the inner life of the show businessf said Q
dapper young man to the reporter. "Well,
I'm Just the one who can give you the
straight tip as to roughing it on the road.
Ever since was boy have had han.
kering after the show life, and couple OF
years ago, while was engaged in a church
choir, felt the fever coming on mighty
strong. ! began to cultivate an acqualn-
lance with theatrical people, and almost be
fore knew it had signed contract with
comic opera company for forty weeks
engagement was to receive SlS week
besides travelling expenses and had hgur-
ed out how was to do the country, and
have few hundr d dollars saved up when
we disbsnded in the spring. Everything
seemed rosy; there was sn air OF business
about all the details, for the contracts were
drawn up BY well-known agent, and al.
though the chorus was mostly com posed OF
amateurs like myself, the principals we're
public favorites, and well up in their several
lines.
1T was about the middle Of August, 50
we had abouttwo weeks in which to rehearse
our parts The theatres were vacant at the
time and we had little difficulty in getting
a stitable place. Although our sepertolre
consisted OF several comic operas, we were
to be put through only two, the others being
rehearsed while on the road. Ii was here
the real trouble began. The chorus was
painstaking and quick to learn, but the
principals, who were blown up with self
sufficiency, seldom appeared together at the
u rhA1 mo
debut in small town in Jersey one OF the
men who had boosted he knew the whole
thing, word for word, forgot his lines. We
had struck our first snag, and the local pa
pers gave US a poor send off the next day.
But enjoyed the life. The gilt had not
vet worn off the business for me, and had
conquered all traces OF nervousness. The
only thing we were afraid to face was the
empty benches, aud we saw plenty OF them
until we got into Pennsylvania. The boys
were a Jolly, devil-msy care lot OF fellows
| and we had not been two weeks on the road
before had blown in the little sum of money
| | had stored away for an emergency. Then
until again set foot in Brooklyn, | hardly
knew what il was to have dollar IN my
pocket.
AS soon as the manager got his clutches
on the door receipts, they were sent Oh to
the banker in New York. OF course the
| principals, whose reputation made them IN
dependent, got their salaries; but the chorus
| and the rest OF US got nothing but promises.
| 1t did not matter how good the houses were,
we were always told we would be paid IN
| full as soon as we struck good business.
| Our travelling expenres had to he paid, as
| we'll as the board bills; bat We never had
the money in our own hands When we
struck q stand, the manager would make
Arrangements with some lllrd.class hotel to
board the chorus The principals, who had
Il e sp-nGing OF their oSn money never pm
I'd al The same hotel with Us, and don
| blame them.
Why didn't We kick? What was the use
We were far away from home without
cent in our pockets, and as long as We stay.
ed with the show We had something to eat and
a place TO sleep Some Of the members
who could afford it telegrsphed home Tor
enough to take them back 10 New York,
while others slipped into rival companies
! and took their chances of jumping from the
irving pan into the fire. We thought OF
nothing but schemes to raise the wind, and
there wasn't crook in the country who was
80 full of ways that are dark and tricks that
are vain as we. Some curried favor with the
principals and managed in that way to
squeeze the box, while others brlbed the
stage manager TO discount their notes, But
| the best of all Was the box office racket II
was this way. You see, man would buy
| sometLing-an umbrella. vAlise, or any
article he iked-and enter int IN agree
ment with the storekeeper TO take 1t bach
for consideration. Then 1t would be sent
to the box office with the Dill. This psnned
out immensely until one day when we were
| in Galveston Jonah sent a coon IN with
mule, upon which there Was 500 dollars to
be paid. That was working it little too
much, and the manager shut right down on
il there and then. We never got anything
so good atterward, although Jerseyman we
had with u.s. pretty hard dnnkerr hestated
at nothing when he wanted drink. One
! afternoon, while we were rehearsing, he
rushed into the green room clad only IN an
| oilskin suit all smeared with paint and tar.
| lie told the manager he had been taking
swim Of one of the docks and some sailors
| in skiff had stolen his clothes and left the
jumper and over alIs in their place. de was
drunk for three days and when the manager
asked him how be got such line New York
clothes in Texas he never winked an eye.
THE manager thought Of nothing but
making money, and after the treasurer hao
skipped with the receipts one night, he be
came harder than ever on the company
| For weeks we had nothing but one-night
stands. and when the cities were hundred
or more miles apart We mad no sleep excepi
what We got on the cars At first We thought
that hen the last train LETT before the show
was over we would have !uH night rest
but We soon found that the engineer had re-
ceived extra pay to keep the train waiting
| for ne. We got our meals n the some hap
hazard way IS our sleep We'd telegraph
! ahead 10 the next station for 50 many covers
and az there wasn't time for any examine
ton they didn't care what they served
Sometimes the dinner was good, but the
| temp'srion to cheat was 80 strong that we
soon began TO anticipate it, and seldom got
what we wanted. The empty dishes were
| left al the following station, whence they
we're returned TO their owner. When the
dinner was particularly bad, the plates usu.
ally met with some accident
After being on the road some seven
moths We disbanded at Philadelphia, al
glad % be dropped 50 near home. ! was al
broken up. Instead Of being recuperated
BY the travelling | was sick in body and
mind from hard work and disappointment:
We we're promised settlement in full, aud
instruct,d 10 cali st certain place in New
York for our statements After charging
me for many things had never heard OF
and over $lUO for bus hire they figured
that there we're few dollars coming 70 me.
called couple OF times, but neveTgot 1t.
The Jerseymsn found himself IN debt 10 the
manager and I'm afraid be never paid up
But hard as it was on as, it was worse
for the poor girls Many Of them aIlured
by the tempting salary, gave up their places
in churches and left happy homes and moth
ers, some through poverty, others through
| ambition. II was hard situation for limo