Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-12-25
BEHIND THE SCENES.
Jack Halliday's Christmas Panto-
mime and His Fairy Queen.

This little tale opens in the year 1889,
in the month of December. 1t was q
tempcstuous month, the snow falling
fast and thick, and the bowling wind
laid il up in all kinds of fantastic heaps
in the thoroughfares of old New York,
for it was old even then, nearly fifty
years ago, at the time when Forty-third
street was in the country, when stages
started from Cortlandt street for Phila-
delphia and Barclay street for Boston,
the latter taking their route along the
old Boston road, which coursed its way
along where Harlem is nova thrifty
inhabited district.
In this month of December, 1889, the
talk of the town was the Christmas
pantomime at Niblo's Garden. VauX-
hall Garden, then at the corner of Third
street and the Bowcry, had no attrac-
tions; its music hall and little summer
alcoves We're bathed in snow. Castle
Garden, with its concerts, opera and
fireworks, was covered with the white
robe, and the Geological Garden in the
Bowery offered little inducement for the
holiday pleasure seekers. Niblo's with
its pantomime was the rage-the sensa-
tion of the hour. Even Jim Grow
Rice" then in the height of his fame,
sank into insignificance at the approach
III "the Christmas pantomme," and
thousands out of New Y ork City's popu-
lation looked forward to the good old
English festival. The aged, with per-
haps recollections of Grimaldi, could re-
call many snerry laugh they enjoyed
from him in the past, but now, in this
cold December month, they united with
the young to welcome the clown, with
his gibes, his gambols, his songs and
his flashes of merrimcnt that would "set
many table on roar"
Theater Alley was situated in the
year 1889, as it is now, in the rear of
Park Row. To-day it's hive of indus
try; but half century ago it was nest of
tenants--an ill-paved, ill-lightcd abode
of misery. In Il room at the summit of
one OF these houses, a room somewhat
bare of furniture, but neatness in it
that gave it the appearance of genteel
poverty, sat Jack Halliday, the clown, a
demure, grave looking man of about
forty years. On the table before him
were spread sundry sheets of paper. He
was intently scanning them over, and
at times crossed out certain lines or
words, or inserted others with his pen.
By the aid of the light from the dim
candle one could read on these papers:
First Comic Scene Bakers and Under
takers Shops; Old woman with baby to
come on left; Man to change into skele-
ton, to come out of undertakers; boy
-ink tn. ,;..l,s
butcher with basket and leg of mutton
IN it; fop with split coat; man with
dummy head, left; look out for
Harlequin's leap through under
takers window, pull down flap;
gone to kingdom come; look out for
Panialoon's leap; pull down flap when
he 5 through the window; old "enough
TO know BETTER" stand by for clowns
leap; when he's through pull down flap.
"Iao funny for a corps" -crash--noise
"a rally -mob-fight-send everybody
oyer-plenty of fish, carrots, turnips,
ETC.; when stage cleared, whistle on
scene second. No author ruminated
more over his manuscript than did Jack
Halliday over those papers; he altered
them again and again with as much
care as Cabinet Minister would in
drawing up the draft OF some State pa
Pers that might decide the fate OF
Ministry-what Halliday, the clown,
was arranging, would, in great meas
ure, decide the fate of the great Christ
mas festival, To read the funny sem
tences he wrote, to look at the sad,
earnest expression of the writers fac to
cast glance around the room in the dim
light, spare of furniture, as 1t was with
Its plastic walls decorated with cheap
pictures Of bygone harlequins, panta-
looms, columbines, spritcs and clowns,
presented weird and grotesque picture.
Halliday, the jester, was preparing
and arranging in mcthodical stage busi-
ness 1.-THE comic scenes" of the panto-
mime, which in the old genuine panto-
mime days was solely under the inven-
tive genius and management of the
clowns. So absorbed was Halliday in
his task that II was some time before he
heard low, clear musical voice call out
"Falhorl" II WAS then he arose from
bs papers a9d quietly walked in tAO dl,