New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-10-14
Story Ofs a Stage-Struck Man.

From the New York Sun.
$50 you want to know something
about the inner life Of the show busi-
nesss'' said 9 dapper young man to
the reporter t1WelI Pm just the one
who can give You the straight tip as
to roughing it on the road.
Ever since I was a boy have had
a laundering after the show life, and a
couple of years ago, while was en-
gagged IN a church choir, felt the fever
coming on mighty strong began to
cultivate an acquaintance with theat-
rical people, and almost before knew
it | had signed contract with com
ic opera company for a forty weeks
engagement was to receive $18
week besides travelling expenses, and /
had 1t figured out how was to do the
country and have a few. hundred dol
lars saved UP, when we disbanded in
the spring. Everything seemed rosy;
there was an air OF business about all
the details, for the contracts, were
drawn up by a well-known agent, and,
although the chorus was mostly COM
posed of amateurs like myself, the
principals we're public favorites and
well up in their several lines.
cit was the middle of August, so we
had about two weeks in which to re-
hearse our parts. The theaters were
vacant at lifetime, and we had little
difficulty in getting a suitable place.
Although our repertoire consisted of
several comic operas, we were to be
put through only two, the others be-
ing rehearsed while on the road. It
was here the trouble began. The
chorus was painstakingan quick to
learn, but the principals, who were
blown up with self sufficiency, seldom
appeared together ait the rehearsals;
and when we made our 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 papers gave us q poor send-off
the next day.
"But l enjoyed the life The gilt
had not yet 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,
and we saw plenty of them until we
got into Pennsylvania. The boys
were a Jolly, devil-may care lot of fel-
lows, and we hadnot been two weeks
on the road before I had blown in the
little sum of money Ihad stored away
for an emergency. Then until I again
set foot in Brooklyn, I hardly knew
what it was to have dollar in my
pocket.
AS soon as the manager got his
clutches on the doorreceipts they were
sent off to the hacker in New York.
OF course the principals, got their sal
aries, 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 bust
ness. Our travelling expenses had to
be paid, as well as the board bills; but
we never had the money in our own
hands. When we struck stand, the
manager would make arrangements
with some third-class hotel to board
the chorus. The principals, who had
the spending Of their own money, new
er put up at the same hotel with us,
and didn't blame them.
"Why didn't we kick. What was the
use? We were far away from home
without a cent in our pockets, and as
long as we staid with the show we had
something to eat and a place to sleep.
Some of themembers who could afford
it telegraphed home for enough money
to take them back to New York, while
Others slipped into rival companies
and took their chances OF Jumping
from the frying-pan into the fire. We
thought of nothing but schemes to
raise the wind, and there wasn't a
crook in the country who was so full
of ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain as We Some cur
ried favor with the principals, and
managed in that way to squeeze the
box, while others bribed the stage
manager to discount their notes. But
the best of all was the box-office rack
ct. It was this way. You see, a man
would buy something an umbrella, a
valise, or any other article he liked
and enter into an agreement with the
storekeeper to take it back for a. con-
sideration. Then it would be sent to
the box office with the bill. This pam
ned out immensely until one day when
we were in Galveston Jonah sent a
coon in with a mule, upon which there
was $65 to be paid That was work
ing it a little too much, and the man.
ager shut right down on it there and
then. We never got up anything so
good afterward, although a Jerseyman
we had with us, pretty hard drink
er, hesitated at nothing when he want
ed a drink. One afternoon, while we
were rehearsing, he rushed into the
green-room clad only in an old oilskin
suit smeared with paint and tar. He
told the manager he had been taking
a swim off one of the docks, and some
sailors in skiff had stolen his clothes
and left the jumper and overalls in
their place. He was drunk for three
days, when the manager asked him
how he got such fine New York clothes
in Texas he never winlsed an eye.
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