The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-19
The Mashcr Twenty Years Ago.

Fifteen or twenty years ago the stage
musher WAS as big nuisance as he is
to-day, although not so numerous, as
his opportunities were not SO great. i
well remember one who was one night
made the victim of several practical
jokes, gotten up at the hands OF
props and aided and abetted by the
stage hands.
The masher was the son of a wealthy
lawyer, and was dead gone on pretty
little Katie Mayhem, then in her teens.
He was heartily despised by all the
''supers, not because he was dangling
on the skirts of Miss Mayhem, for we
were all in love with her, but because
he wore such nice clothes and was able
to purchase jewelry and bouquets and
we were not. | think one of the hap
piest moments of my boyhOod days
was when she asked me to accompany
her home after the first act one night,
she being indisposed. l must have
grown at least two inches that night.
As | have previously remarked, this
all the Props. Mr.. Masher used to get
behind the curtain on any and every
occasion that presented itself, and when
practical joke, generally gotten up by
the Props.
Ono night / think we overdid the
business, as we ruined his suit of clothes
and almost broke his neck. On this
occasion he had been in the wings
about five minutes. waiting for Miss
M. to appear from the dressing room,
when Props espied him. The latter
picked up piece of set rock, went to
the property-room, gave it a fresh coat
of paint, and then, walking hurriedly
by where Mr.. Masher was standing,
managed to transfer the paint to the
back of his stylish coat. 1hepaint was
white, the coat was black, and the re-
suits accordingly. The accident"
was not noticed by the masher, as he
had become used to being jolted about
by the supers and actors, and he was
soon the object of sly winks and smiles
among the regulars on the stage.
The amusement prov oked by the joke
melted Props to another attempts, which
was successful, although it was almost
the means of causing the masher' 5
death. Props conceived the idea of
letting him down one of the traps, and,
selecting the one at the extreme upper
end of the stage behind the last run lit
being a double one about five feet long),
he opened it and placed a mattress at
the bottom to catch his victim.
When all was in readiness he sent
one of the supers to inform Mr.. Masher
that Miss M. wished to see him at the
other side of the stage. He started 10
comply with all haste. Love lent swift
ness to his feet, and a moment after
ward fear lent strength to his voice 1t
was very dark behind the last run of
flats, but he found the trap, neverthe-
less, and with an unearthly shrek he
sunk down, down, until he struck the
mattress, distance of only four feet.
Did you ever fall in the dark? YesP
Well, then you know how it is. The
trap was quickly closed by myself and
another boy, and when the stage man.
ager came back to see what was the
matter all was regular and quiet as the
grave.
never did learn how the masher
found his way out of the pit, as the on
iy exit was through a narrow door that
led into the back yard, which was al
ways kept closed unless one of the
traps were in use, but suppose Props
had arranged to let him out. We did
not see his highness behind the scenes
again for some time, and ever after
ward he gave US all a Vide birth.