New-York tribune., 1885-10-25
HARVARD BOYS ON THE STAGE
THEIR LIVELY PART IN ITALIAN OPERA.
EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCES AS "sUPEs . IN
THE BOSTON THEATRE

Boston "a small poorly lighted alley leading out
| of Tremontst. for about two hundred feet down
| to the back door OF tho Boston Theatre. The
place Is altogether deserted about o'clock In the
evening when carriages drive In tho darkness
carefully the doDr aud the stars OF the play aght or
perhaps q poor superDumerary, or supe" us De IL
called. creeps up stealthy to rumnate for few hours
on the useessness OF clothing his stomach with such
gorgeous tnsel without while leaving 1t empty within
to his sundry kicks and-25 cents for tie
evenings work. But about two weeks every year,
Mason alley at o'clock not 30 gloomy. The Italian
opera has come, and Patti and the Harvard freshmen
ready for their annual performance There prob
ably Just little place In New YORK wheFo
Columbia boys do just such things Only they enjoy
their opportunities longer. and they are not all fresh
men that are seen ut tAe Academy or Metropolitan
Orera House.
Tho back door OF the Boston Theatre in the opera
is besieged nightly at o'clock by about hity
Harvard freshmen They waving aloft theig supeI
tickets OF which hardly two arc alike and shouting Tor
admittauce The old ahaggy- bearded Ceiberus who
keeps the door occasionally opens with jerk and bis
long stick down the heads OF the too eager
At another time college dignity would be ms nteh put
here the boys bottle 1t up snd shout the more Pretty
| soon Finley head supe.' comes up the alley. His
pockets filed with cigars and quarters with which
the students sought TO favor; and es en- his
| stomach has been filed by the more knowing ones
Finley Ia now great man, and like Tom Sawyer Win his
whtewashed fence, he seizes the opportunity. and.
instead OF paying for their services he e'es copous
fees from tho freahmen for the privilege Of suping.
"Thems the only ticket for seiniramde' '" he says,
as he gives the unsus pecting youth yellow ticket
and pockets his quarter.
| Hush! Don't say 40, but fooled him. Here's wna'
you really waut" and he hands out =" sernranide
Ticket this time green one and pockets halt dollar
from the freshman who knows-no more than his friend
Finally Cerborps opens the door. and after few
preliminary cuts with his stick hc shouts Ten tall men
wanted for slaves"
The crowd press forward tiptoes.
THAT'S euough. Now ten pages"
Erery falls on his knees TO look small
Finally the necessary number Ia selected, entrey
without regard 70 tickets and the door Ia shut while the
remnant outside Shrek wildly Finley. who busy at
the tue dividing his receipts with Coreerus
| within.
| The next contest Is over the costumes. which are
delivered In itte stuhy room under the stage The
| freshmen po uie across the stage AMI down the
sars zach eager 10 secure first place Some are left
behind fallen In stage ditch. or bumped up against
| tree These thcn proceed slowly. More bribery and
| the costumes are procured
Shortly after getting pstairs again the ballet girls
and chorus OF Italian sonestresses descend from heaven
or the sky-loft The songstresses are forty ana odd
The freshmen waive thet The ballet girls are young.
beautiful. painted. They waive the freshmen.
one youth fresh than the rest whispers To his
friend, spoke to berF
spoke to wnomr replies tho friend, equally
| mysteronsly.
That one over there" pointing to leg and head on
| top OF another leg.
Really sol What did she ssyl'
| Get out. babyF
All of which Ia the usual experience OF q freshman and
e ballet gIrl.
One night after tiresome marching and couptermarch-
ing In rehearsal the curtain upon supes and all
certain person calmly gazing at the audience In
search OF friendly faces who might be there ut his debut
Ho suddenly observed furods gestcuatOns In the wing
opposite aud at the moment rcceved severe poke IN
| tho back.
what IL the matteri" he remarked considerably
| above whisper.
Yon banked Ittlo fool shut up aud come out OF thar
water" came from the WINS The freshman looked
| down inuoccnty II hs feet wero wet, but only
stage watcr encompassed bin. Though somcw
confused by the mUterngs from the wings and suudy
moro prods In the back he speedily recovered land.
The play WAS William Tell" and ut the moment the
tenor entered from mountau-brdge ut the back
followed by two Swiss peasants-iiarvard freshpeh OF
course One OF them (he notably cleany In MS
habits) led his sister, dirty little street ragainuhn
| by the hand across the bridge which was narrow.
She stumbled aud fell against him He was knocked on
the bridge landed about eight feet below, IN raging
mountain torrent He did not uind that In spite OF
loud mutterngs from the wings. but he did want 10
wash Immediately that hand which had go tendcry Ied
| his little sister"
Harvard boy gives the folIowing account oi LIS eA
perlences that night:
Just before the secoud act a long stick was given
me- and also what I should have called In infant days
toot horn the curtain with tnree companions
took sever n long patriotic steps into the middle OF
the stage and there we stood alone In the mountains
with the tenor lie proceeded to INFORM US py slhsmg
nned th. loot horn ON TO the stick We di the same.
and found my horror that we had been carrying III
these apparently peaceful utensils real spears ana ana
ught be arrested for carrying concealed Weapons Inc
latter came to pass: aud we were shortly 10 10
slay es That all right, but ala draw tpe Ine az
% 0tses Gdsen sn MSS sS S S
pcrlence IN this line lilo stool up against Pilar as
head bea "el Tel shot into the sky-o an apple with
arrow through II was thrown ON TO the stage rom
his head not into his pocket should have done but
the stage The two apples $ one n Win an urS arrow
obi, ous OF the applause OF the audience and the mis-
oruues Of aq amatsar Spe Poor Ts s,ny as eo %as
sequent upon this episode was sSht! reuious Id the
As il Is IN the story all this of avail We were
about TO be killed for Gesslers satisfaction Tell sang
profdndo that il time for prayer While Gessler
sang the brave Tell turned TO Gs gesticulatns ana
| ro nied us and then the imported commodity Of ten
Nuban coal black slaves came fOrwaid as ministers or
final sentence ten tall freshmen. 1 remember one
especially. tall, thin fellow He was placed IN tue
front rank he six feet In height, ana was
| auitc q nne specimen with his shield aud spear oh-
al he s was YS S To- Ssa SS PS and
there spens dvn1y not eight gnTa @ ng ,Ip
object But with his glasses In his pocket he was
nothing dauntcd by the situation. He never meant 10
suue again, and there ho In the middle oi the
STAGE where no ono would dare stop him. He deter
mned Patti at any cost aud Ia spite o. voey :"
desparing oaths from the wings, he calmly uepCstou
spear and shield tho floor, took from his coa hu
inncnse pair OF gold rnmed sIeetacles ana put them
ON ms nose with air. They shone ike huEe
dlamOnds on his black face He took up his spear anu
| shield again bnked once twice IN comcH inahher,
ana nj last saw Patti lie looked through pretty blue
air, however. bat there was nothing u pe done.
audience appreciated the Joke, but he never Supeo
HUT all this time Gcsser bal not deprived us OF our
s,,cs nj tnnt horns WITH these began TO wage the
| accustomed life and death struggle. anu according W
the opera TO grind Gesslers mereensrts INTO par
touar dust Only the other side forgot To be gro o1ni
It was battle real earnest and when In despair co
curtain rung down. the swiss we're not moo
ing free TO the mountains over the bodies oi Auolaoe
| and Nubans. as the programme eataiieu l. on @ sno