Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-29
County Officers.
ANIMALS ON THE STAGE.
The Modest Parts Which Birds, Beasts,
and Fishes Take in Drama. q

ANIMALS On HE SIAGE.
The Modest Tarts Which Birds, Beasts,
and Fishes Take in Drama.
A little dried-up man, who might be,
looking at him from different points,
anywhere between so and 100 years
old, keeps an animal and bird fancier's
store on Fulton street. His long life
among what he calls his pets has given
him a most curious voice, 1t changes
in sound ard intonation rs he talks to
the different animals. His CONVERSE
ton with the Newfoundland dogs is
carried on in a deep bass, while a shrill
treble answer the singing Of his cana
rics. For forty years this man has
bought and sold birds, fish, and four
legged animals, and during that time
has dealt with Il variety of people. An
ecdotes are his chief delight, and 4
Times reporter happened in upon him
the other day just in time to hear one.
The old fancier was reading an advcr-
tiscment calling for az eagle tor use on
the stage, and in a short time had an
swercd it, offering a bird.
.'Theaters," said he, lifting his
parcllment-like face from 4 writing
desk, ''are my best customers, although
you wouldn't think it. 1t isn't long
since real animals began TO be used on
the stage, but the great improvement
in scenery made it necessary. just
think Of having il clump of woods on
the Stage and no birds in it, and the
old mans face expressed much disgust.
s!What are they used for? Wen, q
good many things. In the Kerry
Cow, now, some carrier-pigeons are
sent off in the race-track scene to carry
home the news OF the victory. When
Youth WAS brought out at Wallack's
theater l;sold Il lot OF canary birds for
the scene on the river, and maybe
you remember how pretty they sound
ed"
Have you had any demand lately?"
''Not since about II year ago. Then
young fellow, who had Il play with d
scene Of a bird-store in it, came here
and bought the birds. He got some OF
nearly every kind, and when the show
broke up | bought them back. That
young man said then that the only
tulItS tldI IluuC mn Sluu ilc 1alIcI was
that he could get rid. OF those birds.
He never had SO much trouble over
anything in his life before. But the
largest demand | ever had %foranything
tor the stage was for fish. You needn't
look as if YOU didn't believe it, because
it's SC. The Back Crook was run
ming ut NiDlo's Garden, then under
Jarrett & Palmer, and the hlraliy
Brothers wanted to have Il lot OF mer-
maids on the stage. SO built some
water tanks" and he pointed to four
glass tanks, each three feet high, four,
feet long, and about O. loot Wide;
s.rhose are the very ones. Well, we
tillcd them with water, put several
hundred fish and Il lot Of shells and
coral in them, and then stretched them
across the stage on Il long t%r"p-door.
All the stage back Of them was clear
ed, and. there the 'mermaids' walked
around. Eacl! OF them had Il long
iishy tail fastened on, and this tail
stuck up above The level OF the tanks.
The mermaiUs All struck out as though
they We're swimming, aud the effect
from the audience WAS very iire. Pau
l;ne Markham was the fairy, and had
10 walk up from tie water, but, bless
your soul, she never got wet. just
walked up q little ladder back of the
tank, ana there she was"
bat how did you even get the tanks
back?:n
''l'hat's the best part Of The whole
story" and The old mans face became
Il huge wrinkle as he tried to laugh.
Il had tod IND carpenter all along
that the trap door wusn't strong
enough TO hold AL that water, and one
line evening, Just before the curtain
Went W, the whole thing broke down.
The merinulds were all down under the
stage ana the shock knocked them
down, the water flowed all over them,
and the poor fishes got down their
necks and frightened some OF them
almost to death. After that | bought
back the iron frames, put new glass in
them, and there they ure.
do you see that owl over there?
We'll, that bird has died 1850 times,
shot in the head every time, 900. He
belonged to a theatrical COMPANY that
broke up, and ali he had to do was to
sit on Il stone and be Shot. When The
gun was fired somebody from behind
would pull him on the stone"
The old man had done Il large bus
mess, he said. in selling laD-dogs, cats.
and large tame birds i0r use in draw
in@-room scenes. lie eagle that he
had Just agreed to sell would. he
thought, be tH1lTit to sit on the b0uwI,