Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-07-23
THE ''PROFESH.'
Interesting Yarns of Theatrical Life. Past
and Present
Freund's Music and Drama

Freund's Music and Drama.
Half the good things happening on the
stage are not put down in the bills, and
half the stories that are current among
the players and well known in theatrical
circles never reach the newspapers. l sat
up in my garden last night thinking of
old times, and as l scratched my head to
wake up my brain into action, thought
of number of yarns nd,things that have
never, so far as l know, reached the pub
lie. The more l scratched the more l
thought of, and being seized with an in
tense desire to give them away, l send an
assortment from which you may take
your pick.
Does any one remember Mauschel, the
dog? Mauschel passed his days in a I'm
ion square hostelry frequented some years
ago by certain class of players. He was
the homliest, latest, drolliest little imp of
yellow cur that ever knawed bone, but
good natured rascal, we'll liked and much
petted on account of his tricks. He would
at command, or at touch on the flank
from his master, stand on his head and
foreleg in the gravest and drolliest man
ner imaginable, and slowly turn as if on a
pivot, his awkward body and fat bowlegs
never failing to provoke shouts of laugh
Union Square Theater turned up missing
and they sent for Mauschel All he had
to do was to allow himself to be packet
in a valise and when the grip-sack was
opened on the stage he was to run in the
wings. 1t was a very simple act and
Mauschel performed admirably well at re-
hearsal. At night, however, things went
wrong. Mauschel was carried on in the
valise by George Baker, who went through
his preliminary business and hen opened
the bag. Instead of tumbling out and
running off the stage, however, fat little
Mauschel had crawled off in a corner of
the bag and had gone asleep, and when it
was opened he merely blinked one eve
lazily, stretched himself and prepared
for another nap. George shook the fat
little rascal out, but instead of running
off the stage, he sat down on his stub tail,
yawned generously and looked bored.
The audience vigorously applauded, and
the confused George poked Mauscel in the
flank with his boot and said soto voce:
Get out you brute!' Instantly Mauschel
changed his position and gravely stood
on his head, waving his bowed hind legs in
the air and preparing to do his grand piv-
OF act The audience howled and George
kicked poor Mauschel half way across the
stage.
Mauschel was never after the same dog,
and no bone was suculent enough to
bride him to repeat his acrobatic trick.
Bob Downing, of Washington, is so
affected by comic pictures and caricatures
that copy of Puck or The Judge throws
him into commissions of laughter. And
when big Bob Downing laughs he puts
his whole soul into it. and his lungs, too,
so that he nearlw raises the roof Bob
personated the villain in some blood
curdling melodrama or other few years
ago. in which that rascally gentleman's
hymenial plans are frustrated by the pro-
duction of a certificate of his former mar
rage at just the right time. One night, |
instead of the usual marriage certificate, |
the heroine confronted the villain with a
ridiculous caricature of the manager of |
the company. Bob, according to the cue,
snatched the folded document from her !
hands in feverish haste, tore it open and |
assumed the regulation look of despair, |
which instantly gave place to an express
sion or intense amazement. He endeav |
ored in vain to regain his composure, |
stammered' blushed, Numbered in his |
lines, and then exploded in guffaw of |
laughter and ran off the stage. The |
prompter, who was found to be the guilty |
artist, was fined his months salary for |
the trick. !
No less light than Charles Fetchter, |
having once forgotten the pistol with |
which he was to hold mob at bay, sided /
toward the wings and induced handy |
scene-shifter, who was smoking, to loan |
him his briarwood pipe. The mob rush
ed on, and the star, grasping the inverted /
bowl of the pipe. pointed the mouthpiece
at the mob and bade them 'halt.'' As he |
stamped his foot in emphasis the hot |
ashes and sparks from the pipe fell down
his ample sleeve and burned his arm, and
Fechter dropped the pipe and ripped out
an oath that sent the mob into hyterics of /
laughter, while the audience fairly shrek
ed
1t isn't generally known how Jack
Haverly came to go into the management
of MINSTREL companies. but as / am Civ
mig people away / might as well relate
this about Jack. He once struck Dutch
Hank Behmis poker room in Syracuse,
and he and Cal Wagner broke Hanks
bank. That night Jack asked Calls advice
about the disposition of his winnings, /
and Cal said ministries" Jack took the
advice, and has been in the minstrel biz
ever since.
-a- awrA