Telegram-herald., 1886-05-09
SHOW STRUCK.
Experiences OF an Oid Variety MsE With
Peoais ANXIOUS 10 >hine : Advance
Agents aud Esubryo isooths.

Nes- we run up against some pretty
funny people ia the amateur theatrical line
said Mr T. l.. scribner 20 a reporter yester-
dag. As they sat ia the corridor of one of the
city hotels Mr. scnbner is rehearsing "a
comedy company 10 PLAY Paddy Doolans
Grandmother. or Paddy NooIans Goat.
or something of that sort. aud the conversa-
ton turned OF the many wouid-be theatri
cal people who are constantly turning up.
We receive application from such people
in every city" he continued. but |
think that Pittsburgh has the largest
amount of unrecOgnized talent
living arOlud loose of any
place know. There isn't a young man
in the country WHO doesn't think that he
would make a good advance agent and
about half OF them think the world is jus
waiting for them TO appear as comedians.
The percentage Of embryo Booths and For
rests i somewhat smaller, but there are
plenty OF them in the market. Not long ago
| had letter from young man IN Holy
0ke, Mass, who thought he could twist the
tail of the business mule in great shape "a
an advance agent He was a drug clerk,
and wrote that he thought he would make
a 'rattling good man. He had never had
any experience, but they kept the bill board
at their store and he had met most of the
advance agents and talked 10 them and
thought he could catch right on
| have had dozen young fellows
come to me in this city and offer
10 work the first month for nothing
if they could get started. l was with a
circus last summer, a small twenty five
cent show, which organized in the eastern
! art of the state. People were rather hard
10 get and We put IN a lot of new stock.
drivers, carvas.mcn and all that sort of
material. In just one month We didn't have
one Of them left The first wet day knocked
them out Some OF them sneaked off with
out even waiting for their pay. That is u
fact. rainy day never passes with a cir
Gus without them loosing some of their
people. Discouraged. ! suppose These
people have no idea of what show life is
until they try it. and then they find that il
takes just about as hard work to get bread
and butter that way as any other.
Il remember one dapper young dude
came 10 me in POttstOwn and wanted To
hire out as a ticket seller Have you ever
had any experience asked. No be
said. but know I'd be lightning man.
He was dry goods clerk. told him that
the show WAS a small one and that we all
tnrned in and did anything that came
dlfAiEf mat tue tiUNu ItABcI DNl up the
canvass and took care of the horses. that
the female bareback rider hung her blonde
WIZ up by the side of her cosmetic box and
tights and put on a big apron as cook. and
that the ticket seller might be called on "a
shovel coal, pound beefsteak, or drive
one Of the tent pole wagons lie
didn't stav. People sometimes ans
wer advertisements without having any
Of the requirements whatever. II
we're 20 advertise fora fine looking young
man who could sing well, ! should probably
get dozen answers tomorrow from young
men who imagine they are fine-looking. bur
couldn't sing at all. don't mean cOuldn'i
sing we'll but have never sang. ] adver-
tised for a bright boy who could stag. tc
take a light part for which / wanted him
not long ago. cat Of some twenty or thirty
replies there wasn't bnt two or three boy:
who could whistle a tune. SoWe of them
their mothers would bring i'm. aud be very
indignant because I didn't take them
There were ragged boys and we'll dressed
boss. dirty bows and clean bows and bright
BOYS and Chumps, and not more tian one
or two Of whom had the first requirement
for anything and they knew t, but stu
wanted the place.