The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-04-30
NO. 877
PLAYING IN AN ILLINOIS VILLAGE.
An Experience that Recalls Old Barn
StOrming Days.

An experience LnaG recalls DID Barn
Storming Days.
A Chicago manager who had just returned
from trip ON the road with comedy COM
pany tells us his experience in small Illinois
town where he made a date by mail merely
to fill in the unoccupied time between the
larger cities. The town had been eIaborately
billed, and seats had been ON sale for a week,
yet when the company arrived not one ticket
had been disposed of
"How do you account for this?" asked the
manager of the merchant at whose store the
plan of the house was spread
Why" was the reply, "you charge fifty
cents. Our people never go as stiff as that
When the manager went to look at the hall
he found room capable of seating perhaps
200 persons. 1t was heated by two large
stoves at the rear and ventilated by several
broken. windows. The scenery which the
company carried was made low for emergen.
cies, but still it was just twice too high. Thf
ceiling was eight feet above the stage and the
scenery was sixteen feet high, and there was
pillar square in the center of the stage.
"How about music?" asked the manager.
"What music@ asked the proprietor.
"Why, our piece is full of singing We
have to have an orchestra Our contract
calls for an orchestra"
"Does it:" said the proprietor, very much
as If he wasn't just sure what an orchestra
might be-
us there an orchestra in towns" asked the
manager
"Guess not Never heard o. one here"
"Well, you must get piano, then"
"Piannerl There amt one in town"
That settled the music question, so the man.
ager turned his mind on the vexing question
of putting quart Of scenery into pint
measure of stage space, and finally ended by
concluding to play without scenery.
When the night came the manager entered
the hall and found dozen boys and men
standing around one of the stoves.
"Well, said the manager, dts 7:30; we'll
open the doors now;" and he passed among
the men and boys to take up their money.
"Tm the fireman." said the first; II tend
the stoves"
II roll up the curtain" said another, and
so oit-some were ushers, some had peddled
bills, some carried water for the actors.
"What do you doc" said the wearied mana
ger to stalwart looking chap sitting behind
the stove.
"Me!"
eyes, you"
II amt right in my head, was the answer.
'No," put in several of the bystanders;
"that's so, he amt; he amt got no sense"
and they seemed to think that ought to settle
all dispute about his right in the hall. And
it did
At s o'clock not a soul had come to the
door. About ten minutes later man came
up, showed a tin star on his breast, said he
was the marshal and walked in. In five
minutes more five men, five women and
string of children came, announcing that
they were the village board and families,
Behind them came a few persons who offered
sums ranging from nickel to quarter to
get in, and one man came up and actually
planked down whole half dollar with reck-
less air, but not word.
"Just imagine if you can,' says the man
ager, chow all this struck me- My company
was composed of fastidious ladies and gentle
men, who were costing me in the neighbor
hood of $1,000 a week"
Well, the curtain went up and the play be-
gan, but it had not gone far when the fellow
warranted not to be fright in his head" fell
off the front bench in foaming fit.
"Jes' stop yer play a minute" said one of
the trustees, "hell be over it pretty soon.
He has 'em every little while"