Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-06
LADIES OF THE BALLET.

Women who do this sort of work are tech
nically known as "ladies of the ballet" "
They do not dance; neither do they sing.
Their duty is simply to walk about the stage
as they are told and look pretty. Such labor
is quite within the capacity of the average
ribbon counter damsel, who, upon thus TAX
ing up the occupation as all amateur, be-
comes what is known as an extra girl"
Whenever play or spectacle requiring num-
bers arrives in town she presents herself
without delay at the office of the stage man
ager That Indispensable functonary looks
her over, aud, if she is fairly plump and well
favored, very likely accepts her services
For her time during rehearsals she gets moth
ing Her pay begins the opening night of
the piece and continues so long as it runs az
the ratio of S. or 50 a week. Compared with
shop wages this is ample remuneration;
added to tho results of her daily toll it is pos
tive wealth.
Most of the "eytra" young women in Bos-
ton are employed in the dry goods and other
shops Some are waiter girls i'll the restau-
rants. A few serve in the day time artists
models. These last are considered very de-
sirable by the managers. As a rule, they
have good figures and are Comely to look
upon. Accustomed as they are to posing,
nude or otherwise, before tho life classes at
the art schools, they entertain no prudish
scrupleS about appearing i'll tights. The
legitimate career of a female model here is u
brief one After she has attitudinzed few
times in each of the studios she is regarded as
too "staleN for further usefulness and, finding
herself deprived of this means of support she
is only too glad to secure an occasional dra-
matte engagement, ekinG out Il livelihood by
sitting in photographers atelicis for seduc-
tive cigarette aud other advertising pictures
This business, by the way, is carried on upon
an enormous scale by local manufacturers Of
sun pictures, who send millions of such photo
graphs all over the country every year.
TUE STAGE TRANSFORMATION.
By little iudcious coaxing the modest
beginner is induced to put on tho appropriate
toys The embarrassment of it soon wears
Off, and after two or three performances she
begins to thoroughly enjoy the ogling of the
mashers and bald headed men in the front
rows No woman can resist the fascination
OF being admired. 1t is the only pleasure of
which she can never have surfeit
But, "Cinderella,n thus transformed, is
very apt TO be of no use any more for or
binary purposes. She is demuraliZed by the
glitter and excitement Of the stage, The
work is easy and the pay-while it lasts-is
more than she eau earn by the hardest toll in
the shop. The drudgery by which she has
hitherto been accustomed to live is now
odious to her. She neglects tho 'stOre' to
hang about the theatre, and pretty soon she
is discharged by the firm. So long however, |
as her engagement lasts, she can afford to do |
nothing but play. Idleness brings more
and the chances are that she |
will not escape them all. She becomes in !
with the life. Her name is put |
down upon the stage managers books as one |
of the extra girls who, as semi-professiOn |
ais, are always ready 10 he called ON for |
service 1t is not likely that she will ever
rise any higher. With plenty of cheap tinery |
and few admirers, she is content to initiate
he veInal butterfly, living on from day to
day without thought of the future. Eventu-
ally she grows passee and drops out Of sight.
Such, at any rate is the fate of many a
young woman whom the glare of the foot
lights has once attracted.
There is quite a number of semi-professional
extra girls in Boston. Each theatre has
list of fifty or So, with a complete physical
description attached to every name. When
they are wanted they are sent for Tho
work is, of course, exceedingly precarious.
sometimes months will elapse with nothing
10 do Then big show comes along and
,alls out not only all the regulars, but also a
great many of the irregulars from the shops,
who are very willing to act for pocket
money and the fun Of the thing. Scarce any
raveing combination fetches many super
hither. They are easily obtained
nero at short notice, in any quantity that
nay be desired. 1t goes without saying that
visiting spectaclos and operas must always
ring full dancing halcts with them. At a
pinch, however, perhaps u dozen available
'orylih~'s may be picked up at amy time III