Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17
THE ACTORS HOODOO.
A Few Of the Prevailing superstitiOns
Of the Profession.
SAM VILLAS SCHEDULE OF FATE.
The Sad Result of Meeting Three Yellow
Dogs.
A BAND COMPOSED OF BASS DRUMMERS
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In profession noted for its superstitions
a man or woman must have an unusual re-
gard for the different omens consequent
upon good or i'll fortune to attract attention,
and such man is Sam Villa. According
to his schedule Monday is the only day
upon which an enterprise should be COM
menced, Tuesday means doubt, Wednes-
day continuous annoyance, Thursday
sure failure. Friday very bad luck,
Saturday, disappointment, while any buEi-
ness performed on Sunday is dire failure
from the start. To pass beneath ladder
gives him a fit of blues. Three lights burn
ing at once in a dressing room is sure death
to some member of the company or their
relatives. To ring the curtain bell at re-.
hearsal means bad house at night. As
the first thing a novice always does while
waiting around the stage is to fool with the
bell, Sam always places it out of harms
way before starting.
A cross-eyed man, or woman or any per-
son of either sex with a complimentary
ticket must not be allowed to enter the thea
ter until paid ticket presented by a map
has been placed In the ticket box. I have
known him to stand at a theater door and
hold back large party of ladies until man
had passed inside. Should a woman pass
into the house first, the business would be
''Jonahed' for the night.
THE YELLOW DOG HooDoo.
While on an errand of anv kind should
yellow dog pass in front of him, he would
abandon his visit or return to the starting
point and proceed by another route. To
see cross-eyed person looking at you is
sure disappointment. The more the eyes
are crossed the greater the disappointment.
While to be connected in any way with num-
Der 13 gives him an attack of chius and
fever.
He is always on the lookout for some bad
omen, and can find more cross-eyed people
and more yellow dogs in given space of
time than any other human being on earth.
His whole lie is rendered wretched by his
superstirions. One OF the best hearted fell
lows living, he drives away all his friends
by his constant irritability.
In the olden time he always carried a
band, and every actor was supposed to play
an instrument. One season the entire COM
pany had been engaged through an adver-
tisement in the Clipper, and all arrange
ments concluded by mail, but apparently
everything was satisfactory. While on the
way to the depot to meet his incoming COM
pany
THREE YELLOW DOGS
passed in front of him. Sam saw them all,
and when he reached the station he was in
a state of nervous excitement. What was
going to happen? Something. that he would
have sworn to, and he trembled like leaf
as he thought of the possibilities.
When the train arrived he
was conscious of a sense Of relief The
members were all good-looking and we'll
dressed. He proudly conducted them to the
hotel, he tried to throw off his presenti-
ments, but the yellow dogs were ever before
his mind. After dinner rehearsal of the
band was called to arrange the different in
struments, when, to Sans horror, out
of his eight men six declared that
their musical abilities were confined
to knowledge of the bass drum, !.
s'There," the disappointed manager de-
clared to his wife, 81 knew something was
going to happen when saw those yellow
dogs"
The next season the Villa letters to appli-
cants for positions bore in bold, black-faced
type the legend:
''P. S.AWe have bass drummer"
MORTON.