The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-13

W o can stand on equal terms with those of
the old world, but in the matter of chorus
girls our beloved country can, or as far as
my observation goes, give TIE rest of the
| civilized world a fair start and beat them
with hands down. Not only are the domes-
tic goods fairer to look upon and much more
graceful in form and face than the imported
articles, but they are, as a rule, better and
nicer girls and quite peg or two above
tie foreigners in the delicate matte of
morality. | am inclined to think that the
American chorus girl bears the burden of
| more imputed sins than should be rightfully
laid uuoA her shoulders. There are any
quantity of black sheep in the flock though
not by any means more proportionately
than in other ranks of the dramatic profess
SION but the average girl who wears tights
and more or less of bright colored silk
bodice Is hard working, d. cent little body
whose greatest ambition in life is to attract
the managers notice and to ascend to the
blissful hight of speaking part. to even
tually reach the Walhalla in which the
principals" pass their days.
/ dom, know why it should be So but
Boston supplies a larger proportion of the
chorus than any other city of equal size,
and they do not wear spectacles, either.
Baltimore used to be the favorite supply
store, as It were, Of crude caorus material,
bat latterly The modern Athens has usurped
the place Of the southern city, though the
latter can point proudly to such graduates
from its ranks as the Grub girls-Lilly of
that name especially.
The Office of any manager of comic opera
in New York is at all hours of the day
haunted by women, young and old, VINO
wish to escape from the hum-drum Of their
daily life lnJo the Sc timentally exaggerated
brightness and excitement of stage-work.
They are content to begin at the lowest
round of the ladder, many Of them, indeed,
have no ambition to climb furi her, and with
this end in view they are seeking an inter
view with the powers that be. This is
never difficult to obtain, for every mana
ger is always o the lookout for ew and
desirable material for his amazon
marches" or Merry Village Maidens," and
it takes but a very few moments for the
experienced eye to tell whether or not there
is a chance Of the applicants doing Ed
Rice, who is credited by his fellows with
faculty for picking up the prettiest and
most shapely chorus girls, has queer little
Office on Broadway, Lot far from Thirty
second street, though for the past few
months he has been seldom in it, but has
been travelling around the country with his
various companies. Here during The sum-
mer the applicants flock, and sitting be-
hind bis de,H, in the plainly furnished
apartment, which might, from all appear
ances, as well be the alb de of n lawyer as
of a burlesque manager, the only profess
slonal looking piece OF furniture being q
rather battered upright piano. The girls
hail from various classes Of society. Some
are sbop-Girls Who think any hardship Of
theatrical life must 3 better than the
drudgery Of the ore; Othe are girls who
have had some musical training at one of
the many so-called ''conservatorlesn in this
city. and who, despariag If the grand
opera engagement to which they originally
s.1gif,l.r THAR nj
that $40 a week is better than nothing;
Others, again. but they are in the minority,
are professionally vicious and look on tue
stage merely as a channel which shall
afford them even better opportunities of
acquiring lll-gottan gain than their present
mode of lie. Their cases are soon disposed
of, for the experienced manager can read at
a glance tho social status Of any one of the
applicants.
Mr.. Rice's interview with each girl is
short aud business like. After he has a. ked
the name and former occupation, he asks
her to remove her cloak, and il trice be
has summed up her physical advantages or
disadvantages. TIE face, as long as the
features are tolerably regular, is not Of so
much account as the hight and develop
ment Of the form. The applicant may be
either too short or too tall, AID in either
case IS rejected at once. trhe over the
medium hight is the ideal stature, and an
erect carriage and Ell! proportioned figure
are essential Surprising these claims TO
consideration TO be possessed by tho appi-
cant, she is asked 10 give evidence OF the
possession Of a fitting voice. "Sit down &C
the piano and sing says Mr. Rice
"slug anything. | only want to hear tho
quality of your voice and If uece ssry, bs
Will play the accompaniment himself, for
ne can harmonic any tune OF which tho
air IS given 20 him. lie only h ars q bar Or
two, fad then gives bis decision. II Il is
favor lble, the girl is offered a trial engage
ment a. s. or 81 week, 10 be Subsequently
increased 70 80.
WIat occurs in Rica's oaico is 90 be seen
IN the sanctum Of Aransoa, James {. DuY,
John A. McCaull AID other shining tights
Of the comic operate world, varied, Of
course. by circumstances, but in no case do
any improprietiei occur or are any limited
at. IL Is purely business transaction and as
such regal ded by the manager. The life
of chorus girl in active work is by no
means bed Of roses At II O'clock she has
10 be at the theater for rehearsal. which
may continue until 4 or o'clock in tue
afternoon, with but half-an-hour's interval
in the middle of the day. At sac is back
at the theater again. and there remains
grnvitaung between the stage AID her
dressing-room, which later sac shares with
a dozen or 80 Of her comrades, until II
o'clock. She may have 10 change her COS.
] tune three or four times or even more in