Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-11

wild beast, painted with fidelity to nature
attained only by those artists who paint side
show placards.
A COMFORTABLE CRAFT.
The boat is a bateau, 140 feet long aud 40
feet wide, upon which is built a cabin 13
feet high and 125 feet long, the extra Is feet
forming open platforms at each end. Under
this one cabin roof are a box Office,
three sleeping rooms, one dining room
containing a table that will accommodate 80
people, one kitchen, one sitting room for the
players a stage 80 feet wide, Is feet deep,
with an elevation of feet, and full sup
ply of drop scenes and flies, and lastly an
auditorium which will seat 300 people, and
when standing room is utilized will admit
400 to view the show Above, on the hurri-
cane deck, there is texas with parlor and
II staterooms, promenade and a pilot
house. The whole is decorated in the
lavish gingerbread ornamentation charac-
teristic Of Western water craft, ard makes
brave show with its stained glass windows,
white paint and gorgeous pictures.
The towboat Champion towed it from the
South last night and left it nose on 10 u
wharf at the dry docks, where it will lie
until an early date in august, at which
time the theatrical season on the river will
open, and the New Sensation, as the boat
is called, will again start down stream.
The troupe consists of from Is to "A peo-
pie, and as scenic accommodations are nee
essarily limited, and the audiences are of a
class who want a light diet in the matter of
amusements, nothing in the Shakespearean
line is attempted. The "show" is much
such as is given in frst-class variety houses
in the larger cities-a short play, or perhaps
a minstrel scene, as an introduction, fol-
lowed by an olio of singing, ventriloquism,
slack-wire walking, sleight of hand feats,
dancing and trapeze performances.
OPENING THE SEASON.
GAS a rule" said Mr. French, the owner
of the boat and manager of the aggregation
of theatrical talent, Eve make our start
early in May from Pittsburg, and work our
way down the river-never failing to go up
the Kanawha, where the coal miners, with
their whole families, will see the show if by
any possibility they can raise the money
as far as New Orleans We avoid the
cities and larger villages, tying up wher-
ever we see footpath leading down to the
water or a spire of a church through the
trees. The cities usually have amusements
of their own, but the little hamlets scattered
along the banks of the river have no pleas
ures besides an occasional singing school.
Wherever there is a church or footpath
there must be more or less scattered settle
ment, and anything in the nature Of a nov
city coming to one of these places will be
advertised by word of mouth through a
radius of ten miles in the course of day.
I'VE send out no advance agents and do
no advertising, merely tying up in the
morning and firing the little ten-pounder
there on the hurricane deck perhaps half
dozen times. Its boom echoing through the
hills will bring, people to us for miles
around. and no matter how deserted the
country may look, if the weather is at all
suitable, night will find 300 or 400 people |
trooping down the bank, some atoot, some |
on horseback, some in OK carts, as eager for |
the show as ever a school boy was for q |
circus.
ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCES.
And they make magnificent audiences. 4