Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-23

important points OF the town. VIZ, the nocei,
the postoffice and the barber shop. 1t fell to
my duty, being an adept with the brush, to
write, or rather paint these advertisements
The plays were acted III costume, but without
scenery or curtain. The nightly receipts were
small-iust about enough to get us from place
to place.
.tOur objective point was the town Of Lib
erty, Miss; but there was some difficulty in
getting there, as the distance was greater
than we could accomplish in a day. A farmer
who had been to the theater the night before
for the first time in his life WAS so struck by
the performance that he proposed to have his
teams brought in and take Us to his farm
house, about twenty-five miles distant Ac-
cording to his suggestion we we're to rest for
a day. give an entertainment in his barn, and
80 go on to Liberty.
"sBut,' said my brother, you tell me there
is no other house there but your own. What
shall we do for an audienceP
"'Well,' said the farmer, all my family
will come, to begin with, and there is dozen
or more on 'em; then there's eight or ten
farmhouses close by, and if one of your men
will drive there with my son and blow the
horn, they will all come, for there amt one
on em ever seen play before I'll insure
you full barn
$50 the matter was settled. and we act
ually played in barn, the house that we
staid in being the only one in sight Itseemed
in vain to look for an audience in such a
lonely place, but the farmer was right. Soon
after the sun had gone down the full harvest
moon rose, and by ito dim light we could
family see family groups of people, two, and
sometimes three, on horse, coming from all
directions over the hill-now a wagon with a
great load. Some of them walked, but all
were quiet and serious, and apparently won
dering what they were going to see.
''Those who have travelled through the
southern states will perhaps remember the
kind of barn we acted in; there were two log
houses joined together, with an opening be-
tween them, which was floored and covered
in. The seats were arranged outside in the
open air-benches, chairs and logs The
double barn on each side was used for dress
ing rooms and for making entrances and ex-
its, while the opening was devoted to the
stage. The open air was we'll filled, contain
ing an audience of about sixty persons.
Our enthusiastic admirer, the farmer, col.
lected the admission fee, dollar being
charged and freely given. The plays were
The Lady Of Lyons and The Specter Bride
groom The farmer had supplied US liberal
ly with candles, so that the early part Of the
entertainments was brilliantly Illuminated,
but the evening breeze had famed the lights
SO fercely that by the time the farce began
the footlights were gone The little flaming
ministers had all sputtered out, SO The
Specter Bridegroom was acted in the moon
light.
sit was curious to watch the effect Of
strong emotional play like The Lady Of Ly-
ons' upon an audience that had never seen a
drama before; they not only were much in
terested, but they became excited over the
trials of the hero and heroine; they talked
freely among themselves and, at times, to
the actors. One old lady insisted that the
lovers should be allowed their own way
and stalwart young farmer warned the vii
lain not to interfere again If he knew what
was best for him."