Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-22
PLEASURES OF BARN sToRMlNG.
Experience of a Fly-by-Nisht Company
With "Cncle Toms Cabin"


More than twenty-five years ago 1t was
my fate to be member Of a "band of stroll
ling players"-a company of barn stormers
doing the northwestern country in the
small towns way back from the railroads,
said husky voiced actor. There were seven
of US, two ladies and five gentlemen-per-
NIT the term-al necessarily lightning
change artists" Our repertoire included
Hidden Hand" "Ten Nights in Bar
room," '"rhe French Spy" ada Isaacs
Menken's great play, and last-always
last-"Uncle Toms Cabin" l say always
last. We never dared to produce this play
except on the last night in town. With
but seven people to do the more than
twenty characters called for by the cast, the
reason why we played "Uncle Tom" as a
tailender will be too obvious to require ex-
PLANTATION.
Our Little Eva was perhaps thirty-fve,
but small for her age" and she delivered
the gushing lines in true baby style, dying
at the end of the second act amid applause,
tears, red fire, tremolo, music and show
curtain But she was versatiie-more SO
than the Infant Phenomenon" She
served as Eliza Harris, Aunt Chloe (behind
wing, Topsy and Cassie and looked as
old or as young as necessary under the
circumstances.
The other lady did Mrs. Sinclair Aunt
Ophelia, Emeline, Il few odds and ends and
let down the curtain if necessary.
Fortunately for the 'fy-by-night" par
ties of that time the characters of this
play die off at the end of each act to give
place to new set of characters at the be-
ginning of the next act 1t gives the COM
pany a chance to change their wigs, take
off a set of whiskers-in fact. make up"
for the next part.
l have played nearly every part in the
play lat different times except Eva. One
evening the infant was ''indisposed" and it
was sought to press me in for the little
darling" But positively refused unless
some of my long overdue back salary
was forthcoming. Even this stroke did
not bring the salary. The ghost had long
since ceased to walk with us, and it could
not be induced to appear on this occasion.
l was expected to do about twelve of
the characters, sometimes including Aunt
Ophelia, the lady who did this part being
in the habit of being 'indisposed."
OF course we carried our own scenery
and mechanical effects" which consisted
principally of scene intended to represent
the Ohio river in midwinter. This scene
was light blue in color, and a very uncer-
tain streak divided the water from the sky.
We also had low four wheeled truck,
with a board nailed to one side of it and
painted to represent a cake of ice. This was
for Eliza Harris and her child to escape to
Canada on.
When it came to the end of the piece and
Uncle Tom dies to slow music, red fire and
an allegory of Eva in heaven, the audience
in many places was uncertain whether the
drama was ended or not. There were at
least seventeen acts in it, the curtain hav-
ing been let down many times, wholly for
the purpose Of giving the few surviving
characters a chance to change.
When the audience did not arrive and
depart at the end of the play it usually fell
to my lot to step in front of the green cloth
curtain and make this announcements:
Ladies and Gentlemen-Owing to the
fact that all the characters OF the drama
have died, disappeared or been otherwise
disposed of with the exception Of Gump
ton Cute and Marks, the lawyer, we
find it obviously impossible to carry the
story on any further. However, if it is de-
sired, in order to carry out the authors
original design, the two living characters
will fight duel and the survivor will COM
NIT suicide. [Applause.l
The curtain is again rung up, the duel
fought, Cute dies. Marks cuts his throat
with penknife, lays down and dies. But,
owing to the fact that Uncle Tom is in the
midst of his washing up" there is no one
to let down the curtain. Marks reyives,
arises, lets down the green cloth, slow
music Off any and departure of the audi
ence perfectly satisfied-apparently.-Ex-
change