The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-04-16
THE ANT1-TIGHT LAW.
AN ATTEMPT TO OBEY THE THE
ATRICAL LAW IN MINNESOTA.

Operntic Ladies Decorously Conceal Their
Limbs in Bloom ers-so Did Tenor Comfy
and Susie Kerwin's Pug Dog-Gontls-'
men Attend the Performances ir Short
skirts-Uproarious Scenes.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, April 15.-Mon-
day night was gala one in the history
of local amusements. The announce
ments on Friday that Senator McHale's
anti-tight bill had passed the senate
created the most intense excitement
among all classes of people. Columns
upon columns of interviews from promi-
nent citizens have, in the past few days,
been published in the papers derouncing
in the highest and most pronounced
terms the i'll position of such a bill ON
the theatrical profession and the theatre
going public in general. One prominent
divine, who thought this was an appro-
pirate time to denounce the stage, did
so, but so bitter was the feeling against
Senator McHale, and so intense has
grown the sympathy for the theatrical
profession, that members sent letters to-
their beloved pastor asking him to let up.
Met with Public Approval
No sooner had the bill passed the sen-
ate on Thursday tn an Manager Wilbur,
of the Wilbur Opera company, which Is
| playing twelve weeks engagement at
| the Lyceum theatre, made the announce
ment that he would present the Chimes
! of Normandy" in boomers, or in COM
| pliance with Senator McHale's new bill
This brought forth a cheer of public ap-
| proval for the plucky little operatic i'm
| pressario who had the nerve to take
time by the forelock and challenge Nc
| Hale at his own game. As early as q
o'clock the sidewalk in front of thes
Lyceum was packed with people wish
! ing to get into the theatre, and by 8
| o'clock the entire street in front of tho
theatre was a living mass of theatre
goers. Fully 1000 people were unahle
to gain admission, and many of the
young men about town came to the
theatre wearing little short skirt. A
sweltering mass of humanity had man
aged to jam themselves into the theatre
when the curtain went up on the first
act, and seated in one of the boxes, upon
invitation of the management, sat the
misguided country senator, McHale,
who is the author Of the anti-tights bill.
and about the lower portion of the thea
tire were fully 200 members of the state
legislature. " or v.~0 r-"reo -.
Ludiorousness of the Affair.
At the first chorus of the beautiful
"Chimes" there came tripping on the
stage Manager Wilbur's thirty beautiful
merry maids arrayed in many-colored
"bloomers, reaching down to the feet,
and trimmed appropriately at the bot
tom with the floating rufies. From that
time on perfect pandemonium reigned,
beneath which the chorus and big or
chestra was drowned. The chorus was
redemanded q dozen times. Shortly
after came on Jimmy Comfy, the tenor,
in bloomers, and in the las RI act the
chairs used in the the scene, and the lit
tie poodle dog of Miss Susie Kirwin
wore the appropriate boomers ON their
legs. Owing 80 the seemingly never
ending encores the performance did not
conclude until after midnight. Nc
Hale and his bill was IidiCuled in the
l worst possible manner, and Manager
t Wilbur's production Of opera la Nc
Hale is believed TO be the death warrant
of McHale's pet legislative scheme. Al
10 o'clock the people who were unable tc
obtain admission to the perform ance
r had purchased all reserved seats to bt
had for the balance Of the week. Tht
Wilburs production has done more tC
kill the anti-tight bill th III all ths lob
bying that could have been done, and
if tights are to be Prohibited IN th'
D stage in the future, IT. will be a nine
s days wonder. The anti.tSghts NIL ha
K not yet passed the house and pFobabl,
r never will Ii is understood there is
similar bill before the legislature O
PennSylyauia.