Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-04-09
ANY ONE CAN De AN ACTOR.
Comedian Sol smith Rosseli Tells OF the
Trials of Theatrical Life.

Trials OF 1hcatricai Lpe'
"Queer idea the public has of stage FOLK
and their life" said Sol Smith Russell.
'"The opinion Is almost universally helu
that theatrical people live in the most lux
urious fashion eat pie every ten minutes
and never do any work. The bardships Oh
travel the hours of soul wearying rehears-
ais and study, and the thousand and one
trials that beset the actors life are not rec
ognized because they do not appear in the
performance. They are behind the scenes,
and therefore not movable to the public.
But they exist and are very narrowing.
remember n little incident which
brought all this home to me. In making
iump between large cities it was necessary
to nut in a week among the smaller towns,
playing one night in town. we had
plaved in one place, and after the perform
ance had packed everything for hitting 10
the next stop, and were ready TO go TO the
| train. which was due at midnight. Wheh
we arrived at the station, however, we
| found that the train was late.
GLOW lateY we inquired.
"'Don't know said the comforting in
diyidual at the station. May be one hour,
may be two; might be three
1--WE didn't dare go back to the hotel TO
sleep because of the uncertainty OF tine
time when the train would come along, so
we sat around the waiting room, miserably
tired and sleepy, trying to find comfortable
positions on the barbarous seats.
eve waited there until nearly O'Clock,
and Mt last the train came and we bounded
aboard, disguised, cross, sour. Inc run 70
our next town was something less IMAM
two hours, so we could not sleep on Vhe
train except to catch enough of nap to be
L Al az |
was about 5 o'clock when we turned out
of the car at the town where we were to
amuse folks that evening. 1t was the gray
of dawn, and in the pale light we were a
!, CHASTITY lot. The baggage smashers hurled
our trunks and boxes out upon the plat
! form with gleeful savagery, and as ! looked
Z about for some sort of hack to take us to Q
!, hotel | heard the station agent, who was
: assisting the baggageman to get ou'
trunks out, say to the trainman:
"'What is all this baggage, anyway
"'Oh' said the baggage man, with IN
) finite disgust in his tone, 1T belongs u
. some show company, / reckon. Anything
q to get out of workin'.'
u "'That's fact, blame 'em,' growled tn
= station agent, and | smiled wan smile
= and went and informed the company tina
y we would have to walk with our hand bag
- gage to the hotel, about eight blocks. Any
: thing to get out OF working Dear me,
] had told that story to the company
- think the station agent would have bee
/ mobbed.
:, "On another occasion, some years ag
= now. | played in a small town, and did NJ
leave until noon Of the following day.
the forenoon an elderly countryman sa
me about the hotel Office, and after soH
= little hesitation came up and said
"'Be you the man that played last nigl
at at the opry houseY
o. II told him ] was the ulprit.
90 "'Name's Russell, aren't itH'
err 81 said it was.
"a "'Nc!l, | want to speak to you about
"a boy o. mine I've tried to make farm
ID of Aim, an I've 'prenticed him out twice
to learn trades even put him in live
Il. stable an in hardware store, but It wal
ia no use ! han't been able 70 make nothl
IaI of him. When | seen you last night
Jy kinder thought maybe he'd make a go
to actor. He's pretty much the same KIND
nd a fool you be
~, II took this guileless person into C
or per and told him lies, for which | am ST
doing peuauce. / assured him that
he stage was just the thing for his son; u
,nt it required no intelligence, no mental b
~ ance no sort Of acumen whatever TO b'
m successful actor; that it was somethl
- ANYBODY could do without half trying, a
that it was Of all professions the IN
.so gilded. luxurious and profitable in
~, known world. lie seemed to believe
,ao too. The Lord forgive mel But that
.ioI fair illustration the way we actor folk
misiudged. Chicago Post.