Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-02
THE LITTLE TYCOON.
THE CoMpANY's ENCOUNTER WITH
WASHOUTS.
Mr.. Spencer, the Author of the Opera,
Recounts His Travelling Experiences
to Herald Reporter.

SWELL" said Mr.. Spencer, the author
manager of the Little Tycoon company,
when met by a reporter OF the HERALD
at the Westminster yesterday, after the
arrival of the company. "Yes. Pm
tired of seeing the wheels 60 round.
You know we were to come via the
overland route. My advance agent,
Mr.. June, got as far as Barstow, and
was forced to remain there on
account OF the washouts; with
the telegraph wires down in every direc-
tion it was impossible to learn whether
he retained his scalp or not. After con-
siderable delay he managed to get
telegraph to me at Pueblo, where we
were playing, that it would be impossi
BILE to reach Los Angeles via Santa Fe
on time. So, after some tall telegraph
ing, we decided to change to the Rio
Grande, and by IL O'Clock that same
night the company were hustled aboard
the train with their makeup still on.
After plowing our way through snow
drifts we finally reached Ogden on time.
1t became very exciting just about this
time, and we thought it was all up with
us. wheel broke on one of the sleep
ers and had to be replaced. We all held
our breath to tighten the weight of the
train, and it must have had the desired
effect, for we were enabled to reach the
company's repair shops, and the delay
OF one hour only put new set of wheels
under the car. After that we came
through humming. AT Ogden it ap-
peared as if the entire world was moved
with the one thought, and was bent on
making the coast by that route, as from
appearance of the length of the train it
would indicate as if all the channels of
travel westward had been turned into
-ALat-s~Ae----Hisis ficavv rrafu-tfrrew US
behind somewhat on our time at Sacra-
mento, but arrangements had been per-
fected for special from that point to
this. and here we are, proving the old
adage, The longest way round is the
shortest way home.''
''Have you been meeting with your
usual success as heretofore ?"
eyes, more. l have put more fun in
the opera, and a merry ripple of laugh
ter flows through it constantly now
from the rise until the fall of the cur
tain, and business continues very graf
flying. 1t was so good in Denver that l
nave arranged to return there for
dHOtleT week Oh my way east. L from
here, after playing Riverside and Pasa-
dena, night each, we go to the Bald
win theatre, San Francisco, two weeks,
then via Portland, Seattle, Tacoma,
Salt Lake, back to Denver, a sort of
merry-go-round, as it were,'
'Have you any of the old people still
in the cast ?''
"Oh, yes, several; and some new
ones that have met with great favor.
My company is larger this year than
ever before, the scenery new, and all
the costumes more gorgeous than ever.
don't believe in allowing production
to deteriorate, and 1 suppose for this
reason alone, can be accounted the pro-
longed success that has attended
the opera. have only the
one company playing it, and
some of the people at present in
the opera were in it when it was first
produced in 1856. If my new opera that
intend producing next fall proves as
successful as my Little Tycoon, shall
be lucky indeed. At first l intended
only two renditions of the opera here
during the present visit, but after earn
est solicitations from several have con-
cluded to comply with their request,
and give special matinee on Tuesday
afternoon -