The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-02-10
BALLET GIRL STRIKERS.
Dismissed by the ''BabeS i'm the
Wood" Management.

the stage front, aud one of chickering's,
heart-burnlpgs ard dependency he
bind the footlight. The Franco
italian ballet-girls are in distress over
a small note which was handed to
eaca of them on Saturday night, read
ing thus
lam requested to inform you that after
Saturday February z, your services will
not be required. A. BARTRAND,
Bsllet-Master "Babes in the Wood"
The pantomime started out in Chi.
cago on Nov. 10 with flying colors
and, during an engagement of six
weeks, it was played to overlooking
houses. 1t included a ballet of fifty
five persons eleven girls from Lon
don, twenty, four from this city and
twenty from Chicago-under The tu-
telage and management of Nj. Ber-
trand They were engaged for a sea.
SON of twenty-four weeks and, after
six successful peifotmaoces in Louis.
vile, the company landed in New
YORK aud made local debut at Nj
bios Garden few weeks ago. The
pantomime has not been a financial
succ5 IS here, and lately empty seats
have been the rule. Manager Leslie,
of London, the girls declare, reduced
salaries an average Of $3.50 a week,
and then was compelled TO postpone
the regular payday and even put the
insfallment plan of payment into exc
cution.
This reduction did not please the
dancing corps, and at a recent matt
nee, when the curtain fell upon the
first ballet, there was development
behind the scenes which was not in
cluded on the printed programme.
The orchestra had finished i. set inter-
lude and the call-bell rung, bat the
curtain was not raised. The audi
ence waited in vain for the psntomine
to be proceeded with, and only the
reeling off of tune after tune greeted
their ears. In a corner of the stage
two dozen girls and women, scantily
attired in gauze, had gathered. and
amid babel of voices they frantic
ally demanded payment of their sal
aries. Ramonstrance was In vain.
The ultimatum was, "No money, no
dance" The stage manager blew up
the speaking tube until he was red in
She face. but no answer was vouch-
safed to his oft-repeated query.
why don't you ring up the cur.
tain ?"
BalIet-master Bertrand rushed
among the groups of pale and tremb-
ling girls, shaking his hands and ex-
claiming:
$50 on the stage and take your
places 10 the ballet at once or L will
fine YOU"
The girls had evidently been enlist
ed for the war and were not init
Undated by even so dire threat as
the defamation of their tardily paid
salaries by means of the fine system,
and not until NJ. Bertrand pledged a
payment of their money at the con.
clusion of the matinee did the play
proceed. The briet strike now was
over.
The girls declares they received a
fraction of their salary at the conclus-
ION of the performance. but were not
paid in full until Saturday, the week
ending last Thursday night. But
with the pay came the iron-clad con-
tract notice of one week that dismissal
was the penalty of strike even when
the strlKers were women.
In second story front room at No.
SO East Twelfth street, a reporter
found Miles, Avenzi, Cara and Pedza
I yesterday. They were much excited
and detailed their tale of woe in ;Ital-
ian, French and very broken English,
meantime salving their wounded
spirits with sweet wine aad cigarettes.
They selected Mile. Avenzi to be their
spokeswoman, and she ratified forth
the grievances of the trio at an almost
breathless pace, with excavations,
chiefly upon the head of ballet master
Bertrand, who had imposed fines upon
them aRd had sent the letters of dis.
misssl. When asked if another strike
was on the programme should their
weekly salary fail to materislize, Mile
Avenzi responded:
"Oh, no. We will dance for the
rest of the week and then, if our
money is not forthcoming our lawyer
will look out for us by what he calls
an attachment. 1t was real mean to
dismiss US. Why, Mr.. Bertrand has
discharged the young girls and retains
all of the old women. 1t is real aw-
fol, amt it?''
At Niblos Garden the stage man.
ager told an entirely different story.
Ho admitted +bat fbo Now Vo~L -.