The record-union., 1892-04-11

Inento for Saturday night, and 81 200
house awaited him. But his debts and
bad faith put him into the clutches of the
law at Los Angeles and he lost day. He
| had either to skip the Fresno date or
play here Sunday night.
After making the telegraph wires hot
with promises to get the troupe here by
4. NJ. yesterday, he prevailed on Manager
Henry TO announce him for Sunday
night. This Henry did, finding that
there was no hope OF getting him here
saturday, but the local manager kept his
office open until 10 o. clock at night and
returned the money to ali seat BUYERS
who demanded it, and most of them did.
Locke's inability to keep his word was
demonstrated by his failure to land the
company here as agreed. 1t was held at
Fresno until II A. ". yesterday. While he
wrestled with the railroad problem. 1t
got here about P. NJ, and the people had
by that time concluded that there would
be no performance.
When the doors opened at half-past 7,
Manager Lehman; of the Grand Opera
house, Los Angeles, was on hand in the
VAN hope to collect about 81, 600 Locke
owed him, most of it money advanced.
The landlord of the Hollenbeck Hotel,
Los Angeles, was at the door, also, with
a $500 bill, part of it money advanced.
There were printers, newspaper collect
orS and others, some of them with bills
WV y 6oslS OIO, dll NdlG1uS 10 HAL IJDckG
to the cross. But Locke put in 10 ap-
pearance. He came up from San Fran
cisco on late train, but kept away from
the theater. His representatives and
manager proved lot Of icicles, and stood
people off who presented bills, with non
chalance. They evidently know Locke
well, and value his promises at an accu-
rate quotation.
The audience was kept waiting until
$40, because Van Der Berg and his
orchestra struck. Local manager Henry
wreStled with him long and faithfully,
and finally persuaded him to let the
curtain rise. At the end of the first act
Van Der Berg and his musicians struck
again, and halt-hour wait resulted. The
Leader took his overcoat and baton, tucked
his wife under his arm and shot off down
il street. Henry ran after him, and with
much beSeeching and the aid OF MEM
DerS OF the troupe, persuaded the instru-
mentalists to try it again. By this time
the audience was fully aware OF what the
trouble was. and the interest was greater
on what was going on in front OF the
curtain than In the opera. The creditors
and bill collectors meanwhile outside the
front door were having sweet commune
ion with one another each trying to ret
advantage of his fellow in the wav of In
formation and buttonhole interviews
with managers and officers Of the COM
pany.
At the end of the second act the
orchestra went on another strike and a
three-GuarterS OF an hour wait followed
Van Der Berg paced the lobby, and
swore that without money his men would
not play note. Some of the lesser lights
OF the company found their way to the
front and declared that their stomachs
were empty and their pockets were un-
able to furnish means TO satisfy their
appetites-"All on account of Locke"
they cried.
While the audience below beat the floor
and laughed, the audience above got in
its work as only a gallery can. But it
was not boisterous, for it was Sunday
night, and a sense Of decency restrained
the upper tier from having the fun it
would have reveled in on any other
night. Meanwhile Manager Henry was
simply at his wits ends, and inclined to
call the people out and give them their
money, but the appeals of poor devils
who swore they were hungry, Strangers,
and ii stranded here would actually suf-
fer, decided him to hunt up Locke. He
found him in the Posts1 Telegraph Office
and induced him to come 10 the theater,
but not until Locke had denied his con-
tract and insisted that Henry was to paw
him larger sum than the contract called
for.
In due time Locke came to the theater
and had an Interview with his people,
1t was anything but pleasant. He fairly
got upon his knees to the orchestra. and
at last, at fifteen minutes to II, the men
struggled into their places and the curtain
went up. 1t exposed Miss Juch clinging
to a cross as the music began, but the
leader concluded to cut the scene and
stopped the players to turn the pages of
the score, and Miss Juch, white with
rage, retired. She came on again. how
ever, and the act concluded at 12:15 this
morning.
After the opera swarm of attaches,
chorus singers and helpers and bill col
lectors thronged about Locke, and while
some abused others begged for enough to
get something to eat. Some of the
women said they had not had more than
light lunch for two days, and others de-
clared they were faint from hunger.
what" exclaimed Locke, land after the
salaries we pay you ?" He ordered all
hands to the train. $50 to your train"
he cried; when we get to Seattle there
will be money for all"
Yes" replied singer, ''thaps been
the story for seven months"
Friends Of Locke say he is behind but
two weeks salaries others say he paws
nothing if he can get out of it. His
southern creditors were close at his heels
at 1:30 this morning, and the problem was
whether Locke could save enough out of
the $500 paid him by Henry to paw the
railroad for the sleeping-cars for his
LEADERSHIP others must take chances in
day coaches. The Sacramento creditors
mainly get left. Locke appears to be a
man incapable of keeping faith or prov
ing true to any contract. IF he was
simply unfortunate he could get help"
say some of his people, ''but he don't care
for his promises, and that's the whole
trouble
Whether the troupe got off for Portland
this morning or not is not at this writing
ascertainable. Manager Henry's con-
nection with the affair was busness-like
and honorable throughout. He lost by
the engagement, and but for his clinging
to Locke the poor devils of the troupe
would have probably been stranded here
The singers, once the curtain was up, all
proved honorable and said they'd finish
the performance money or no money
the strike was wholly with the orchestra
l.