The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-08-04
ON THE ROAD.
Experiences Of an Indomitable
Advance Agent.
How Unfortunate Company of Actors
struggled with MISUNDERSTANDING
ties That Bcset the Travel
ing Troupe. -

ing Troupe. -
When the bent Of ones impulse is ir-
resistibly stageward it is waste of
time and eloquence to warn that per-
son against the heart breaking uncer-
taintes of stage career. 1t is not as
serted that grief and disaster are inevi-
table results of theatrical undertake
ings, but they most assuredly~ are the
lot of large majority of travelling
companies. Tho following unembel-
hshed narrative of actual experience
shows what difficulties are encountered
by the peripatetic actor;
Two seasons ago, after prolonged
struggle for existence, well-known
repertoire company took blind header
south in the hope of retrieving their
fortunes and playing the season out. 1t
was, however, but case of out of the
frying pan into the fire, as the third
week found them at Little Rock practi-
cafIy Strapped. Money and credit were
exhausted and all advertising material
was used up. In this extremity the
agent was given carte blanche to go
ahead and do what he could to keep the
company moving Arkansas was a
I stranger to him and he proceeded to in
terview, in rapid succession, the thea
ter managers railroad men, hotel pro
prietors, bill posters, attaches of thea
tiers and, So on, in the faint hope of dig
ging up a mascot.
lie finally gave it up and settled on
the very ancient town of Arkadelphia,
a. In, fvrt,
Little Rock. The management secured
enough money to get him there. The
next point was to obtain paper to bill
with. An interview with the litho-
graphcr and general factotum of the
Capitol theater disclosed the fact that
he had for years been in the habit of
saving a dozen or more autographs of
every star who played in the theater.
Mr.. Agents persuasive tongue easily
won him to give up three Autographs
of each kind, making total of about
three hundred Gleefully returning to
his abode the agent trimmed off all
printed matter, both top and bottom,
from the autographs and, with the
blessings aud prayers of the well-nigh
stranded players, proceeded on his way
to Arkadelphia.
With the assistance of few stray
and apparently lost inhabitants of the
place, he finally located the opera
house." 1t was sight! A very plain,
cheap wooden structure when built
probably thirty years before-time had
dealt hardly with it. Covered with
moss, it leaned towards the great west
and somehow suggested by its general
appearance that it was holding its
breath in a last rally not to give up the
ship and collapse entirely. The little,
narrow entrance door leading to the
steep and primitive steps was locked,
the town and finally located the
marshal He was informed that Mrs.
Blank owned the opera house" and
lived out of town about two miles.
After jollying the marshal and promis-
ing him several comps for his in
fluence and assistance in negotiating
for the opera house" they started on
foot to seek the owner-a vehicle being
. out of the question, as money was now
to the agent but memory. Arriving
at the house the colored attendant
ushered them into the parlor, where,
after almost an hours wait, the lady
appeared. A three -cornered talk now
ensued, as the lady would not do bust
ness directly, but through the marshal.
The agent talked to the marshal, the
marshal to the lady, and SO on back to
othe agent. After an hours confab the
opera house was secured on the follow
, ing extremely liberal terms-for the
owner; Rent, including light, heat and
one stage assistant, twenty dollars,
payable to the marshal before the.
curtain rose. This was exclusive of all
licenscss,yhich amounted-state, county
and town, including collection fees-to
eighteen dollars and twenty-five cents,
also payable before the curtain went
nh.
tiittle leg-weary, the agent returned
oiown and dashed into the one printing
Office where, to his further hindrance
an,i dsmay, he found the editor and his
tire staff, consisting of one person
he devil-busily engaged in working
the hand-press running off the weekly
clifton. The promise of three dollars
payable before the curtain rose, stopped
the. press and the editor, the devil, and
the agent got their heads together in
dcyisin& a stunning date-line which,
after many trials, they succeeded in
setting up and running of. 1t an
nonnced "A grand production of "Our
Boys, by the same company of twenty
artists, playing that week at the Capt.
toll theater, Little Rock. half-column
local followed from the agents pen,