Feliciana sentinel., 1892-06-18
ON THE ROAD.
Experiences Of an Indomitable
Advance Agent.
How an Unfortunate Company of Actors
0truEGled with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
ties That Beset the Travel
Ing Troupe.

0tf0G&le0 with AOVet0ty-OUCcEsoA I
ties That Beset the Travel.
! Ing Troupe.
When the bent of ones impulse IS fr-
resistibly stageward 1t Is waste OF
time and eloqucncc TO warn that per-
son against the heart breaking uncer-
tainties of a stage career. 1t is not as
serted that grief and disaster arc intvi-
table results of theatrical undertake
ings, but they most assuredly are the
lot of a large majority Of travelling |
companies. The following unembcl-
lished narrative of actual experience
shows what difficulties arc encountered
by the peripatetic actor:
Two seasons ago, after prolonged
etruggle for existence, well-known
repertoire company took blind header
south in the hope of retrieving their
fortunes and playing the season out. IL
was, however, but a case of out OF the
irving pan into the fire, as the third
week found them ut Little Rock practF
cally strapped. Money and credit were
exhausted and all advertising material
was used up In this extremity tic
aren't was given carte blanche to go
ahead and do what he could to keep the
company moving. Arkansas was a
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
ters and, so on, in the faint hope OF d1s-
Cing up a mascot.
He finally gave it up and settled on
the very ancient town OF ArkadelPhla'
where to move the company from
Little Rock. Tie management secured
enough money to get him there Inc
n, sat n
with. An interview with the litho-
yrapher and general factotun of the
Capitol thcatcr 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 II total OF about
three hundred. Glccfully returning 70
his sbode the agent trimmed OF all
printed matter, both top and bottom
from the autographs and, with the
blessings and prayers OF the "cll-nlRn
stranded players, proceeded on his way
TO Arkadelphia.
With the assistance OF Il few stray
and apparently lost inhabitants OF th'
place, he finally located the "oPcr;
house" 1t was sight. very pam
wooden
probably thirty wears bcforc-timc hat
dealt hardly with it. Covered VIII
moss, it leaned towards the great wcS
and somehow suggested by its genera
aprcarauce that it was holding II
breath in a last rally not to give up th
shin and collapse entirely. Inc nt'le
narrow entrance door leading to IN
steep and primitive steps was LOCKED
and the agent rushed into the thick q
the town and finally located Tn
marshal He was informed that Mr'
Blank owned the ''opera house an
lived ont of town about two mlie'
After iollying the marshal and prom
ing him several comps for ms IL
fluencc and assistance in ncgotrat'h
for the opera house" they started
foot to seek the owner-a vehlcic oe''
out Of the question, as money was no
to the agent but memory. hrr'Si'
mt the house the colored attendal
ushered them into the parlor, wher
after almost an hours wait, the lac
anpearcd. A three corncrcd talk no
ensued. as the lady would not do bus
ness directly, but through the marsha
The agent talked to the marshal, Il
marshal to the lady, and so on back
the agent. After an hours confab Z
cpera house was secured on the folio
ing extremely liberal terms-for
owner: Rent, including light, heat a
one stage assistant twenty doiia'
PAYABLE to the marshal before I
curtain rose. This was exclusive OF
licenses, which amounted-state. coun
and town, including collection fees
eighteen dollars and twenty-five cen
also payablc before the curtain VIC
up.
A little lec-weary, the agent return
to town and dashed INTO the one Prin'
office where, to his further hlndrat
,nd dismay, he found the editor and
.nt;re staff. consisting of one persol
the devil-busily engaged in work.
tho hand-press running off the weel
edition. The promise of three doili
n,vable before the curtain rose. stoPt
the press and the editor, the devil
tho aren't got their heads together
dev;sing a stunning date-line whi
after many trials, they succeeded
setting up and running OFF. IL
nounced grand production OF
Bows" by the same company OF TIVE
nrtists playing that week at the -
FOL theater, Little Rock. A half-colu
local followed from the agents ;
the editor obligingly setting 1t up
lifting "a patent medicine ad. ou'
the form on the press, he inserted
its stead and ran it in the remainde
the edition.
His date-lincs secured. the ae
hustled to his hotel and, with the
of borrowed bottle of nucilage'
tached the dates to the llthogral
and then, supplying himself with ST
ore tac,.s and a small hammer, he
ceeded to lithograph the town "or
;,,.- Nercr even when Barnun
rertised the place for Little Rock
hr,x,delphia been SO extensively
richly billed The main street los
like a rainbow-a rather straight
bow-but still about the only thu
,,l darkness had now Sc