Feliciana sentinel., 1892-06-18

Rsin with the one restaurant man Of the
town to make -four paste at the rate OF
two bits per pail payable in tickets At
their full value. No suitable brush was
10 be found and an old broom was ,
finally pressed into service. Next two
small boys were hired on = promise OF
d ticket apiece and, mounting step
ladder, the indefatigable agent bespat-
tered himself from head TO foot IN put
ting up the paper. It was hard work,
and, before night, his back was nearly
broken. He had the doubtful honor.
however, of being followed about by
nearly the entire colored popi'lati5h ot
the town, who gaped in admiring won.
der ut the gaudily-colorcd paper and
| the agents ingenuity in utilizing the
| old broom.
The paper up, tn. reserved scat sale |
wns arranged and the town ''dodgered'
with small bills. This brought on
another night. The next morning was
passed by the agent in bed, as he was
almost paralyzed with weariness. Ar1s-
| ing at noon he proceeded to talk shop-
the only method now left him TO
further excite the populace. He talked
nll afternoon, rapidly anti incessanIis,
to anyone and everyone who would
listen to him, until, at night, he
ran across the leader of the town
band, with whom he made a decker to
have the band play In front OF the ope.
ra house in consideration of their be-
ing admitted free and one extra ticket
apiece. The following day at noon the
company was due, and at eleven o'clock
tho agent reached the depot, n mile out OF
town, and, seated in the midst OF viii"
derness of cotton bales, waited. By tho
time the train was due his thoughts'were
suicidal, IA, after mentally summing
up the company's expenses in the town
and comparing the sum with the prop
able business, he could see nothing n"t
overwhelming disaster for the doomed
, nlavcrs. On the other hand rose the
uncertainty of their coming, as he had
| left them playing to very small houses
: and the chances were that they could
/, not raise money enough to leave Little
I Rock However, to his unspeakable
t relief, the train finally pulled in with
Z two members of the organization sa-
:. luting him through the windows. HIS
= dolcful misgivings were partly realized
8 when but eight members OF the com
t pany stepped off the train. They ex'
O planned that 'Our Boys" could be done
II with eight people and, as cllncner
/, they added that no more OF the conPa
C nv could nave come any " dS, "s'
h the eight there had been a pinch. Pro
v ceediny up to and striking the maiI
street the company wcrc greeted by th'
v extensive and gaudy billing-the mos
,c novel their eyes ever rested upon. Man
:, tell. Davenport, barrett Rose Coghian
n. Mccullough, ALVIN Joslin," ulia Mar
- lowe. Sothern, Annie Ward Tiffany
I'd Seaman, Mary Anderson, ONell
IN Kecnc, Robson. Rhca, Sully, and a hos
9, of others equally we'll known, stare
al them in the face from every pom. c
is vantagc-all to appear in "our hoys
,c that evening. The sale at seven o c'oc
., amounted to six dollars and hall VIII
he prices at fifty cents and one dollar
d. Proceeding, after an early supper
of the temple of last resort, the com pan
he arranged the stage and assiste" "
rs. Pooh bah of the theatcr to light !"
nd This was a simple affair as foot-light
IS. side-lichts and all other lights c"nslste
is of tallow candles. The manager a1
in AGENT took their stand at the head
nS the ancient stairway, and awaited u
on public's pleasure. Two rickcty chal
ng and an old dry-goods box comprised u
wv box Office. The discordant footing
ng the band without distracted any sad
mt apprchcnsive thoughts they might ma
re, entertained as to the immediate futul
dy and at S:l5 p. m. forty-four dollars
ow accumulated - just about enough
ISL square all debts of the agents contra
al. ing in the town outside OF ooaru p'
he and return trip to Little Rock. Nsth
to were obliged to go ahead the manae
the disappeared back upon the stage
wv preceded the entertainment by appe
the ing in front Of the curtain and dip
md mnticallv explaining how 1t haPpcr
,rs, that twenty artists were billed ana
the eight would appear. After thorougi
all mystifying and muddling the anaie'
nty he retired, made up and 'our DO.
to was presented.
nts. Arriving at the hotel after the
cnt formance a council of war was ne
Their total cash consisted Of not qt
ned seven t.ollars-this total being maze
ing from their slight pocket change ana
nee few dollars remaining of the door
his ceipts of the night. They had' d,
M breakfast next morning, when u
ting hoped to leave Tor Little ROCK, an ei
.l1ly dollar board bill to meet. men Ga
ars. the difficulty of railroad fares.
ned much, to be sure, but they had 1t
and At this gloomy hour the agent sndo
r in ly recovering from a brown st'
,ich, darted from the room and shortly
in turned bringing with him the mars
an to whom, in the presence Of the en-
Our company, he appe aled in a long ane
enty fecting speech relating TO 'heir =
'api- mary standing.
umn The marshal never weakens" 7
pen, the agent pathetically referred to
and, ladies of the company, three in mum
1T of when he produced cne-haf OF the
it in money-tcn dollars-and gave II TO
sr of agent on behalf of the company
naturedly undertaking to see the ma
gent explained to the owner. NeA' niol
e aid at about 1890 o'clock the CONF
:, at after paying all lndeoteoness' usP
,phs, for Little Rock, where their 'al
49,. S.1t1 20 y