The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-09
oldest Gatherings Of oldest Folks
In oldest Corners Of the
Metropolis.
Grades Of Variety Shows and
Places of Amusement for
s the Slums.
xmpassabIe Gulf I'etwson London Actors
and Music Hall Pcrformers-one OF
wakeman's WanderIngs.

LONDON. March Pin order to appre,
ciate ono OF the oldest gatherings OF thu
oldest folks in one of the oldest corners OF
London, one must first know something
about those whose strange lives and unique
vocations make the noted London "Pov-
erty Junction. what it Is.
They are the "pros" or ''prossers" or mu-
sic hall performers Of the worlds metropo-
lis. There are from 5000 TO 5000 of them,
great and unknown. men and women, and
there are no other folks just like them in
the whole world. They provide the
s.amusement" for the SCORE or more OF
great music halls. into each of which
nightly crowd from two to five Thousand
people, and for the hundreds upon hun.
dreds of lesser affairs, ranging from the
old-time free-and.easy.' from which the
modern music hall has sprung. TO the
s'~penny-gaffs," where audiences of from
enc to five hundred persons may be found.
Beside these. I would almost venture the
assertion that there are thousands of 'pubs''
or public houses, drinking places with as
ssmbly rooms'behfnd 1.-The bar, where free
s'smoking" concerts attract a permanent
nightly audience Of from a score to a hun
drsd w%orkingmen and the foul rabble that
subsist upon their generosity and weak
ness. ~E.a
Indeed anyone who knows this great city
et all in that wandering. vaRrant, ohservant
why which leads thought into grave con-
illusions, would have no hesi.ancy in saying
that a quarter of a million human beings
may be found any weekday night in these
places "cheery'' or more 80. from liquor,
and from these sources forming their odd
ideas OF International contrasts; gath
erinQ from vile-mouthed perform ers'
uuips the news and scandals of the
day; increasing their contempt of order
and law from their endless satire and ridi-
Guile; gaining in general and particular
deeper hatred of English society above them;
daughters beside thom, the most sa-
cred relations between men and women
never spoken or sung Of save as a perennial
playground for cunning and infidelity; un-
til the heartiest laugh is in response to the
broadcast %entendre, and the loudest roar
rises from these great seas of upturned
faces when the vilest musio-hall indecen-
cies are perpetrated.
OF all these places, the "penny-gaf," or
outrageously ridiculous pantomime, or
voiceless melodrama, or worldess tragedy, in
which there is indescribable murder. high
way robbery and other lurid crime, but all
enacted without spoken word to evade the
law governing dramatic representations, is
the least harmful. for it has no bar; and to
get his "penny'orth'' of play. the White
chapel barbarian 10 kept for at least two
hours away from q public house.
The great London music hall is simply a
larger and more insidiously hurtful type
practically a gigantic bar or series of tiers
OF bars. surrounding an auditorium where
the thousands instead of scores can be adj
at O merely nominal entrance fee;
where n stage with specially performers
the platform. the pianist md the
volunteer; and where the same classes, or
more vicious ones with "'Arrys and AR
riets' OF London fill the pit. while every
manner of cad, fast fellow of the gentry
and nobility. including a good sprinkling
OF London Bohemin, saunte in the prone
nades and fill the boxes and stalls.
About twenty different acts, called
''turns." are lone by as many different per-
formers in one evening, and each actor will
have from one to four turns" for the same
evening, zach at different halls, to which he
speeds in every sort of @ conveyance, from
n c%oster's donkey cart to q brougham.
Programmes are furnished, or payment,
and huge numerals. Slid into the prosce-
MUM sides, correspond with programme
numbers.
These shows, with few exceptions in favor
Of individual performers, are utterly point.
less, mirthless. inane and beastly. There
are perhaps in all This host of London
music hall actors" n half dozen who have
ward even i'll 30 hopeless n field. Such are
George Beauchamp, comedian; Jenny Hill,
i~mpersonator of the costec girl, ''the ludg-
ing 'ouse missua," and female characters
of that ilk; and Albert Chevalier. whose
studies and representations of the london
costermonger should give him rank as a
really great actor ana Il man of positive
genius.
But between all these odd folk and the
London actors of the dramatic stage, there
10 endless emulation mingled with tan
taliZing attempts at 'freedery" and airi-
nees on the one side. and a fadeless dread
and contempt on the other. The "pros'
or ''prosser" as he is everywhere known in
London, is in nearly every instance q pro-
quot Of the lowest London life. AS a rule
he was originally a c~ostermongcr, stable
boy, "boots,' starveling from tho travelling
booth shows. Billingsgate crate carrier. OF
from somewhere out of the east end Sums.
humblest laboring classes he still. rs vel
as ell other music hall perfarmcrs, eradu-
ates into his profession through one I'M
varying school of low and often vile train
ing-from the ''penny-gaff,' or from the
smoking concert" den where he has. az
Sang, dhnceu, toAtortCQ
or slueeed. for the free entertain
ment of the gutter hosts of London
Many of the favorites command sala
ries of from ESQ to G10o per week. Blu
about all of them reach their a1iiuence
and often respectability, out of the sam,
original depths, and along the same 7icissi.
tous road.
The ouly time when dramatic actors nnt
''pros'' ever meet is at the annual Christ
mas Plays and pantomimes. Then thu
''pros'' is in demand at tho theaters to d.
specialties. The lofty scorn and the air,
defiance between actor and prog is theI
something wonderful to behold.
WHAT'S thnt?' is the contemptuou
query of one actor to another, as a ''pros'
is espied in the stage wings Mt Christina
time, waiting to do his turn as his act O
specially is called.
"Oh. its only q thing from the 'aIls 9TH
music halls);' y his companion will as wither
tngly answer.
Cor bli men.' retorts the "pros'' with az
airy snort ut his prosecutor. hit cawnt b.
hits On the stn-ige: they wouldn't ave seci
bloomin' hobjecs in tho 'ail
In America there is considerable friendl,
commingling OF actors and variety per
formers. This makes possible the "Kialtos'
OF our larger cities, which q Q really notet
as hadnts of oil manner of stage folk, an
which are the resort. ut certain houis o
every day, Of all theatrical people. Th
casual passpr fingers curiously within tn
region. Even one least accustomed t
striking city phases, is instantly impresse
with the unusual character of the neigh
borhood and with the manner and dress O
Its frequenters.
But between London actors and Londo,
music hall Ie!formers the gulf il impossible
iLe London actor 10 a gentleman bred an