The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-04

An Actors Experience as the Hind Legs of
Property Elephant.

An Actors Experience as the Hind Legs of
aProperty Elephant.
"Onc of my strangest and most uncom-
Portable experiences, sir. was being the
hind legs OF an elephantl' says an actor
in Cassell's Journal. "I'd gone out to
Australia, like many other young fellows
do or rather did few years ago, with
the fixed idea OF making my fortune
Needless to remark, failed dismally, and
soon lost the little money did possess.
had been well educated and tried one
thing after another, with the invariable
result that every market seemed over
stocked. As n last resource / went around
20 the thesters 10 try to get job. At
one was successful, being told that zone
Of the chaps wss III, aud the boss in roar
ing temper made rny way round and
arrived in time to hear the aforesaid boss
remark somewhat loudly and in scarcely
polite language:
"'What does the "hind legs" mean by
being illS His business is TO be "hind
legs and II he doesn't turn up tonight
he won't have another job in my theaterp
rather tmidly approached and asked IL
could perhaps supply the missing mans
place Well, young man, IL you'll come
and be "hind legs" OF an elephant, you
IAN; il not, clear out; the pays 10 bob a
week The outlook was not cheering,
but was too hungry TO be proud, so an
swered that l had no knowledge OF the
duties Of hind legs but would do my
best and hoped that a few rehearsals
would perfect me. followed the front
legs, who had been a witness of this in
terview, and was quickly set to work.
FIRST, / had to put on a pair Of large, loose,
dirty brown looking trousers, with the
cardboard feet attached. They were kept
on by straps over my shoulders.
"The front legs sttired himself in
similar garment Then we both stopped
down 20 about half our height, and
large, dirty brown covering was drawn
over us TO form the body, TO which the
head, etc, was attached. The cord work
ing the trunk was given into front legs
keeping, while was accommodated with
that appended 20 the tail At first it was
most difficult TO arrange our strides prop
erly, and we commenced by the front legs
making up his mind to take a walking
tour by himself, poor hind legs descend
ing into little jog trot gallop TO keep
anywhere near Then we found the posi-
tions reversed. and was told TO stop trip
ping up them front legs. At last we were
fairly perfect, and were released with ach-
ing heads aud stiff backs till the evening
performance. / was naturally pretty pune
tual for the first time, but when tho cry,
the stage waits for the elephant was
heard no front legs was there. The man
ager was furious, and the audience impa-
tient, when at last my other half was dis
covered in the bar only getting drink
he was promptly hauled along, but the
walk of that elephant was decidedly GU
rious during the evening. However, we
managed TO get along somehow, but I
wasn't sorry when my week came to an
end, and, taking into consideration the
discomfort of head and backache, the de-
cidedly uncloan condition of the 'skin,'
and the long hours spent in rehearsals and
performances, don't tttnt ever took
more hardly earned 10 shillings."