The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-01-11
AMERICAN ADJUSTMENTS.
\ Large Army Of Professionals Ar,
Kept Bnsy-F0Ftunea Annually
Spent In Travelling on the
Railroads.

It IL estimated that there are per
hsps as many as 1000 travelling theatre
cal companies in the United States,
says the Washington Post. This in
clTdes everything that can De cob
sidared strictly professional companies.
to say nothing of the countless amateur
organizations OF the strictly theatri-
cal organizations it is safe to presume
that the average receipts per night for
tho 1000 companies are 500 each At
seven performances per week for each
company the weekly average, as will
be seen, would be g., 500. The average
theatrical season is forty weeks. The
entire 1000 companies with an average
nightly receipt Of 500 would produce
weekly receipts at seven performances
per week amounting to 81 500, 00o This
multiplied by forty. the number Of
weeks in season. would yield gross
receipts amounting to e112, osc, 60.
From the above estimates some idea
can be formed Of what the American
people spend annually for amusements
BY companies which are known IS
strictly professional Thousands Of
dollars are also spent with amateur
theatrical organizations and lecture
bureaus
Itwould appear from the above state
Eaent that q great deal Of money is made
By theatrical people. The expenses in
cident TO earning $i1s, O0N0 zoe arc very
large. 1t ia reasonable to say that
one.thfrd, or Ss0. c0o, 900, of the total
Sis, oOo, 900, Is spent with railroads.
Another very large item is expended
for printing. Great fortunes have been
amused by printing houses in tho
production Of theatrical printing alona-
Hundreds of thousands eff dollars are
also spent for advertising in news
papers. Il Is safe to say that 40 per
cent Of tho correspondence between
theatrical managers is carried on by
telegraph, whieh amounts to q great
deal in y years time.
The travelling companies, however,
are not the sole possessors of the
grand total. s112, O0O. 900. This is di-
vided between the travelling companies
and the owners Of the houses where the
companies play. The net receipts de-
rived by the companies would perhaps
be in the neighborhood of o5 per cent or
20 per cent. making an average net re-
suit Of between s75, 900, 900 and $50, o0o,-
600. Out Of this, Of course, cones all Of
the expenditure for railroad transpor-
tation, and over one-hah of the total
amount paid for newspaper advertis-
ing. Out OF this also is paid fully 95
per cent. OF the amount paid to print
ing housea
The 1000 travelling companies will
average fifteen people to g company.
making total Of Is, 900 theatrical peo-
pie travelling over the country forty
weeks out OF tho fftytwo. This, OF
course, does not include the number
of people employed at thcaters. Upon
the estimate made as TO The number Of
companies there must Of necessity be
she Same or more number of theaters,
ts two companies cannot play at the
Same thsater on tho same night. There
Are at least on an average fifteen peo-
pie employed at every thester, which
would be $4,000. THIS added to the
humber OF people travelling would
make total OF 10000 people. 1t is
said that there 5000 actors and act
resses now out of employment. There
are at least engaged in the theatrical
business directly or indirectly-those
who make living from ito, 1000.
Some actors make q great deal of
money; some do not. Those who mako
the most are generally those who say
the least about it. Those who make
the least on annual tours are as class
those who do the most talking about
having done the greatest business. A
great many managers and stars hold