The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-18
DEADwOOD TRAGEDIES IN &c
SNOWY ON THs MIMIC srAsE AND Nv
IIFNCH Law EXECUTION.

us-.iet srurs.res NIEhis =, Mr.. Jseb
L,sertshs's Theatre-rwo Femaie Lead
ere or D.see Hall secisty-Trisi snd
HansinG OF 80 As-nssin nv ViEiinrtss.
One Of the nrst modern Injuries in which
the people OF Deadwood city were INDUCED In
1870 was theatre. II was conducted By Mr..
Jack" Lanerlshe. an actor and manager who
had been browsing along the outside edge OF
tho frontier prior 10 the discovery OF gold In
the Black Hills. and who continued so to
browse for long time stterwarj. Mr.. Lang
rishs was an innovator. lie would take quite
as many liberties in his Interpretation OF
Hamlet as Mr.. Willard has taken in his. /
have seen both portrayals. and l am inclined
to the opinion that OF the two Mr.. Lnngrishe's
was perhaps the most original. az It certainly
was tho most arduous. Mr.. bangrlshe not
alone played the Prince Of Denmark in this
tragedy. but he also performed number OF the
other roles. and all the members OF his com
pany, OF whom there were eight did similar
duty. The star. however. went considerably
beyond the others. in that he added to his
labors as an actor the combined task OF sell
ing ticket In the box ONCE. painting much OF
the scenery. stage managing the productions.
and getting out the advertisements All In all.
| do not think there have been very many or
ganizations devoted TO the exploitation OF
Shakespeare. Wayne Ellis. Sheridan, j. j. Me-
Closky. aud other classic writer's for the stage.
that could hold candle to the LanRrishe COM
pany In some respects.
Tho Deadwood theatre was constructed
mainly OF unplaned boards. and II had canvas
ropf. The seats were long wooden benches
without backs or arm rests. and there was no
gallery. Such q supernuous and aristo-
cratic article a. q wooden floor was never
dreamed OF. The bare ground was quite good
enough for ordinary use. The stage was ele-
waited about Elk feet. and the opening was not
large There was drop curtain with pic
ture labelled Lake Como. probably to obvlate
the quite simple misapprehension that 1t
might represent large green tomato. and
there was scenery OF the kind that Is war
ranted to 1T any stage" excepting the one on
which It happens to be placed. The orchestra
consisted OF n cottage melodeon. and the
juvenile man OF the company was musical
conductor aud all the musicians. In the
path etic scenes in which he was not engaged
on the stage this young man would pull out
the tremolo stop I'm his melodeon and
contribute untold agony 10 the situa-
tion. The tremolo stop also served to
give effect to the proceedings OF the heavy
villain. and in turn 1t ushered from this chill
existence to u life beyond the fragile and Scrip
tural Little Eva. Indeed. It was the hardest
worked part OF tho whole show. and 1t pos-
was almost painful To see him rush out from
underneath the stage give tug atthe tremolo
stop. play weirdly through five or six minutes
Of dramatic anguish between Lady Isabel and
her sleeping babe. and then to see him dash
underneath the stage again In time to be on at
the end OF the act. was treat worth having.
There were. In fact q good many treats worth
having In that theatre.
Tin one evening in particular q few OF us felt
frolicsome and In need OF dissipation. aud
concluded We would drop in. bIds5 men about
town that we are. to see " Tho Streets OF New
York." There was quite crowd In the
house. to which the admission was u
dollar aud q half. payable In currency
or gold dust. for the Weighing OF which
there was pair OF scales in tile box office
window. our party consisted OF California
Joe, Wild Bill. Mr.. Myers. and myself.
The audience. quite naturally. was mado up
mostly of men. but there were two or three
mining camp damsels In the house. and one Of
these distinguished herself charact eristicaily
before the evening was over. She WAS named
Kitty Austin. but had a more comprehensive
title for general use. the extreme directness
OF VIII ich regret to say. excludes 1t from rep
etiton here Miss Austin was the prettiest
and possibly at that period the most elegant
girl in CAM. 1t need not OF necessity be in
ferred that there was any very violent com
petition in Deadwood as to attributes OF per-
| sonal loveliness or manners en- reg'e. In a
Young and boiling metropolis whose society
| factions were led on one side by Calamity
Jane who kept a dance house. and on the op-
posing side by Miss Austin who kept or other.
| there might not. perhaps. be expected to
exist the exclusive hautenr. the refined Ian
tivat:d in the eiiote last. But there WAS
| rivalry. nevertheless. Miss Austin was admit
tel TO hold the palm in the matter OF looks and
ND mi n hav htIt a u 20
| her trunk with her. This matter Of clothing
was thorn In the side OF Calamity Jane, who
| Hills quito Informally with nothing but what
she had on at the time, which included a suit
faciitats her ppSrTess. jane hired h5ssc and
buggy from ,hsyenne livery stable Keeper
| lifted the term. inasmuch a. ii extended nearlJ
| lUO miles before the ambitious young woman
was obliged to give up tile property and Ioin
but II Miss Austin could outdress and out
look the other female Inhabitants OF Dead
and ouishoot Miss Austin. These claims Of
superiority she was wont to demonstrate, once
| quantity oiihe liquor sold in her own establish
ment TO awaken her ambition. ana then
and down the street bowling ike an Indian
As "a lifting wind-up for these harmless little
bursts OF innocent enthusiasm, and merely 20
| show that there was no GOODNESS. Jane would
tins yaunted temple OF Terpsichore
down the centre aisle OF Mr.. Iangrlshe's the
Atre clothed in splendor and smoking a bru-
| nette cigar with a band around u which be-
spoke the fact that IL had cost 40 cents. As
abe proceeded size awakened considerable en-
| thusiasm. Her dress was Of bright yellow SILK.
with long train. and cut very low and very
square 10 the neck, ,revea ling rlentitnde OF
charms that would evoke comment almost
anywhere, outside OF the Metr"pOli,an upera
House in New York. This dress was ttimmed
with gros grain silk OF a deep-GTeen hue. and
the costume was topped of Uy large blue
velvet hat decorated with several red ostrich
plumes. Quite needless Of the homage direct
ed at her. the chromatic Miss Austin strobe
regally DOWN to the front row and took y seat
next Mr.. Myers who was Just on my right.
and they speedily fell into a conversation
which involved the Interchange Of such ciyilI-
ties as tho proifering OF a light 10 Mr. Myers by
the urbAne Miss Austin, and the subsequent
acceptance OF a chew OF tobacco BY Miss Aus
tin, from the ever gallant Mr. Myers
The play. meanwhile had proceeded to the
great satisfaction OF the audience. IL was. OF
GO ITse, horribly performed, bur IL was never
theless 20 that ID anna mished horde liz .
toyAl spread to a desert caravan. The leading
lady was Mrs. LAngrlshe, very estimabie
woman somewhere in the hfties. who being
the manager wife. quite naturally insisted on
playing the heroine. Mrs. l.angrishe, was i'm;
posing In point OF adipOse tissue, and she had
evidently settled down 10 some extent since