Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-26

| these stage men. Here comes another
| property boy with q high arched door
| way, columns, architecture and all. which
| he nimbly waltzes into position, gives IL
a pat here, a slap there, q twist yonder,
and before you know II you are sur-
rounded by a stately drawing room, or II
may be a huge stone prison that has come
into existence more swiftly than Jonah's
| gourd ever dreamed OF doing. Sometimes,
| instead OF walls OF brick, stone or wood,
the property boys lug In a great forest,
trees, rocks, stones, and the rest OF IL, and
they don't seem to be very tired either.
Everything goes like clock work. What
| little noise is made is almost never heard In
front OF the thick, heavy drop. Gas Is led
| by rubber tubes wherever wanted, chairs,
tables, sidebosrd, iron safe are showed into
places, lace curtains fall from window
cornices, heavy draperies hang before
door ways, and the stage is ready tor the
1 next act. ..
| "Wouldn't 1t be good idea to step
down stairs and see some OF the people
who will have to go on pretty soon"
"Why, OF course" .
| 30 down stairs we go, into a passage
that looks like one OF he alleys In the big
stone building out at Crsnston, with little
doors opening on each side aud remind
| ing one, In spite of his knowledge to the
contrary, OF the cells that line that same
gloomy Crsnston slleyway. But there
| the resem alliance stops.
"Allow me to introduce Mr.. -"
The lady quickly turns, revealing the
features of the dashing and brilliant
| widow better than grsss-Clover." With
| a few pleasant words she puts the intru-
| der wholly at his ease, offers a chair and
| begins a chat that makes him sorry he
| didn't come sooner so as to stay longer.
| In the middle Of IL, enters the "orphan"
| Of the play, who Is as winning and attrac-
| tive of the stage as she is pretty and en-
| tertsining on. Meanwhile the "makeup"
is proceeding, but 1t would not do to
| give away what was seen here, for IL was
/ ''strictly confidential"
Across the wsy, reading a newspaper
| and waiting for his cue, sits what appears
| TO be ga coon," but proves On acausin-
/ tance a pleasant gentleman, an old timer
| on the boards, whom one 10 glad to have
met. A step at the door. word of intro
| duction, and Mr.. Meldon. suave, cour-
| teous, and always a gentleman, is making
one as much pleased with his CHEEKY talk,
his bits OF theatrical gossip and informa-
tion and his ready wit, as Dexter Digit
does unVhrylUK BOOu anu
his sbounding savoir faire.
But 1t wont do to linger too long, so up
| stairs again, only to meet IN the wings
about the worst looking specimen OF the
genus tramp to be found out of
| jail. A second glance however shows the
well Known face of Fred Warren, and q
few words with him make It plain that be
is anything but tramp by nature. Close
by him stands lady who, at the sound OF
low voices, turns with smile and q nod,
and the interviewer forthwith wishes be
had about fifty pages Of manuscript to be
| copied on the typewriter. and that he
could get "Mattie" TO do the work, pro-
vided only that he could stand by and
help decipher the blind parts, OF which
he mentally resolves there should be
great many. "Gentleman Jim" Is on the
stage, as ugly william to all appeara noes,
as eyer cut throat or scuttled q ship
but he isn't. Meanwhile Simeon has split
the glue on the chair and the door steps
and funny as the scene that follows when
seen from the front, It 10 stiil more comi-
cal when one gets q glimpse from behind
show II Is all DONE"
When the act Is over, more scene shift
ing and setting help still farther TO ini-
| tiate the tyro into the mysteries of the
play house. Tie track on the al" road
| is laid down, the locomotive Is fired up
and got In trim for It's flight across the
| stage, escaping steam, the click of the
wheels as they go from one rail to az
| other, the smoke from the stack, and all
| the other little details that make so effec-
| tive picture when viewed from orchestra
or balcony, are carried out perfectly, and
| when the scribe Is allowed to take hand
| In "slowing down the engine" and sud-
| denly becomes aware that he has "made
his first appearance on any STAGE" he be-
| gins to think that he is not such a con-
summate- -ignoramus In matters theatrical
| after all.
OF course the experience would not be
complete without visit to the property
room. So down stairs again, then to the
right, and there you have II. II Is a small
room, but 1t contains more things to the
| square inch than there are politics In
| Rhode leland. The proverbial boys
pocket isn't sin It" at all In comparison.
A canvas ham and q rag doll, police
mans uniform and the star of the
royal order of st. Christopher the Discov-
erer, a lan.ern,a q bible for use In court
scenes, (only 1t don't read Just like King
James version inside, )about two million
dollars In bank bills, capital for bucking
the tiger but not receivable for city taxes,
nor Of any service In making the ghost
walk, guns, pistols, sworos, clubs and
spears, China ware and glass, solid gold
goblets that couldn't have cost less than
twenty cents and jewels that would drive
Golconda out of the business, a euchre
deck and four aces tied up with a white
neck cloth, laces, satiDs, plushes and
velvets, in word q collection that would
fully justify putting up the country va.
riety. store-sign "If you don't see what
you want, we've got 1t anyhow" these
and thousand and one other things OF
all sorts and kinds are to be found In the
property.room OF every well regulated
theatre, and the local house Is not at all
behind in "keeping up with the process
sion." Meanwhile the performance is ad-
yancing to the end, the actors are doing
their best, applause is frequent and gen.
erous, until at last down comes the cur
tain for the last time, the sound OF feet
and the slamming of seats show that the
audience are departing, the gas man goes
} to the little box on the prompt side, just
behind the arch, and turns down the