The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-09
When not on duty he was as full of play

/ When not on duty he was as full OF play
as possible.
] Sometimes the property men would try
| TO persuade him outside during the act
1 They would hold out bits of meat or a
1 bone and say, Come out, Jack; nothing
1 will happen to the clothes" But the dog
| would only look at them and give short,
sharp banks, which meant ~ will not do
/ it, and you know it,"
| One night-the night that made Jack an
actor-a new property man was detailed
/ 10 look after things in the dressing
rooms, which ran in under the stage,
while the usual earetaker had an evening
off. The new man knew nothing of the
tenor's dog and his habit of lying on one
! of his masters trunks. When the other
! property man went out for the evening
he thought he had told his substitute
/ everything, but he hadn't ntioned
/ Jack.
! When the new Waterman passed by the
! open room and saw big, shaggy dog ~
ing on top of some clothes the tenor had
| thrown on his trunk, he naturally thought
! that he was tramp dog strayed in from
| the street. Get out of here' he cried.
! The dog looked up at him IN surprise
| Get off that trunk !" the man SAID
Jack didn't move. The man stepped in
| then, and catching hold of Jack, pulled
him off the trunk and kicked him toward
| the door
| Poor Jack! He had never been kicked
in his life, and he was too startled and
annoyed to resent it. But he saw the
! property man close the dressing room
! door, and felt that his master must be
informed, and he turned and few up the
short flight of steps and got into the
wings"
The company was giving "II Trovatore"
that night, and Jacks master was stand
ing behind a stage tower, ready to sing
All, l have sighed 10 rest me-"
Jack had never been in front or behind
the scenes, for his duty had always been
in the dressing room. Therefore he had
never become familiar with his masters
singing. All will remember that just be-
fore the tenor sings this solo the chorus
sing a sad very mournful song Jack had
got in the wings just in time to hear
the end of this and it frightened him.
Nor did he like the lights and the people
massed out in front. Nor could he see his
master anywhere. And he had been
kicked and treated badly down stairs and
his masters door was closed on him. His
little heart was about to burst.
Just then high and clear rose the tenors
voice from the tower of the prison on the
other side of the stage II was sad. 1t
was crying for help. This was more than
Jack could stand He looked up and
down; his master was not to be seen.
mere was no one on Jne stage, Dut
woman at the further end, who was
wringing her hands He could bear no
more, and he bounded out on the center
of the stage, and, lifting up his head,
gave long, pitiful howl, and then one
howl after another.
The people behind the scenes were call
ing him and whistling The big audience
in front of the footlights, awfully startled
at first began to clap and applaud. There
was perfect roar of laughter every
where. But Jack couldn't see the fun, so
he hOwled on. Finally "supe" ran out
on the stage and literally dragged him of,
but the bowls were still so pitiful that
Jacks master had to step down from TIA
tower and pat him on the head and talk
TO him so that the opera could go on.
Jack was so happy that he nearly
knocked his master down, jumping on
him, and the only way he could DO made
to stop was by the tenor giving him over
to one of his personal friends whom Jack
knew, who went downstairs with him,
unlocked the door and put him back on
the trunk
The next morning the Baltimore papers
had long stories about it, and every one
in Baltimore knew about the "dog actor "
His name Of Jack was dropped, and every
body called him Lieut.. POppenberger"
the stage name of Jacks master in IN
Trovatore. This name was shortened to
Pop" and to this day he goes by 1t In
Baltimore.