The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1894-01-18
ON THE ROAD.
Experiences Of an Indomitable
Advance Agent.
How an Unfortunate Company Of Actors
struggled with Adversity-Uncertsin-
tIcs That Beset the Travel
Ing Troupe.

tlcs That Bcsct the Travel
ing Troupe.
When the bent Of ones impulse is ir-
resstibly stageward it is waste of
time and eloqucncc To warn that per-
son against the heart breaking uncer-
tainties OF n stage career. IL is not as
serted that grief and disaster are inevi-
table results OF theatrical undertake
ings. but they most assuredly are the
lot OF large majority of travelling
companies. The following uncmbcl-
lshed narrative Of actual experience
shows what difficulties are encountered
10y the peripatetic actor:
Two seasons ago, after a prolonged
struggle for existence, well-known
repertoire company took blind header
south I'm the hope of retrieving their
fortunes md playing the season out II
was, however, but case of out OF the
frying pan into the fire, as the third
week found them at Little Rock practi-
cally strapped. Money and credit were
exhausted and all advertising material
was used up. In this extremity the
agent was given carte blanche TO go
ahead and do what he could to keep the
company moving. Arkansas was a
stranger 10 him and he proceeded to in
tcrvicw, in rapid succession, the thea
ter managers, railroad men, hotel pro-
prictors, bin posters, attaches OF thea
tcrs and, SO on, in the faint hope of dig
ging up u mascot.
lie finally gave It up and settled on
the very ancient towl OF Philadelphia,
where 20 move No company from
Little Rock, The management secured
enough money o. g,i llim there. The
next point was 10 Ltain paper to bill
with An interview with the litho-
grapher and general factotuin OF the
Capitol thcater disclosed the fact that
he had for years been in the habit of
saving dozen or more Autographs Of
every star who played in the thcater.
Mr.. Agents persuasive tongue easily
won him 10 give mp three autographs
Of each kind, making total Of about
three hundred. Gleefully returning TO
his abode the agent trimmed Off all
printed matter both top and bottom,
from the autographs and, with the
blessings aud prayers OF the well-nigh
stranded players, proceeded on his way
TO Arkadolphla,
With the assistance Of a few stray
and apparently lost inhabitants Of the
place, he finally located the opera
house IL was sight A very plain,
cheap wooden structure when built
probably thirty years before-timc had
dealt hardly with II, Covered with
moss, 1t leaned towards the great west
and somehow suggested by its general
appearance that II was holding its
breath in q last rally not 10 give up the
ship and collapse entirely. The little,
narrow entrance door leading to the
steep and primitive steps was locked,
and the agent rushed into the thick OF
the town and finally located the
marshal lie was informed that Mrs.
Blank owned the "opera house" and
lived ont Of town about two miles.
After jollying the marshal and promis-
ing him several "comps" for his in.
luencc and assistance in negotiating
for the opera house they started ON
foot 10 seek the owncr--a vehicle being
out OF the question, as money was now
TO the agent but n memory. Arriving
at the house the colored attendant
ushcred them into the parlor, where.
after almost an hours wait, the lady
appeared. A three .cornercd talk now
cnsucd, as the lady would not do bust.
ness directly, but through the marshal.
The agcut talked TO the marshal, the
marshal t1 the lady, and 80 on back 10
the agent After an hours confab the
opera house was secured on the follow,
ing extremely liberal terms-for tho
owncr Rent, including light, heat and
one stage assistant, twenty dollars,
payable to the marshal before the
curtain rose. This was exclusive OF all
licenses, which amounted-state, county
and town, including collection fees-to
eighteen dollars and twenty-five cents,
also payable before the curtain went
nap.
4 litl' lcg-wcary, the agent returned
20 town and dashed into the one printing
office whore, u his further hindrnnce
pud dismay, he found the editor and his
entire s,lT, consisting Of one person,
the devil. busily engaged in working
the lIaniprcss running off the weekly
edition The promise OF three dollars.
payable hotOre the curtain rose, stopped
the press aud the editor, the devil, and
the agent got their heads together in
dcWsing "a stunning date-line which,
after many trials, they succeeded in
setting mp and running off. 1t an
uounccd % grand production OF Our
Boys, by the same company of twenty
artists playing that week at the Capt.
tol thcatcr, Little Rock. half-column
local followed from the agents pen,
the editor obliglngly setting il up and,
lifting % patent medicine ad, ont OF
the form on the press, he inserted II in
H. stead anal ran it in the remainder of
the edition
His datc-lincs secured, the agent
hustled 70 his hotel and, with the aid
OF q borrowed bottle Of mucilage, at
tachcd the dates 10 the Autographs,