The morning news., 1894-05-27
AT ONE NIGHT STANDS.
Some Recent Funny Stories Of the
Stage Told by Actors.
A New Substitute for Checks-Horses
and Dogs es Strong cards-Arthur
Byron's -criticising' Good
Article of Thunder. -

been out with road companies are return
ing 10 town in Increasing numbers and a
new stock of stories about odd expert
ences at zone night stands has been
launched on the Rialto.. Here are a few
of the latest:
In small town in the east the local
manager of the opera house provided a
plan to obviate expense of printing pass
checks. When man wanted to pass out
between acts, instead of receiving check
which admitted him upon his return, he
would give a certain number of raps on a
certain portion of the SheriIf's chest. The
sheriff stood at the door for this pur-
pose.1 He knew every one in the audi
ence, and when man went out for a
glass of beer he gave his raps, and when
he returned repeated the same number
and in the same part of the sheriff's
chest this password admitted him again.
Another man would leave and return and
accompany his departure and re-en trance
Wlth>another set of raps on another part
OF the chest, and so on. One night, how
ever, the sheriff felt dry, so he said to the
business manager of the company, who
had never played that town before: ''NVill
you take my place here at the door until
l get baekf' When the manager con-
sented the sheriff set out to the saloon.
He was detained there during the entire
intermission between the two acts. Near
ly all the men in the audience visited
the Saloon while the manager stood
there, and he being at the sheritf's place
as the door, each man hit him his usual
seE6f raps when he left 'and would each
repeat the rapS on his return. Last of
all the sheriff returned. Finding the un-
happy mana9er bent over rubbing his
chest, heinquired: What seems to be
matter, partnGrl' Why" said the
manager, those ruffians have pounded
me black and blue Laughing i'm
moderately, the sheriff explained; well,
that's a joke on me. ! always wear
thick board in my bosom when l stand
here, see9'. And he pulled from under
his shirt bosom a large, thick poplar
board. 'Aud forgot TO leave it with
you"
In this same town the reserved seat
diagram was marked with pencil into lit
tie squares. Whenever d seat was re-
served tack was driven into the number
IN the center of the square. When new
company arrived in town one day the
manager walked first to the reserved seat
Office. and when it was explained to him
that each tack represented a seat reserved
he exhibited such hilarious surprise that
it was easy to discern that he was much
in need of the money those tacks insured.
IH6re was d JACK III every square. he
must have played TO as much as Sl5 that
night, for the house was full. Hecould
scarcely credit his good luck in the next
town, however to observe the reserved
seat diagram there also filled
with tacks, tack in every
square but three. After this glor-
iOus discovery he Immediately set out
with his wife on shopping tour. 1t had
been long time since they had been able
n hnV a N Uthtncr hIIt no fbnHy ha 70
spend. They bought new shoes, hats and
underwear, which they really needed. In
his enuh uSiasm, of sudden wealth the
manager gave the hotel porter in the
hotel a dime, treated every man in his
company to glass of beer, and still had
Is cents left for beer and sandwiches that
night. With featherweight heart he
went to the .theater that night and pro-
ceeded to make up. Imagine his dismay
when only three people sat in front. OF
course he could not play to only 30 cents
Gt was a 10, 20 and 30 cent attraction
He waited until 8 o'clock, and the
audience not increasing any he
dOnned his street clothes, packed up, and
set about finding the manager of the
house why said the actor, ''did the
people not Gomez All the seats but three
were reserved on the diagram" "Oh,
no." replied the local manager, "only
three were reserved" why sir, did l
not see with my own eyes tack in every
square but three}" "Ah," laughed the
manager, ''you see keep the board full
of tacks, and as a seat is reserved pull
out the tack from the number. Those
three tacks pulled out were for my wife
and girl and myself The company
stranded right there,
A popular company playing very SEN
satiOnal drama depended principally for
their success upon the dogs and horses
used in the play. They had a weeks
stand in Cincinnati and the manager of
the opera house had not been satisfied
with the acting Of the men and women in
the company. On the third evening of
their engagement the manager of the
company sought the local manager and
said; IN. afraid We can't give per-
formaHce this evening" = Why not why
not, sirn' t9Because, " explained the man
ager, my soubrette and comedian have
had row and threaten not to go on my
character man is down in the saloon par
alyzed; the old man has been in bed all
day with inhammatory rheumatism, and
the leading lady is ins a dead faint
oh, bosh2 exclaimed the local manager,
.who cares for them anyways There's
nothing ailing the horses and dogs, is
there2" No answered the manager
"Well, then ring up and let the play go
on"
When Pat Harris had stock company
in his Cincinnati opera house among those
on the programme were the Leonza broth
ers, whose trained dogs are the principal
feature of their act; at the end of the
week MI Harris came round paying sala-
ries to the company. Instead of handing
to Leonza brothers the envelope contain
ing their salary, he placed an envelope of
money in the mouth of each dog, remark
ing: There want TO pay these salaries
TO the men who have earned them"
When Arthur Byron was child his
mother, Mrs. Oliver Byron. was steering
him through his prayers one night He
had finished 81 he Child's Prayer" aid
had also asked God 10 bless papa and
mamma, and his aunt Ada Behan. and
severalother relatives, when he suddenly
stopped MIR. Byron said, "Well. 20 on"
Young Arthur deliberately arose with the
apology, God please excuse me while l
spit" walked across the room to the Gus
pidor to accomplish this, then returned,
and, l5neeling again, finished his prayer
Clay Clement came TO rehearsal one
morning in a bad humor. Generally
manager gets relief from this malady in
proportion to the amount of trouble and
annoyance he can cause the much i'm
posed upon property man. The play they
were rehearsing required storm effect,
and to work this the properIy-man had
been stationed at the thunder sheet in
the wings. At a certain cue he was to
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