The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-01
APRIL FOOL FANCIES.
BTainey Men Tell What Sort PlCaSGS
Them.
Actor, Artist, Satirist, Lawyer, Etc.
All Have Something to Say About
This, the Fool Catcher's Day.

All Have Something to Say About
This, the Fool Catcher's Day.
)Copyright)
New York, March 3l-The stage is in
some measure responsible for All Fools
day. So the historians tell US. They say
it grew out of an old eastern miracle play
in which the sending Of Christ from
Annas to Caiaphas and from PLATE 10
Herod was the basis of the medieval
dramatist's plot. But l don't think the
stage has stuck to its offspring. We
actors are a serious lot of people, particu-
larly the comedians among US, for para
doxical as it may seem, acting is all work
and no play, and consequently Jack is a
dun boy. We would like to April Fool
our manager perhaps, but we don't April
Fool ourselves, because that would be
rather cruel.
have outgrOwn the frolicsomeness of
April / of course; still always look care
fully after my coat tails on that day.
and ! greatly enjoy the motley of those
who are careless about their garmental
caudals during the Feast of All Fools
The sight makes me feel quite boy
again, for we youngsters used to do that
sort Of thing in Philadelphia thirty years
ago. o yes, did it, too. | believe that
some Of the livelier children Of Philadel-
phia do it yet, and have vitality and
energy enough left 10 laugh at the result,
as comic Photographer would say.
The most foolhardy of all the tricks
which can recall in connection with this
carnival of ieering and nonsense is one
that | have never seen played since l was
old enough to require two digits to ex
press my age. A bag and two boys were
the ingredients of the trick, and it never
failed to score great success on a quiet
side street One boy got into the bag and
the other stood by it waiting for the vic
tim. The rest of the boys who were lin
on the ground floor' were hiding
in Railways and doors and behind
trucks across the street An limo
cent citizen came sauntering along The
boy who had hold of the neck of the bag
stopped with Say, mister, please give
me a-lift will yerl" The innocent citizen
usually acquiesced and took hold of the
bag usually to land it on the youngsters
shoulder. just as he got it fairly in his
hands the boy in the bag suddenly kicked
and screamed. Innocent victim, thinking
it bagful of wildcats or hyenas, let go
quickly and ran off with a palpitating
heart and hair on end, while all the boys
across the street pursued him with a vii
famous chorus of April fool! April fool
Wash your face and go to schoolp' or
something to the same effect. 1t
always seemed to me that the joke
was really on the boy in the bag !;
and heavily and was hurt, and occa-
sionally the April fooled citizen
gave him thrashing besides for being too
funny. But it was an effective trick, and
often an old codger fingered in the
shadow on the opposite pavement to wit
ness and enjoy the sport. You have seen
man try to kick plug hat full of pig
iron over into the next state-well, his
discontinue was no greater than that of
the man whose blood was frozen in his
heart by the unexpected scream emitted
by the occupant of the bag. Taught 1t
would make tombstone roll over in fit
of Mysteries. JOHN DREW.