The Daily Texarkanian., 1895-12-13
AMUSEMENT
A FAIR House Greets Eugene Robinson
and Walter Fess'eg Comedy
Drama, "a Ride For
Life"

Inc lOuT-dCt COMEDY uIdWdi y
Ride for Lite, was put on the
stage at Ghio's last night to over
an average audience.
The scene is laid in Mexico, near
chihuahua, and the characters in
the play, or plot, run from the
mine owner to the Italian Dago,
who "sell a banan' or cut a de
t'roat for de mon. The "Bowery
girl" and her old pard' were woven
in the play, as also was the genteel
villain, whose absence from any
play would be dn anomaly,
The play opens up at Richard
Powers house. Aunt Hetty, the
mistress of the "hashery," rushes
out on the stage and squeaks out
"Roxanua, Roxannal where are
your"
At this point Daniel Dexter, a
chap of the up to date kind, comes
out from the right wings with milk
pail in hand, and a dialogue takes
place about milking.
Miss Roxanna appears from tde
left wing, singing Goodbye, my
honey, I'm gone," in faIsetto
voice. Here Daniel, the up to date
young man, takes her by the hand.
In the conversation of the Bowery
they tell how much they love one
another, Dan swearing that he had
held many a good hand in his life,
but none could beat RoXy's. They
then did a song and dance, Roxy
turning a couple of somersaults in
her soubretted dress. While we do
not look with favor on a lady throw
ing her heels over her head, we can
say Roxy did it without rufling a
single ruffle or displacing a ribbon.
The play then branches out, by
Jack Woodruff, the hero, coming in
from the wings, meeting the hero
inc, Miss Annie Powers, the mine
owners daughter. They become
engaged and the hero takes his gun
to shoot a ribbit for supper, which
gives the villain a chance to come
and make love to Annie and mis-
chief for himself,
The villain tells Anne he loves
her-for what, he did not say, but
he loved her-and would have her
at any cost.
Annie's father comes IN. He and
the villain get in dispute, the vii
lain kills him, and the murder is
laid on Annie's sweetheart, Jack.
To cut long story short, Jack is
condemned to be hung, and his
time is about up, when Daniel DeX-
ter, the up TO date chap, comes to
the cell window, puts acid on the
bars and removes them. The con-
demned man makes his escape from
the prison and reaches the United
States on a flying locomotive.
The company producing the play
have all necessary scenery to make
it effective, but did not use a single
drop or wing last night, the manag
er giving as a reason that the stage
would not carry it, He raised the
curtain, however, on the locomotive
that was to be used for the escape
scene, and it looked a monster. He
said the owner OF the opera house
would not let them work the ma.
chinery necessary to run the loco.
motive, as he feared it would iniure
his house,
When the curtain went down, the
reporter of this paper was invited to
go behind the curtain and examine
the locomotive, as the manager said
he did not want to appear in the
role of a humbug, The reporter
found a locomotive there, to all in.
tent, of the dimensions advertised
1t was fixed so it would stand still
and let the wheels revulve under it,
and at the same time a big augul
cylinder running the length of the
engine, was placed under the loco
motive to revolye in an opposite di.
rection from the driving wheels,
which gives the locomotive the ap.
pearance of running at high rate
of speed, This machinery is run by
a four horse power engine with sta
tionary boiler
The play was marred by the alb
sence of proper setting,
The company play in Hot Springs
tonight, and at Little Rock, and
Memphis next week.
The next attraction is Beach g.
Bowers famous mnstrels, on Mon.
dav nipht, 10th.