The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-08-01
PLAYING A STRANGE PART.
An Actors Experience as the Hind legs Of
u Property Elephant.

Property Elephant.
zone Of my strangcst aud most uncom.
Portable experiences, sir, was being the
hind legs of an ,lcphant' says an actor
Ia Cassells journal. ara gone out 60
Australia, like many other young fellows
do, or rather did few years ago, with
the fixed idea ~ making my fortune.
Needless To remark. failed dismally, aud
soon lost the little money did possess.
had been well educated and tried one
thing after another, with the invariable
result that every market seemed over
stocked. As "A last resource | went around
Co the theaters 10 try to get job. At
one was successful, being told that tone
Of the chaps was M and the boss Ia roar
ing temper. made my way round and
arrived in time 10 hear the aforesaid boss
remark somewhat loudly and in scarcely
polite language
"'What does the "hind legs" mean by
being illy His business IL 10 be "hind
legs" and If he doesn't turn up tonight
he won't have another job in my theaterp
] rather timidly approached and asked II
! could perhaps supply the missing mans
place. We'll, young man, II you'll come
and be hind legs" Of an elephant, you
can; If not, clear out; the pays 10 bob a
WICK Inc oullbbk WAS not tllttTlllR,
but was too hungry TO be proud, 50 an
swered that | had no knowledge of the
duties Of hind legs, but would do my
best and hoped that n few rehearsals
would perfect me. | followed the front
legs, who had been witness of this in
terview, and was quickly set to work
First, had to put on pair of large, loose.
/ dirty brown looking trousers, with the
cardboard feet attached. They were kept
on by straps over my shoulders
"The front legs attired himself In n
similar garment. Then we both stopped
down to about half our height, and n
large, dirty brown covering was drawn
over us to form the body, to which the
head etc, was attached. The cord work
| ing the trunk was given into front legs
/ keeping, while ] was accommodated with
| that appended to the tail. At first il was
most difficult to arrange our strides prop
erly, and we commenced by the front legs
making up his mind TO take IA walking
| tour by himself, poor hind legs descend
ing into u Sttle jog trot gallop to keep
anywhere near Then we found the posi-
! tons reversed, aud was told to stop trip
ping up them front legs At last we were
fairly perfect, and were released with ach-
ing heads and stiff backs till the evening
/ performance. ! was naturally pretty pune
tual for the first time, but when the cry,
the stage waits for the elephant was
heard no front legs was there, The man
ager was furious and the audience impa-
tient, when Mt last my other half was dis
covered in The bar only getting II drink.
He was promptly hauled along, but the
walk of that elephant was decidedly Gu.
rious during the evening. However, we
managed to get along somehow, but
wasn't sorry when my week came to an
end, and, taking into consideration the
discomfort of head and backache, the de.
cidedly unclean condition of the skin,
and the long hours spent in rehearsals and
performances, / don't think ever took a
more hardly earned 10 shillings."