The Portland daily press., 1895-01-07
How the Athletic Club Company
Went on Their Travels. rs
THE sAUDIENCES WERE ENTHUS.
IASTIC IF NOT LARGE.

Togus Veterans Turned Out in Force to
See the Show and Were Loud in Praises
The Company Acted and Travelled
Like Old Hands at the Business.
!. Tired but happy were the Barn stormers
of the Athletic club. when the Pullman
train, with their car attached, came to
stop in the Union+station in the early hours
Sunday morning. They had a right to be
happy, for if their efforts in the production
of Hawaii in Bangor and Augusta were
approximately houses of only moderate size.
the people in the audiences made up in en-
thusiasm what they lacked in numbers, and
at Togus, neither the numbers nor the en-
thusiasm were lacking.
During the trip, many were the jokes on
the new experiences of life on the road and
when somebody referred to the haidships
OF the travelling companies Of years ago.
the "Barn Stormers," the name was at
once appropriated. Chow do you life barn
storming?" became frequent question,
and one to which the general air of enjoy
ment throughout the party gave sufficient
answer.
The company, over seventy strong, left
Portland In private car attached to the
Bangor train Friday morning, and had
jolly time, so that the car wheels had
clicked over the l36 miles of rails before
the fun of the trip had grown old. Nearly
all of the company were present and so
were Mr.. Emerson, the librettist and several
members of the entertainment committee.
Mr.. Mitchell and Mr.. Upham had gone on
ahead To make arrangements, and dinner
awaited the party at the Bangor house.
Then the boys had taste of real theatrical
life for they were straightway set 10 work
rehearsing, and the afternoon was spent on
the stage. The parts were assigned about
as they were taken in Portland. Mr.. J. G.
Stevens singing the captains part in place
of Mr.. Bickford, who was not able to go.
The young ladies of the chorus and corps
de ballet were there, and in the evening be-
came as popular with Bangor people as they
were in Portland. The premiere danseuse,
and the three little Hawaiian natives shared
the honors of the evening with the Queen,
the Prime Minister and the other principals.
while tina Patent Folding Throne played its
part TO the great amusement of everybody.
After the performance some of the MEM
bers OF the company were entertained at a
reception given by Mrs. Z IRA Stearns.
But barn storming has many hard features
as well as many pleasant ones. This was
realized by the boys when they were called
at six o'clock Saturday NOR ming and. after
j has.y breakfast, took uI the line of
march to the RAILROAD station With the
mercury in Bangor Thermometers on the I'M
der side of the Zero mark. But enthusiasm
rose as the bright sunshine kept the
mercury rising, and when the company
reached Gardiner at 1925, all hands were
eager for another meal, and the afternoon
trip to Togus. Dinner was serve ed at the
Evans hotel at II Is, and Immediately after
the company took a train which was wait
ing for them on the narrow gauge road on
the opposite side of the river. The little
train, pulled by its baby engine, made good
time over the narrow track. although the
load was heavy one, the cars being filed
while sUme of the party stood on the plat
forms. Togus, with the many buildings,
the blue GATED veterans everywhere, and a
glimpse of hundreds OF them at dinner in
one great hall, afforded many of the boys a
novel.expeIience. 1t Was also noyelssight,
when the curtain was rung up and the COM
pany looked out on an audience composed
almost entirely of elderly men wearing
army blue and brass buttons, and nearly
filing the pretty theatre. The sight OF rs or
80 young men taking female parts was
equally novel to the veterans, and they
were loud in their applause, the efforts Of
the Queen and Aloah being received with
especial marks of favor. When it anne to
the dancing, the old soldiers began to lose
faith. But they knew that the company was
composed of men, and so that matter was
settled until the premiere sdanseuse, in
golden colored tights and fluffy tulle skirts
suddenly appeared with a bound in the
centre of the stage and began the intricate
and difficult dance with its poses and
pirouettes. Then some Of the veterans de-
clared that the dancer was woman, and
one chung to that belief until he had been
taken and introduced to Mr. Dickson. The
veterans are as patriotic as when they
shouldered muskets in the 'sOs. When the
missionary announced to the British minis
ter that this couLtry had gotten along very
we'll for over hundred years without the
protection of the fiag.of Old England, the
veterans stood up and applauded. The ap-
pearance of Aloah in American colors. and
the final tableau with Uncle Sam as the
central figure, again aroused enthusiasm
''Twas the best show of the winter,'' said
one of the blue clad auditors. ''Say, was
all those girls menu" was the remark Of
another, and third added, "You fellows
are humnlers in the show business The
officials of the home were also generous
with words of praise and several drove into
Augusta to see the evening performance.
The overture and music between the acts
at Togus were played by the excellent
orchestra of twenty pieces attached to the
home.
1t was a case of hustle after the curtain
descended at the close of the piece, for
there was scant time to get back to Au-
gusta. All hands worked with celebrity
which would have been creditable to pro-
fessionals, and in forty-five minutes the six
great costume trunks were packed, and
with tho folding throne, which, by the way
achieved one of it's greatest successes at
Togus, and the colored light apparatus
were loaded on the little train again. At
Gardiner a special train was ready and. as
soon as the baggage could be tranferred
took the company to Augusta. arriving at
just six o'clock. Supper was served at
Hotel North and preparations were at once
begun for the evening performance which