The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-08
in STAGE COACH DAYS
TONY PASTORS "REMINISCENCES OF
EARLY INDIANAPOLIS.
Showed Here in 1S47-Enect of His
Political Songs He Now Sings
His Audiences.


is showing this week in Indianapolis, has
the distinction of having been among the
first of the travelling theatrical men 10 visit
this city. His visits to Indianapolis date
back before the advent of the steam car,
when it was necessary to travel by stages
and water almost the entire distance from
New York city. Mr.. Pastor has during al
most his entire time travelled with vaude-
vile companies, and was the originator of
the idea of introducing local hits in comic
song. This idea naturally led to the idea
of working ip gags on presidential cam
didates during years of presidential cleo
TONS and in this line Mr.. Pastor and the
company with which he surrounds himself
in these late days of his professional life
are scientists.
Last night. at the Park Theater, Lew
Dockstader, a comedian who INDUCES in
very witty monologue. proceeded to explain
the meaning of sixteen to one in his in
imitable manner. ut means" he said,
that on the 4th day of next March VIM. j.
Bryan will be inaugurated as the next
President of these United States" Mr..
Dockstader then paused until the applause
and Kisses ceased. The Kisses were in the
majority, and then the comedian concluded
by saying: Provided William Mckinney,
jr., drops dead" This brought forth ire
mendous cheering. and round after round
of applause, and suggested to a reporter
that a man who had been engaged so long
in that line as had Mr.. Pastor, and who
had recently made the trip West from New
ork would be able to arrive at the pre-
yallfng sentiment of the people little ear
lier and little more accurately than people
who travel politicians, and see more of
their side of the case than of the other
Mr.. Pastor was met in the lobby al the
Denison House after the performance last
night when no Of vie
told he said
I try to be neutral in my business. If I
make a point in favor of one candidate /
invariably make one Immediately following
II IN favor of the opposing candidate. 1t is
not polite to do otherwise and not fair to
the audience. People who pay their money
TO see the performance do not care to see
their favorite candidate assailed even in a
joke unless they see clearly that it is not
nave not noticed carefully the prevailing
been out of New York and would not like
to comment upon it if / had but | have
my own ideas about how the sentiment is,
for publication"
1t is easy enough to understand what
Mr.. Pastors ideas are from the manner in
which the joke is used at the Park Theater
this week. He gives the Bryan sympathiz-
ers the joke on the opposition first and for
but brief period The joke is then turned
caustically upon the Bryan people and left
with the Mckinley sympa thizers. 1t is
giving 51 the Mckinley people decidedly the
expects to find the prevailing sentiment
that way, for he caters to the crowd.
Pastor got to talking about his early life
as a theatrical man and his first visit to
Indiana polls.
Il remember distinctly my first trip
here" he said though It is nearly
fifty years ago. / left New York with a
Cumberland, Md, wa as far as we could
go by rail. We were then obliged to go
by stage to Pittsburg and down the Ohio
river bV boat tn Cincinnati Thpr1 wy emf
to Madison by boat and across the country
as best we could overland to Indianapolis.
This was a very small place then. but ]
tell you it WAS the liveliest little village I
ever saw in my life There was an absence
of the rough element that SO generally
makes such a large per cent. of the popu-
lation of a frontier town, but there was
plenty of life all the same and the beauty
OF 1T was that the people enjoyed going
to the show and we did well here. The
first trip was in 1S47 and 1 have been COM
ing here occasionally ever since.
There was a while that almost forsook
the place, not, however, because of the
fact that I did not do wen here, but be-
cause / changed my methods. 1t was at a
time when a week stand here was UNI
thought of and l was playing one-night
stands everywhere except here. Here 1
would play two nights. Later / got to play
ing week stands in the large cities only
and then was compelled to drop this city.
But / drifted back again. 1 remember
showing in an old theater. way back before
the Metropolitan Theater, which is now the
Park was built. Then there the Grand
and believe I played there before / played
in the Academy of Music But both of
these houses burned. Then came the Met
ropolitan where 1 showed in 1870 1871 1872
and every year for eight or ten years Then
came the English Opera House and the
new Grand in all of which l have played.
Returning to my first trip here, I think
it was in 1877, though 1t may have been
earlier. / thought that while / am here /
will hunt up some old inhabtant and have
a talk with him about several things which
| can remember as belonging to the times
and perhaps | can get the da tie fixed GER
tainly. l remember that at the time of
my first visit they were erecting a State
house right where the present Statehouse
now stands. 1t was not the one there now,
but much smaller one 1t was of a
Grecian style of architecture and had a
small dome in the middle of it. 1t was
not long after my first visit here that the
j., M. & I. road was built and soon we
We're able to travel by train from the river
to this city. But such travel as it was
The time was not much better than that
made by a pack mule But it was a great
deal more comfortable than the Stage
coach or wagon and We hailed it as a well
come change. As l roll into indianapolis
now in the magnificent palaces which are
run over the smooth roadbeds / often think
of that old road and what a different place
India anOliS has harnDle in