The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-02
PLAYING A STRANGE PARI.
An Actors Experience as the Hind Legs {
M

An Actors Experience as the Hind Legs Of
Property Elephant.
zone of my strangest and most uncom-
Portable experiences, sir, was being the
hind legs of an elephantl" says an actor
In Cassell's journal. "Id gone out to
Australia, like many other young fellows
do, or rather did few years ago, with
the fixed idea Of making my fortune.
Needless to remark, failed dismally, and
soon lost the little money did possess. l
had been well educated and tried one
thing after another, with the invariable
result that every market seemed over
stocked. As last resource went around
10 the theaters to try to get job. AT
one was successful, being told that zone
of the chaps was i'll, and the boss in n roar
ing temper made my way round and
arrived in time to hear the aforesaid boss
remark somewhat loudly and in scarcely
polite language:
"'what does the "hind legs" mean by
being illp His business Is to be "bind
legs," and II he doesn't turn up tonight
he won't have another job in my theaterr
rather timidly approached and asked II
could perhaps supply the missing mans
place. well, young man, II you'll come
and be ''hind legs" Of an elephant, you
can; II not, clear out; the pays 10 bob a
week The outlook was not cheering,
but was too hungry to be proud, so an
swered that l had no knowledge of the
duties of hind legs but would do my
best and hoped that few rehearsals
would perfect me- ! followed the front
legs who had been u 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.
1.-THE front legs attired himself in a
| similar garment. Then we both stopped
down to about half our height, and a
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 it was
most difficult to arrange our strides prop
erly, and we commenced by the front legs
making up his mind to take walking
tour by himself, poor hind legs descend
ing into u Httle jog trot gallop to keel
anywhere near. Then we found the posi-
tions reversed, and was told to stop trip.
ping up them front legs At last we were
fairly perfect, aud 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 wa'
heard no front legs was there. The man
aper was furious, and the audience impa
tient, when at last my other half was dis
covered in the bar only getting drink.
He was promptly hauled along, but tn
walk Of that elephant was decidedly Gu
rious during the evening. However, W
4 managed to get along somehow, but
: wasn't sorry when my week came to al
d, end, and, taking into consideration tn
b discomfort of head and backache, the de
cidedly unclean condition Of the skin,
. and the long hours spent in rehearsals an
D performances, don't think l ever took
more hardly earned 10 shillings."