Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-25
LIFE OF THE ADVANCE AGENT.
hob Golden Writes About His ESpe'
rienccS on the Road.


Let me be the agent in advance OF a
successful theatrical star and 1 care not
who pays the freight
That's what j say upon having looked
back at a grotesquely incongruous med
ley Of managers. actors, musicians. edi-
tors. reporters. hackmen. railroad pas
senger agents, hotel-keepers. custom
house officials, baggage-transfer men,
cranks, crooks. theatrical printers, stage
struck IDIOTS Of both sexes, fellow-advance
agents, and q long line Of other more or
less interesting characters, extending
through seven weeks, and asked myself;
"Ly boy what have you been UP
againstg'
And the why:
The advantage OF the advance agents
nomadic profession over the prosy 90
mesticity that marks the existence Of the
votary Of more staid pursuit is innu-
merably obvious Some OF the most cheer
ful debtors i know are advance agents.
Whatever the popular belief relative 10
the subject may be, the advance agent Is
The most innocent man on the road.
Crooked local managers rob him, theatre
treasurers set gay with him, railroad
agents fake" him. the clerk at the hotel
puts him Ia No. z79, and the general pub
lie comes around TO see him in the morn
ing. slaps him on the back Familiarity, ana
tells him how many passes il wants 10
the show And so the band plays on, ana
on. and on until the agent arrives at the
terminus Of a necessarily useful life, with
nothing more substantial to show for II
than am accumulation of integrity and
virtue. a line IN the newspapers, and a
mansion in the skies.
The man who breads the approach OF
the time when, in compliance with the
memorable law Of nature. his hairs must
be erayod. should go out on the road
ahead OF an important attraction. There
are no gray-haired advance agents; they
DON'T live that long.
The stupidity Of a healthy and growing
proportion Of the people the advance man
encounters in the course of his business
is his aorest affection That they are
usually well-meaning and kindly-disposed
bat makes IL an the more provoking.
With my assistant, Mr. ALT. Boshell'
who was born I'm the business and is
thoroughly conversant with every detail
Of the work ahead OF show. ] have
piloted my company through thirty-two
cities this season, including eighteen IN
the United States, twelve in the Domin'
ion of Canada. and one in New Jersey
An attraction Of the importance OIL Emily
Bancker calls for a great deal OF WORK
i'm advance, the heavy expense attached 10
maintenance of such an organization
mailing large boS-olicc receipts an aDso.
Lutte necessity. Few companies can aiiora
io keep more than one agent ahead.
Our experiences with attaches OF some
VI the theatres we have visited wouii
Keen the coDy-hooks I'm the Office of a
l. Irr far
the case Of the property man Of the thea-
tire jn a certain Canadian city, who,
through no fault OF his own. bears the
rather imposing misleading name OF
Ttzcerald McHueh. While Mr.. Mchash'
il rs true had never set optics upon the
streets OF Cairo. nor perambuiated tne
Midway In metaphor he had certainly
lived long enough in Montreal 10 kho"
better a.,
Mr.. Boshen was I'm the bll-rcom lay .
ing out his paper for the bill-posters anu
photographers Mr.. McHugh stood over
him admrng the pictures. Among the
one-sheet autographs used in advertising
Emily Bancker is a pictorial eomposl'e'
showing a gayiy-capadsoned elephant VI
the background.
Tut tutr exclaimed Mfr McHugh, as
his eyes rested upon this. DO you 0"'''
the ecphanty'
"sure elephant" replied Bosheh.
'"rhat isn't 20 good" air. McHush mex.
commented; "a don't know anyth'nS
about elephants ,,.
I'm sorry for YOU" said Bosheli; your
! education has been neglected.
And you really carry the eiephan''
Sure elephant"
"Wcn, well, well. But say, the p'oon'