The sun., 1896-10-24
DIVERSION IN VAUDEVILLE
A LUDICROUS BAsEBALL SKETCH
BIZ WEBER AND FIELDS

new speciality every few months. Their latest
one is now in the bill of their Broadway Music
Hail. and its topic is baseball. II has some re-
semblanco to their sketch OF a game of pool. and
to another in n bowling alley, but the dialogue is
different and tho stage setting is novel The
two performers stand outside the high board
fence OF ball ground, over which can be seen a
well-flllcd grand stand. In front of the fence is
a tree with limb that seems to be hinged to
the trunk and To portend disaster. The actors
wear baseball uniforms, ono letteTed New
York." the other Brooklyn" and one carries
bat, while the other has n catchcrs mask and
glove. The trouble begins when one explains
in tho pairs eccentric German dialect
that he Is not going to take part in tho
game because the day before he was fined +"
500. Tho other interprets this TO mean that
he found" that sum- so offers congratula-
tions, and tho misunderstanding is not straight
ened out till they have argued the matter and
criticised each others English. When the gong
is heard for tho game to begin man climbs into
the tree to look into the grounds. and tho two
outside tho fence become much excited. 1t is
announced from inside that the Brooklyns nave
made four runs and their representative out
side promptly chalks up the proper numeral on
the score board. Another series OF yells from
inside prefaces two tallcs for tho New Yorks,
and tho other joker puts two chalk marks on
the board. Then the two have an argument rs
to who has won tho game, the New Yorker
reading the score eleven to one. Tho
question is referred to tho man up the
tree. He says that the Brooklyns have four
and the New Sorks have "one," and
with that pun the second dispute is settled.
this may not stand for comicality. but those
who can recall this pnir confronted, the taller
man leaning over his companion and laying
behind his watstless body his face turned half
toward the audience and his expression that of
portion Of n former specially that has one man
attempting to ma ke n speech and the other
stamping noisily about is too comically absurd
to be cast aside. and a third division Of their
turn Is announced as an imitation of Fregoli.
The two apparently make several very nnick
the wings than they appear TO return In entirely
di1Srent M TIE s As soon ai & ooseryers are won
bow. accompanied by two other men made up
to look just ike them.
Strenuous melodrama is growing lightsome.
The elaborately planned mec ha ical catastrophe
has had its day, and just at present 1t takes
something nightly ingenious and snowy to
cause thrill This is partly due to the fact
that it is dficult to excel what has already
been shown, but it Is also because there is a de-
sire that the comic side shall be presented moro
than half OF the time. To this end the underfed
heroine and tottering dad are on view only
enough 10 point lne piOl, anu tUen tHey give
way to what are styled types of character but
are really crude caricatures. Each OF these
WORTHLESS has his specially" and from half an
hour to an hour OF the entertainment is devoted
10 their exploitation. In The Great Train
Robbery" the current mc,odrama at tho peo-
rle's. budget OF this vaudeville. il given in the
barroom OF mining canp. Passing as a show
provided by the resorts proprietor. 1t does not
seem ungracetuly placed. when the value OF
such diversion TO alternate with intense incl
dents is renrin bered. But later when IA band
OF robbers ana CutthrOats IL waiting
stop aud plunder an Ipress train. II does seem
ike stretching a point to have n ragged vaca-
bond step forward into the ward OF the railroad
station sing a song. crack n few jokes. and do
an eccentric dance. But the audiences which
these plays attract. a bald interruption Of the
story is excusablc II only the specialist cuts new
capers. They will accept almost any meo-
and % experienced critics Of stunts" II the
specialties are acceptable. the plays success
in this. There is less time for blood Lettings
abductons. collapses Of buildings and wrecks
enough OF shooting and cutting to incarnadine
the stage, its effect is somewhat lost II. before
the flow OF gore is stanched. an lrishman comes
forth and tells stories IN 30 involved a brogue
that at intervals his tongue gets caught when
stuck out between his lips. and to recover con-
troll Of that organ he has TO slap his own face
Proof that the comic dominates in The Great
Train Robbery" is that not a hiss is heard for
the villain throughout the evening.
Some OF the gloom that has been lifted from
slam bang melodrama may have settled down
In vaudeville. 1t is certainly hard to believe
that the hearts once satisfy yincly rent with long
drawn sights Of heroines oppressed are forever
weaned from such diet. In one spot. at least. in
the variety shows. joyleBsness has deepened.
The illustrated song is the medium Of this.
The Slvers. now Mt Pastors have n representa-
tive specially of this sort, and their ballad
"The Baggage Car Ahead" is fair sample OF
their somDre budget. The singer stands aside
twanging u guitar. and his assistant throws
upon "a screen in the middle Of the stage highly
coiored stereopticon pictures illustrating the
ballads scenes. songs of joviality are strictly
barred. and thrcady tenor IL the usual vocal
quality. The first picture in the song aluded 10
side OF it the berths are made mp on
the other row OF seats upholstered in
"runny" red is seen. In the aisle Of the car a
fAnt. The first starZa makes clear that the
child is disturbing the passengers that wish to
sleep and several remarks Of awakened sleep
ers are quoted that are expressive OF various
other sentiments than sympathy. A request
remark volunteered. and then the infants stecd
responds. He would gladly comply with this
request but the child's mother. he sings. is dead
picture changes. and he inside Of the baggage
car Is shown. On a bier.like pedestal is an OBJ
long box. drapcd with an ample shrord of light
green. Then comes second stanza explaining
that the feelings of the ,complainants are quite
woman appears in the cars ais le and takes the
child from its dad, and tho curtains
or the DerthS sthEu out lnmplly from
the heads OF other interested ones who are not
attired for public sympathaing. BY the end or
the stanZa peace is restored in the sleeping car.
aud at the end OF tho refrain the outside OF the
baggage car is shown. an undertakcr's wagon
backed up to its door, tho erstwhile green
draped box drawn forward to the d0orsill and
on the station platform are grouped the ocCu-
pants of the sleeping coach of the previous
night. In the final picture the box Is on the
shoulders OF six volunteers from this group and
Is being carried to the wagon. There Rre adopts
at inserting into rough-and- ready melodrama
Atp IA liam nG "a y - har pi II
palsy for aged parents. and tough opponents for
tender orphans. and il some of these experts
are despalring over the newly come taste for
JOY, let them go to Pastors, hear the gods howl
In appreciation OF this ballad. and be assured
that the liking for being stirred by sorrow is not
dead. Then let them set to tinkering on q now
method OF narrowing.
Thomas A. Edlsons vitascOpc is In use both at
Proctor's Pleasure Palace and at Proctor's
Twenty third street. and the proprietOrs OF the
device promised TO have ready for showing this
week n series OF instantaneous photographs OF
William j. Bryan In the act Of making speech.
without net, from the platform Of II railroad
car. Tine apparatus wouldn't stand it; the