The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-03

to the old men, which he usually played
until his time came TO leave the stage OF
life. Now--how different There are
none but young people wanted by msn-
ayers even to play old paris. While EN-.
ployment wss more continuous as Wen
as more lasting in the Legitimate Gays,
II yielded such poor returns that we
could at most live and dress, but not
save, SO that an actor with run OF hard
luck was doomed to suffer distress. Thus
you can understand how j, through NO
fault of my own, but natural decline-al-
though am not fifty yet-with no abili-
ty to earn q decent livelihood In any
other than my own profession, nave sunk
lower and lower, until i have come 10
starve along in the most abject penury,
earning pittsnce for food by the lowest
menial work, in summer sleeping under
the stars to save the few pence shall re-
quire In winter to pay for nightly shelter
in some tramps' lodging house"
"Under the stars" The old actor
French accent.
There Is one large class OF show folk
happily unaffected by-because at present
beyond the reach of-the aspiring. ever
on-rolling Anglican tide Their scene of
action is In the deep and distant heart
of the wild and woody West. They call
themselves "pur-raire actors" They have
utuIu Vi INtW YIN dS thty INV H~"sN -
heaven, but 1t Is to far of to have the
slightest influence upon their dramatic
sphere. The "pur-raire," artists display
their variegated talents In temples OF art,
admittance to which is 10, 20, and even
as high as 30 cents "a pr" For weekly
wages of $40 they give "two per" day,
"per" being their lingo for performance.
Their labors are not confined TO the In
terror of the temple. They are required
to march through the streets with band
and verify by actual exhibition the proud
boast of the manager that "all his COM
papy wear diamonds" which, IL real,
belong to him and not to them. 1t Is
hardly necessary to state that Irving,
Bernhardt and the like great lights OF
the dramatic armament do not "per" in
the haunts of the "pur-raire" actor, but
it is only a question of time when the
death dealing wave OF lesser foreign
theatrical invaders will roll onward and
over his vast native tracks, crushing him
out altogether.
1t Is customary for the venders OF pat
ent medicSnes to travel through the West
rem country in covered, spacious wagons.
They halt In the villages, and on the
tail OF the cart q negro minstrel twangs
banjo in accompaniment to some popular
melody. The little gratuitous entertain
ment never fails to collect crowd, and
then comes the chance OF the fakir to
decant upon the properties OF the pill or
potion he is selling.
In many instances the advertisers have
gone beyond the solitary minstrel with
his banjo, and a man and woman do a
little double song-and-dsnce turn. An
Englishman, lately arrived IN this country
hoping to find an opening here for bis
patent medicines, said the Americana, by
their way of advertising, were killing
the "p. m. business over there"
"Why," he said, "you no sooner started
out real good advertising wagon with
a negro minstrel and man to patter( talk }
than along came q great, big splurging
Yankee wagon, flying flaming advertise
ments, and a man and woman doing a
song and dance turn! And fellar with
such gift OF the CAB setting forth the
wonders Of the latest American scientific
discovery to cure everything, the cathode
pill and X ray ointment. that the poor
little English concern was knocked clean
opt, o. sight"
This is q triumph poor one, 1t Is
true, but 1t will have to answer until the
boasted British love OF fair play may in
cline them to theatrical reciprocity, for
while they overrun our theaters. Ameri-
cans have no foooting upon the British
boards. England is not for Americans,
but America is for this English. Y.
sun.