The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-01

Charles Eugene Banks, who used to
court the muse in Chicago. and is now
trying the experiment of publishing a
high-class literary weekly in Davenport.
Ia. has been in Chicago for a few days
exchanging remembrances with the Press
Club boys, says writer in the Chicago
Times Herald.
Banks and Opie Read made tour
through the south once upon a time, read
ing from their own works. One after
noon IN little Texas town, which never
mas succeeded in getting on any map ex-
cept that issued by a railway company
Read and Banks were sitting in front Of
little hotel waiting for night tc come
and usher in their ''grand literary seast, .
as the billboards styled il, at the opera
house-every cross roads in Texas has a
IAN opera house."
woe-begone, seedy-looking stranger
came up briskly and said: "Helloi Are
you the gentlemen who give the show
here to-night?'
He wore silk hat of the ante-bellum
regime, Prince Albert coat and check
cred trousers, and everything about him
indicated that he was a thespian in hard
luck. Opie took his pipe out long enough
to say We are and resumed smoking
The stranger drew up a chair and sat
down. See here" he began confiden-
TALLY, I'VE theatrical folks have got to
stand by each other, Ell? That's the way
amt it? We stick together or we fan;
that's my idea"
Banks said he had always believed in
cooperation, and the stranger, thus en-
couraged continued.
we've been touring this God-forsaken
state now for about a month" he said,
ana we re4busted--hat. The people some
now don't have confidence in us and won't
turn out-see? NO money. I'll admit we
are pretty bad, but what of that? Why
should that count in a one-night camp?
Wen, here we are. The Empire State
Eclipse Dramatic Company is stranded
were going to give a show here to-mor
row night, following you. If we get
enough money to pull us out of town, wen
have chance for life-a chance to build
up glorious future"
The two Chicagoans expressed their
kindly sympathy and fraternal interest
in the finanpial results of the next nights
performance.
Now, that's where the shoe pinches."
continued the actor. Would you like to
| see us-eight of us-left high and dry in
this town? Give us chance to live. I'll
| take my whole company over to the opera
house tonight, and Wen applaud you till
we're black in the face Then I want you
to stop your show and announce that the
Empire State Eclipse Dramatic Company,
which will give a show here tomorrow
night, is the best thing that ever got
loose or something like that, Under
stand? Whoop EN- up for us. Say that
| Booth learned his A, 3 ,C.'s with our
| show. Tell 'em We can play everything
| from Uncle Toms Cabin to Hamlet,
up or down, and that talent bulges out
all over our performance. Tell 'em we've
| got more bloodhounds and jackasses than
| any other show on the road. Save us,
! You can do it. Get US out of here. VIII
| your"
The Chicagoans said they would try.
| And they did. Six weeks later Read and
! Banks were in an Arkansas town. A card
was sent up to their room, Following it
came the manager and proprietor of the
| Empire State Eclipse Dramatic Company,
you did it, boys he said. I'VE stood
'em up the next night after you gave us
| that send-off, and we've been doing it
ever since. Come over and see US tonight
and you can have the whole theater if
/ Vou want il -