The morning news., 1897-03-07
TOLD IN THE BOX OFFICE.
The Monkey, Cast for an Important
Part, Ruined n Play.
From the Chlcago New.

From the Chicago News.
by the way" asked the comedian, after
a pause, did you see that chicken fight
in The Jucklins7'
Everybody had seen IL excepting the ad-
vance agent. The latter shook his head
II wouldn't look at It," he declared. II
can't stand for animals. be they brute or
bird, upon a stage"
There were a few curious queries and
the advance agent, with a tear brimming
in his deep blue eyes, told his pitiful story
II was not always what you see me-"
he began. II didn't have 20 travel for
bum shows run by hard-hearted wretch
who wants good results in every town be-
fore he pays salaries when / was young.
Only three short years ago / had legiti-
mate comedy-a beauty. One of the
strong points of that comedy should have
been the acting of trained monkey.
Night and day we had rehearsed that
monk until he was letter perfect in his
lines. He was to make a terrific hit IN the
opening scene. The villain was to come
in and find valuable papers left carelessly
on a desk by the heroine. He was to pock-
ct the papers and then the monkey was
to creep up behind him and steal the pa
pers back again. Why. 1t was q superb bit
of animal intelligence
We had the monkey drilled till he would
not only steal the papers but put them In
envelopes, seal them and hand them to
the heroine with a Chesterfieldlan bow.
Well, the opening night was in Milwaukee
and there was a corking house. All went
smoothly when the curtain rose. The her
oine was discovered In the parlor and the
monkey was sitting in a window-ledge.
Just as the heroine, after looking over the
mr. ma q
the property mans dog walked along be-
hind the scenes, and Just behind the mon
key, although, Of course, invisible to the
crowd.
THAT monkey never did like dogs, any
how. He gave one awful shrek, and then,
with a rush and a long leap, he was on
the shoulders Of the heroine. She scream
ed, and the monkey caught hold of her
blonde wig, yankng 1t free and hurting 1t
on the floor.
'Hclpl helpg screechcd the heroine
'G-r-r-wowr said the monk And he tied
his tail around the heroines neck, seized
an ear in one paw and began TO pound her
cheeks with the other.
at was an awful time before we rescued
the poor girl from the beast. and the play
was ruined. That's why am here to-day
That's why hate all animals, and espec-
tally hate the idea Of putting them upon
stage"
The comedian was N gloomy mood and
sighed deeply as hs inspected the contents
of a rather slender pocketbook. Times are
too hard, entirely" he remarked, as he
counted up $3.50. "If something doesn' drop
pretty soon I'll have 20 quit the business"
what can you do outside of a decayed
song and dancer asked the advance agent
scornfully. The comedian beamed serenely
upon him.
Loads OF things" he answered Tor
instance, about three years ago the COM
pany / was starring ----" Starving, you
mean" interrupted the proprietor. TAX
ing no heed Of the interruption, the come
dian went on. "As ! said, the company
which l was starring In went on the rocks
IN "A western city-good-sized. booming
town. too. Hadn't a cent. All ] did for "A
day was to walk around and wonder. Then
/ realized that | must get something 10 do.
Passing a fast-rising building. I saw a
sign just set up, reading. 'finisher want
ed
"Well, had no more idea what a fin
shor was than the man In the moon. but
I'm / sailed. and as 4 was the first man on
the ground / got the Job. The boss took
me up ten or eleven stories TO a little
peak Of 2 pointed roof and showed me a
lot of boards a hammer and some big
nails. Then ] realized that finisher had
10 lay those internal boards. rail them IN
place and keep from falling 10 the ground
100 feet below. And / had never even tack
ed UP a picture In my life.