The San Francisco call., 1897-07-04

Many men, women and children must
have wondered how life looks tc the man
in the punch and Judy" tent. This a
writer for THE CALL recently set forth to
learn.
The Punch and Judy" man never sees
his sname displayed in large type on hand
bflls; nor Is he the object of comment in
the newspaper columns in which plays
and players find verbal bliss or woe
Nevertheless, year in and year out he en-
.ertains more auditors, plays more parts,
uses more voices and sees more people
. than does any STAR of the dramatic or
operatic stage.
In small room, one of modest suite
in a howard-street Lodging house, the
best known Punch and Judy" man on
the Pacific Coast told of some experiences.
1t appeared from the moving narrative.
which was practically illus rated, that a
Punch and Judy" man can travel with
as little inconvenience as tortoise, and
that in an emergency he carries his house
as truly on his back. He is a roamer-a
man who goes where he Wills and stops
when he pleases; first of all, the friend
OF the children of all civilized nations;
the rough wit who makes his Jokes and
often his dialogue TO suit the changing
humor OF his audiences; who speaks more
dialects than the best performer in the
vaudeville show; the mysterious and hid
den farce concerning which children won
der so much while the play is going and
consider mystery for weeks after
My name is +. J. Carter" said the
A.xf az nk,r
OF Iowa; have travelled with a circus ;
made my debut as a sleight-ot-hand per-
former when was Ii years old; am one
OF only half a dozen Punch and Judy
men west of Omaha; have been in the
Punch and Judy business many years,
and have Travelled the United States from
end to end. l am sure that [ have had al
least 10000 900 auditors. The queer thing
is that com psratively few OF them know
me. 1 have to stand with my head thrown
back most of the time, out of sight OF the
children, and where l can watch all the
figures as l work them.
Some days 1 work nearly ali of twelve
hours, with a whistle in my mouth, with
both arms held constantly up, acting foI
the figures, listening, seeing, making new
. Jokes. Ou, yes, II Is d uhEu duu ldOOIlOuS
life, but still like it,"
Then the Punch and Judy" man
brought out his paraphernslia and talked
about it. he hos tent which he can
carry on one shoulder, as it all folds VI
and IS "collapsible," to use his phra> e.
All mis- hgures-Prnch, Judy, the baby,
the policeman, the Chinaman, the moth
er-in-Iaw, the hangman, the clown, and SO
on, all 60 into telescope" basket This
heads of the figures are made of wood.
They are bodyless but not armless. They
are worked by Carter alone, and all their
motions are due TO the movements OF his
fingers and hands.
Tie wooden headed heroes, especially
Mr.. Punch, are so heavy that they can be
used Tor weapons. Not long ago hood
lums attacked the show. Carter banged
one hoodlum on the head with Mr..
Punch and the hoodlum thought that he
had been struck with a club. Another
had enough after one collision with the
mother-in-law.
One day." said the Punch and Judy
man, al had to play to q sick little girl
who with her mother and her uncle, a
rough Tennessee mountaineer, were the
only auditors. The way it happened was
this: had been tramping through the