Evening star., 1897-04-16
THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Barney Reynolds. the well-known Ger
man comedian. while not exactly misan-
thrope. certainly has an alarming list of
complaints. the symptoms of which he loves
to describe to his friends Nearly every
week he is attacked by some new malady.
Last week 1t was biliousness, and his fellow
actors heard all the painful details over and
over again. Barney tried various remedies.
but the cause Of his cure was as unexpected
as it was sudden. He had just been given
a new prescription and went into, an up
town chemists to have IT prepared. One
OF Barney's real ailments is short sight.
While waiting for the prescription to be
put up he noticed what he supposed was
mirror. 1t was an opportunity to see
the condition Of his tongue which could
not be overlooked. He stuck out his
tongue several times, making the most
awful grimaces the while. His sight was
SO bad that he came close to the glass,
when the supposed mirror, which was really
looking gentleman. who had been on the
other side. seized the unfortunate Mr..
Reynolds by the back of the neck and ran
him into the street, remarking as he gave
a final shove, "I'll teach you to stick out
your tongue at me-"
There is one scene in "A Texas Steer
which always appeals to Washington au-
diences, for it is appreciated there as IT
can be nowhere else in the country. 1t is
the interview between Christopher Colum-
bus. jr.. Fishhack BARRY MaxwelD, the
colored politician from Texas and his newly
elected congressman, Mr.. Maverick Bran
der Drank j. Keenan). The former pre-
sents himself at the latter's apartments at
the Arlington Hotel, and the following
conversation ersres:
Fishback-"Marse Brander here 1 is sir"
Brander-..Why. Fishback, what are you
doing here?"
oh
sir. Maj. Yell. he done promised me, if
throw all the colored votes for you. you
dcne have me appointed minister to Da-
honey, SAN
Brander-'Dahomey? Minister to Da-
homey? Why, where is Dahomey?''
Fishback-'I don't know. but L know it's
an office with salary, and / wants it, ~
Brander-'Well, l don't know anything
about what Yell promised you. But you
can go and find out about it, and maybe
can help you get it,
Fishback-"I done expected you was
goin' to do all that, sab. 1 done expected
it's gwine to be a sure thing, sab! I'll see
you later
Later Fishback returns, redhot, mad
darkey.
Brander-''Now, what's the mattero"
Ffshback-"What's the matter? The mat
ter is, sab. that there is no such office as
minister to Dahomey; that's what's the
matter. What do you think of that?"
Brander-"Well, If there is no such office,
l can't get it for you"
Fishback-"Cant get it. Can't get it!
Lcok here, Master Brander 1 was promised
an office for electing you and if l don't get
| 1t. when the next election comes arourd
III have you licked out of your boots Are
you one of those pests of society who re-
pudiate all their political obligations? Do
git that Officer
Brander-"No. Yell had no business to
| hold Office
| A row results, in which the aspirin. dar-
kew Is thrown of the Arliy
Months roll around. and the darkey Of
hce-seeker again appears at the quarters
of the Texas congressman. He is ragged.
hungry. broken-hearted. and his beIliger-
ence has all disappeared Amid sobs of de-
spair and crushed and broken hopes, he
says:
'Marse Brander don't you know me-
sah?"
Brander-"Why. you are that darkey
Ffshback from my district. What are you
doing nere?'
Fishback-"Seekin office. sah."
Brander-"Did you get it?'
Fishback-"Nothin' but a month on the
chain gang, sah Marse Brander, office
seekin is a mighty poor business poor
| business for the white man as well as the
colored man. l have seen many a bright
smart man. who had done service for his
party, come here, expecting his reward at
once. He puts up at the best hotels and
takes In all the theaters. 1 sees him later;
he is not stopping at the best hotels. and
he gives the theaters the go-by. Later he
is at a cheap lodging house. Then it is
bench in the park and a bite at the free
lunch counters in the saloons. And some
night. when he is blue and discouraged
and all tired out. hope all gone he just
goes down there to the Potomac and ends
1t all in the silent flow of the waters of the
river. Marse Brander, this great city, with
its grand buildings and its broad streets
Its sunshine and its glitter is a graveyard,
sab, in which lies buried the hopes of those
who came here seeking office"
nd fn11 7
got this office-seeking business sized up
mighty right. Why don't you 20
back to Texas? I'll help you"
Fishback-"Marse Brander, Is ashamed
to go back. 1 came here for an Office and
I'm ashamed to go back without 1t"
Brander-"You meet me here at the Cap
itol in the morning. and I'll see what 1 can
do for you
Fishback-"Thank you, Marse Brander.
thank you! You will find me waitin for
you on the steps of the Capitol in the
morning, sah.''
To THE Prisoner of Zenda' is credited
the first suggestion which has resulted in
an invention called the Box of Shouts" or
the Shout Box" In this play the popuIace
figure largely in the plot. The populace is
Eever seen, but it is always waiting out
side to shout for some one. Hence the
necessity of a BOX of Shouts" A tight
twelve men is placed on the stage just of
the wings. The men employed to do the
shouting are stationed in this box and
compelled to remain there during the per-
fCrmance. While they are in the box they
will Rot be falling over one another at the
entrance or getting in the way of the ac-
tors, therefore, the box serves the purpose
of keeping the shouters together so that
the captain may direct them. The chief
value of the box. however. arises from the
fact that the shouting can be turned on and
off like stream of water at a faucet.
When it comes time for the crowd outside
the place to commence shouting ''God save
the king" the captain gives a signal and
the ten men in the box break forth in joy
Gus acclaim. The door Of the box is
thrown wide open, and the audience beyond
the footlights get the impression that
thousand loyal subjects are welcoming the
sovereign. When the captain desires to end
the shouting he closes the door and in
. stantly the voices are muttled. Ordinarily
1t requires about ten minutes to suppress a
stage mob. after 1t has become thoroughly
aroused, but by the use of the Shout Box
the noise may be shut off in a moment by
the closing of the door. Collectively the
men who make the noise are known as n
BOX of Shouters.'
Miss Marie Edith Rice, who is said to
play an excellent Mrs. Ralston in Jim the
Penman.' is not only a beautiful and tai
ented woman, but she is quite athlete.