The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-10
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!: The Week at the Theaters 4
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dressing and settings above me orsg-
binary They wsr@ here three wrecks ard
fne as; Naz the largest OF the engage
HienE Should ike % see the exp@x3-
rent tried The FraEfsys own Czilsor-
MA. and tae eiregIt discussed above Should
De a success
Sometimes we ger a bit OF fun out az
our experiences n sEfsasl places. best after
Efails zas huus0g heconles grlrn TO u.s.
said Harry r.. Ees4. business manager
O. the 'Dazzle-'' company, 70 me TIE
other Gay. .Dsn@ afternoon cur COMPANY
got 70 small :own IN North Dakota
Our manager vent around 10 look az the
opera house. Il was over q hardware
Store and one man directed both enter
pris@s. After me manager rad concluded
tas sale OF a plo~ ne walked over to our
representative.
ne said
Yes. said our man, want 70 see
what vel need for the performance.
lou won't need notBin'.' the local
manager responded 'Everythlng's al
right
fhe two went upstairs. and. after look
Ing about Tor a moment. our manager
asked 10 see the dressing ROOMS.
There IL Is the local inpresario said.
But there's only one room there.
OF our company 10 dress togethsTT
Way tae manager exclaimed. much
astonishea. don't they speAkz
1t Aas up IN ra2t country, TOO, that We
found manager who had forgotten about
having "A contract vita Us. The crops
had been so good that the theatrical
gentleman OF the town had found his time
occupied IN trade. When We got In ae
was surprised 10 see as
I'm mighty sorry,' he said. but ys
can, play
''our manager at once demanded
reason.
We'll. it's like this the local guide
In dramatic art went on, I clean lost
sight OF your contract
What's that got 20 do with TT our
manager asked.
We'll. you Sec the other man said.
rather apoiogetscally, the opry house IL
fun OF hay
The threars that the Pacific Northwest
may be cut out Electrically next season
Is question that will b. decided at the
next convention OF theatrical managers 10
be held in Chicago in June. a. which time
representatives OF nearly all railroads viii
be present. The managers argue uhat
railroad rates are too high, and that IN
many cases unjust discrimination Is
shown 10 those who travel by certain
like TO SEQ the controversy closed. The
atricai travel is a bis part OF the psssen-
ger business OF many roads. and a decent
adjustment Of difficulties is most desira-
bic. IL seems a pity mat theaters ike
those OF Seattle and Tacoma should stand
closed for weeks at a time. There 10
something radically wrong. and II tho
convention next June viii adjust matters
IL VIII be a benefit to towns and cosnbina-
tions alike. particularly the former, which
are receiving an amount OF undesirable
advertising.
Charlie Thorndyke. chief usher OF the
Seattle theater. has. in some capacity or
other, been connected with halls and thea-
ters In this city for years. At the band
concert last Sunday he told me a story Of
his experiences as janifo or stage hand and
general factotuTn around Nesler's hall The
curtain i'm this old-time place of amuse-
ment used 10 be hauled up by sheer
strength. There Was no bull-wheei and
counter weights and when 1t went Up Il
was a case OF "a long pull and strong
pun and a pull altogether" as the old
rhyme reads. Charlie Thorndyke was then
a little fellow and 10 him WAS entrusted the
raising OF the curtain. BY jumping up and
catching the ropes and hanging on his
weight moved the wobhly roller ~ lit
tie. When his feet touched the floor he
curtain went up by fts and starts, princt-
palIy nts. There was a minstrel show al
Yesier's hall one night az the head Of which
WAS the late Charlie Reed. The time came
for the curtain 10 60 up. Charlie Reed
stood In the prompt entrance where the
curtain ropes annglsd. The bell rang and
Thorndyke commenced 20 strain ard haul.
the curtain lifted for a couple OF jerks and
then Reed who was watching the slow OPP
Grafton. remarked al right. boy. IL you
gef that up in time for Us 10 quit tonight
It viii be all right
The audience could see feet and legs sug-
xessiny what might show iIp II tho curtain
would only 90 on its jerky way. but IL
didn't. Just as II got so far Reed made
the remark quoted above. and Thorndyke,
who considered & tha funniest thing he
ever heard, hung on for a moment and
then let go. couvulsed with laughter. Down
rolled the creaky curtain with a roar and
that vas the end OF Thcrndyke. He
laughed so that ne couldn't work and Reed
pulled up the curtain himself and during
the remainder o. the performance assisted
his OWE people In shifting the scenes.
THE GALLERY GOD.