The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-07

,,,.Is With Talent and Animals
COMMUNICATIONS to The Use of
Animals.
From the New York Tribune.
49,, men who were in search of diversion
warm spring evening CHANGED to pass
~ academy of Music. 1t was few
-. ago. when Shenandoah" was lun-
-.,- there. one of them happened 10 be
f-isndlv terms with the manager and
-, taye nodding acquaintance with the
sa..teeper. Shall we go in and see the
t,.,,ie scene?" he asked.
orar.t we get on the stage to see it?''
.bs other asked "Oh, come now-you
~, work your pull to that extent, can't
YOU"
Tho first speaker hesitated and was al
.-,.t sorry that he had suggested going
i.,o ,bs tbeater at all. 1t was the keeper
~ rba front door, not the stage door
,...o-r whom he knew. He did not alto
-..1er like to ash the manager to open
t.. sage to hinT because he had a
teayv sense, which his companion did not
Of rbe chronic displeasure of actors ard
sage managers at the presence OF out
.,5.rs ON the stage in the progress of
,..rformance. But the appeal of the eyes
and the voice were too much for him, and
he agreed to ask the favor.
Whether the manager liked the request
-, NOT he was polite about it and took the
visitors to the stage just as the battle
scene was to begin. They were placed on
.be little platform, built at the prompt
side of he proscenium opening, for use
of the electric-light man, the successor
of tbe old gas man of the theater. Ihls
wa. the only safe place for visitors, ap-
rarently. in such a stirring scene as was
IN ue acted and ii was certainly a most
a5vantageous one, for ii commanded a
view of everything that the audience conId
see and what was much more interest
ing of nearly everything that the audience
o,f,ld NOT see 1t was all a line display
of sfape management, in the handling OF
large crowds and elaborate effects put me
most fascinating feature of 1T was the
behavior of the horses.
There were dozens of horses, ana theH
interest in the scene their understanding
of what they were TO do, their enthusiasm
and their general intelligence seemed TO be
scarcely behind that of the men. They
were not so calm as the men about 1t;
tbav were inpatient to get on the stage
They were evidently docile and easily ied
and controlled, but they were restless ana
eager to go on and play their parts. They
were scarcely moved at all by the noise
and confusion around them-apparent, not
real coufusion-even the constant banging
of pistols and rifles and cannon having no
more effect on them than to give them
a certain alertness and Watchfulness OF
expression.
'Vou must have had to train those
horses pretty thoroughly" said one of the
visitors Were they used to The stage
before. or were they raw recruits? In that
case you must have had to rehearse them
for weeks
NO" the manager answered, they had
never been on the stage before, nor under
ire as far as we know, and they did not
have many rehearsals. But we had horri-
bic times with them for a while. They
tried to climb up the walls the first few
performances. But they soon got used TO
it and foJud out that there was no danger
and what was expected of them, and you
see now how eager they are. See that
horse alone over there waiting for his cue?
He has to so on before the others. He
knows his cue just as well as any actor
on the stage, but he would go on without
waiting for il if he was not held
The cue came and the horse was brought
on the stage 1t was a simple part that
he had to play at that time and then he
was led off again. A few moments later
he was to play the star part in the scene.
The turn of the other horses came first.
They crossed the stage with the retreat
ing army, were quickly led back behind
the mountains ana crossed again with
more Of the retreaGng army. Then they
were turned around and lined up ready
Tor the rally and the victorious dash. Now
came the turn of the star horse. He led
the rally, galloping across the stage with
Gen. Sheridan on his back, while the rest
followed in a mad rush, and then as the
curtain fen turned once more and took
their places in the most orderly manner
LOT the tahleau at the rising of the curtain.
1here they stood While the curtain was
raised and lowered half a dozen times,
and then they were dismissed and went
pack to their tables, leaving the insignifi-
cant men and women to finish the play.
ms 'ast production of Shenandoah"
had many more horses and many more
gums in il than any previous performance
OF the play. The dramatic significance of
me battle scene was destroyed for those
VINO view drama chiefly as drama and as
ar out 1t was improved for those who
prefer 10 see the evidences of lavish ex-
p-hdlture in realistic effects and for those
VINO Ike to see horses do the acting, rather
Inc horse who played the star part in the
Slsihai production of Shenandoah"
elSht years ago, is now doing light duty as
u lafrase horse in town, and stlll is a
renal kaoly handsome animal. He is not
@L'di1 oil trains, professions, bands, guns
vi Ut even Umbrellas and scraps of paper
w "en me irst rehearsals of the play took
l1ge at was intended that the horse should
a. We considerable part in the first act
was found, however, that when the
.o's4 was on the stage, the audience would
~, look at or listen 10 any of the other
-ois' and his part had to be cut down,
81 u'e general interests of the play. He
was SUI allowed TO come to a window of
ana I'm; IN which the action took place,
, ,,'U put ms head in. Indeed, ii was al
o. Indispensable to his significant part
IT,, Luz play that he should at least shov
D'N'seA IN this act. But one night he
$500 80 up one of the potted plants, which
to,s.',,. 9elore the window, and waved it
.ly at the audience with the pot
iIus"Ns at the end, and after that the
'i IT'S mad TO be cut out of the scene.
~ ~ arc Two objections that actors have
3" we use of animals IN -