The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-17

DIRE ssed in blue serge and with collar
which shone like a good deed in a
naughty world The effect of that
liren neckwear was instantaneous. The
super" master without a question
passed over the ticket which entitled
the bearer to the privilege Of entering
the stage door of one Of the theaters.
Where do you work." asked the
master of supernumeraries Of another
youth.
The name of some dry goods house
was mentioned.
"All right" replied the man in plaid.
You'll do all right. Always glad to
get man who has a day job and is
steady. Can't get into much mischief
when you work hard, can you?"
SYMPATHIES TOUCHED
Those who devote their lives to the
task of supplying the theaters with
persons to carry spears and to pose in
dress suits or rags do not, as a general
thing. cultivate softness of manner.
But into the race Of him in plaid came
look of human sympathy as man
perhaps forty-fiVe years of age ap-
preached the table.
you've been on the stage before"
remarked the master of "supers."
Yes in England" the man replied.
Il was an opera singer there"
q
THE very finest" replied the old OPP
era singer. The very finest"
We'll, now, perhaps you could get
along with M in his new play. There
are a lot OF little bits in it. If you take
his fancy, he may have you go along
on the road with him. You've played
little bits when you were younger,
ek?'-
The old singer smiled and took the
card. The emolument Is small he
said. '"but am glad indeed to get it,
Little bits" in the parlance of the
master OF "supers," are unimportant
parts in the action of play which are
assigned to supernumeraries Of more
than usual intelligence. A little Bit
may consist in holding the stirrup of a
naughty prince; in announcing that the
carriage waits on somebody or other;
In silently arresting the stage villain
as a uniformed policeman or as a de-
tective in plain clothes.
By a word or q glance the man in
"laid was choosing his hosts. Here WAS
one who would look well in dress suit.
He received a white ticket and a hasty
direction as to when and where to re-
port for duty. There was a man who
could we'll enact part Of an angry
and ill-clad populace. He got a yell
low ticket and a peremptOry order.
Say, boss" said youth with a long
nose, leaning over the table, I've
brought a young friend Of mine here.
VIII you take him?"
In the background stood a boy less
than five feet tall His feet were large
and square, and his ears seemed to
have a motion of their own. They were
large enough to act as fans If supplied
with sufficient motive power. His neck
had probably never known the pressure
of a collar in all his days. A VacuOuS
grin illumined his cOuntenance.
NO said the master, with a depre-
catory gesture. I'm sorry, but your
short friend won't do
CONDITIONS OF THE PROFESSION.
So the wheat was winnowed from
the chaff, and the man in plaid passed
upon the qualifications Of all those who
had come to go upon the stage. AS he
closed up his office, a process which
consisted in slowing his tickets away
and rolling up sundry strips of paper,
the man in plaid fell into the discus
sion of supernumeraries in general and
Of himself in particular.
There's no use" he remarked ''in
hiring tOughs when we can get the
best. There are many young fellows
of good appearance VINO are glad to
do this sort Of work. Why? They get
their so cents a night, which is a great
help when a man isn't making much.
We want clean looking, bright-faced,
well dressed young chaps. They are
the kind who stick by US. We can
depend upon their being there when
the time comes Tor them to go on They
do not get into fights. They keep sober
and they never spoil a scene. They
are the kind of men we want in this
business.
''If they are employed in the day
time, so much the better for u.s. They
have some responsibility and they have
reputation to keep up. 1t is the pop
ular idea that a man who 'supes it in
theater is Of no earthly good. 1t is
not true When q man goes to work
with other decent and self-respecting
men he has nothing to be ashamed Of
l am thinking of a man now who was
'supe' He got to doing little bits and
attracted the attention of the stage
manager, and the other day what does
he do but sign with Frohman for two
years. There's a good show anywhere
for the man who attends to his bust
ness.
Neither does 'suping' pay so badly.
Today l gave these fellows so cents.
For g young fellow who appears in a
society scene, furnishing his own dress
suit, there is a dollar a night You've
seen Faust at the Metropolitan? You
remember where the man comes in on
the horse when the soldiers are sing
ing We won't go home till morning
He gets a dollar a night Isn't bad.
Is it? Think Of making that much for
few minutes work.!
Here the master Of "supers" folded
up his documents and went his way.