The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-09
Footing.

DO 1 like the stage? / can't an
swer that question yet; you see it is
all new 20 me-" said Eddie Cannon
Bald as he leaned against set piece
on the stage of the Lyceum yesterday
afternoon and watched the rehearsal
of "A Twig of Laurel" in which he
appeared last night.
You see we've only been out about
two weeks and"
Your cue Mr.. Bald" cried the
prompter, and with "Tll be back in
a few minutes" the speedy bicycle ri.
der rushed around to the rear of the
stage to make his entrance as Jeck
Meredith, the hero of the drama. 4
handsome, athletic young hero he is,
too. After he had foiled the villain
and did one or two other things natur-
ally expected ofa h. Il. y. h. he returned
to his old position alongside the set
piece.
Now let me see where / was at. It's
hard to keep ones mind jogging along
at a serene rate amid this hurly burly
but l suppose I'll get accustomed to
that before long. l think l was talk
ing about our play. Well, we've been
out about two weeks with it and have
been very nicely treated.
Il find occasionally that a critic
seems TO have grudge in for me be-
cause | have broken into the theatri-
cal profession. | don't pretend to he
a Mansfield, but I've got some people
with me who can act and if we give
a good performance | think the critics
ought to be willing to give mo prop
rating Trbut'c an 7 aSIy
WAS NOT NERVOUS.
mo I was not at all nervous on the
first night the play was produced Tho
members of my company, some Of
whom have been in the harness for
years, We're actually more nervous than
l was. OF course | had gone through
all varieties of stage fright in my rae.
ing experience and had not that diff
Guilty to handicap me. l am beginning
to rather like the stage, but as | said
before it is rather early in my career
to make positive statement about
that. There's one thing ! can assure
you of. its hard work. Between act
ing, travelling and rehearsing one has
precious little time left"
When asked if he intended to con-
tinue in the racing business. he said
he would be in the harness again next
season, Bald is'orc of the crack riders
who broke away from the League uf
American Whcelmen.
We are opposed to taxation without
reprcsC nation" was tine way Bald put
it, THE league compelled us to pay
certain yearly amount and then
made all the rules without even con-
Sulting us. They simply said we want
you to do thus and so and we had to
do it whether Just or unjust or have
the ban of the displeasure of that pow
erGul organization placed over us
This condition Of affairs finally be-
came intDlerable and nearly all the
best racing men of the country with
drew. The limiting of prizes and favor
ing of certain clubs in conducting race
meets worked great injury TO the rid
ers who make racing their means OF
livelihood and greatly cut down their
earning power.
The new association will put bicy-
Gle racing on q more business like foot
ing and | think will eventually be
good thing for bicycling in general.
The now association will be backed by
race promoters and the best track 6W-
nCrS and viii be conducted along some
what similar lines to the American
Trotting association.
We will not lack for good tracks.
We now have Manhattan Beach. Berk-
ly oval and Ambrose Park, New York:
Willow Grove and Woodsidc, Philadel-
phia; the Coliseum. Baltimore: Briar
Park track, Washington; Athletic
Field, Buffalo: Springfield track and
others. We will have a lot more too.
Under the new arrangement riders can
take part in sunday meets if they de-
sire To do so and in general they will
have a voice in the management Of a
sport in which they are most vitally
interested" :"