Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-10-30
STORIES OF TIE STAGE.

No one who has ever heard the Rogers
brothers will question their cleverness
at telling stories. Max Rogers tells an
extremely humorous one regarding a
Brother comedian, named Packard,
whose summer home, at Sheepshead
Bay, is near that OF Rogers.
1t seems that Packard attends the 10
cal Catholic church whenever at home,
but during his last season on the road
it caught fire and burned to the ground,
leaving Father OfConnor, who presided
over it's destinies, withou a place Of
worship. Subscriptions to rebuild the
church We're Immediately started, and
in a remarkably short space Of time
enough was collected to commence re-
construction.
Among the subscribers to the fund
were three Protestant ministers, one of
the Baptist persuasion, another an
Episcopalian and the third Methodist.
In due course Of time the new church
was finished, and it's dedication was one
of the events of the little Long Island
town and was attended by almost the
entire population. Just before the serv-
ices began the three Protestant spirit
ual advisers walked in, only to find the
church crowded to suffOcation.
Father O'Connor spied them, and mo-
tioning to his sexton, little Kilkenny
man. with the mcGt comical face mag
Unable, literally besprinkled with free
kles that stuck out with the distinct
ness Of a. gas bill, he whispered: Do
you see the Protestants back there?
Give them three chairs, Jimmy"
Jimmy looked UP into the fathers
face, an expression Of astonishment
spreading all over his own, and said,
"D'ye name 1t, father"
cot course l do. And be quick about
it, replied Father O'Connor.
"All roight,' answered Tim. It'll do
it if ye say SO; but, be the powers, it
goes ag'in me" and, jumping upon the
steps Of the altar, he said in piping
voice which could be heard all over the
edifice: Ladies' and gintlemen, Father
O'Connor wants We to give three cheers
for the Protestants. Hip, hip!"
In the theatrical world truth is being
constantly proved stranger than fiction.
A few weeks ago III the famous hop
picking district of Schoharie county,
New York, and just adjoining a small
village there, a merry party OF mop
pickers were jovially filling in the
luncheon hour. The singing of common
or garden ballads seemed to be the chief
means of diversion.
A gentleman from New York, well
yersed in music, was leisurely strolling
his at
once arrested by ghe sweetness and har-
mony of the singing. Following the
direction in which the voices led, he
came upon the jolly hop pickers gust as
the clear, full and high tones OF the
tenor swelled out the refrain OF com
ing Through the Rye" Amazed 10
find such a rare, sweet, natural voice III
this out of the way spot, he at once
became interested and at the conclusion
of the song approached the singer and
asked him where he had recelyd his
musical training.
TIL rough garbed singer explained
that he never had any; that he was
leader in the village choir, adding with
becoming modesty that there were sew
eral others in the choir who sang even
better than he. The gentleman at once
wrote to a theatrical friend In New
York and told him of the remarkable
vocal find he had made and requested
him to come up.
This the latter did, with the result
that he arranged with five Of the local
singers to go to New York and guaran-
teed them an engagement. He at once
took them to New York manager.
whose keen eye saw in them a good
vaudeville turn. They have been re-
hearsed in many popular songs and as
the "Hop Pickers' Quintet" will open
at well-known Gotham theatre. All
who have heard them at rehearsal pro-
nounce them to be real finds" Of a
valuable character.
Henrietta Crosman has a home in
New Jersey not far from sDleinield. and
she is a very great favcrite in the
neighborhood. They had cattle show
at Plainfield last summer, just after the
actress had gone home from her long
season, and one of her neighbors. an
honest farmer, had made an entry Of
all of his Jersey COWS. There were three
of them that were beauties, perfect in
pedigree and form, save that the tip
ends of their tails were striped with
white hairs.
Were it not for these white hairs
the herd would certainly take first prize
for they were the only spots which
marred the beauty of the beasts. The
time came near for the cattle show, and
the farmer was telling his troubles to
hte actress. She told him not to worry
because if that was the only thing that
was bothering him she would person
alIv see that it was rectified.
Miss Crosman is an artist Of no mean
merit. and the night before the herd
was driven to the show she put in an
appearance with her palette and box OF
paints. Strange to relate. when the
Judges passed upon the cattle exhibit
there was not white hair to be found
in the tails of any Of the herd, and the
farmer was the happiest man In the
State. because the horns OF all O. them
were decorated with the blue ribbo,'
which denoted the first prize.
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