The times., 1899-05-21

In the Third Act of
purveyor OF amusement in Washington.
To prove beyond a reasonable doubt that
the unlucky thirteen is not an i'll omen the
numberless friends of the popular manager
are striving to make his two benefits record
breakers.
The diminutiye extravaganza, Alice in
Wonderland" announced for the Lafayette
this week, was found upon investigation
by Manager Painter TO be OF inferior merit
and was Immediately Cancelled. During
the summer certain Improvements will be
made in the beautiful house, and it prom
ises to be the most completely fitted
theatre in the country when it opens in
the fall.
There will be dearth of amusement in
Washington after the middle of June, un-
less some good angel steps forward. The
Frawley Company will bring their engage
ment to a conclusion, and the two vaude-
vile houses will also become dark. Then
it will be a case of seek the out-of-door
resorts or fail to be amused. Some definite
announcement of intentions will likely fol-
low the Peace Jubilee.
At a session OF the Eleven O'Clock Club
held last night in the quarters OF the So
ciety the most pronounced melancholia was
evident. Charles King. who resembles his
distinguished namesake only when in such
a state of mind, glared fiercely at wall;
Frank Murray chewed his mustache and
the cud of reflection, and Joe Luckett ate
the whole lobster in front Of him with
double edged knife. and a degree OF saw
ageness that would have suggested that his
meal was not so much prompted by hun
ger as by desire to be avenged upon the
creature in question. Even after the usual
quantity and quality of liquid refresh
ment had been brought on and Mr.. Muir
ray had begun the telling OF his usual
anecdotes the gloom was not dispersed or
| dispensed with. The tales were all OF
misfortune and sorrow, and they culmi-
mated in story for the truth Of which
Mr.. Luckett volunteered to hold himself
personally responsible.
According to this narrative the senior
partner of the firm which manages the Co.
| lumbia Theatre once controlled musician
| who knew an actor who had suffered the
experience recorded. The company TO
| which this Thespian belonged played one
night stands exclusively and during the
season in question the organization had
never a stroke Of good luck. One poor
! house followed another until the combina
| be Obliged to stop at one of them. Finally
| the tide of misadventure landed the troupe
| in a small town in Colorado. No single
member of the band had penny and the
, future looked darker than the inside of
Western gambling hall does after one man
has called another liar.
But just at this stage of the affair the
tide mentioned turned so suddenly as TO
nearly wash the happy fellows OF their
feet The manager of a theatre in the
next burg vas anxious to give himself g.
benefit, and he was willing TO guarantee
almost anything if he could secure the
talent Some good angel told him OF the
starving players and he wired them imme-
diately TO come on at his expense and re-
ceive half of the gross receipts. A check
followed the message and within day the
company had pulled itself together and
| taken a train for the next town.
Upon arriving at their destination. the
unfortunates, who were soon to be re-
connected with their luck, took an omni-
bus and proceeded toward the best hotel
in town The friend OF Mr.. Luckett's
friend rode with the driver and he was
so distinctly happy that he kept telling
that individual nice things about the burg
| all the way down the street He admired
the buildings he saw, thought the saloons
marvels of the decorators art, praised the
wooden posts that uphel0 Kerosene lamps,
| and went into ecstacies OF delight when the
road crossed a barren field and gave him a
view of the same monotonous mountains
| he had been so industriously cursing for
week past. And when he noted deep, red
solar glow in the Western sky his pleasure
knew no bounds. Great he exclaimed
| to the unresponsive driyer-"Great! And
| then he risked his neck by leaning over
and calling to his comrades inside the We
hicle that that was 'the warmest thing"
| he had ever seen. When the horses turn
ed into another street and showed the ho-
rlzon completely lit up the actor could no
| longer contain himself.
Say" he raved to the impassive knight
OF the reins-"say, that's the greatest sun
set l ever saw!"
The Jehu smiled. Then he shifted his
| quid OF tobacco from one cheek to anoth-
er, clucked to the steeds in front, shifted.
and prepared to make answer. Sunset"
he said. Sunset, hell, That amt no sun
set-that's the op'ry house afire,"
And the Eleven O'Clock Club relapsed
| into sorry silence, while an urchin in the
| street, who had evidently heard THE IDOLS
Eye" began softly whistling. Talk About
Your Luck"
Managers Burke & Chase have been
making extensive arrangements for the
| week Of the Peace Jubilee at the Grand,
and as a result the bill, which will be the
| last offered at that house until next sea-
| son, bears the names OF number of the
! best known people in the vaudevilles.