The times., 1899-12-10
CHATS WITH THE PLAYERS.

The Columbias calcium man Lucy DAILY
and the chorus. were mouopolhius the
stage OF Luckett q Dwyers playhouse an
Wednesday evening when reporter
called on Messrs- Ward and Vokes Miss
DAILY had just begun conHdiug TO the AUDI
/ ience the virtues OF her Honolulu Queen.
and there was an excellent prospect shst
the stars would not be needed for some
time. Accordingly. the visitor seated
himself comfortably on a convenient
/ trunk while one of his hosts occupied a
/ rather dangerous looking chair and The
I other employed himself with an end OF
[ whisker that positively refused To- re-
main where it had originally been placed.
I Despite the eOmpleXity OF this operation
it was Harry Vokes who replied when
the guest asked what incident had sug-
| gested the Percy and Harold" speciality
and when that incident mad occurred.
II haven't the faiutest idea in what
/ season We began working on the act '
\ 9u0th Ar. Fckes. II never Try TO keep
! account OF dates We have been on the
stage f0r about twenty years. aud ,his
/ turn was invented early in our careers.
Do you know just when Happy ?"
/ The gentleman addressed prOfessed iz-
+ nCranee. 1T was ages before Walter
/ Jones. ~b0 generally is considered she Di-
I Cneer comic hobo made mis- debut he
? suggested.
Wel." continued the primal speaker.
'howevzr leag ago the sketch was com
meneed, neither Happy nor I have any
/ desire 10 claim iJ as proof Of our extreme
I cIeyerEzss. AS matter of fact the char
act5rizations were purely accidental We
ha0 been doing song and
dance act in black face in the variety
/ theatres and were quite content with our
I lot. Unfortunately money did UCt come
( as fast as it should have and both Of US
I we're Obliged 10 get along without what is
! technically known as wardrobe One day
I d manager at whose house We had con-
[ tracted 20 appear wrote that there wzrs
+ three burEt-cOrk performers on the bin al
/ ready and that he could not use US unless
we shed that shade. Happy and held
/ consultation The only clothes we had ia
the world were the ragged togs bought Tor
the niger dialogue and we didn't quite
{ understand bow We were going TO get the
b5st Of the situation Then it struck US that
white men had as muCl right to be dis
r1putably dressed as had their colored
brethren. and the Percy and Harold
scheme is the result Our Caprious manager
only had limited number of sets and We
/ could secure nothing bur asrior scene for
the turn. That fact is responsible for the
idel of the elaborate background with
. specially of tais sort
Where do you get your farces p. asked
the interviewer II didu know there were
so many jokes i'm creation.
Mr. Ward laughed said he. -'Ai this
moment you are sitting on the nucleus OF
dozen plays like The Floor Walkers
Don't be aIarmed-the collection won't
hurt you With that foundation. Harry
and | can manufacture a piece iu a few
hours. You see. I have been gathering
and writing .funuyisIns since 1881. The
I thousands Of jesJs resultant from this in
dustry all are included in a score OF scrap
books which [ viii show you If you viii
let me into that trunk" The reporter
rose and the volumes were produced Here
are Comicalities on hundreds OF subjects
the mC-hsr-in-lav the bibulous husband
the temperance lecturer. the golfer the
summer girl. and other familiar person
/ ages There are Irish bulls and Scotch
burs aud German bluuderbusses- Only
fifty or sixty Of them ever have been used
The list is so carefully iadeNsd that { can
get a line for any scene at 8 minutes no.
tice. For example. Z want something about
an invalid. Here. at $. ] find SiCE-piE
iron. Then ] turn 10 pase t36 and come
across this quip, which We repeat 10 The
Floor Walkers
The newspaper man bent over and read-
Percy don't know wbst r. ,He matter aitl
. me. ] have NO ambition lu vgrb. IUd 1iaJs- am
I troubled with sick feeling
Harold kEaU what lil- yau, there's zoo much
iron iu gour blogd Ever gat pprt.
{ Ps.cy-Yc-; very fond af pora-
Harold That's what's wrrH- you've TOO mHrJ
pig iron lu y0u blood.
THAT volume would make the late la
meHJsd Joseph Miller turn green with
. envy" smiled Mr. EOkes.
1T might make him green. bur certain
. he would Nos g-Ogy h1rra 0-ar rra #nr-
tents qUCrh Mr. Ward
Put that down said the interviewer
-Th re is one thing gratifying iu COM
piling a play like The Floor Walkers.
I continued MIR NOkes. "a stolen manu-
script would DO the thief no good. T1s
[ scenes Of the piece are written last rs they
. occur 20 us and afterward are blended. Au
author who got hold OF our copy Wou.d
/ mink that we composed IN cipher. AL
ready we are beginning our next seasons
/ vehicle We shall call &c either The BO1,l
/ Makers or The Ice Men. If youth wait
/ a moment Happy VIII read YOU several
/ hundred of the jokes.
/ The reporter was just trying To- rsus--
/ beT an engagement which be had care.sss-
/ Is made a week before when rGe door WAS
opened and Lucy DAILY entered. Well
: said she haven't YOU finished making Up
I vet You must have been interested The
curtain has risen on the second asr
"This talk against rag-time' music. Zee
marks BESSIE Lamb, whose original maun=r q
of singing syncUpated dit-igs scored a bic
| last week at Eernau's. Els arraut non
I sense The melodies are noJ passing fId
they have come 10 stay While OK course
/ the popularity of a peculiar strain iu liz
[ erature. art, or other composition results
/ in the copying OF that strain BY men with