The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-23
Jefferson DeAngeIis Tells About
His Visit to Topeka.
Was in the GrasshOpper Year
and Things Were Gloomy.
TRAVELLED IN WAGONS
Hoppers Barely Allowed the
Company to Escape Alive.
Says He May Write a Book OF
His Experiences.

Some day Jefferson De Angels, the
comic opera comedian seen here last
night may write an autobiography. And
jefferson De Angels announces that II
that day ever arrives. Mark Twain's
"Roughing It. viii simply not be in
it,
Il can discount Mark Twain without
half trying by simply writing what L
have seen and experienced, said Mr.
De Angels at his room in the Throop
hotel last night. L have often thought
that 1 would turn author because the
various adventures have had are all
fresh in my memory Some day, when
the public refuses to longer accept me
in comic opera, I think viii put them
together and publish them. However,
may not wait until that time, and
may turn historian some summer when
I am not rehearsing a new opera
twenty-five years ago 1 passed
through this territory, and distinctly
remember of having been in Atchison
and Topeka. Your old residents here
know What happened 25 years ago 1t
was the gTasshOpper year, and never
have seen such GesOlatiOn in my life
as I saw through Kansas and Colorado
] was then travelling with my fathers
company, and our mode of transpOrta-
tiOn was two canvas covered wagons
The grasshoppers ruined us, and when
we finally got out of the territory th%S
covered, we had but little canvas left
on our wagons and were almost desti-
tute.
Il remember We called the company
The New York Comedy company,
continued Mr.. De Angels I was do
ing a song and dance. German special
ties, and almost anything else that
came necessary and no one else would
try 1 had never known anything else,
because L was practically born in the
theatrical business. My father had a
9slr nv heof hD
war organized another left him for
a while to take a clown part in the cir
Gus, but when he started on the tour
through the west Joined him again
] believe I would rather have remained
a circus clown than to have gone
through the experiences that we did
. grasshOpper year.
AT Atchison we played to S11. In To-
peka 1 think our receipts amounted to
something less than that amount Some
of the people We're on the verge of
starvation. and scarcely any one had
money to spend on amusement. re
member that the day we were in To-
peka bought two apples and sat
down in front of a little hotel here to
eat them. put one of the apples in my
pocket and cut the other in two. In cut
ting 1t one OF the halves fell to the
ground, and almost instantly it was
covered by a swarm of grasshOppers-
I give you my word of honor that in
less than five minutes the half apple
was gone L ate the other halt, ana
when L put my hand in my pocket for
the second apple, / found several stray
grasshoppers had preceded me, and the
fruit was partially eaten.
During our trip through Kansas I
repeatedly saw entire corn fields and
cabbage patches devoured in a small
space of time. The grasshOppers were
SO thick at times that they formed
cloud. At night I would always find
several dozen Of them in my pockets
and about my clothes.
Our destination was California, and
it took US almost a year to reach there
from the Missouri river. After we got
into the central part of the state there
was no business at all, and we lived
principally on jack rabbits. The rab-
bits We're so thick that you could almost
kin them with a club. We kept on be-
cause it was just as we'll to go on as
to turn back. When we finally got out
side the grasshOpper territory we were
entirely out of money. our clothes We're
ragged, our wagons dilapidated and our
horses half starved. Talk about strand
ed boomers III wager that the
stranded New York Comedy company
was the sOrriest outfit that ever crossed
the plains"
Mr.. De Angels says that he has done
everything in the theatrical line except
tragedy He entered comic opera sew
eral years ago and when Della Fox
secured THE Little Trooper he won
The Jolly 1Iusketeer'' he was one of
the triumvirate of stars in The We'd
ding Day Della Fox and Lillian Rus
sell being the other two. A year ago
he appeared in his present opera in
New York. and was received with the
greatest favor there as he has been in
all cities he has visited.