The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
ROUGH RIDERS AS ACTORS
PLEASED WITH THEIR NEW NOR ,,
4 BIT STRANGE ~ IT rEy "

d~iences-ObjectS of Respectful ,tts,,"
from the Other Members of the Cumn,n'
Just behind .the big curtain that shuts
the east end OF Madison Square Garden ls u.
most interesting space from which to wat,
Buffalo Bills Wild West show. Ii is olso ~.
most exciting. for one must he wn'chfuI 49,,
ready of foot TO escape being tramulel tv ~.
sacEP. rouCh-r ridden by cowboys, overwhe,ra1
by a sudden advance of cuirassierS. kicT.,
like n football among the nervous legs n, l..
dian ponies or inmeshed in the twIuinp ,,,"
ing lariats when hang SUSPENDED from, ~.
saddle bow Of the Gauchos. He will also en,,
himself. from time to time. surrounded ~
Arabs. Cubans, squdws ana Filipinos, rrova,i 1
together in a narrow SPACE. for II is here ,b,, |
nine-tenths OF the performers make Thai, |
entrance. here one see the various peon..
who make up The show at that moment whs, |
they are still of parade. but ready to 20 ON
II Is q very restricted space and il soon h.
comes evident that in suite Of the appars., |
confusion there Is rigid method. col Cod,
himself. when not in the arena. is very ln.,
u be wandering around Just behind that on, !
tain. and the Colonel is that kind Of n dtscinN.
marian whose words make people jump: rbo,
doesn't in the least interfere with his beir,
very popular with all his people in fac, !.
probably au4merts his popularity. II thar. I,
one set Of men in the show who have A nm.
moro leeway than the rest. that set ia the mn.
Rroup OF rough riders who stepped from I,ncl.
Sans service into that OF Uncle Sans oa
scout. Buffalo Bill Cody. Not having BACON.
thoroughly accustomed to the varied surround.
ings OF the show as yet. they are still much IN.
terested In what is going on. besides being oh
jects Of no little attention from their fellow
employees.
The grave Cossacks regard them with
mildly curious admiration. as men who hav,
seen real war. and probably envy them tbs,
experience. To the Arabs they are objects a,
almost superstitious regard. those dusl,
weapon ~jueRlers and whirlwind riders hay,no
been brought to understand that Col. Roo,s.
velt's mon went up San Juan Hill amid ,
shower OF bullets which bounded harmleul,
from their miraculously hardened cuficIs
Even the stoical Indians regard the veteran,
with attention. The only people in the SHOW
who keep out OF their way are the Cubans, and
this Is because the rough riders don't rsr,
much about our lata allies against Spain and
don't pretend to. 'Them Cubeeans," ms m.
whole army IN Cuba called them. taking III,
cue OF the disguised regulars. are still objects
Of mild dislike.
The ~favorite SPOT for the rough rider #,
little nook Just to the south OF the curtain.
where they can see all that's going on. There
they lounge and discuss their own affairs and
those OF the show, In all there are nearly O
score OF them. chosen at random from differ.
emit troops ~ the regiment. some. Of ihs
n s1sf ioIrs aidn 1bs show each n other when they
now and call each other bud" with Nil nj,
freedom, OF camp life. Not vet has the old III.
them. Perhaps It is the constant re-enac,.
ment, OF war scenes and the smell of powder
that keeps ~it'alive,. ASUN reporter who stood
behindthe curtain before the cue for the rough
riders entrance. one afternoon last week heard
some OF them talking about the mimic barge.
mThere,s something in the firing. said a
brains; I haven't got over getting KIND u
s stirred d,. W after ht the Guns get fairly ropptnS.
1T don't catch me that way" drawled an.
other. Along with the SIN sll o. the powder
catch the stink Of the Cuban jungle and feeI tho
tEinkin' what l thought down there. an
oo a% SsSiS.s that Ab, 9nSd knox asked se,, .S one ,t q b:
o. SSsin'f I tdi RHT she 9DsF fe saf E f tSe other I
getting i in that long grass and having tn.
To get II" Is the rough riders euphemnm
II they did this thing right up to the MARI"
suggested a air:halred Young fellow. they'd
bring IN some land crabs and scatter EN- IN
troop all 'the:tlme We was In Cuba: '''' "
sure" suggested the little bow Wit xUSi te atS,
whose heels cling so tight under a horse thai
nothing can shake him, OF. I've got the
What catches me when We begin shooting
said a rough rider who was nothing more than
a boy. is that always hear my Lieutenant
Did he boiler whep he go, it?" asked sons.
body rather contemptuously.
Just 'e gave Se'' one Xxi Kind IL" Of a ae gasp a sssp f6iied ov q:
I m ned and Io m tod me- 4 to &c ahead and get a Span
What a cinch the whole show would have
been said q E,ry little fellow with a swarthy
s sven Ji X wee we h na1s nice 6st clear b GT0%pd to t 5aTi
sweat like a horse every time we come on. lu-t
remsmbsrin, how I sweated in that blasted.
Here's Decker with tho mall" announced
the boyish-lookinR veteran. and immediately
there was a rush forward for letters. and .
namesi in the hope of hearing the reply. Here's
~ This i like camp, so9:" remarked one 4
t9ush., tS Sid = nav Se} }'s ssi d0G sne e { S''s i]ocu II
4: There ism: much time. however. after tn.
mail eomes. before the scene Of the Battle Of
San Juan. Gut go the rough riders along
uniform. and also a squad OF the colored cav:
alrymen. all singing "A Hot Time in the Old
Town and marching to its rhythm. Shouts
o. welcome from the audience greet them. ior
this Is the favorite mum Der OF the programme.
particularly with the children. who make up
the greater part. and far the most enthus astic.
OF the audience. There is some skylarking
and then the camp goes to rest. but after 81
he lights are low one voice down in the arena
rises, In the melody: MY country. MS n
thee
. Then. suddenly. the whole camp breaks into
harmony in the second line OF the national
hymn and sings IL through. or course. 5ns
Knows hat nothinglof the sort happened a. Sau
Juan: that the men were too worn out when Il
time to rest to think OF ANYTHING but
sleep: vet. somehow. that hymn. breaking the
silence ana rising from the darkness Of the
camp. Ia .he vital touch OF realism that
goes. right to the heart. The rest Is phntA.
monium-the quick stirring OF tho camr. tho
cracking Of the rifles. and the believing
thunder Of the Hotchkiss gun. Then comes
the final rush forward and up the rocky hill at
the Tar end. and IL is all over. All hut orc
thing. Two forms are left in the arena Men
with Sfretchers come and carry them ~, a
subduing end to the stirring spectacle,
As soon as the act IL over the rough riders
gather again in their old place and discuss the
audience. with the relish OF new hands in 'hs
theatrical business. They have a keen ear
for the applause. and one Of them spoke .
The SuN reporter OF what he considered a ru.
rioua manifestation on the part 81 the mail
nee audiences In the matter OF the pictures
thrown on a screen above the sleeping camp.
ThAan nHtnr - Ia 49,, Z, n