The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-04-30
THE PASSING SHOW.

Like a schoolboy in love. this strange.
forwardness even as it progresses. Ever
and anon above the rush and roar of the
onward march one hears a cry for the
days that are gone and for the picturesque
something's that went with them-for the
men and times that have changed each
with the other. The heat of the great
furnaces put up now has not made all hui
manity forget the genial warmth of the
flames that used to crackle about the logs
on the hearth, the speed of the modern
railway train has not totally eradicated
memories of the ancient coach with the
cavaliers who were wont to ride on either
side, and the hurrying old-youngster of
the hour may not altogether fill the place
of that charming young oldster of another
period whose pretty manners and prettier
speeches made a woman's heart unsafe In
her keeping and secure in his. Creation
has turned about and in the turning those
affairs which were least pleasant in reality
are made often to seem most so in recol-
lection.
In the theatrical sphere which is SO
much to SO many the varying conditions
are doing away with q number of quaint
none more odd and enjoyable than the
long known and much-talked- of press
agent For the ilk is slowly but surely
dying out and new sort of couriers Is
taking its place. About the newspaper
offices and In the haunts which were once
sacred to the advance man this fact Is
becoming more apparent daily and the
very same people who were once most
frequently inclined to keeping the record
TO-
of some more-than- usual specimen of his
kind had been brought up for discussion
now acknowledge the impossibiity OF fill
ing the vacancy that has been left. No
dramatic editor would venture to laugh
even behind the back OF the dignified In
dividual who at present enters his sane
tum and announces connection with a GER
tain attraction in such a form that the
critic is obliged to use considerable self
control in order to keep back his impulse
to beg that he may issue an extra con-
corning the merits OF the particular star
represented. ~
The history OF press agency in this
country has been brief and brilliant. 1t
began when the stock system, which, fof
so long held full sway, finally gave way
to invention and other things, making
room for the travelling combinations which
now hold the stage. At that time the
parsonage VINO went ahead OF an organiZa-
ton was a most pronounced Jack Of all
trades. The journals in existence paid
very little attention to amusements and
amusements very little money TO the
journals, so that the preceder had cal
loused skin neither on his hands nor on
his brain from using a PEN His labors
were trifiing. He booked the SHOW" with
which he was engaged, arranged details
connected with the theatres at which II
was TO appear found quarters for its peo-
pie, and beat down prices as low as pos
sibIe. sold tickets in the town drug stores,
read and answered mail for his manager.
saw that railroad trains were scheduled
to suit and that rates were not too high,
paid compliments to the women in the
company. purchased liquid refreshment for
the men, made properties, counted up
for his employer when that worthy had
forgotten his arithmetic or neglected to