The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-18
AN OLD GALLERY GOD
THE THEATER IN THE HAPPY DAYS
WHEN HE WAS A BOY.


mOnd hinged Heroine.
A prosperous looking man with 81
inch waistband stopped and looked at
the long line of boys formed before the
gallery door of one of the local theaters
little before half past o'clock tho
other evening
II used to be No. and never worse
than No. 10 in that line myself. said
the man 1--we never enjoyed the the
ater so much since as aid then When
was o kid in this town. about the age
of those boys in that line. | used to take
in show once a week-on Saturday
night always. couldn't afford more'n
a quarter q week for theatricais. for
was only making 81. so week carrying
bundles
1.-The store that carried bundles for
closed up at O'Clock on Saturday night.
the same as other nights. and 1 remem
ber how | used to scramble home ard
bolt my supper go that could get down
town again to get the best place in the
line before the gallery door I'd general
ly make it by clock or little after,
and l don t remember ever getting left
oil front seat right on the rail
''It used to be as cold as the dickens
standing in that line sometimes. but
that didn't make any difference We'd
just stamp our feet and crowd closer to-
gether. and the cold didn't bother Us.
Occasionally. too. it would rain hard
while we were standing in the line, but
that wouldn t cut any ice either l never
saw the rainstorm yet that could break
the gallery line up when ! was boy. l
don { know how that is now
''Us boys in front Of the line could
hear the man inside walking toward the
door from the inside to open it on the
stroke of half past {. and then we'd
crouch and gather ourselves together
for the rush The man that opened the
door had to hustle for his life inside the
box Office to keep us from running him
down and stamping over him always
had my quarter ready and pat and tight
in my right hand, and to slap it down
on the box Office shelf, get big paste.
board ticket and dive for the long gal
lery stairs was about as quick work as
ever did. I'D surely keel over from
apoplexy if tried anything like that on
now.
1.-THE winding stairs wa=e about
mile high. but I'd mako en- about four
at a clip, and in no time Id be past the
ticket taker at the entrance to tho gaaery
and falling-literally falling-down the
steps to get seat on the rail The
gallery nd always be about as dark as
q dungeon at that early hour. and it
was case of cropping to find the aisies
in order to fall down the steps to % seat
on the rail.
''In my left hand overcoat pocket
generally had paper of peanuts. and
I'd MUNICH on EN- and watch the gal
lery fill up. made it point to look
around good deal in order to make the
boys in the back rows Jealous OF me III
my rail seat. right On or close to the
middle aisle. The boys in tho row be-
hind the rail row would generally re-
taliate on tho boys sitting in the rail
row by wiping their muddy shoes on
the overcoats of the rail row boys, the
overcoats being slung over the backs of
the seats and therefore tempting oppor-
tunities for that kind Of thing
to,o %oxvor1 o,Dloot, tho bovo in
the gallery would begin to stamp and
whistle, the fallacious idea being that
the stamping and whistling would bring
the lights up and the orchestra out
quicker notice that tho gallery boys
don't do this any more But, then. the
gallery boys don't have so much as We
used to have. I guess.
"When we smelled a strong odor Of
gas. we knew that the big chandelier
hanging from the ceiling was going to
suddenly light itself-that is. that the
electric current Git was q new and won
derful idea them was going to light the
chandelier jets. They had to turn the
gas Oh first, hence the premonitory
smell When one Of the orchestra men
'u'd pop his head out of the little door
underneath tho stage. we'd all see him
at once and give him great send off.
land how used to enjoy show in
those days! How used to hate the viii
lain with his waxed black mustache
and his shiny plug hat How l used to
feel for the heroine when she'd appear
with her shrinking little boy in tho
snowstorm. with torn, redhooded
cloak careIessly thrown over her sboul-
ders, and seven dazzling diamond rings
on the fingers of both her hands! How
did think the hero was the real thing
when he said to her, i love you better
than l do my life!' How l used to thrill
when the heroine. in reply to the top
coated villains overtures, would twist
around aud cay to him, Rags are royal
raiment when worn tor virtues sake!
And didn't the struggle on the cliff be-
tween the hero and villain for the pos
session Of tho knife and the forged will
make my spine chill! And all the rest'
all tho rest.
"If tho growing boy only knew what
he's missing by growing gl'-Wasbing-
ton Star.
Pulse For the Plano.
A piano tuner, who says that pianos
franuautlv dptariOrata becauEe thew are