The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09

money to do this, so 1 wear my old clothes
In the winter and save my money.
NJ first experience In the theatrical
continued the colonel, when l got into u
through a relative who was managing Lot
ia. We had a peculiar experience IN IN
dianapolis, / remember. We came mere
with Lolita just after English's Theater
was built. / was treasurer OF the company
then. Mr.. English wanted Lolita for his
house. and the firm that controlled the
other house also wanted her. There was
great competition for Lolita, and Mr.. Eng
hsh finally got her by Offering her manager
% per cent of the receipts 1t was on
those terms that Lolita played here that
season. There is another incident connect
ed with that visit that causes me to re-
member Indianapolis. j lost a hundred DOL
lars here. Lolita, 1 think. played one night;
and after the show L went 10 the hotei
where we were stopping with about N,4vV.
/ gave the money TO the clerk. In a pack
age. When got It the next morning II
was 500 short. / didn't discover this,
though. till we had got on the train. L
learned afterward that a day or two before
the clerk had been given notice by the pro-
prietor. and. of course. he knew he was GO
ing to leave anyway. There were no ar
rests on account of the affair.
Il think the most unique experience 1
ever had in the theatrical business" said
Colonel Dugan, lighting a fresh cigar,
happened a good many years ago. when l
was still young IN the business. l started
10 England with a theatrical company or
Hlly people,, ana NnSu We ldIlcQ 4 a JdSt
SIS. We remained in England for ffty-two
weeks and / steadily lost money, although
/ had no money to lose. There's a paradox
for you. I'll never forget my Christmas
dinner that year. We spent Christmas in
one of the provincial towns. At breakfast
Christmas morning I sat next TO q man
who had ordered a bountiful meal. 1 no
ticed tina he left the steak that was
brought to him. and when he had gone 1
grabbed IL up. and. placing it between two
slices of bread, put it in my pocket. l was
economizing in those days. and when I saw
that piece OF steak L saw my Christmas
dinner. That was the principal part OF my
meal that day, too. The Britons refused to
become interested in our American produc-
ton, and after a years hard struggling we
came home. A man in Philadelphia sent
me money to come home on. What was
the name of the production? No matter; L
don't like TO revive the affair too much"
Colonel Dugan thinks the time is ap-
preaching when the burlesque show will be
more or less free from suggestive and
coarse dialogue. He fears, however, that
the business will gradually become more
'Frenchy' in the way of dress-that Is, the
attire of the women of the burlesque stage.
The chorus girl" he continued, lis a fix
ture on the burlesque stage. In fact, she
is the feature that makes this kind OF a
show popular. And, poor girl, she some
times has a hard time OF It, too. The ma
the road make the chorus girls pay for
their own costumes. In fact, / don't know
of a company that does not. This costs in
TIE HtiSHDOIn OOu Oh S-OU. lie cHOTuS girl
earns SIS or $50 a week. but $40 of her salary
is probably held back each week until the
costumes are paid for. Thus, for a period
OF five or six months she probably does not
receive more than $40 a week. Out of this
amount she is compelled to dress herself,
pay board and laundry bills, and, If the
company makes long jumps, she has to
have a berth in a sleeping car and has to
pay this expense out of her own pocket.
So, you see, the chorus girl has little
money 70 spend on luxuries at the end of
the week"