The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-14


the mugginess, row that they had what
they asked for, grumbled again. But
there were visitors long past grumbling
at anything, though the change hit
them S0rely. At the end of the town
nearest the railway station on a piece
Of common ground given to fairs and
markets, Leatherby's Royal Victoria
theatre stood forlOrn and solitary. 1t
was a dismal construction of canvas
and wood, called an outdoor fit-up. and
it had stood almost unregarded for a
week Never had Leatherby's so little
encouragement to stay, never so griev-
Gus a lack Of means to get away Bus
mess had been bad, and worse than
bad, even for a strolling company. And
now
The whole concern han fallen on evil
times. and its early welfare was gone
with its early paint. All show of sal
aries had been dropped months ago.
and equal division made of what poor
SUNS might remain after expenses. But
now it seemed that an end mad come to
all things. Once upon a time the show
had been won't to travel by rail, and
the buskers TO take cheap lodgings;
now il moved as it might. and shelter
ed the company itself II had crawled
into CTOWbTidge drawn by two angu-
there seemed no possibility of Us ever
crawling out unless the company har-
messed themselves and dragged il. The
load of one van stood more or less
erect, with q grOan and a zap at each
stir of wind, and was the theatre; in
the other Leatherby himself and his
wife had taken TO lodge with their
daughter of II, Lou; called in print, in
the days when it ran 10 bills Miss
Sybilla de We're.
Il was q horrible place. this Crow
bridge; nobody would trust, nobody
would support the drama. As for trust,
gallant effort had been made in the
beginning, when Teddy Norton, general
utility-aH the company were general
utiity--Was endued in the best mixture
of clothes the show wOulc get together,
and sent forth to pledge the credit of
the concern with butcher and baRer.
He did ii all with an air, poor fellow
somewhat the air Of u private secretry
conferring a royal appointment in per
son, and he was careful to stipulate for
the punctual presentation Of bills next
Saturday. But the Crow bridge shop
keepers We're a stony hearted, even a
stOny-faced lot, and they wanted
money down. and made no bones Of
saying so. without circumlocution. And
as for the DRAMA they would have none
of tit would seem, indeed, that most
OF them judged It sinful; for Crow
bridge was p most duh and proper
place, and the money it sent to Leath-
erby's doors scarce paid for lamp oil.
Patronage" too, failed utterly, ana
every cover was d-awn blank. Caietiy
and first. Leatherby attacked Barring
Spencer, esq, and attacked him again
and again. Barring Spencer, esd, would
neither send his servants, nor sup
port a special performance, nor pres
entity, permit LeatherDy standing room
on his doorstep it seemed that some
thing must be set out OF Barring Spen-
Ger, esq, If only he were pestered
enough. For he was a man Of vast pro-
1ects in money and companies, and he
was here at Cr0Wbridge. where he had
taken a furnished house Tor a few
months, with schemes IL bicycle fac
tories that would make the place ricn.
Indeed. it was said that ne was buying
the house outright, and would some day
90 TO parliament for the county The
local paper was full OF Barring spencer,
ESQ. and his undertakings and his de-
signs for the nourshment and glory Of
Cr0Wbridge. He patronized" every
thing, and his name was everywhere.
So that il was dOubly maadening to ma
his resOiute not TO patrOnize the drama
as. represented by LeatherbyS There
WIS his house, almost IN sight or Ihe
pitch, and his fame AMI his Story per-
vaded CrOwbridse. It weuld seem that
every applicant might tap him, If not
Tor money, for his name, except Leato-
erby Him he would nor even see
Last night had been bad indeed at the
show. They had tried a wonderful YER
sion Of "The Courier Of Lyons, slasned
and battered out of az recognition, 10
TT the FIVE male and three female mem-
beers Of the company, and the only Two
scenes available; and the house ttWo
loafers1 had merely eniggered and rat
tied its feet Tomorrow would De
Christmas. and unless something oc-
CURED desperately Ike . miracle the
festival might be celebrated by q total
fast What could be doae2 A desperate
suggestion of carol-singing had peen
considered and abandoned early There
were already two parties each nifsht.
one from the church and one from the
chapel each with its harmoniums saIld
each audible to the other at Intervals,
even from opposite ends of the town.
And IL was plain. as Sa-n Davis tgen-
eral utility fobserved that Qutslqe
competition was useless when the reg
uiar crowd worked for nix
Mrs. leatherby. her daughter ana
Mrs. Hendy sat about a little coke llre
behind the stage, uenaing ana darning;