The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-18

The tales told at the old fashioned
party given by Mrs A. W. MeCune last
Tuesday evening were gems. being. as
they were, memories Of years ago. the
scenes Of which were impressed upon
the minds Of the story-tellers firmly
enough TO make their CELEBRATION i'm
possible. They would produce laughter
MISREPRESENTATION hospital not ex-
cepted. They cannot be written as told,
for the mimicry, infection and spirit Of
narration must be eliminated when it
comes 10 type With the guests lining
the sides Of a table ssventy-five feet in
length, lighted by candles and crOwdsC
with deliCaCies Of by-gOne days to
say nothing of the costumes, which
seemed each TO have a story of its own
there is no wonder that so many good
tales should be recalled, even though
the guests had not been warned that
the storytelling bee was to come The
talks were all eXtempOTaneOus and d
few Of them were culled.
It fell to Bishop 0. F. Whitney to
break the ice"
1T was in the early COS, I believe, "
said he, when a number Of the youth
banded together to give a theatrical
performance in Gibbs barn in the
Seventeenth ward. i was at a time
when George B. Walden was setting
the town on fire with nightly, realistic
productions Of Nick of the Woods.
We determined to give a reproduction
from memory, and each night might be
seen delegation Of the newly launched
dramatic company carrying water into
the third circle, to gain admission. and
he nj Il 10 to
gree successful in this part Of the en-
terpTise, and the day Of the perform
anCe arrived with a hopeful manage
ment, We rented the barn from Sister
Gibbs for a fat iron. a ball Of carpet
rags and a creepy hen, but there was
an iTOnclad stipulation that we should
not remove the COW. We knew Of no
scene in which the cows presence upon
the stage was required, and after a
spirited debate between the manager
and the rest Of the company. the heavy
william assumed the responsibility and
moved the bovine out in the wings. The
play had proceeded to a thrilling
climax, Bloody Nathan being about to
slaughter Wen0nsa the Black VUlture,
when the widows boy Frank entered
suddenly from the fly gallery and ex-
claimed: 'Thay, mOtha theth thith COW
can't sthand out in the rain any
Tonga
There was no alternative. Nick and
the Indians stood at bay while the cow
was led through the audience and tied
to the waterfall"
John D. Spencer, who for 50 many
years did the heavies in the Home
/ Dramatic club. and with such eminent
success, had this "reminiscences to re-
late: We were in COalville with The
Green Lanes of England The stage
as may be expected, was d primitive
affair, and the Accommodations the
opera house afforded were probably not
such as could be found today. 1 re-
member distinctly the rustic fence in
! the first act. the comedian and myself
standing off. each holding an enc
( while the play progressed. AS the
/ characters entered we spread out and
| caused an aperture, closing the gate il
| the same way. The heavy william made
/ his suspicious entrance over a bridge
! but the peculiar construction Of the
/ stage had brought the sky borders too
/ low for the audience to see all of him
and the debut was in sections. TnC
{ orchestra, when the william, lodging
clouds, had come far enough forward
/ to be recognized, struck UP, and key
/ it up while he thrOttIed the heroine
and threw her body into the river. Tn
. fortunately. the water border was not
/ big enough. and though the splash Of
/ the heroines fall was heard, and the
I form had sunk to a watery grave Z
huge spiral hustle which FlOd' WOr,
/ on that occasion. maintained its posi-
/ ton serenely upon the waves"
". B. DOugal15 contribution brOugh
/ forth screams Of laughter.