The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-22
A TOWN WITH NO BILLB0ARDs.,
Days When all Shows Had Street Turn
n.o,y . no Crowd

DAYS When all Shows Ha1 Street u u ~
outs to Draw the Crowd.
Ibid you ever live in town Whefe
there were no biIlboards?' asked man
who was looking at a gang OF billposteiiSs9
in their work.
81 did good many years ago, nc
continued, 'and We had some pretty g5od
elbows asionally, too In fact, the way
IN which the shows advertised themselves
intensified the desire to see them am
NOT talking about circuseS or MINISTRIES
They always do the street parade act.
4 mean theatrical COMPARES. don
snppose YOU ever saw theatrical COM
pnny turn out to parade? ! have seen
Il. in my old town in the days Wh en- eheie
were no biiIboards in that country.
II remember when .Mazeppa was y -
given in the town hall. Ineis vas saE5sDs,ss
one entrance to the hall, and above y
was a lodge room. I dom suppose wv. ~.
could gull the people Nth any 9iaysolS
2sMazeppa' that didn't have the Wila norse.
tarSe,r,a ether kind OF horse OF Iarlitx..
-, 7nora than YOU could fool. them J" III ID
!, :I7,mIst, without the Prince ms Nh VIZ
zenna, company that come TO my wv.
mad tt1.. vito horse. It was ne s "a. ~
7conyince the people or tnat 49,, - Z
Eon,v brass band tn toWn was z w - ,s,,Ied
nut into a big wagon Wn'cn was nIaging
through the StiSCNSs 49,, 40 S,rts6
W. rs1y numbers ieihad. and the W.
,sorse haItered to the tail-end Of the p.no
snHsa.or Tn n few one-horse bussles "sa
tfia members OF the company. ,,,r
..r;,,e x,o,,ner woman who was 70 piay
-. -. .;,,a Ss,roIe-you know they always
~, 10 . woman for MazePpa-rooe III -
first buggy with the mana VI eou.ss.
: crowd followed the pa rade-s = 8 nv nv
that in town or city just the
horse was taken UP N the llal
-, !, nav began, and he remained Suh nj !.
ssto,. t1,a shnR. when he was brought OUT
- :. 10 mad gone IN on planks laid over
T ~ gems He had sort ofEstall during
Fthe4nlay. made UP with a heap ofS saw.
dnst that his stamping would not ans
noy an audience. 49, an,
performance, and after the Iwild horse
had been brought out. the MEN VINO ha az
that work forgot to remove the p! ls11ias
from the stairway leading to the strest-a
The lodge above had a session tnat nig IT,
and after the convocation the members
stepped on the pIanks, which were quite
smoo tn, and before they realized what
was up they found themselves on the
Sidewalk without the effort OF walking
There was some talk of suing the COM
Spany, but a few compltmentaries fixed
. that.
ss5 But it was not only the show with the
horse that paraded- I remember when
THE Lady Of u lyons. was played there.
) the company turned out In s!eighs. and
& the brass band was IN a big wason-bed
mounted on hobs. That8was the hrst time
English music was ever played BY that
band in my town. The management OF
#the company brought It out. It WAS the
old familiar. Cheer, Boys, Cheer. In The
Lady ofs Lyons. COMPANY Of Which 4 am
asres, king. was some home talent. One;
was a young painter Of the town. who
swass very good all-arpund man. He
played First Grave Digger IN Hamlet. &
and once when an Uncle Toms Cabin.
company came 70 town and showed hi
TENT. and ts,e1rs Uncle Tansse ouldn't APP
spsar. onr home talent. the young sign:
painter. took the part
Tie young woma who walked ShAs
rope stretched from the roof soe aatwp1
story Hiding stos stnailar one gacrosz She
street AS q wonder. GhesNas the a.
SsrtiseMent sati4tys thor. .fhssS Al
man no ~ q 20 thest1(
(soks Sentfs a $50
~