The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-04
A Town WIN NO BILLBOARDS.
Days When All Shows Had Street Turnouts
to Draw the Crowd.

did you ever live in q town where there were
no billboards" asked a man who was looking
at q gang Of bill posters in their work.
Il did a good many years ago" he continued,
and We had some ppity good shows occasionally,
too. In fact the way in which the shows I'D
yer,isel themselves intensified the desire to see
them. ! am not talking about circusns or min
s,rels They always do the street parade act
! mean thea triCal companies. ldon'tsuppose you
ever saw n theatrical company turn out % parade?
| have seen II, in my old town in the days
when there were no billboards in that country.
4 remember when Mazeppa' was 10 bs given
in the town hall There was but one entrance
to the hall, and above it was a lodge room |
don't suppose you could gull the people with any
play Of Mazeppa' that didn't have the wild horse,
or some other kind Of horse Of Tartnry any moro
than you could fool them with a Hamlet without
the Prince. This 'Mazeppa' company that cams
10 my town had the wild horse. IL was necessary
10 convince the people Of that fact The only
brass band in the town was hired and put into
n big wagon which was hauled through the streets,
the band playing what few lumber II had, and
the Wild horse battered 10 the tail end Of the band
wagon. In a few one horse buggies were the
members Of the company. The young woman
who was to play the title role-you kuow they
always have n woman for Md,eppd rode in the
first buggy with the manager. OF course a crowd
followed the parade. 1t does that in town or city
lust the same. The horse was taken up in the
hall before the play began, and he remained until
after the shoH, when he was brought uu, as he
had gone in, on blanks laid over the steps He
had a sort Of stall during the play, made up with
Il heap Of sawduSt SO tina, his stamping would
not annoy an audience.
The first night Of the show, after the perform.
ance, and after the wild horse had been brough,
out, the men who had that work forgo, TO remove
the planks from the. stairway leading 10 the street
The lodge above had a session hat night, and after
the ConNocatiun the members stepped on the blanks.
which were quite smooth, and before they realized
what wGs up they found themselves on the side
walk without the effort Of walking There was
some talk If SUNG the company, hut a few com.
plimentarIps fNrd that
But II was not only the show with the horss
Mat par0ded. remember when The Lady Of
Lyons was played there, the company turned out
IN sleighS, and the brass band was in a big wagon
bed mounted on hobs. That was the first time
English music was ever played by that
hand in my town. The management Of
iIs old ,Hlsmii,I ,C!Gsct. %iioys,, Chez ';?SS
speaking was some home talent one was a
young painter IT the town who was n very good
all srourl man. He played FirSi G rdr, Digger
in Hamlet and once when an Uncle Toms CaEin'
company came 10 town and showed in a toni.
and their IHri, Tom couldn't appear, our home.
talent ia" young sign pairter, took the part.
The Young woman who walked the roma
stretched from the roof Of two-StOry building To- A
simIlA one across the street was n wonder. She
was the 0!Vcr'isrme0t for \ variety show. The
woman who made the ascension 10 the top ot Tho
centre pOla Of a circus was a common card in
those days. hut the one who walked across the
street on n rope. over the heads Of the ropu-
lace. was tn" far famed artist
Their" was one newspaper IN the town, hut for
some reason he sho.Sdld not pattoni7e IT, Hence
They ,%teSortc5 loouiIoot rntades todraw ,h"crovd,
and npror knew my company 10 leave the town
ON foot mot even III" panorama Of kana's
Arctic Expedition which stole the Newfouudlsnd
dog = n" Mayor Of thu town and palmed him I'll
as Dr. kane's"