Evening star., 1901-04-20

w
be stage manager.
Tim Murphy will help the season go out
in q blaze of glory if the mammoth-typed
poster which this week decorates the lobby
of Columbia TheaIer is to be credited.
The following sentences are displayed as
the comments of prominent New York
newspapers:
Tim Murphy, legitimate successor OF Jo-
Seph jefferson.
':Richard Mansfield never did anything
half so good
..Humor that Sol Smith Russell never
achieved to-
Far beyond the best work William III.
Crane ever dreamed OF.
Here is an actor who possesses enough
virility ard Wit to play Abraham Lincoln.
Major John NJ. Burke who has been for
rauv years associated with the Buffalo Bill
enterprise has a remarkable fund of remi-
niscences stored from his experiences both
as an amusement promoter and a from
tiersman. The following is one of them.
Nate Salisbury. partner of Buffalo Bill In
the wild West" made a great deal Of
money out of .'The Troubadours,' charm
ing musical and dramatic entertainment
originated by him. which was exceedingly
popular a score of years ago. But in the
were somewhat slow in appreciating so
novel and dainty a performance. and the
"Troubadours" had a hard time in the
early part of their career, more than once
coming periiousiy near to stranding. SAILS
bury however was optimistic, resourceful
and had the courage of his convictions.
His return engagement We're always good
and he correctly argued that if he could
only keep on until returns should be the
rule. instead of the exception, prosperity
would he attained. Fortunately, his people
"a small but exceptionally talented COM
pany-stood by him well.
In Hannibal. Mo. it seemed for little
while as If the end had come. The town
had been "a frost. and when general
roundup of finances took place. after the
fall of the curtain it was found that the
company's entire capital was hardly more
than would pay for hauling their baggage
from the theater [" the ievee. All We're
confident o? success If they could reach
Keokuk. their next advertised stand for
they had once played there but there was
no money for transportation and the humor
of steamboat captains III dealing with pen
nileSS passengers Was very uncertain
quantity at all times. However. desperate
needs call for desperate remedies, and the
business manager of the "froubadOurs
felt assured that if he could only get his
people aboard with their baggage, and the
boat well out from shore. on her way. he
would be able to talk the captain into con-
senting to carry them and collecting at
Keokuk. the local freight manager to hold
their trunks as security until the fares
We're paid. Hopeful. Yet not without ankle
ty, the TroubadDurs sat on their trunks, on
the leyee, i'll the darkness. waiting for the
boat. due at midnight. The night breezes
We're chill ard the time seemed very long.
but eventually the boat arrived, tied up
threw out gangplanll and the little com
pany of mumners, putting on their boldest
front. marched aboard. Their baggage
quickly followed them and they listened
anXiously TO hear the order for hauling in
the plank and casting off. But some mali
cious wretch took pains to tell the captain
of the boat that the actors had done moth
ing in Hannibal ami were probably short
of money, upon which cue he confront ed
them with a demand for fares before start
ing. Their business managers s talk was in
vain. Salisbury himself tried argument
persuasion and even appeal. without effect
The captains obdurate inSiStence was sim
ply, Pay or go ashore Pay being out of
the question, they sadly filed down the plank
to the bleak. dark levee and their baggage
was tossed off after them. Then they heard
the delayed orders for hauling in the plank
and casting off the shore lines. The roust-
abouts on the forward deck We're grnning
passengers lining the rail above looked on
some amused and others doubtless SYM
pathetic. all in such silence that the Jingle
bell signals to the engineer sounded loud
Very slowly the boat backed off from
Troubadours raised chorus I'VE part ed
by the river. You and L. They sang
charmtngiy the sweet old ballad Nate
Salisbury had fine tenor voice. Nellie Nc
Henrys soprano was cIear and sweet as
the song of bird and all the other mem
bers of the company had been engaged for
their ability as Vocalists so the execution
of the music was perfect It's charm and
admiration for the good pluck of the
singers under such distressing circ,Im
stances were too much for even the bard
hearted captain Again his bell sounded
this time TO stop the backing OF the hot :.
again and again for forward movement
and stop. Once more she lay against the
levee. the gangplank was run out and tbe
captain himself shouted. Come aboard
You folks, get that stuff on uIickr'
Nate and his company We're heartily wal
coined aboard this time and carried to J<eo
kuk where their fortunes turned and
Nate Is now millionaire.
The gallery gods have a new amusemer,
nowadays. and far from emulating the OK
ample of their male confreres on the 1ou.r
floor in going out between acts they re-
main indoors and indulge in Whistline their
1aEorlte airs from the latest opera or n,u
seal comedy that was in town Too much
credit must not be given the gods. how
ever, Tor their disinclnation to go out he
tween acts. They haven't that security
or retaining their seats possessed by the
coupon holder in the orchestra chairs and
balcony. and 50 they dare not go out for
rear the .goody boys" who neither smoke
hor look upon the malt and hop brew that
is Drown. VIII secure the seats they have
won by q long stand in the gallery line.
The old saying that Satan finds mischief
for idle hands to do finds an exemplifica-
tion in this case. The whistline which
was earlier in the season quite novel and
interesting, promises now to become some
thlng OF nuisance The habit was start .
ed by Frank Daniels. whose press agent.
during the reign of The Idols Eve sent
out advance notice that the gallery boys
would be whistling The Tattooed Man.
from the very first night. The press agent
was right. The boys caught up their cue
In the proper place and whistled good and
hard. The chubby Daniels would take the
orchestra leaders baton and lead the bows
with many mock mannerisms of the musi-
c1an and the audience howled with delight
This year the boys have been whistIinS
when Reuben Comes to Town." and the
Kangaroo song from THE Burgomaster -