Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-09-04
OLD STAGE EFFErYE.
SCENES THAT USED 70 wsaaaz.l
AUDIENCES YEARS AGO

"Great Scott, how a moder-. soSkrr
ence would gibe at the stag sTnE
that used to thrill folks thing oc-SissS
years agow said an old theatrk.x4 1nzs>
ager who was in the city receUtr61s
route to Frisco. Take the GHrSxs,
wolf scene in 'Davy Crockett" awAa''
stance, that made fortune sT aAR-s
old Frank Mayo. That 'wax z1.xzs--s'
cred one Of the most realistic nlis.N ox1s
it's day, and it stirred audienc.a,. xssAas~
solutely frantic excitement III III
member how it went: Dary .1A- >ssCs
heroine have taken refuge In & gatx~'
tain cabin, and suddenly '5car !2s-s
a long drawn wall -,0wses%sSs.s
J Ow-o-o-o-o-o! 1t sounded like " :ss.s-'
| cat on moonlit fence and was es11Xx
by the prop man, standing slAsss'.
wings. Davy springs to his fax 'sa.'
listens with his hand to his eEs,| HE&
orchestra plays tremolo. Tbs Tafs4-f'
he cries, and the house begins Ia Asaxsa
its breath.
Meanwhile the prop man asszx 10
Davy glares around distracteNy- AA1ss'
ciful hevings! He has burned ~ saE.'
door bar for fuel! The prog xsE.
bowls at the top Of his voice 9AMr
dashes up his sleeve. He sprsz1ea ans
the door, rams his bare arm ts'1ncsCa
the empty staples, and two 'Ssufz'a'
wolves heads are poked sasGzszT'
| A.. hnffnYHN
the curtain drops, there Is mon sREas@
10, and it rises again to disccrs- ffsfs-'
fainting at the portal with a ofHs.xsai--
streaks of red paint around h& sssse
right arm to show where the CsEsas
pinched. That scene would exaIS4'sss-
rision today. but it kept the VICE Eztsz2@
Mayo's own door for many fGs.i.~ssH-
incidentally it was responsible iES'
some ludicrous mishaps.
"On one occasion. whlH Aaas@sss
through Iowa. the special scan.as, 9ssss.-
DELAYED by railroad wreck and asssa
stage carpenter undertook to 'fasr II
the cabin interior. By some nSssasa-
he made the staples several n'2is>z ~ =
small, and when Mayo, WIZ nsrv
rather portly. rushed to the r'..s.sss ID a'
was Mortified to discover that 1sfss1xs1-
not get his arm through the ir'sza ~
pushed and squirmed and swsaE Nas,ss4
but it was no 60. and as tile xsrsss =
were supposed to be advancing 'nr ~
dead lope the situation was 6%sx 2asT
critical. 1t SO happened tirzz' :aRa
actress who played the herpins> a3Esss
season was very spirituelle. nnrsfcssx1'
scrawny, and while poor DavE uaAs
still wrigS!i ing at the door some skxa1ky3
god suddenly piped out: 'Breah&Srsssss
fatty, and let de lady try The '.EssA
ence roared and Mayo signaled xprLS
/ quick curtain.
"Ftre effects are regarded wnN:1.~.
favor nowadays" continued the tsaE'
ager. because II too realistic tlars -saA
apt to create panic in q croNrtas xssns..-
ter, but in the old melodranxa S4alRa.
, was no danger of installing tAsG nBs,s
|. the real thing, and they wene ase1eS
dra wing cards. Back in th. esATg
seventies Joe Murphy. the 1rtzassssaa =
dian. toured the country In = anRx
called Help which contained y dana.
scene that was regarded as linz rssagff
remarkable ever produced on tbas vsaSl
1.-THE curtain rose on a painllns IT,
terror. supposed to represent az s1a1w
den in San Francisco. Pres1EdM q =
Chinaman passed an open door u saaa.
back. carrying a lamp, and q, crsSEGAf
later crash was heard, indieatlng:-
he had dropped it. A geo gi0wsyaAs,s-
diately came through the cilf1iAT in wv ,
rear wall and grew rapidly h:ts.xssssi-'
and brighter. while there was a sSaysss
Of excited footsteps, indistincr s1assniaar
and furniture being dragged at.nss rs
floor. All that occurring out q &ssg sss.s.ss,
worked the audience to ligr 1.s,ss
nervous tension. Then smoke sws5A
to ooZe through the cracks, L5ha lgsa
glow continuet; To Increase. ant IA ar
a sudden the entire sack wall Eg:Hsrs
and sank forward Oh t-be srag4 .Sss-
closing a dim perspective &@.1a, '..saa-sssar
shooting III here End there aal ss'sE' s'rs'
rushing pellmell ID eee-v~,., ''N"-
THAT specssele er+atea .I1y,]1xssaa-ss.,
sensation wherever it was Nut *: 49,
!ne entire effect was pr6duce5 l., =.
rev shovelfuls of red fire burseE "a
tne wings and little lycopodiux :.as...
der. which flashes into big, hss,u,.rs.
plaZe ana was concealed in tiz aarsssry
attached to different parts Of dr. 49,.
ing. IAe back wall was let Xxysw No.
couple OF piano wires, which essSFrs.,
get stuck occasionally and sus1sssk in,
IN midair. There Was, a celep,asSgtsup,
scene in Chanfrau's wAs Y or AMczaasxs
1t was admitted to be Ms1erisr VI rxs,
one have described, and thesess Pin.
OF both are very laughable whaxaxarr,.
pared to modern attempts alnax r.l
same line
THE last thing Of that kind x ssmaxw,
In London a few years ago. &iF1.vys3s.
sented the burning of a teon&zs.
Smoke and flames poured our aar anky
immense beams ,xas.sxXxs
down, scattering showers Of ,Sxzxsc,
walls crumbled people leaped trmsxsss