The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-30
A GOOD BOOK
..Ths Strollers" a New Move.
by Frederic sham.


There is a new book just out entitled
THE stroners." It is written by Fred
eric S. Isham, and is published by the
Bowen-Merrin company. Il is novel
and it should have a boom. 1t has a
hundred charms. and not a half dozen
| faults The work would nave been we'll
nigh perfect if Mr.. Isham had nos
weighted the storys action so much
and if he had cut out half his formal
descriptions of scenic investiture at the
BEGINNINGS of chapters.
The charm Of the story Is this: its time
is odd the period of the Mexican war:
its characters unhackneyed. = travelling
troupe; the place. not Overdone, Penn
sulvania. Ohio, Kentucky. New Orleans,
in the forties This theatrical company
| Travelled in a coach. and the series of adj
ventures it met is given with clever
simplicity OF narration. interesting
enough without the love episode which
| is of course present. 1t involves the
fortune of q French soldier and his
devotion to young actress. the daugh-
/ ter Of a French marquis and an En-
! glish actress. This talented and beauti-
| fui young woman falls under the care
OF Barnes, theatrical manager, and he
tours the then western country.
| All the vicissitudes of the strollers
of that day are depicted graphically.
How do you advertise your perform
ance?" asked the young man, opening
the conversation.
,fe
| in the taverns. or a notice in the country
paper. if we happen along just before 1t
goes to press answered Barnes. In the
old times we had the boy and the bell
The boy and the bell?'
! Yes. assented Barnes. a retrospective
smile over-spreading his good-natured
face, when / was a lad in Devonshire
! the manager announced the perform
ance in the town market-placc. l rang
! a cow-bell to attract attention and he
| talked to the people: Ding-a-lirg. Good
people. tonight viii be given: Love in
Strategem; ding Wednesday. The
Provoked Wife ing-Thursday. The
| Way OF the World. So l made my debut
| in noisy part and have since played
10 role more effectively than that of the
small boy with the Dig bell. Inciden-
ally. had to clean the lamps and fetch
| small beer to the leading lady, which
duties were perfunctorily performed. My
art, however I threw into the bell" con-
! Guided the manager with laugh.
DO you find many theatres herea-
bout? asked the other thoughtfully.
| Barnes shook his head NO: although
there are plenty of them upon the At
lantic and Southern circuits. Still we
can usually rent a hall, erect a stage,
and construct tiers for seats. Even a
barn at a pinch makes an acceptable
temple of art. But our principle diff
Guilty is procuring licenses to perform.
You have to get permission to play?'
THAT we do said the manager. From
born supervisors or justices of the
peace in the hamlets.'
But their reason for this opposi-
tion?''
We'll, a temperance and anti-theatri-
cal agitation has preceded US in the
Shadengo Valley, a movement originated
in Baltimore by seven men who had
ben drunkards and are now lecturing
throughout the country This is known
as the Washington movement. and
among the most formidable leaders of
the crusade is an old actor. John B.
Cough. But here we are at the super
visor's office. I'll run in and get the
license. if you'll wait minute.
The license was refused. The COM
pany gave its plays in the tavern out
side of town.
Barnes later conceived great plan
to overcome the objections of the tenn
perance folk by creating Temperance
drama He figured out the play with
the table utensils. The author writes:
mo sooner were the salt cellar and
the pepper box united and the pewter
spoon clasped in the arms of the loving
oruet. with the curtain descending then
Barnes. who like the immortal Aloibi-
AIDES Triplet could turn his hand to al
most anything. became furiously en-
gagged in painting scenery. market
place. with a huge wagon. containing
porkers and poultry was dashed off with
a CELEBRITY that would have made royal
acadamician turn green with envy. The
Tiddly Wink Inn was so faithfully re-
produced that the painted bottles were
a real temptation. while on the pastoral
green of a landscape grazed sheep so
actually seemed they would eat the
scenery all up But finally sets and
play were alike finished and results
demonstrated that the manager was
correct in his estimate Of such a drama
which became forerunner OF other
pieces of this kind The Bottle. Fruits
OF the wine Cup. Aunt Dinahs Pledge.
and Ten Nights in a Bar Room In
due time the drama was given ia the
town hail. after the rehearsals had been
witnessed by committee from the tenn
perance league. who reported that the
play could not but exercise a good IN
huence aud was entertaining withal
We recommend the license he as
sued and commend the drama 10 ali
Good Templars
Descriptions OF the Gay Of bad luck arc
given. the stranded troupe ;heir night
fight for the ferry across the Ohio. Life
in New Orleans in its hey-day is given in
detail and with much color. and the
characters depicted are those usually
left untouched by novellsts the people
of the stage. of the sage and the race
course.
Mr.. Isnams character creations could
hardly oe better. his heroine IS a master
piece while Barnes che veteran the
atricsi manager. Is one Of the most
likeahe men on printed pages.
Some hooks that should not succeed.
do. and some 5hat should do not. buzz
there IS one that has the promise in irs
clever pages ~ great popularity of
which st is deserving. surely.
Mice in Sleeps Wool.