The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-27

hundred and seven heard the violin and
the drum commit a murderous assault
upon the overture from William Tell,
and in appreciative composition in rag
time. AS the last drawn-out measure
died away, the footlights f1ickered timidly
the lights in the body of the nouse went
out one by one, and they heard the stage
manager give the handicap signal to
the man in charge of the curtain And
as the faded and wrinkled piece of cloth
struggled upward they settled down to
the enjoyment that they had planned
Sampson and Gregory, the retainers of
the house of Capulet, stood in the center
of the stage, armed, as is prov4ued by
dramatic law, with huge wooden swords.
Hardly had they begun to speak when
there came from the gallery a volley Of
ironic applause. Then followed a fan
fare from the horns and a salvo from the
''buzzers,' and by the time Abram ard
Balthasar strobe from the wings, the
''entertainment' was in full swing
There is a family likeness between all
demonstrations of festive undergraduates.
If they are happy they yell; if they are
exultant, they yell louder. and if they
are pessemistic and vengeful. they yell
louder STILL 1t was the louder still yell
that sounded in the Bingham opera
house. AS the Tetainers Of the Monta CUES
and the CapuletS unSheathed their swords
and began their famous battle the yell
came to sudden end, and in its place
the class wits-and what class has not
its humoritS-in-ordinary? took their in
nings. The professor of English litera-
ture retired to the rear of his box and
the opera house "bouncer'' bounded up
the gallery stairs. But he found his
way blocked by broad backs, and strong
arms, and SO, like the king, of France,
ne bounded down again. AS he struck
the bottom step there came a Iull in the
noise and the show went on.
Being young and healthy the under
graduates of Bingham college had in
their makeup just a suspicion of bru-
tality, and this brutality caused them to
forget the discomforts of others in re-
garding their own advertisement True
enough, the professor of English litera-
darkness of his box, and true enough,
the members of the Shakspere Tragedy
company were having their nerves pain
fully ruff1ed. But what of that? Wasn't
it fun to rub the old boys fur backward
and wasn't it highly amusing to scare
the actors half to death? While the re-
tainers of the Montagues and the Cap
ulets fought their famous battle their
wooden swords trembled in their hands.
They feared the ancient egg and the
Silurfan cabbage--and thereby the gal
lery laughed loudly.
Then came the mob Of citizens 'sup-
ers," all of them, clumsy, scared and
laundering. There was Henson the town
telegraph operator. who had histrionic
INV AN55ACO PAIAAu1y III d
shirt of chain mall seven sizes too small
for him. Behind him stalked Bromley,
the clerk of the leading grocery. who
fell, as he reached the stage over the
dragging sword of Spike Lewis, jan
itor of the town hall. To all Of these as
piring ThespianS the boys gave enthusi-
astic welcomes. Two hundred and seven
luSty pairs of lungs added to the efforts
of the "buzzers,'' and fve-score whistles
played the minor notes in the unmeIodi-
Gus symphony. When Romeo entered
Shorty" arose, and after the manner
Of a bandmaster directed the work Of
his cohorts. Throughout the balance Of
the first scene and all of the next they
yelled and sang and shouted and applaud
ed in unison. The Bingham opera house
had never known such a demonstration
Half of the town people who had bought
seats down stairs, left in disgust The
others protested feebly, and with indig-
nation inquired for the police. But the
police force of the town Of Bingham, ~
that moment, was at home eating his
supper. and SO the moral effect Of his
badge and presence was lacking.
Soon the footlights went down, and in
the semi darkness the audience saw the
stage hands shift the scenery for the
third scene.
Now for Juliet" shouted Shorty
in a stage whisper. And the footlights
f1ared up and Lady Capulet and Juliets
nurse were revealed. AS they spoke their