The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-21
CHORUS GIRLS FORM UNION.
'WRlking Lady in the Chaperons
Starts the Ball Rolling.

The old-tine gag of the low come
dian, the funny idea of the comic opera
hbrettist, is about to become a hard,
cold fact. The chorus girls are to form
union. If the plans Matched in the
pretty heads of half dozen coryphees
in Cincinnati do not go away. the time
is close at hand when no statueSque
blonde can carry the banner in the front
row unless she has a working card tuck
ed away in her-wen some place about
her-setting forth that she is in good
standing in the chorus girls union. At
present ocular demonstration is all that
Is required as to the good standing of
chorus girl. All that is to be changed
and the future holds promise of walking
delegates, unfair lists, walkouts, pickets
and all that sort of thing, which is to
follow in the trail of the organizer
Gerelda Malone, late of San Francisco
is the young woman who has taken upon
her presumably shapely shoulders the re-
sponsibiity for starting the mess of trou-
bic. Gerelda is what is known technically
as an extra LADY, in 1.-The Chaperons. -
now delighting vast audiences In Cincin-
nati-or at least as vast as they get
them in that part of the country. Miss
Malone talked the matter over with a
couple of fair conspirators Miss Ruby
Payne Sounds like a character in a Hoyt
farce, doesn't IT'D of New York, and Miss
Salie Fisher, of Salt Lake City The
three fair ones decided that it was time
to get in line with the trend of modern
things and organize. The theatrical man
ayers, they pointed out to one another.
are in the trustiest sort of a trust The
vaudeville managers have things cinched
up so nobody can break in with a jimmy
unless the vaudeville trust wants them
There is union of tightsmakers, of wig
makers and of face powder manufacture
ers, so what could the poor girls do?
NbHaxy dot
their troubles to Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of La
Dor, and ask him ow about it. Nothing
less than the big mogul of organized la
Dor would do for Gerelda and Ruby and
Salhe No organizer, at a paltry salary,
would answer their needs 1t was Col
Gompers himself who was honored with
their gentle condolences, and the plump
president came out of the ordeal smiling
and happy.
ne want to form a union,' said Gerel-
da Malone, stepping out into the llmelight
of the whole world as the first spokes-
woman of the first chorus girls union
ever projected.
Do you really?" Mr.. Gon1pers is au-
thoritatively reported to have replied. al
though no stenographic report of the con-
versation was taken
Yes we do, and I think all the girls
would go into it, went on Miss Malone
the vaudeville people have the White
Rats to take care of their interests. and
Keep up their salaries, and our profess
SION is becoming so overcrowded that
salar1es are going down constantly.''-
Chicago Chronicle
There could never be too many Of YOU -,
said Mr.. Gompers, with an attempt at
gaHantry, but Miss Payne interrupted
on, there are far too many now, and
that's what causes the trouble. Every
girl IN the rxybn ic-
ls-Well, who could be accepted Won I'M
derstand, is rushing into the chorus some
place and salaries are suffering in con-
sequence"
All. I see" said Mr.. Gompers, sym
pathetically
And then, there are irresponsible man
ayers who take companies out on the
road without capital and leave them
stranded in jay towns exclaimed Geral-
da, with some emotion
80 I have heard, murmured President
Gompers.
I'VE want to get an organization which
will give us some protection from that
sort of thing and enable us to get salts
faction afterward. We want salaries kept
up to certain minimum and-and-oh e..
erything like that"
Mr.. Gompers was much impressed
IF you ladies are in earnest about this
he said, Il think a union would be an
| excellent thing. We have about goo or
sanizers in various parts of the country
and any or all of them would be only
too glad to give you every assistance. You
have my best wishes for success
That seeming to close the interview.
Geralda and Ruby and Sallie went back
to the hotel to tell the other girls about
it. Now that the seed is sown there is
little doubt that it will grow, and if the
union is formed there will be dire troubles
for theatrical managers who do not live
up to the union rules. The stage hands
all over the country are organized and
most Of the theater orchestras are in the
federation If some bumptuous manager
attempts to put on show without union
chorus girls the scene shutters will re-
fuse to set the scenes for the unfair"
chorus girls and the musicians will not
play the grand AmaZonian march for
them. The possibility of the entire chorus
walking OUT after the first act with
the house filled with people would prob
ably be enough to bring any manager
to terms and the chances are that the
formation OF the union would put an end
to the tyrannical fines" whereby the
girls are mulcted Of their hard earned
money for real or imaginary infractionS
of arbitrary rules.
Of course there is also a possibility that
the union, waxing large and powerful,
might get unreasonable and obnoxious,
the chorus ladies might refuse to go on y
-oftener than certain number of times
! ir one performance, they might demand
the cessation of Wednesday matinees and
the establishment of commodious green
rooms in which to meet the gilded youth
who are now obliged to dangie around
in dark and muddy alleys outside the
stage doors But all of these things will
doubtless settle themselves arnicably in
time when the chorus girls union is an
accepted fact and the managers have set
tied down to face the music.