The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
BOX FULL OF NOTHING.
How a Biscuit Box Got Lost and
Journeyed Round the World.

BOSTON GlODe.
The stage carpenter was opening a big.
Notwithstanding box in the green room
of the Holis-street Theater and several
members Of The Light That Failed COM
pany, waiting for their cues, had gathered
round to watch the operation. The stage
carpenter worked slowly. pulling each nail
carefully and placing them side by side on
top of artificial rock.
whats in it?" ventured one OF the by
ISLANDERS The stage carpenter looked up
and observed the crowd gathered round
him. He gazed at them for second or so
and then went back to work, without con-
descending to reply to the question. He
seemed to work even slower than before.
The actors began TO show Impotence. The
question Of the hour seemed to be the
contents Of the box.
Finally the stage carpenter lifted one
end OF the plank Just little way. UP. He
crowd looked foolish. but did not lose in
terest. The stage carpenter again lifted
the lid and the crowd, pushing forward,
saw that the box ontained-nothing.
II fancy you feel very much as did the
man who had opened our missing biscuit
box" said a voice. It was Forbes Rob
ertson ia and in reply to a question he told
why" laughed Mr.. Robertson, Its a
rather good story with the joke on nobody
in particular You see, when we planned
to produce The Light That Failed we re-
allied that if we wished to keep up the
tone of the play we must have the pro-
logue. which is laid in Soudan, as nearly
war correspondent to arrange the details
of the camp and then we began 10 collect
stuff TO go with il.
"As perhaps you may have heard. all
are made by celebrated firm in London
who had an appointment from the King.
boxes and delivered to the commissapy y'o des
partments stenciled 'Soudan Field Force,
Africa They also bear the government
stamp which allows them to pass as govern
ment freight.
Our stage manager decided that we
must have some of those boxes for the
camps scene, and after great deal of
difficulty i managed to get six empty ones
from the firm that makes the biscuits. The
boxes were shipped over to America for the
American production last spring. In coming
over one of the boxes went astray, and
when our property man took stock he re-
ported to me that the box was missing.
1 did not think much about it until last
week. when l received long letter from
my friend who secured the boxes from the
biscuit firm.
1T seems that the missing box had gone
astray on a New York dock. 1t became
separated from the Others and when IL
was discovered by the freight agent the
only thing TO identify 1t was the stencil,
'Soudan Field Force, Africa, and the Brit
ish government freight stamp. According
ly he shipped 1t back to Liverpool on the
next boat. From Liverpool il was shipped
to London. and from London to Southamp-
ton. There IL was put on board a freighter
and sent to Africa.
Finally the biscuit box arrived at
military station and was duly turned over
TO the commissary department.. In course
OF time il was opened and then came the
startling discovery that there was nothing
i'm it. The commissary sergeant wrote a
good hot letter TO the biscuit firm and the
matter was investigated. My friend heard
of IL, and knowing that the only empty
boxes sent out were those loaned to me,
he correctly guessed the trouble. It's a
rather good tale, don't you think sou
Then the call boy poked his head in and
yelled Scene two"