The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-22

we closed away out on the Coast"
said another actor. That's a riddle for
you-to make the jump from Frisco to
! New York when you're broke Money
is the only answer l know.
/ Bad business or what.'
There isn't any what. It's always bad
business. One manager was square.
, though. He didn skip with the last
nights receipts, as they generally do.
That was in Sacramento We thought il
We could get to Frisco We might strike
something. either an engagement or the
price OF the fare east. There was not
enough money enough to pay the fares
/ from Sacramento up. but our manager
was hustler. if he did have hard luck.
He found a steam scow that was go
/ ing up with a load of phosphates for
; fertilizers. The captain agreed TO carry
US up. 1 was never so insulted in my
life as / was on that trip
This awakened interest. The listeners
, drew closer.
Half way up the bay we met another
scow coming down. The captain hailed
US
- Hello. Cap" he yelled. What yer
loaded WITH
Our captain yelled back. Fertilizer
and actorsv"
by heavens. sir, he might at least
have said, Actors and fertilizer -
Probably didn't know any better"
broke in another of the army of the dis
engaged. These country yaps say in
sulting things without realizing it. They
know nothing about the finer sensibilities.
4 in, I i-ar raH
this season without knowing it. He was
so ignorant I let 1t pass.
1T happened this way. / was out with
The Devils JOY Donald de Lane, who
played heavieS, roomed with me. When
we closed We both owed a weeks bill at
the hotel The landlord had taken a
great fancy TO me. but for some reason
he had a crouch on for Donald-was dead
sore on him. Well, when we closed the
landlord called me into his office
I" Mr. Robertson. said he. L like you
You're all right. You can stay here a
week longer if you want TO and not
worry about your bill-but that other
deadbeat, that other false alarm, has
got to get out today"
My sister Mae" said a listening SOU
brette. had a hotel engagement that
wasn't as pleasant as that She was a
top liner in the Mastodon Merrymakers
when they stranded at Fort Worth. Well
if you'll believe me, she had to turn in
and be a chambermaid for two months
before she could get the wealth to bring
her home She's got good engagement
here III New York now
Yes. you have to do those things
once in awhile" said blue eyed sing
ing comerienne. I'VE went to pieces in
Chic just before an election was COM
ing off. But it was great luck. for we
caught a political boss and jollied him
until he hired us. Mile and l and the
tenor and bass sang political songs at
the rallies and got s. a night each for it.
1t queered my voice, though, for we had
to sing at four or five different places
every might and generally outdoors
Henry Rawlins. who went out in
'legit' repertoire did something like that"
contributed the heavy man. He closed
in Ohio. too. during the campaign and
got a job to make speeches. 1t paid
better than starring"
That's the way l got back from Kan
sas." said short, fat man. with pug
with a minstrel company. Did the sec
ond bones. baritone ballads and doubled
in brass We smashed in town where
there was a big religious revival going
on. That was show enough for them
and nobody cared a rusty cent about
the minstrels So we just told the local
manager TO be as good and shut UP his
box office, that we might quit ragtime
and Lulu songs and gone in for hymns.
We volunteered as a revival choir and
made a hit. 1t would surprise you the
way WE flirted with Moody and Sankey.
/ got enough religion that week TO last
me the rest of my life. But it paid.
They staked US well and We came home
with our trunks Never expected 10 pull
railroad ticket out of a contribution
box"
For an that, the minstrel was not in
high spirits; for on getting back to New
York he found there was no call for
black face comedians. Minstreisy seems
to he going the way of East Lynne
Among the returned is a juvenile actor.
who. like all the rest, has tale of woe
His is peculiar.
I'VE closed partly on account of my
dress suit" said he. Last summer l
was pretty flush thanks to a good sea- .
son the year before and some luck at the
races. So when l got this engagement to
plav leads in society comedy ] dressed
the part out OF sight. Had a dress suit
made by a swell tailor that cost me $50.
4 wore it in the first act In the sec 1
ond there was a rough house comedy
scene in a gambling room. where the
comedian grabs hold OF the tails OF my
dress coat and tears them off For this .
scene ! bought an old second hand coat. .
Ont the tails of and then had them /.
liehtlv seved on. so they would tear OF .
easily. That was the property mans 4
business. He had 10 sew them on every I
night
We'll business was so bad we decided .
n close on a Saturday night. Friday .
night I was so upset about it that for
cot 70 change from my good dress coat 10 +
the fake When the cue came / rushed I
on. the comedian after ne. grabbing II
ny coat tails 10 pull me back They
should have came right of and have
kent risht on going. apparently uncon-
scious that an attempt had been made
to stop ne.
.Rut they didn't come OF. The conc
dim tucged and yanked and I STOPPED
short
.. Hurry up, Coafound you" I said
over .ay shoulder
THE comedian tugged for ali he was
worth
:. What blank blank idiot sewed them
The audience began to snicker
The situation was setting desperate
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