The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-13

cause, if you're not have an extra seat
downstairs I shall be very glad to have
you occupy"
What! Me? Downstairs wit de
swells?" he gasped- In desc rags?
Why, dey wouldn't let me in, would
deyR"
you know Chames, and you come under
the head Of the critics since your views
were published last fall" said I. 1T
isn't clothes makes the critic. anyhow.
I'll risk trying to take you in if you'll
come"
''Soyt'nly I'll cum" he responded in
stantly. Il don't often take in de
teayter all by my lonesome, but dis
time, beIn foyst night, didn't asst me
goiI to come wit me beeuz We can't be
too careful what ye takes de loidies t
see desc days. 1 got let into a play wit
Mamie onct called 'Zazzer,' an she amt
been de same goil since. When she gets
mad she has dat ZaZzer skinned an all
becuz she's got de notion in her head
dat OATS de way a poyfect loidy oughter
behafe herself Chez but dat was bad
mistake o mine, an I've never took her
to anodder play since witout KNOWN
all about it before hant''
Chames and I passed in through the
wicket The doorman eyed the lad a
trIfie suspieiously, but when I informed
him that Chames. despite his strange
appearance, was a newspaper man, en-
pIoyed in the circulation end of jour
nalism, who was being broken in for
possible future use as a dramatic critic,
no objection was made to his entry and
we were soon comfortably ensconced in
the very comfortable plush upholstered
armchairs of the Comedy theater
"Chee." calculated Chames, as he set
tled pack. Say, dees chairs is a dream,
amt dey 1 don't see how we keeps
awake in chairs like dees.'
Some of US don't. Chames,' said I ''It
depends somewhat on the play
We likes band when it's got its
red rags on, wit a chesty Dago at de
mead of 1t, twirlin a niekel-pla ted ice
pick ten feet long, waikiki down de
ayenoo, Decays dey has some style
about EN- But desc dinky little
f1ddlers what sits behind a fence dom
der stunt wit a man in restaurant clois
leadin' 'em along wit de bottom half
of a Willie boys walkin' stick wese has
no use fer. It's feet what shows de
goodness of de music
You interest me, Chances said I.
| Explain"
We'll. it's dis way said Chames. eff
dere's march tune OATS any good at
all it oughter make people march. If
dere's a spiel in de music yer oughter
have trouble wit yer feet t keep EN-
from spie1in, an how dose chumpS in
de orchestra can sit quiet when de
music sets de whole gallery push stam-
pin an shufflin' is past my thinker
Il think I see,' said I. You judge
music by its effect on your feet
"Soytnly,' said Chames, IF it's feet
music. Tunes oughter hit We some
where, an if We can't whistle 'em. or
dance to EN-, or wave your hand at
'enl, or git your heart beatin' to 'ern,
dey don't go. OATS de trouble wit
most O. desc musical plays nowadays.
4 Dey don't ketch hold on any o your
origins. On de level, Mister Man, I blow
in two dollars on dat 'Parsifal.' an it
didn't take me nowheres. Youse'I never
/ find dat 'ParsifaP music on de hand
origins, an nothin' short of a fire tug
could whistle it. Honest, dat -Parsifaf
didn't make me tink o. me goi1 oncet."
I gazed at Chames in amazement.
The idea that this 1urid little freckle
/ trust from the street should have taken
in ''Parsifal'' struck me as too extra
ordinary, so 1 questioned him as to how
+ he had managed it.
oh I got in orright," said he.
Somebody's got to pass the ice water
/ in a show as long as dat and sublet
/ de job from friend o mine who
wanted a day off. didn't care for de
/ show half as much as De Coil from
Kays.' Say, OATS a butte, on'y she's
oughter been called De Coil from
Stoxnses.'"
We'll. now. tell me. Chances" said I.
what do Won think musical comedy
should be? Have you formulated your
ideas on that point?'
'oh, I don't know" chames an
swered thoughtfully. Use seen all de
shows o de year SO far. and. honest,
dere hasn't been a tune in de bunch
dat I'm whistlin' today dat I WASH t
whistlin' ten years ago. We IS gettin'
too much o. de same old ting. De
show gou is givin US de same old
'F'lorodora' wink dat we fought was all
our own in de days gone by. De mill
tary march dey gave US when dat fell
Ter Wilson was supportin' hisself in De
Strollers.' wit dis same heroine on de
side Dey're dom de pickle act wit
'Hiawatha'-"
The which," I cried.
DE pickle act" said Chames. fifty
seven varieties. Youse can't go no
where's witout tripDin' over a new kind
I of 'Hiawatha.' an de show dat can't
sport one O. dose Reubens on his
honeymoon fakes amt ace high. It
looks to me as If desc comic opera fell
lers was putin de whole business on
: a police basis. It's nuttin' but system
all de way troo. Dey's ongkoin' dem
/ selves all de time, and de hand origin
man that depended on new tunes for
a Twin would starve to deaf in a min
uta.