The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-03
THE STORY TELLERs.
Jokes and Sayings of the Players on
the Stage.

the Stage.
One of Robert B. Mantell's latest
stories is about a Pennsylvania Sun
day school. A young lady with philan-
thropic motives was teaching a dozen
or two little ones in the mining dis
trict.
"Now where did tell you the
Savior was born?'' she asked one
Allentown" shrieked a grimy H.
year-old.
why, what do you mean, Johnnie ?
] told you he was born at Bethlehem"
WELL" replied Johnnie, 81 knowed
twuz some place on de Lehigh Valley
railroad
"They gave me a hard jolt on my
last visit to Lafayette. Ind" said Tim
Murphy. "a rural gentleman was the
author of the stunt that was perpe-
trated and I rather felt that the ticket
taker and myself were the victims.
The jay walked up to the ticket taker
and said: How much does 1T cost to
see Murphy tonight?' The ticket taker
said $3.50 on the first floor, 81 a seat
in boxes, 81 in the dress circle, and 25
cents in the gallery. The countryman
thought a moment and then said:
What is he playing in the gallery p -
full appreciation of this bit of
repartee, spontaneous, innocent and
quite unintentionally double edged, is
dependent upon acquaintance with
the fact that Charles Bigelow's bald
head plays a very important part in
his comedy work at the Weber Music
hall, where he is funnier now than
ever before. In the cafe between acts
the other evening he greeted Muck
Weber, the brother of Joe.
IF I had your hair said Bigelow,
playfulIy, I'D never act again"
eff you had hair like this" was
Weber's response, you couldn't act"
The bystanders roared, Bigelow
crept, red-faced, upstairs, and Weber
sought refuge behind the cigar
stand.
Ben Kearney, principal comedian of
one of the two companies offering "A
Chinese Honeymoon" tells good
enormous area of New York. Mr..
Kearney says that enc afternoon
shortly after o'clock he boarded
street car at Grand circle and found
therein an old friend. He was aston
ished to observe that the friend was
clad in evening dress. Great Scott"
he exclaimed, what are you doing in
those toys? Been out all night?"
No" replied the gentleman, lacon-
going to take Harlem girl to dinner"
Here is one which De Wolf Hopper
tells about stage forgetfulness: "a
little experience illustrating how me-
chanical acting can become" said Mr.
Hopper, occurred years ago i'm The
Black Hussar.' Cotrelly and 1 were
supposed to be asleep, but in my sleep
I had to do a little musical phrase. 1t
was difficult to strike the note just
right and sound it clearly, so always
approached the phrase with appre-
hension and caution. On this occa-
sion I suddenly realized that we had
passed that point in the act, but I had
not the slightest remembrance of sing
ing the phrase: I thought must have
been really asleep, until after the act,
when inquired and found that 1 had
sung the phrase at the right time and
with better execution than usual"
Maclyn Arbuckle. of Henry w.
Savage's County Chairman" COM
pany, had rather an extraordinary ex-
perience the other night. The COM
pany was playing in Brooklyn and go
ing over in the ferry from New York
Mr.. Arbuckle was handed an envelope
which he forgot to open until just pre-
vious to going on in the first act as
Jim Hacker. CHANGING at the con-
tents hurriedly he found it to be a
press clipping from a news bureau
40.OO0." The shock almost killed
him and his agitation was percepti- |
BILE as he appeared behind the foot
lights as the big hearted county chair |
man of George AIDES successful COM
edy. However, as soon as the act
was over, Mr.. ArbuckIe experienced
an antf-climax. By mistake the clip |
ping of John ArbuckIe, the coffee !
had been sent to him. "All
can say isl remarked the actor later
in telling the story, that if Mr.. John |
Arbuck1e experienced half such a
thrill when he read that he had been |
playing in The County Chairman at
the Montauk theater for a week as !
did for that one moment while act
uaIly thought that 1 had made all that |
money, he certainly got his moneys
worth"