The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-25

es from E. P, Christy and many or the old guard on the other side
 "I stayed out on the coast for years as did many others of the burnt cork lra- ternity. There was Billy Emerson, blrch' Bernard, Backus, Joe Murphy, Ben Col- ton, Frank Moran and others too nullier- ous to mention, who fingered and fingered, or went to Australia. l didn't care to visit the gold fields of the Antipodes, for 1 never was a good sailor, and my trip around the Horn was a terror that mas lasted up to date. I vowed that l would never go east until travelled in railroad car, and l didn't perjure myself nor dlo start as soon as the railroad was open as much as I wanted to see New York, the best town on earth, again,
 q had a good reason for remaining on the coast I was a fayorite and com manded a good salary, and then l reared that I might be forgotten in the east with the lapse of years and that might not be in demand in the land of sunrise. Then there was a girl, a girl that l was sweet on. A delusion that l was the first choice held me uual she left me at the post and married cheap yard-stfcker in a dry goods store.
 "Just at the time I was sacked and sacrificed an eastern minstrel show came out, and having received sufficient in duoements joined for the return trip and the balance of the season. Duprez was right sort of a manager to work for; for further particulars ask Frank Du- mont, over in Philadelphia. Duprez was peculiar and his performers were held down strictly to business but if you toed the mark and lived up to the rules and regulations well and good; if not you got your walking papers. Duprez wouldn't have boozer or masher around him, and he detested one as bad as he detested the other.
 Now we had a man on the end with Lew Benedict who had soft spot in his head, for all that he was clever come dian, Sol Sparks imagined that every pretty woman he saw was in love with him and he was on the mash from first to last. He joined at Frisco, where did, and started in to break hearts at Sacra- mento. Everybody in the company, from | Benedict down to props, prophesied that he would not last and he came to a finish at Salt Lake City, all on account of | shining up to a Mormon elders daugh- ter
 "Al the boys felt sorry for Sol. ai- though he had no one to blame but him self. Sparks didn't seem to take his dis- mlssal so much to heart, and In reply | to our commiserations returned:
 
 "We all smiled out loud and remarked the improbabllity of such a soft-pated day killer and masher wedding. Wher | the show departed Salt Lake. Sol Sparks and an elder of the Norman church came down to the train to see LIS off, The end man who was fired didn't seem to be bit worried. On the contrary, he was particular happy, and Lew Benedict, who was good at guessing. remarked: "Ill wager that the elder is Spark z prospective father-in-law.'
 l Lew called the turn. When Sparks came to propose to the fairest of the elders flock, he was accepted without a | blush or hesitancy. When he asked tho elder, the pillar of the church responded
 'Conditionally. Mir. Sparks. I have | eleven wives and have a large assort ment of marriageable daughters. Rache is yours provided that you marry a gr from each one of the remaining ten fami- lies,' adding rather sternly, I could mol think, sir, of marrying my daughters by retail when I have a wholesale supply
 "The conditions did not feaze Sol Sparks | he only inquired:
 "I suppose I have the privilege oi looking over the stock?'
 l "The elder was agreeable and Sol pick ed ten of the sweetest ever seen in Utah | That was how he came to have eleven wives"
 How did he manage to support them" askd the proprietor-of the restaurant.
 "Sol let the elder In on a scheme and the pillar of the church furnished the | backing. Sparks rehearsed his wives and sent for the necessary male talent and put a female minstrels on the road, the eleven woman principals of which drew no salary Sol made many successful tours of the country, none of the Gen. 1 tiles eyer imagining that the Mormon | manager was married to the bunch.
 "Never heard of 1t before? Of course not It was a well-kept secret, and am letting the cat out of the bag for 1 the first time"