Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-18
STORY OF the BloW-OFF MAN
vENDs THE Gong SHEETS AND
SOUVENIRS OF THE SHOW.
One Person With Travelling Troupe
or Circus Of Whom People
Seldom Hear.

The blow or man with a travelling
theatrical organization or circus is a
parsonage whose peculiar vocation has
not yet come within the ken of the
| everyday reviewer of things theatrical
The literary agent Of "A Knight For a
Day." who bears reports of matters of
possible interest from his world of
players to the newspapers, has furnish
ed the Transcript with an opportunity
to meet and converse with q ''blow-of
being in the flesh. With the knight
For a Day" company ne IS the sharp
featured young man who sells the gay
ety's song numbers between the acts.
and incidentally appears on the stage
In the second act Of the frolic in the
part Of the stage hand VINO acts as in
termediary between the stagedoor
he would become acquainted. Theodore
Roberts is the name of the Tremont's
tenants "blow-off' man. more famil-
iarly Teddy" Let Teddy speak for
himself
"'Blow-ofr is circus xernacular.
Gus patrons to loosen from more of their
change when the show is over and
they're leaving. or blowing away
blowing off-blow-off.
Fourteen Years on the Job.
I've been a 'blow-off' man for four
teen years, In that period travelling posi-
bly, a hundred thousand miles. visiting
most countries on earth. with circuses.
outdoor shows. Ministries and produc-
tions with musical adjuncts.
The job and the travelling it enta As
isn't SO much different from most other
walks. OF course. 1t gives you contrasts
A 'blow-on' mans job consists In the
main of selling songs. song books, joke
books. guide books or some other catch
penny device echoing performances or
exhibits seen by the people who may be
leaving an auditorium or circus.
Chicago is the best song-selling center
in the world for lyric effects of the popu-
lar class. New Haven and Boston are
first in song stun that publishers term
classical. New York is the worst market
of the entire country. The small towns
especially in the middle west, are the
greatest meccas for the 'blow-off' man.
the narrow. constrained lives Of the peo-
pie in the burgs probably driving them to
the lively moments brought to them by
the show.
THE most money ever made on
blow-off' job was selling plantation and
rag-time coon songs with a travelling
Uncle Tom troupe through Ohio. In
diana, Illinois and Michigan. a 'blow-off'
man is paid about SO weekly by the outfit
he travels with. this for utility services of
many kinds, such as acting as secretary,
playing small bits in the shows, and being
q general factotum when not on the job
of selling the song sheets. song books,
programs souvenir histories of the show
or play or players. or such like printed
matter. He gets usually 20 per cent of
territory and good salable matter will
yield a 'blow-off' man about a thousand
dollars annually besides his wages. He
has to pay all his expenses out OF his in
come. save railroading, or save grub in
addition. when with troupes that do their
own cooking. like circuses and what are
called car shows.
What He Once Was.
In the old days the 'blow-off' man was
a bird of prey, believing everything his
that could be gathered unto himself. This
led to his invention of many dishonest
practices designed to increase the blow
Off mans income and deplete his patrons
pocket. Counting from both ends is a
'blow-or' workers. This means taking
double tariff for q sale by SO counting
change that the buyer Is fieeced. Say a
song book costs 10 cents and the GUS
toner puts down dollar. The 'blow-on'
man in making change puts down first
the book purchased. and says, ten then
follows with q dime, the first to be ten
dered, and says. twenty following with
successive dimes until ninety is reached.
after which he concludes with and ten
for the book makes one dollar, which. as
you see, Is taking pay for the book from
both ends of the dollar rendered.
THE 'hold-out' is another common trick.
This consists of holding back a part of
the change, which is first counted out cor
rectly before the eyes Of the customer a
simple feat in palming which any one can
master with few moments practice