The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1909-02-19
RAIEWbNTHEATERCAR
Vaudeville Show to Be Given as
Train Speeds.
cHANGE OF BItL ZACH DAY.

Experiment 70 BE Made With combi-
nation Dining and Thoatsr Car.
Actors Going From City TO City TO
Give Psrformanes-ssats For Sixty
Eve.
last cali for the theater car"
II a scheme. new to the United
States, now under way goes through,
this win be cry heard In railway
stations at no distant day. Chismore
II. Packard OF New York city is the
man with the idea. He proposes to
furnish vaudeville while the train is
whirling along. Packard has taken
out half dozen patents covering va
rious phases Of his scheme.
He has thought out a way to con-
vert the dining car into the theater.
He may also build new cars. A COM
pany IL being organized to take mp the
project. which win require about $780,
600 to start.
THE idea came 10 me long ago that
people who travel are wholly lacking
IN real entertainment" said Packard
81 don't claim that particular idea was
original guess every one who has
done any travelling has thought the
same thing. Reading is all right. Of
course. but people get tired Of that
They tire Of watching the scenery.
They tire OF talking.
'The more I thought about 1t the
more | became convinced that there
ought to be some way of getting
around the matter. Build a theater
car, said to myself. I have spent
lots Of sleepless nights bordering over
II and recently hit upon. what ! con-
slider q practical scheme.
my idea Is TO build car patterned
along the general lines OF the dining
Car. The kitchen win be the same.
An the room given to the kitchen Is
needed Ny plan takes in the rest Of
the car. i propose to build floors that
Wln rise In sections above the regular
flooring Of the car when they are
needed They WIN be regulated by
machinery and when not elevated viii
lie close to the bottom flooring, so
there WIN be a level stretch.
'The portions OF the door TO be raised
WIN be In three dlxisloas, one rising
higher than the one before II. That
yOu zee, WIN make three distinct tiers
and give everybody chance to see the
stage. When say stage mean just
q little platform not over a foot and
q half from the hoor and only wide
enough for two performers Our the
atrical productions win never take In
more than two performers.
"The regular seats used In the din
ing car win be used for the theater
seats. The tables win be constructed
% they may be converted into seats by
turning q lever. Thus sixty-fve per-
sons may be seated. It win cost about
$4,000 to build the sort Of car have
In mind. I think the railroad people
WIN take to the idea because / wiz not
charge them anything to use the car
for dining purposes. win supply the
walters. and they win act a. ushers,
ticket takers and property men for the
theater.
ut win be my aim to have only well
known performers appear. A perform
er finishing an engagement In New
York. we WIN say. Is to go to Chicago.
there to all an engagement. win
book him or her to appear in my thea
ter car on the trip. will pay just
a little for the one days appearance or
perhaps merely furnish the actors
transportation.
swell known actors are always 60
ing and coming. There Will be a
change OF bill each day. Besides these
performers. there will be moving pic
lures. | expect to have at least two
performers and then the pictures.
Will have a photograph on hand for
talking pictures"