New-York tribune., 1910-12-18


country and are not found elsewhere.
For instance. there are the carnival
companies of Abilene, Kan. That is,
they are organized at Abilene and go
about from there through the Far West
ern towns, spending a week in eacn-
They carry carnival with them and the
town breaks loose when they come. The
only kind Of theatre that this sort of
company has is an open street, barred to
traffic at both ends. The actors knock
up booths and a stage. They give a
musical comedy, such. for instance, as
the Sultan of Sulu." which is now rag
ing in the West, or any musical piece
that is full of tunes, glitter and show
girls. The company's girls are hired at
s15 a week, board free. Street dances.
side shows, the blare Of horns and
showers of confetti set the town wild for
q week.
Then the merryn,akers steal off, c1l-
lecting rest and new gayety-and spirits
while en- route to the next little city OF
the plains or of the hills. Meanwhile the
town just left tides up the silent street
where the Midway was, takes down the
NO thoroughfare" signs and puts away
the carnival spirit in camphor till the
next year.
There is comoa ratiVely little expense
in running carnival company 1t has
no rent to pay for its reserved street.
That is ceded only too gladly by the city
fathers. who anticipate spending therein
a care free and gleeful week The girls
come cheap at SIS and can be boarded
around in groups for very little when the
thing is done on contract. The mon, cf
course. do not get much either, and be
sides they are their own stage fands,
carpenters and electricians-that is,
torch tenders.
Airdomes are another variety of thea
tire peculiar to the West, and, like the
street theatre Of the carnival companies,
a clever Yankee scheme for economy.
The airdome companies do not book
theatres ahead or halls or barns. nor do
they rig up tents. They merely stroll
through the "likely" parts of town till
they find a good. sizable gap between
two houses. If il is twenty-five or thirty
feet wide it will do. They rent the use
of the space for a week or so, swing a
niece of canvas or Ciled cloth over 1t
from house to house as a roof, build
little false front Of painted boards,
through which peers a ticket window;
hire chairs. knock up stage, and all is
ready They get very handy at doing
this work and pretty soon can finish the
whole thing in a few hours. The air
come theatre is not rough or uncomfort-
able, either The towns of Texas are
thoroughly we'll acquainted with them,
along the Mississippi River. At Fort
WAYNE, Ind. there is a rival alrdome
at the side of one of the theatres.
Western life still has tang of the Ind
ian about it, which is come upon in un-
expected ways In the theatre world out
there one finds this suggestion in the
medicine shows given in big towns, in
little towns or out on the pralrles. Ind
ian medicine men are entertainers.
Charmers. dancers and sleight-of hand
performers, all. of course, in the inter
ests Of the health of those who watch
them. Not far different in either form
or intent re the medicine shows of TIE
u-ilv male faces: nor do they seek Indian
as much as white patronage. They
pitch a tent and decorate it with flags,
green's or streamers: sometimes the
tent itself is made of red or brown stufS.
like a wigHam. 4 good banjo player sits
beside the open flap playing soothing
airs rerniniscently and calling to pass
ers-bv 10 go inside and see the shoH.
There is an admission fee. once inside.
the spectator is treated to music. 4
monologue. q sleight- of-hand perform
ance. dance and sometimes A play
Somewhere in the course of each NUM-
Der the performers manage I" bring III
some mention of a certain patent nnedi-