Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-27
PRESENT PLAYERS
CABBAGE And coin
"The Bell Boy" Offered as En-
tertainment for Electrical
Men, Rank Imposition
BELOW AMATEUR GRADE
Auditors Take Offense Good Natured-
ly, However, and Turn Own
Talents TO Good Account

'The Bell Boy" advertised as a
comedy with music was staged at the
Illinois theatre last night 1t proved "A
farce, all right, but the audience which
saw it failed to see in it any comedy
or music which would pass muster.
The u rows TO the front - the par
quet were occupied by $50 delegates
I to the electric convention in session
/ here, and but few others witnessed
: the hippOdrOme.
! The first two acts sailed along in
| the usual tenor. except for a few re-
marks from the audience, much to the
dissatisfaction of all present. Be
tween the second and last acts the del
egates held a little conference, and il
was decided to liven the performance
somewhat by a few stunts which were
not on the program. And so when the
curtain arose on the last act the real
show began.
Two large heads of cabbage. pur-
chased at a nearby store were pre-
scented TO the performers with the COM
rliments of the delegates. And a little
later just 10 demonstrate 10 those on
the stage that there was no real i'll
feelings toward them, a purse of more
than $25 was presented to them.
What Sight of Real Money Can Do.
One old character in the play,
Maurice Shark" was supposed TO be
afflicted with lumbago When the
money was thrown on the stage Maur-
ice happened to be farthest from it at
the time, bur he Immediately recover
Cd from his physical atflicticn and
pounced upon the scattered coin. 1t
i needless to say that he captured a
good share of it.
II so happened that the young chap
who enacted the title role was not oS
the stage when the money was con-
tributed, and those who had captured
the cabbages donated them TO him
All of the amusement derived from
the play was furnished by the dele F.
gates. The aforementioned Maurice
Shark" had two lovely 90 daughters. /.
He took them to see their cousin, DR. T.
Arthur Lamb" AS they we're leaving, /
father told them 10 kiss Cousin Ar /.
thur before leaving. A chorus of .
voices from the audience dared Doc" .
TO do it, while others told him to ''be .
game" Doc" was game" And /
then wnen his other cousin approach
ed he had to be game" again.
About Crudcst Yet.
II was he crudest attempt at the
atrical performance that has been per
mitted in g Rock Island PLAYHOUSE in .
many months. The company repre-
scented in its advertisements that it
carried 80 beautiful girls" There
were only six. The admission ranged
from > cents to 81. An auditor could
20 before a jury and not only demand
the return Of his money. but could Sc
cure damages for loss of time occu-
pied in sitting through the ordeal.
We frequently hear the theatrical
producer decrying the lack of appre-
citation and patronage by the public of
his plays. A deception such as prac-
tced upon the local public last night
is the best answer that can be offered
to the plant of the producer. The
men who control theatricals, if they
expect to continue in the business at
2 profit have but one alternative, and
that is TO begin reestablishing the re-
latiOn of confidence between the thea
tire and the people who buy tickets at
the box office.