New-York tribune., 1910-12-18

cine OF wonderful powers, Which. by the
way is on sale at Il counter inside the
tent. If there is Il play given, very
likely the heroine has some aiment
which the good hero at the end cures
with a bottle of So-and- Sos Panacea.
There is a transformation scene in which
the heroine appears well, strong and
beautiful, and the play is over.
These medicine shows sometimes
travel on little boats and down the long
rivers of the Middle West. But the big
gest river shows, of course, are those
given on the regular show boats that
buck out through the ice at The earliest
breath of spring to get the show
hungry towns along the banks. And
they keep gliding up and down the rivers
till the foliage of the countryside turns
red with the first frost.
The show boats on tIn Mississippi and
on the Ohio date back to the beginning
of the last century. Just wilen the first
one pioneered it's way down stream tile
cl1roniclers do not tell Us, but in 1917
n. NJ. Ludlow took a company from the
Cumberland to the OHIO and thence
down the Mississippi. From all accounts
the idea was not Tew then. In those
days the members of the company had
to be sharpshooters besides being sail
ors. carpenters day laborers and actors,
because pirates lay in ambush at many
points along the rivers waiting to plum.
der the cash box.
There was a period of great prosperity
for river shows while the towns along
the banks were new, but when they
grew larger and had theatres of their
own the show boats lost caste and Tell
irto such dsrepute that for a long time
no actor could afford to say that he had
been with one of them. Now. however.
there seems to be a great revival OF IN
terest in and patronage Of river shows,
and some of the new boats built to meet
the increasing demand are extraordinary
as to size and luxury Of appointments.
Last fall the largest show boat ever
built was launched at Parkersburg, w
Va 1t is 100 feet long, rs feet wide ana
has a seating capacity Of 1900 people.
The theatre inside is modelled after the
Ma iestic Theatre in Denver, and IS
lighted with 900 incandescent lights.
This giant float, together with the fast
steamer that tows il and houses the
actors. cost $4,000.
Many actors and actresses we'll known
in New York and the Eastern cities. es-
pecialy the vaudeville artists. can he
traced to these floating theatres when
they disappear for the summer months
The life aboard is agreeable and not
fatiguing: no great repertory has 10 De
prepared, as the change of base is frH-
ouent. and the emolument is fair.
There is something altogether pleasant
in snirit about the show boat and the
vav it is received. When approaching
town the calliope calls and in lifting
whimsical tones coaXes the inha bitanfs
to the banks. All who can run down TO
the rivers edge and wave d welcome
The big boat floats IN and is moored 10
the bank broad gangplanks are let
down and the actors in picturesque sirp
parade through the streets. distributing
handbjlls announcing the show. Nheh
evening comes a large crowd is almost
s,1re TO apDear, and as they came down
+o tho hanks Of the broad river the show
hoat's orchestra. sitting on the front
deck. plays good music The perform
ance itself is really first class nowadays
and people are predicting that some day
soon the biggest stars will be willing to
drift from town to town during the
eentIo srrins and summer days and play
to audiences that would receive them
with such eager attention as bored
Broadway theatrcgoers can no longer
give.
The river boat is not known only in
America France has famous ono
called the International Marine Theatre
of France It is owned and run by a
Nine Perney. the lineal descendant
of a. long and ancient line Of strollinS