The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-02
BEN HUR is HERE.
sneciat Train of Fifteen Cars Brings
Production From Wichita.

Putting and snorting under an enor-
NOUS weight, aggregatlng close 70
0OO. 900 pounds, one OF the me new
engines on the Rock Island system
gave n satisfied grunt at Iu:oO TINS
117orning and came to full STOP II
had successfully drawn the big Ben
Hur company, with its eight carloads
If stage equipment, five sleepers ana
two day coaches, from Wlchlta, Kan:
record run had been made and
Aa..oryboSv was in good humor, until
some joker tipped off the company
+hat the legislature was in session and
thst hotel accommodations would be
a. a nremiurn The manner in which
the mem bers sprinted for the various
Topeka hostelries would made the
Marathon look tame to an expert.
ROY Crawford was personally on the
scene with sixteen big scene trucks to
superfntend the transfer of the equip
uent from the baggage cars to the
Grand opera house. 1t was marvel
Gus the way the transfer was handled.
Precision equalling the ticking of a
clock marked every move Tons OF
scenery were piled mountain high on
some OF the wagons. The long scene
drOps-some measuring sixty feet in
Iength-were adjusted to the forty
foot wagons with trailers, while prop
erty boxes, wardrobe trunks and the
electrical paraphernalia were crowd
ed on the fat wagons and rushed to
Inc InedLeT. Inc eight cars 1AldNAC
ffty-one loads all told.
At the theater. the wonderful man
agement that marks the handling of the
stupendous Ben-Hur was visible from
every viewpoint. Mr.. c. F. Towle, the
active head of the organization, seat
ed himself in the auditorium and di-
rected the arrangement OF the staging
His first lieutenant. Mr.. William Ayres,
the master carpenter, superintended
from the stage the working of the large
force of stage mechanics who were
busy receiving the equipment as the
transfer company deposited it at the
stage door. Scene drops were hung with
like rapidity; the big gallery
scene: the chariots; the boat of Iris
and the Mount of Olive scene, with Its
huge platforms were all put together
without a single second of friction. 1t
really was a great show in itself to
watch the work of putting the stipend
Gus spectacle together.
There is no organization in America
that excels in training the working of
the Ben-Hur stage staff in the rapid
handling of scenery. Every department
has a head. Mr.. Ayres is the master
Mr.. Thomas Gossman is
master. Mr.. E. W. Dunn, mas
ter electrician. and Mrs. Brady ward
robe mistress. The head of each depart
ment is supreme in charge and person
ally superintends the workings of same.
No one is allowed to interfere and all
are answerable to Mr.. C. F. Towle.
Ben-Hur has been in existence for II
years, and in all that time not sin
gle change has been made in the stage
staff. 1t has really developed into an
institution, and each respective head is
proud of his or her department.
The time required to adjust the
scenic equipments of Ben Hur to the
stage has been greatly reduced since
it was first sent on the road as
touring attraction. Everything now
ig worked on a system and it is safe
to say that by o'clock this evening
the gigantic production will be prop
erly hung and ready for the command 4
Of the stage manager, Mr.. J. K.
Adams. The Ben Hur company car
ries it's own orchestra which is under
the direction of Mr.. Guenthers Kiesse p
wetter. This does away with a lot
Of extra work, for if local musicians
we're employed, a great amount OF
time would be consumed in rehearsals. !
The engagement of Ben Hur at the