New-York tribune., 1912-03-17

HdllN, dlli "ohNE ihiii "lIe'I Oil lllS CHNiNN
ment was about.
This is fine trick you We played on me!'
he shouted. "DO YOU think I'm going to let
YOU play in my theayter with cheap second
company, after YOU promised me I'd get the
original production:'
tried to calm him. but he would not
listen to me.
"Whcn | book a New York company,
want a New York company, and not second
rate road company" he yelled.
And-would you believe it?-it took me
two hours and three cigars to convince that
manager that, as my play had not yet played
either in New York or in any other city, he
was getting the only original company"
that ever existed. Some -nlght-stand
managers remind me of nothing so much as
peacocks with dynamite bombs and argu-
ments strapped to their tails.
REMEMBER a case in point that oc-
CURED a number of years ago when
was taking the original tank melodrama,
~Thc Dark Secret through the one-nlght
stands of the South When we got to
small town in Alabama we discovered that
the theater was over a big drygoods store.
We got to town early in the morning and,
going directly to the theater had the big
water tank placed in position on the stage.
Our advent had been heraldcd for weeks IN
Iadvancc by the manager OF the theater,
who had pastcrcd the town with bills read
ing, -Four thousand tons OF real water on
the stage at one time OF course, as this
was the first time real water had been
used in a play, and as one of the actors, 1t
was advertised. had to dive into the tank to
effect a rescue during the progress OF the
drama. the town focked to the boxoffice
and bought all the tickets in the rack IN
less than no time.
Four hours before the performance was
scheduled to begin the manager OF the the
alter came dashing into my room at the ho-
tel. CRYING out that the dam had burst. 1t
was true. The tank had broken, and the
drvgoods store below had been flooded.
at amt the drygoods store I'm thinking
about. though" sobbcd the manager
Then what is it," begged.
"Why, it, my reputation! If get all the
townspcoplc into the thcatcr to see the show
after i've advertised four thousand tons of
real water on the stage, and then don't show
'cm anv real water, they'll never come to
nv thcatcr again. I'm ruined, | tell you,
I'm ruined
After had dried his tears for him, | sug-
gcstcd that in such a case the only thing to
be done was to cancel the performance and
refund the money. He broke out crying
afrcsh at the very idea Of giving back all the
money that was already rcposlng snugly IN
| the boXoticc safe.
"Wcll. then, if YOU don't want to fool the
villagers, and still want to keep their money,
what on earth do YOU want to do | asked
him.
He stihcd his sobs and looked at me. 81
want YOU to help me out by diving into the
empty tank, he replied, Just as placidly and
lofhandcdlv as if asking me what time 1t was.
you want me TO dive into the empty
Tank" | exclaimed. "Don't you like me-"
you can do it," he said. Any other
actor would be afraid; but | think you've
got nerve"
II was a beautiful compliment; but some
low WAS Of the opinion that il was he who
had the nerve. He went on To explain that
if divcd into the tank the people would be
fooled into believing there was real water in
il. and that. even if they did not believe it,
they would feel that they had got their
moneys worth if they saw someone dive
into the tank.
Now. Of course | was not hugely pleased
AT the idea Of returning all the money either,
and tried TO get at compromise But ne