Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-05-09

saloon. a ramshackle affair which to
the owner was a financial loss.
The proprietor's name was Tom
Twlstem, his bartender being nameu
Fillem Up.
After meeting Abe. Tom and Fillem
Up persuaded him to buy the place.
pralslng II to the skies and telling
wondrous tales of the money taken
over the bar.
While they are talking. an old Jew
named key Cohensteln comes along
and Abe engages him for cashier. AFTER
engaging key they meet an old
Southern negro called Sambo. and
upon the suggestion Of key he Is en-
gagged ms porter. Then the three OF
them. arm in arm. leave to take pos
session of this wonderful palace when
Abe has Just paid $4,000 for. (Cur-
taln.)
In the second act the curtain rises
on the interior OF the Diamond Palace
saloon, and the audience gets It's hrst
shock. The saloon looks like pig
pen, two tramps lying drunk on the
floor, and the bartender In dirty.
shirt with his sleeves rolled up, asleep
with his head on the bar
Enter Abe, Sambo and key, and the
fun commences.
One OF the characters In the second
act was named Broadway Kate, and
had nm awful job to break In one OF
the Tommles to act and talk like
woman.
Another character was Alkali Ike, an
Arizona cowboy. who just before the
close of the play comes into the saloon
and wrecks 1t with his revolver.
We had eleven three-hour rehearsals
before / thought 1t advisable to pre-
sent the sketch to the puRlsc: ---
The whole brigade was crazy to
witness the first performance. This
performance was scheduled for Friday
night and everyone was full of antici-
patton: when bang orders came
through that the brigade would move at
two that afternoon. Cursing and
binding was the order OF things upon
the receipt OF this order, but we
moved.
That night we reached the little vii
lage of s. and again went into rest
billets. We were to be there two
weeks. Our company Immediately got
busy and secured the village for
suitable place In which to present our
production. Then we received another
shock.
A rival company was already estab-
lIshed In the village. They called
themselves "The Bow Bells" and
put on sketch entitled, 'Bllghty-
What Hopes2" They were the dlvi-
slonal concert party.
We hoped they all would be soon
in Bllghty to give us chance.
This company charged an admission
of franc per head and that night
our company went en- masse to see
their performance. 1t really was good.
| had sinking sensation when l
thought of running my sketch In OPP
position to 1t.
In one of their scenes they had a
soubrette called Flossie. The soldier
that took this part was clever and
made Incorporating and chic girl
We Immediately fell in love with her
until two days after, while we were
on a march, we passed Flossie with
"her" sleeves rolled up and the sweat
mourning from "her' face unloading
shells from a motor lorry.
AS our section passed her l yelled
out: "Hello, Flossie; Blighty-What
Hopes2" Her reply made our love die
out instantly.
"Ah, go to h-lr'
This brought quite laugh from the
marching column directed at me, and l
instantly made up my mind that our
sketch should Immediately run In OPP
position to "Blighty-What HopesT
When we returned to our billet from
the march, Curley Wallace, my the
atrical partner, came running over to
me and said he had found a swanky
place In which to produce our show.
After taking off my equipment, and
followed by the rest of the section,
went over to the building he had picked
out. 1t was a monstrous barn with a
platform at one end which would make
an ideal stage. The section got right
on the Job, and before night had that
place rugged out in apple-ple order
The next day was Sunday and after
church parade we put all our time on
a dress rehearsal, and 1t went fine
| made four or five large signs an
nouncing that our company would open
up that evening at the King George the
Fifth theater, on the corner of Ammo
street and Sandbag terrace. General
admission was one-half franc. First
ten rows in orchestra one franc, and
boxes two francs. BY this time our
printed programs had returned from
London, and ! further announced that
! nm the night of the first performance