Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-09
Preparing the "chow."


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 op-
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
olace In which to produce our show.
After taking off my equipment, and
followed by the rest Of the section, l
went over to the building he had picked
,ut. It was q monstrous barn with q
platform at one end which would make
an ideal stage. The section got right
IN the Job, and before night had tnat
place rugged out In apple-pie order.
The next day was Sunday and after
church parade we put all our time on
dress rehearsal, and 1t went fine.
I made four or five large signs an
,ouncing that our company would open
ID 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
ZEN rows in orchestra one franc, and
boxes two francs. By this time our
printed programs had returned from
London, and further announced that
IN the night of the first performance
4 program would be given free OF
charge to men holding tickets costing
franc or over.
We had an orchestra Of seven men
md seven different instruments. This
orchestra was excellent, while they
we're not playing. p
The performance was scheduled TO
start at 6 p. m.
At 5:16 there was q mob In front OF
our one entrance and 1t looked like q
Dig night. We had two boxes each &c
.ommodating four people, and these
we Immediately sold out. Then
brilliant idea came to key Cohenstein.
Why not use the rafters overhead, call
hem boxes, and charge two francs for
seat on them2 The only difficulty
vas how were the men to reach these
boxes, but to key this was mere de-
,ail.
He got long ropes and tied one end
around each rafter and then tied a lot
If knots in the ropes. These ropes
yould take the place Of stairways.
We figured out that the rafters
would seat about forty men and sold
hat number Of tickets accordingly.
When the ticketholders for the boxes
got a glimpse of the rafters and were
informed that they had to use the rope
stairway, there was howl OF indigna.
don, but we had their money and told
them that II they did not like it they
could write to the management later
and their money would be refunded; |;
but under these conditions they would
| not be allowed to witness the perform
ance that night.
After little grousing they accepted
| the situation with the promise that u
Il the show was rotten they certainly
would let us know about It during the
performance. -
Everything went lovely and It was q
bowling success, until Alkali Ike ap-
Ipeared on the scene with his revolver
loaded with blank cartridges. Behitd
the bar on a shelf was q long line Of
bottles. Alkali Ike was supposed to
start on the left Of this line and break
DIX Of the bottles BY firing at them with
Ibis revolver. Behind these bottles q
piece Of painted canvas was supposed
Ito represent the back Of the bar, ct
each, shot from Alkali'g pistol man
behind the scenes would hit one Of the
bottles with his entrenching tool
handle ana gmash It to give the im4
] preston that ArkAli we1 oood nhot I
AlIall ns start6d IN and aImed at