Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-05-30
CHAPTER XVIII.
STAGED Under elN

STAGED Under Fir.
Three days after the incident Just r.
lated our company was relieved from
the front line and carried. We stayed
In reserve billets for about two weeks
when we received the welcome news
that u division would 60 back Of the
line ITO rest billets" We would re-
main In these billets for at ieast two
months. this in order to be restored to
our full strength by drafts Of recruits
from Blighty.
Everyone was happy and contented
at these tidings; all you could hear
around the billets was whistling and
singing. The day after the receipt Of
the order we hiked for five days, max
ing an average Of about twelve kilos
per day until we arrived at the small
town of o..
1t took us about three days to get
settled, and from then on our cushy
time started. We would parade from
S:45 In the morning until II moor
Then except for an occasional billet
or brigade guard we were on U own.
For the first four or five afternoons /
spent my time In bringing up to date
my neglected correspondence.
Tommy loves to be amused. and be-
ing a Yank. they turned to me for
something new /" this line. I taught
them how to pitch horseshoes. and this
game made a great hit for about ten
days. Then Tommy turned to Amer
lea for n new diversion. I was up In
the air until a happy thought came to
me. Why not write a sketch and break
, Tommy In as IN actor2
One evening after flights out" when
> you are not supposed to talk. I impart.
, ed my scheme in whispers to the Sec
2 ton. They eagerly accepted the idea
' Of forming a stock company and
could hardly walt until the morning
e for further details.
t After parade, the next afternoon !
was almost mobbed. Everyone In the
i section wanted a part In the proposed
e sketch. When I informed them that 1t
would take at least ten days OF hard
work to write the plot, they were bit
t terly disappointed. l Immediately got
busy, made a desk out Of biscuit tins
d in the corner Of the billet, and put uI
a sign "Empey 4 Wallace Theatrical
Co" About twenty Of the section
upon reading this sign, Immediately
applied for the position of office boy
I accepted the twenty applicants. and
sent them on scouting parties through
out the deserted French village. These
parties were to search all the attics fol
discarded civilian clothes, and any
thing that we could use In the props
of our proposed company.
About five that night they returned
covered with CRIME and dust, but load
ed down with a miscellaneous assert
ment Of everything under the sun
They must have thought that l wa
going to start q department store
judging from the different things the,
brought back from their plllage.
After eight days constant writing
completed a two-act farce coined!
which I called "The Diamond Palace
Saloon" Upon the suggestion of on
of the boys in the section l sent a proc
of the program to a printing house IL
London. Then I assigned the di1eren
parts and started rehearsing. DAVE
Belasco would have thrown up nj
hands In despair at the material whicl
1 had to use. Just imagine trying t
teach q Tommy, with a strong cockne,
accent, to impersonate q Bowery toug'
or a Southern negro.
Adjacent to our billet was an ope'
field. We got busy at n end Of 1t an
constructed a stage. We secured tn
lumber for the stage by demolishin
y an old wooden shack in the e q
our billet.
The first scene was supposed to rel
-. resent a street on the Bowery In Ne'
ur York, while the scene Of the secon
act was the interior Of the damon
ur Palace saloon, also On the Bowery.
ke In the play I took the part Of Alb
SWltCnp y AuEuucI, WIN Asou SVM~
Pumpkinville Center, Tenn, to mak
ed his first visit to New York.
In the first scene Abe Switch meet
rs the proprietor Of the Diamond Palae
saloon, q ramshackle affair which
is, the owner was a financial loss.
The proprletor's name was Toi
Twistem. his bartender being name
~ Flllem Up.
el After meeting Abe, Tom and Fillel
ISL Up persuaded him to buy the plac
Is. praising 1t to the skies and tellin
wondrous teles Of the money take
-. over the bar.
alf
,nr e~n>v s%aaas h1a NAV under