The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-06-28

main In these b1Ilets for At least sec
months, this in order to be restored 70
our full strength by drafts Of recruits
from Blighfy.
Everyone wa9 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 i've days, max
ing an average of about twelve kilOs
per day until we arrived at the small
town Of o.
IT took us about three days to get
settled, and from then on our cushy
time started. We would parade from
:45 in the morning until II noon.
Then except for an occasional billet
or brigade guard we were on our own.
For the first four or five afternoons 1
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 i'll this line. l taught
them how to pitch horseshoes, and this
game made a great hit for about ten
days Then Tommy turned to Amer
lea for new diversion. | was up in
the air until happy thought came to
me- Why not write a sketch and break
Tommy in as an actor?
one evening after lights out" when
YOU are not supposed TO talk, fmpart-
ed my scheme in whispers TO the sec
ton. They eagerly accepted the idea
of forming stock company and
could hardly wait until the morning
for further details.
After parade, the next afternoon !
was almost mobbed. Everyone in the
section wanted part in the proposed
sketch When / informed them that II
would take at least ten days OF nara
work to write the plot, they were bit
terIy disappointed. i Immediately got
busy, made a desk out of biscuit tins
In the corner of the billet, and put up
sign "Empey & Wallace Theatrical
Co" About twenty of the section
upon reading this sign, Immediately
| applied for the position OF office boy.
| / accepted the twenty applicants, ana
| sent them on scouting parties through
| out the deserted French village. These
/ parties were to search all the attics Tor
/ 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 was
going to start a department store
judging from the different things they
brought back from their pillage.
After eight days constant writing
completed twO-act farce comedy
which 1 called 1.-The Diamond Palace
Saloon" Upon the suggestion OF one
Of the boys in the section sent proof
Of the program to q printing house II
London. Then I assigned the different
parts and started rehearsing. Davit
Belasco would have thrown up hi:
hands in despair at the material which
I had to use. Just imagine trying t.
teach Tommy, with strong cocknel
accent, to impersOnate BOwery tougi
or a Southern negro.
Adjacent to our billet was an opel
field. We got busy at one end of 1t ant
constructed q stage. We secured tn'
lumber for the stage by demolishlnl
an old wooden shack in the rear o
our billet.
The first scene was supposed to rep
resent a street on the BOwery In New
York, while the scene of the secon'
act was the interior of the DIAMOND
Palace saloon, also on the BOwery.
In the play I took the part of Alb
Switch, farmer. who had come iron
Pumpkinville Center, Tenn, to max
his first visit to New York.
In the first scene Abe Switch meet
the proprietor of the Diamond Palac
saloon a ramshackle affair which Z
the owner was a financial loss.
The proprietor's name was Tor
Twistem, his bartender being name
Fillem Up.
After meeting Abe. Tom and Filler
Up persuaded him to buy the place
praising it to the skies and fellin
wondrous tales of the money take
over the bar.