The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-31
NO SHOW TONIGHT
Confined from Page One,

Confined from Page One,
union men failed to come to an agree
ment Without the help of his stage
crew, electricians and musicians, Mr..
Field claims he could not produce his
show in an acceptable manner. altho
urged to do SO by many of his friends,
therefore there will be no perform
ance of the MINISTRIES tonight.
Mr.. Field has consulted attorneys
who have advised him that the issue
of the road call or order by the gen.
eral officers of the stage hands union
in New York City is a fragrant vio-
lation of the laws governing Interstate
traffic. A suit for damages and a
be asked for in the United States
court at Columbus, o., providing Mr..
Fields attorneys advise him to pro-
coed. --------.-
Mr.. Field claims that under present
| conditions few persons along the
| route could conspire and ruin him or
any travelling attraction.
Mr.. Field will leave for Columbus.
o., today to institute the suit and
says the only regret he has is that
he was forced to disappoint his friends
and patrons in Topeka.
Wintered Here With Sells.
sit has been a great disappoint-
ment to me-" said Field this morning,
mot to be able to put on the show to-
night I have a great deal of affec-
ton for Topeka. for I lived here at
one time when it was a pretty small
place. Back in 1878, when 1 was only
25 years old. I wintered here with the
Sells family and my family were from
Virginia. They lived at Woodstock
and I lived close to that town. In
1868 the Sellses moved to Columbus,
| O., and shortly after my father moved
to the same city. In 1878 had closed
the season-with the Simmons Slocum
| minstrel show and signed up with the
Sells show for the summer. But l
stayed with them for nine years. Dur
| ing that time I held most every job
entertainment except the job of treas
| urer
ct started with them at SIS per
week. When quit 1 was making 500
per week and was offered $4,000 to
| stay with them but figured I could do
better with my own show. I started
| in at once. Last October closed the
| thirty-second year of my show on the
road.
while I was in Topeka" said
! Field, IT became acquainted with
many people here. One of the first
friends I made was L. NJ. Crawford.
| 1t was due to his influence that the
Sells show came here to winter. The
| Sells brothers returned to their home
| in Columbus and left me here /. in
tcharge of the outfit. We had about
| 100 men and the whole menagerie,
| camels, elephants. lions, tigers and ev-
erything. I did the buying of supplies
| and came in contact with large num-
| Der of men. Only three of them, as
| far as L know, are alive now, Judge
Wood. his brother, L. H. Wood, the
architect, and another man named
Graver, whose first name do not re-
call. Louis Heck, musician with the
Sells shows lived here at that time
and taught music. He was very well
known turnout the city.
Embarrassed on Streets.
Now I feel embarrassed to walk
down the streets of this city and have
to say that I will not be able to put
on my show tonight Field contin-
ued. 1.-The performance in Topeka, on
account of old associations and recol-
| lections, has always been a particular
| joy and pleasure to me and it is the
keenest sort of disappointment not to
be able to qualify. Altho I lived here
forty years ago, 1 remember as wildly
as if it were Yesterday and it is really
a blow to my pride not to be able to
give the people my show tonight.
81 could Put on my SHOW" said
Field, but it would be like obtaining
wouldn't amount to much without the
assistance of skilled men. From IL
o'clock Sunday noon until midnight
we were trying to thresh the question
out 1 have settled twenty-six similar
strikes in my show experience and
show. First we met at labor union
!! hall, then we went to the Majestic
theater and finally wound up at the
Elks club but at midnight we were no
further along than when we began.
why do you refuse to assist %
Field asked his own men. 1--WE
would be fined $1,000 if we did not dc
as ordered" they replied who says
So" Field asked. Those are the or
ders that come from Shay at the gen.
was the answer.
Field Farmer Too.
While in Topeka Field became ire
mendously interested in the agricul-
tural pursuits of this country. He met
many farmers in the pursuit of his
work of taking care of the Sells Broth
ers' expensive animals at the fair
grounds 1t was out of this expert
ence came the idea that later became
his hobby. He wanted a farm of his
| own. 1t started as a fad, just as a
sort of pastime. He bought a broken
down farm three miles from Powell
o. But the farm has been a tremen-
dous success and is practically his only
! thought outside of the minstrel show
on the farm. which is called Maple
/ Villa Stock farm, he raises Holstein
and Jersey cows. Poland China and
| = u " oOAoOy IAO6S. 4ASA { al " I 4elu
| the minstrel farmer. has raised some
/ of the finest registered stock in the
country. Following an appeal from
| the secretary of agriculture to con-
struct ponds for the propagation OF
| fish he has constructed a large arti-
| fetal lake on the farm twelve mile:
i north of Columbus on the OIentangy
| river. The fad has developed in q
| commercial proposition of the high
est order. In its field the stock farm
tho not exceptionally large, is one Of
| the finest in the country.
In closing the interview Field said
| It don't mind the money loss at al
but 1 like to put my show on in To
peka and it is a mighty big disap
| poiutment not to be able to plrt i