The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-11
BY George Y. Bye

r. EoOIdon, April 22.-tBy MaiD.-The
r. kderaung weather, and the end o'
restrictions on unproductive LABOR
have brought out on the streets OF Lon
don troupes OF pass.the-hat entertain
ers. For a few pennies tossed discrimi
nateay out OF office wondows, 1t Is pos
sible to have daily music, almost on
program schedule. with ones work.
Nearly every street with office build
ings Ii on the set itinerary of certain
I groups OF entertainers. Perhaps the
/ first to appear will be fervent old
1lutist accompanied on guitar usually
strummed by woman. Such "A duo
IL common and popular in London. II
you like their repertoire, toss out two
or three pennies wrapped in piece
OF paper, and the serenade will be re-
peated every day ut about the same
hour.
OF singers there are all varieties eli.
gible for your favor-soloists, quar-
tettes, singers of old English hearth
side melodies, believers of ballads, up
to-date jazz vocaiists, characters or
hymns and hawkors OF sailor chaatics
Also others not 20 he qualified. Also
instrumentalists of VARIOUS arrostnenls
more numerous than ever before was
known, am told, despite the total alb
sence of the former ubiquitous Ger
man band.
Troubadours Nouis aud Old
Not all of these troubadours are old
There was u girl of about 20 not pretty
but with a smoothly sweet voice that
made every window in the street pop
open to catch her soft songs. Little
Gray Home in the West" Annie Lau'
s2s." and others of the kind. Two men
|wc ii always with her TO collect the
|Ts2 24ey which dropped generously from
every floor. The great strain on her
voice from singing so continuously in
the open air gradually gave it Il harsh
raggedness, and finally she ceaS.d com
ing.
So much for the wandering minstrels.
Whose with regular stands have a more
regular patronage. AT II noon each
day when the public houses (saloons)
open, tn. old customers may expect
with their first 'alf of bitter a merry
tone or two such as has been sung
there by the same singers for u long
time.
The singing is sometimes done
through u half open door, but usually
from the sidewalk. and occasionally
from across the street. After one or
two songs the singers separate to pass
the hat among the inevitable crowd
that gathers round, then they enter
the pub" to amake their collections,
often ending up with a Thank you
hearty" to the publican who has plump
ed out tankards of ale for them.
Most of these noontime singers are
trios or quartetteS with accordions or
street organs upon which one of them
contrives wheezy Accomplishments. DO
not imagine that all of them are rag.
gedy and play on sympathy for their
pennies There are three that sing
at the intersection of several strets
at a recital. They stand at a spot
whore u large door and archway act
as sounding board. one of them,
with rather rich voice has all the
mannerisms of Il concert singer, and
holds his hand on his stomach as if
Jo I'm to it.
Adjustment Outside Theatres
Crowds begin forming in line outsi Ie
theatres for unreserved seats as early
rs o'clock. Many eat sandwiches and
fruit during the long stand. Pedlers'
carts provide these, moving fro-1 the
pter to theater. The tedium Of the
wait is further allayeI by a gutter va
riety show of pass-the-hat entertainers. /
a pair of singers will sudderly appear
and try hard to engage the eyes and
ears OF a section of the waiting line, |.