The Washington herald., 1919-02-28

| New York, Feb. 27.-Pat Casey. a
chunky, quick-witted Irishman, Is the
vaudeville king OF America, although
his official title is manager OF the
Vaudeville Managers Protective AS
sociation. lie knows all about the
varieties, and he threw some high
lights on tho two-a-day stars at the
inquiry before the Federal Trade Conn
mission the other day.
He declared that 80 per cent of the
actors and actresses in variety are al
ways just four jumps ahead OF the
sheriff. They like to work a week
and knock off two weeks. He also
stated that he had never seen an
actor or an actress look for work in
the morning.
The day begins for them at noon.
There are. 20,000 vaudeville artists in
America and 9V theaters given to
variety. When all the theaters are
running there are from 5000 to 1000
men and women "at liberty" There
is one ''vodeviI'' team in Manhatten
which will work only in the greater
city. and that means about eight
weeks a year.
The team is an attraction In any
city and could be booked constantly,
pNN AllS idlt VI 4Nt" 1 VI 10 lbO
strong. Just now the vaudeville pro-
fession has been hard hit The re-
cent epidemic left many stranded on
lonely shoals. and it was UP 20 thoir
more prosperous brothers TO hurl the
breeches buoy.
The ties among vaudeville folk are
close knit. They will literally share
their last piece of bread Only n few
are thrifty. The rest drift with the
easy current, having no thought OF
the morrow, or taking little account
OF the day. Most OF the earnings are
spent for clothes and cheap jcwelry.
They line the curb in front OF the
Palace Theater on Broadway in tn,
late afternoon, slip around in Eighth
avenue to the one-armed catcries for
dinner, enter the side door Of the
Astor and come out the front picking
their teeth as tho lights begin to
blink. They are improvidcnt, but love
able, and while they will arise at day
/ light to swipc bottle of milk, and
n package of crullers across the hall,
they will not arise at u O'Clock 20
talk to Belasco.
Secretary of War Baker was talk
ing at the testimonial dinner given
for Capt. Eddie Y. Rickcnbacher. the
daring Ohio ace, at the Waldorf and
uttered a plant about the disposi-
, tion of everybody in the country to
blame their troubles on the War De
partment. He said: IF a father
doesn't hear from his soldier son
promptly he is quite likely to walk
into my office and demand that
tell right off-hand where son
George is. II I can't say i'm
mediately they usually ask: Well
good Lord, If you don't know. who
does?'"
A few years ago Bide Dudley was
in i'll health and was compelled to
go South during tn" winter. A
friend who was always keen for
business and who was an officer Of
one OF the express companies came
TO the station to see Dudley started
He said:
"Good-by. old man certainly
hope you get well. But If you
should come back by express. re-
member my company"
Patrons Of the hurlcsquc shows
are wondering il they will survive
prohibition. Tho reason IS best OK
pressed in n letter a New Yorker
wrote to his favoritc newspaper.
Here it is:
Three times ! have attended
, burlesquc shows-twice under usual
conditions and once sober. And will
you kindly tell me what is TO be-
come OF this form Of entertainment
under prohibition"