The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-08-02
Musical Comedy Toys Hath
P0zCe, to S0Othe the Savage

poor old Chief Mhenga the First, whose
kraal Is eight days trek due north from
Sierra Leone. and goodness knows how
many other dusky chleftains, 10 say
nothing OF their followers. Drop a tear
OF compassion for these desolated mon
archs who haven't had any new glad
rags" for over Ave years and must bo
sick TO death OF the Hello Tango"
Pink Lady" and Quaker Girl" cos
tunes which We're the last they had
from London and are now too shabby
to wear even at third class cannibai-
istic banquet where fricasseed German
is the principal plat du jour"
A new and gladdening era is, however.
on the eve Of dawning for the denizens
OF the African Jungle. the proletariat OF
Papua and the bourgeoisIe OF Borneo.
for the business OF supplying them with
old actor clothes" is getting on its feet
again and soon will he in full swing,
Even now a big CONSIGNMENT OF disused
theatrical costumes is being got ready
for shipment to the Dark Continent
Shelves and counters are piled high with
the cast-off garments OF queens and col
umbines. kings and mobiles, knights ana
mountebanks Of the stage, which even
archs of the jungle and their dusky
consorts who long ago grew weary OF
leading the simple life.
Previous to the war, almost the whole
business OF passing the discard raiment
of the stage on to sable swells and
bellies was in the hands of one man
who does business in London. His name
is John Hyman and apart from his for
mer business as the Worth OF west
Africa and the polret OF Polynesia, he
is one OF the best known of London
stage costumiers,
Pink Underwear Saved Life.
1T was about eight years ago that !
started selling old stage costumes to
African and other natives" he told me,
rolling long black cigar 10 the other
side Of his mouth, and l was inspired
to begin doing II by queer and fairly
exciting adventure that befell a friend
OF mine. He's a great traveller and in
cidentally very fancy dresser--'no end
OF knut, as we say here. At tho
time l speak OF he was the only pas
senger on tramp steamer that was
working its way from Beira TO Chinde,
II remember rightly. on the east coast
of Africa, Well. the ship was wrecked.
and my friend was cast up on a canni-
bal island whose inhabitants were eager
to sample some real white meat. An
that kept this chap from figuring as the
principal dainty on their next days
menu was his extremely saucy clothes,
something choice In the way Of a fancy
waistcoat, which went with real Bond
street suit OF mixed tweeds. and under
meath he had some pink silk underwear
that had cost $40 the garment in Pic
cadilly.
This raiment made a big hit with
the cannibal chiefs, and It saved my
friends life, for he told the chiefs that
they might have every rag he had on II
they would keep him out OF the cas-
seroie. and this they agreed to, It not
seeming to occur to them them that
after he had been sent along to the Chef
his clothes would be theirs anyway.
Anyhow. they spared him for the sake
OF his toys and my friend. wrapped
principally In reverie. was taken In
one OF the catamarans that they use
out there to neighboring island, where
he got In with consul and eventually