Billboard advertising (July-Dec 1895)

STHboard ^dvgrfcisrrjg. A REMAREABLE BILLBOARD. Through the courtesy of Mr R. C. Campbell of the]A.mericaa Bill Posting and Advertising Company, of Chicago, "we"are enabled to present a cut of the much talked of stand, which occupied the corner of Wabash Avenue aud Panorama Place, during the Ringling Brothers' engagement in the windy city. It was indeed a monster, being twsnty five feet high and oae hundred aad twenty feet long. Tae piper as displayed on itlis ten and a ha'f sheets high, and 34 sheets long, making in all 357 sheets. It is regarded by expsrLs as having besa the best example of bill posting ever accomplished. The harmony and balance apparent in its display are remarkable. EATING ON THE STAGE. ! Haw Mock Articles of Diet Are Giving Place to the Real. | When I was young and a habitue of behind the scenes, rarely anything genuine in the "way of eating and drinking -was provided on the stage.! The various retainers who were sup- posed to quaff beaters of red wine in the haronial hall only put their lips to- their goblets, or. rather, paste- j hoard gohlets endued with tin foil, colored half way up with crimson paint. If a pot of porter was one of the "properties" in a scene, as it is in the old farce of "The Turnpike Gate," it was merely*a pewter ves- sel with some -wool at the top to sim- ulate the froth of the Barclay and Perkins beneath, and if a sirloin of beef wero wanted the property man only supplied a pasteboard sham, from the orifices of which fames of slaked lime were evolved to imitate the smoke from a hot joint. The only exception to this Barmecide sys- tem of entertainment was in the comic opera of "No Song, No Sup- per," in which a realMxriled leg of mutton, 4turnips and. caper sauce were always placed on the table. But of late years a_ great change has taken place in this respect. Some authorities are of opinion that the reform in stage play gastronomy dates from the time of the perform- ances of Mr. Charles Kean and his company at Windsor castle in the presence of her majesty and the prince consort, and when in a play by Douglas Jerrold where a dejeuner a la fourchette was represented, the partakers thereof were agreeably surprised to find on the table real cutlets, real potatoes, real bread and real claret. Gradually the unreal faded away from the stage of the London theaters. In "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" real eggs and ba- con were served at breakfast, while at the supper in the first act vera- cious fruit and wine, with equally authentic black coffee, made their appearance. . ■flTTsfnob quite - certain as to~wEen the practice of smoking real cigars and cigarettes began to prevail on the stage. Many low comedians of the last century when they played "Moll Flagon" used to smoke a pipe, but there is no absolute evidence as to whether real tobacco was smoked by Tony Lumpkin and his compan- ions in the tavern scene in "She Stoops to Conquer," while as regards the stage cigar one of the earliest ap- pearances of the genuine weed were those smoked by the late Alfred Wigan and George Vining in "Still Ww-ters Run Deep." Some actors never smoke at all in private life, notably J. L. Toole, and that admi- rable comedian in scenes where the business of the stage compels him to use a pipe takes a few whiffs from a howl containing dry camomile. At present it is difficult to find a drama of modern life without sev- eral cigarettes in it—the cigar takes too long in smoking—and that man- ager would be accounted a very stin- gy individual if he expected the la- dies and gentlemen of his compauy to pretend to drink 5 o'clock tea from empty cups or trifle with paper bread and butter. With two excep- tions, however—the harmless boiled potato and the raw turnip munched by Audrey in "As You Like It"— vegetables have not come down to the footlights, but the present is a progressive age, and ere long it may he that red turtle sonp and a real haunch of venison will be placed on the hospitable boards of our temples of the drama.—G. A. Sala in London Telflgran h, A Modern Instance. Mother—Yes, I know you and George are very devoted now, but are you sure that after marriage you won't tire of each other? Daughter—Well, if we do, we can go into society, and I can join all the charitable associations and wom- en's clubs, and he can join all the social and athletic clubs, and then we'll never see each other, you know.—New York Weekly. This story is told of a master of Trinity college in days long gone by who had a partiality for figs.. He held that there was one supreme moment in the existence of a fig when it should be eaten, not a min- ute before or after, and he watched over his fig tree with tenderness and devotion. It was a mild year, and the sun had done his best in the per- fecting process, and hoping to enjoy his favorite fruit on the morrow the master wrapped a piece of silver pa- per round it, leaving it labeled, "The master's fig." What a very fool- ish thing to do with a few hundred "undergrads" about! The auspi- cious day dawned, and the master, looking at his watch for the last time, walked confidently across the quad. But imagine his dismay on finding his precious tidbit gone, and on the now empty packet the label, "A fig for the master."—Household Words. Chateau Lafltte. In 1793 the vineyard belonged to M. de Fichard, president of the Guienne parliament, and the repub- lican leaders did a good stroke of business by guillotining him and ap- propriating his property. It was, however, soon sold by tha state, and after passing from purchaser to pur- chaser at an average price of about £40,000 it was bought some 25 years ago by Baron James de Rothschild for £180,000 and still remains in his family. About £6,000 a year is spent on its cultivation. There is perhaps no wine that gains more by keeping, and some seven or eight years ago a bin of the vintage of 1864 fetched no less than 50 francs a bottle at Bor- deaux itself.—Blackwood's Maga- All the Difference In the World. Rural Magistrate—Konrad, you are charged with committing an as- sault on the night watchman.; Konrad—I only threw his jacket behind the stove. Night Watchman—Yes, your wor- •ship, hut I was inside the jacket, »ud that makes all the difference.—' Glaciers Seem to Glow In the Xlgbt. After sleeping a few hours I stole quietly out of the camp and climbed the mountain that stands guard be- tween the two glaciers. The ground was frozen, making the climbing difficult in the steepest places, hut the views over the icy bay sparkling beneath the glorions effulgence of the sky were enchanting. It seemed then a sad thing that any part of so precious a night had been lost in sleep. The starlight was so full that I distinctly saw not only the bay, with its multitude of glittering bergs, but most of the lower por- tions of the glaciers, lying pale and spiritlike amid the huge silent moun- tains. The nearest glacier in partic- ular was so distinct that it seemed to be glowing with light that came from within itself. Not even in dark nights have I ever found any diffi- culty in seeing large glaciers, but on this mountain top, amid so much ioe, in the heart of so clear and frosty a night, everything was lumi- nous, and I seemed to be poised in a vast hollow between two sides of equal brightness. How strong I felt after my exhilarating scramble, and how glad I was that my good angel bad called me before the glorious night succeeding so glorious a morn- ing had been spent!—John Muir in Century. Effects of Smokeless Powder. Mr. Hudson Maxim, the chemist, a brother of the inventor of tho Maxim gun, has discovered an inter- esting fact in regard to smokeless powder. He finds that where the powder contains 50 per cent or more of nitroglycerin the heat developed is such that some of the carbon con- tained in the steel gun barrel com- bines with the carbon dioxide of the burning powder, with the result that the inner surface of the barrel is changed to wrought iron. It is thus greatly softened and quickly destroyed Phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by Brandt of Hamburg. Jrlltoajd^dV^trsfrig. KNXJCEo4TH0FJULY It was during the hottest hour of the hottest day thus far this season, when the streets of tho city wore like bo many ovens, tlint o small boy presented himself at the ofllco of the secretary of the fresh Air Fund society. There was littleof boyishness in his face, and none of tho elasticity of childhood in his stop. Ho seemed weak, aa if 111 from tho intense heat. Ho removed his tattered hat at the door and stepped just inside, holding on to the il.-xir ciising with one hand. "Got a chance forme, sirf" he asked timidly. "No, my boy," answered the secretary. "No one wants boys yet." Tho lad made no answer. His weak, droning footsteps carried him out of the Imihling and down tho hot street for a few Mocks. Then ho staggered a few steps, threw up his hands weakly, wavered blind- ly and fell in a heap on the pavement. "Another sunstroke," said the police- man who picked him up. Next day another boy came to the secre- tary's office with the question, "Any chance for mc, sirf" And again the secre- tary answered that nobody wanted boys yet This boy limped on a crutch, for one of his legs hung withered and useless, but his limp was brisk, despite the heat and his evident weariness. And when he heard the discouraging answer to his plea he limped out again briskly, and even whistled a few gay notes. But be stopped .when out of hearing, and one hand slipped furtively np and dashed a tear or two away. Upon the following afternoon an entire- ly different sort of a visitor came to the office of tho secretary of the fund. He was a tall, angular man and came striding briskly up the hot street, mopping his moist forehead with a red handkerchief. He might have been less hot had he been so minded. He was walking unsheltered from the fierce glare on the sunny side of the street, and not only that, hut was clad in a well worn pepper and salt suit of clothes .amply warm enough for any weather short of freezing. Instead of a straw hat he wore a thick black slouch In addition he was striding along as if walking for a wager. When he entered the office of the Fresh Air fund, the secretary looked up from his writing, then greeted him politely. "Paul Hallett, I reckon?" Inquired the newcomer. "That is my name, sir. What can I do for yon?" "Well, you might remember me." "1 am sorry, but"— "Not suprisin. Name's Joplin—John Joplln from Colorado." "Mr. Joplin, I hardly"— " You remember Romford, up among the Connecticut hills? Remember the little yellow Bchoolhouse jest across the brook? Kemembor tho lanky Joplln boy?" "1—why, of coarse I remember you, John Joplln," said Mr. Hallett, with a hearty ring in his voice. "And I am truly glad to see you again, old friend." "That's good to hear You're the same Paul." " I don't know, John Twenty and more years is a long time How have they served you?" "I've had my upsand downs," answer- ed Mr. Joplin, "fought my fights and got' my scars. Yes, twenty odd years is a long time, Paul I didn't realize it till I walk- ed under the elms up in old Romford the other day." Mr. Joplln, in his well worn pepper and salt suit, did not look particularly prosperous, and tho secretary was afraid that ho had been obliged to save and hoard in ordor to make this journey back east to Visit Old Bnuuft But he we rcry glad to see him, and he was talking over old times when he was Interrupted by the entrance of the lame boy who had come the day before and gone away disappointed with a whistle on his lips aud tears in his eyes. "Got a chance for me yet, sir?" he ask- ed. "Yes, my lad," the secretary answered. *I have just one chance for a boy. You can spend your Fourth of July week In the country? What is your name?" As he spoke he held out a card. "Hi!" The boy fairly snatched the card and hopped ont of the room with a smoth- ered whoop. "Here! . Here!" called the secretary aft- er him. "What is your name?" "Knucks " The boy was already in the street and speeding along the pavement as fast as his snitch would cany him, and if there was any more of his name Mr. ElalWt did not catch It. "What's this business anyhow?'" asked Mr Joplln. "I don't exactly see'through It." Mr Hallett briefly explained the soci- ety Its beneficiaries were among the chil- dren of the very poor, who could never hope to escape for even a day from the ex- hausting heat of the stifling city unless helped. Kind people living ont in the cool coun- try sent In their names signifying their willingness to entertain a girl or boy for a week. The society paid for the transporta- tion of the children to and from the coun- try. "Bnt very few of these kind people want boys nowadays," continued Mr. Hal- lett. "The little chaps are inclined to be riotous Nearly every one has asked for girls of late The boys do a good deal, of mischief and behave, I presume, like wild Indians." "Or jnst simply like boys?" suggested Mr. Joplin Mr. Hallett was in love with his work, poorly paid though his position was. and he told . he man from Colorado a great deal about it Mr. Joplin listened gravely. "It's a good uotion," he said, "and hu- man." And then little Knucks returned He bopped in and laid the card on the desk. "Here is the ticket back again, sir," he said. "Let some other boy use it. I don't need it." And he turned and started to hop from the room. "But, my boy"— began Mr. Hallett "I don't need it," the lad repeated, hop- ping toward the door. "But your country week"— "I'm not goin." He was outside of the door by this time. Mr. Joplin's tall form uprose suddenly from his chair. He took a few long steps and placed his big hand on the lad's shoul- der. "Here!" he said, fairly propelling the little chap back into the room. "Come back here!" "I'm not goin to the country tomor- row," the lad persisted. "Lemmego; I'm busy!" "Sit down there!" commanded Mr. Jop- lln. Now, when Knucks had received the precious ticket entitling him to the coun- try -week he had flown homeward as fast as his crutch would carry him. Little Jimmy Patton, the sun stricken lad, lay on the brisk little cripple's bed. He looked up weakly as his friend hopped Into the room. "I've got it, Jim!" Enncks cried eager- ly. "I've got a ticket for one, an you can go to the country tomorrow!" "You'll get well now, old man!" cried Knucks. "An, .Tim, you jest remember everything you do an seo an hear fer ter tell me." Tho sick boy held out the ticket "I ain't gain. Knacky," he said. "You are tho one that got the ticket; you are to go!" Mr. Hallett was a keen questioner, and It was not long till lie had the whole story. "Course I wouldp't listen to him." said Knucks In telling It. "But it's no t ; he says I got the ticket an I've got to , on It." "Well, why don't you?"saidMr. n..:ott. "Me?" The boy's tone was defiant but he looked worried and troubled, mon nan he would tell. "Me go? Who'd tak. care of him while"— His voice shook, ai,d he started to hop from the. rooin "Keep your ticket," he jerked. ."Sit down there again," said Mr. Jop- lln. "Here, little feller, both of you can go to the country." Knucks had sat down, and now for a moment he stared at the man in the pep- per and salt suit. "There's only one ticket," he faltered finally. "Hang tickets!" cried Mr. Joplin. "You fellers are goin with me. Tomor- row's the Fourth of July. I'll give a pot- latch. I—git along with you. Tell the other little feller that both of you are goin to the country with me tomorrow. Say, hold on. Any more sick boys you know of ? Invite 'em all?" "John," interrupted the secretary. "Invite 'em all," said Mr. Joplin, talk- ing him down. "You've got to have a crowd when you give a potlatch. Hold on! Better let Mr. Secretary do the invit- ln But you and the other little chap, be on hand here at this office by sun up. Don't forget!" Knucks glanced at the secretary inquir- ingly and got a reassuring nod. He flew for home as fast as he could possibly go, wholly unmindful of the heat, and told the glorious news. Jim Immediately sat up in bed declaring that he felt welL "But what's a potlatch?" he asked pres- ently. "I dnnno," answered Knucks, "but It's something good." Next morning a mob of children stood collected at the door of the Fresh Air so- ciety before the sun rose They were all boys. Sueh n crowd of weaklings as they were —white faced, skimpy little fellows—but every face ashine with eagerness. While Mr. Hallett had been issuing the invitations the giver of the potlatch had been equally busy. He had strode hither and thither, made purchases and sent tele- grams. Presently all was ready. Across the ferry they were bundled into the cars, and a variety of boxes of all sizes were thrust into the express car, and away they went It was stUl early in the forenoon when they reached their destination—a pretty green bowered country village that Mr. Hallett had recommended—and there was a brass band at the depot to meet them. "We're here, fellows!" cried Mr. Joplin to his boys. "This is the place. It's oui In the open air, and today's the Fourth ol July. Yell all you want to. The band will now play." The musicians headed the procession ol whoopling lads to a pleasant grove just outside of town. The boys who couldn't run walked, and those who couldn't walk rode in a long wagon on top of the boxes- that had come from the city. As they entered the grove little Jim, who was riding on the seat beside the driver, lifted his thin face to sniff th« breeze that blew fresh and odorous from the trees. "Smell the green, Knucks," he cried, turning to his comrade who was perched on one of the boxes in the wagon. "Oh, emell the green!" "The first thing," said Mr. Joplin's big voice, "is to eat Some of us didn't have as much breakfast as we wanted, and meb- by some of us didn't have any at all. So eat now, fellers, and talk later on." All those urchins fell upon that long table almost like as many ravenous wolves. And then in a moment Jimmy whispered something to Knucks, and Knucks hopped over to where Mr. Hallett was and whis- pered to him: " Mebby we oughtn't to eat too much, sir. It costs lots of money, an perhaps Mr. Joplin"— "Mr. Joplin is the owner of a great cat- tle ranch out in Colorado," answered Mr. Hallett "He can afford this." •We didn't know," said Knucks. "His pepper an salt suit looks kinder—well, we —we didnt know."' -- And when Mr. Hallett told the man from Colorado what Knucks had said Mr. Joplin laughetla big, hearty "Haw 1 Haw!" and then he looked himself over, and then he colored, and then he laughed again. When they had all eaten and were filled, Mr. Joplin stood up at the head of the mighty breakfast table in his seedy pepper and salt, and he said rather awkwardly: "I asked Mr. Hallett to make you a speech, but he says I've got to do it. I haven't much to say. This is the Fourth of July. It's the proper thing to read the Declaration of Independenceon the Fourth pf July, but the only Declaration of In- dependence we're'goin to have here is that ..we're goiu to do just exactly as we please all day long. "We're goin to yeU as much and as loud as we please. There are two big boxes ol flr«;vackers over there, and we're goin to help ourselves to all we want and shoot till they're all gone "We're goin to eat again at 1 o'clock and again at 6 o'clock, und we've got to keep busy in the meantime, or we won't have good appetites. "After dinner the icecream freezers wiL be opened, and every feller will grab • e]H>-,n. There are four or five barrels of rod apples. The heads will bo knocked in pretty soon, and we'll fill our pockets and bats. "This is my potlatch, understand,and ev- erybody takes all he wants and does what' he pleases with it Fall into the brook If you want to, or eat yourselves sick, or break youx arms; it's aU right, A doctor goes with the rest of the potlatch If you need him. We"— "Oh, John, that is not the way to talk to them," interrupted Mr. Hallett. "I'd like to know why It ain't" an- swered Mr. Joplin. "A potlatch that ain't a free pitch in ain't no potlatch at alL Well, then, I'll make this condition: No boy shall take advantage of any smaller boy. If he does, I'll thrash hini.*i "So will we!" yelled the boys. "I think I ought to add something to what Mr. Joplin has said," spoke Mr. 'Hallett. "In the first place, I presume you are puzzled to know what a potlatch really is. I was myself till Mr. Joplin ex- plained. "Away ont west, among certain tribes of Indians, when a savage aspires to stand high among his fellows he saves np blan- kets and all sorts of desirable articles till he has as great a store of them as possible. Then he invites his tribe to a feast and gives away all the accumulation. "It makes a beggar of him for along timOj but he has won the esteem of his tribe as long as he lives. Mr. Joplin has given you a potlatch of happiness, and I think he has won more than the giver of and Indian potlatch ever won." "Hurrah! Yes, sir-eel" whooped the boys. "Tell 'em what made me give It," said the man from the west And Mr..Hallett told in a few simple words the story of the unselfishness of Jimmy and Knucks. And the boys, being boys, only whooped, but their whoops meant a great deal. And not once during the whole Inde- pendence day did one of them impose upon another, nor break anything, nor commit any act that could make the giver of the potlatch regret In the slightest de- gree what he had done. During the afternoon Mr. Joplln ar- ranged with various families in the village to take care of such boys as needed more than a day of the country air as long as they might require it and the next week Knucks and Jimmy found that it was tJl settled that they should live in the coun- try for a year at Mr. Joplin's expense. At night, after the fireworks had been shot off and it was time to begin the march for the train, the boys cheered for Mr. Joplin till they could have been heard nearly a mile, and when they stopped Mr. Joplin said: "Thank ye, fellers."—T. P. Morgan In Boston Herald. jfr ml S I The August Number of Billboard will be a Special Issue SEND IN YOUR ADVERTISEflENT NOW.