The billboard (Sept 1910)

'T5e Billboard- AMERICAS IBADING AMUSEMENT WEEKIY rs^;^\ML-iU:i,tht'i.-\ CINCINNATI rm v.i> >.. ' «i-7. T ..i :>. ^ t-- T . T . i Volume XXII. No. 38. CINCINNATI—NEW YORK—CHICAGO September 17, 1910. On Amusemcint Life' . ana Environmen: "We had a rather amustng experience while playing the Majestic Theatre at Kalamazoo, Michigan." writes Cora Toungblood' Corson. "The house car- penter is a convert of Christian Science, and is continually preaching it to • - the house employes.. Hardly a day • 'i'iiSi> <^^A y f I would pass but what he would be 'called' by the manager for neglect- ing his work on account of trying,to enroll some one about the theatre in his belief. It came to a climax the night we played the house. The car- penter was up In the gallery repairing the plcturev bootb;.' MThen the sbow started, he sat down with a caji: filled with nails beside him to take in th« show. All went well till I came on with the big tuba. I'hen I noticed the carpenter calling the ushers and others in the gallery; in fact, all the people In the gallery lost Interest in the act and talked so loud that they attracted the attention of the people In the lower part of the house. After the show, I called the wiannger'a attention to it and he explained that the man had the Christian Science bug; that while I was on, he had all the people up there hypnotised, making all believe that they saw the nails in the can jump out and dance on the iQoor of the gallery, and everybody up there swore by it. Just then<the carpenter showed up and the manager told him that he would get thrown out and to never show his face around the theatre again, if he did not waot to be thrown out on his head. "I was In the act of explaining that the 'vibration caused by the big tuba caused the nails to Jump, but the manager spoke up, saying: " Don't intercede for him. Miss Corson. I would not have him about the theatre after Saturday for any price. He has got everybody that will listen to htm bugs.' "Then he Just tore out of the stage door. That evening', as I walked on, I saw, up ,In the gallery, the carpenter and not less than a hundred people about:jhim;valI looking at one spot. As-I Btarted:'.-playing; they, all started talking and throwing their hands up in the air. -The manager heard the noise in the front part of the house, and I saw him hurrying up the gallery stairs. I expected to see him throw the carpenter out. but. instead, he just stopped short and looked at the spot the others were looking at. After the act I was passing to my dressing room and the manager stopped me and said: '"Well, Miss Corson, there will be no more trouble, for I fired him. Do you know, by ^, he had me believing it2 . Tea, he did. tor I saw the nails Jump.' •• So many stories have been told on prohibition, that It is high time to relegate this form of humor to the same shelf where the mother-in-law pun sow rests in peace. Just one more; however, before holding our obsequies: Not long ago, a tragedian whose un- governable thirst has. of ten precipitat- ed him Into a'mate of difllculties, was playing in a small Kansas town where the most stringent prohibitory law was in etCect. Futile were his eSorts to cajole the hotel clerk into giving-him A. drink: likewise unsuccessful was he in in Jucingr the only drug store Iceeper In the city. "But. I ani sick," pewlated the aclor. "That will not help you," replied the druggist. "I can not sell you any whisky for being sick." "Well, what can you sell It for?"-the tragedian inquired. "The only tMng we can'sell whisky for in this town," said the druggist, "Is for snake bites. Hold on, now! Don't ask me where to get bitten. No use. There la only one shake in town, and he's been engaged for three weeks ahead." Farmers are a Suspecting lot. Coming into contact with their metro- politan brethren and encountering a little of that which is not understandable to themselves, the BoU-tlller immediately suspects that he is being made the object of Jest; and If there is anything to which a farmer more strenuously objects than being "kidded" as a wooden spoon, it still has to be found. ^ K. Ooslyn, a member of the crew with Car Number One of the Two BlUa* onow, tells of an amusing experience of one of his oo-workers with a suspi- cious ruralite in a small town In Washington. The fellow In question: la a. great user of tobacco, and entered the town's gieneral store intent on malting a purchase of "Polar Bear," his favorite brand of "chewln'." "Ain^t got none, of that." replied the groceryman. Gimme aome 3Iue Hen'," was the aecond request. "Don't keep It," ^ "Well, let me have a plug of 'Oreen Ooose*," demanded the exasperated ■n"wman. < - '■ '.'Now. see here," exploded the storekeeper, very much peeved. "Whatn«ll no you think I'm running here, a menagerie?" When it oomes to playing practical Jokes, the college boy must be given the palm. Who, but a member of the red-necktie, hair-parted-in-the-mlddle brigrade could invent and' stage a little stunt, such as the one that Charles A. White, of the Ringling Show, describes to The. Stroller? This is Mr. White's account: " • A bevy of Kansas Prohibitionists were congregated in'a store-room which had been arranged for the occasion. Directly above this room, were quartered several college boys. » ' The Prohibitionists, threshing out the beverage question, waxed so warm under the collar that a warped-faced slater gave vent to her feellncB by screeching at full steam: . " '"What we want la water, water; not vile, health-wrecking rum, but water!", At this opportune moment, a deluge poured from the ceiling, drenching the excited sister to the skin. '. Mr. White adds that he was unable to ascertain whether the down- pour was. prompted by Providence, the students or afforded by a defective pipe,-but; withal; his suspicions are well grounded, he believes^ A heretofore unpublished story. In which the late James A. Bailey looms up as the central figure, is related to The Stroller by a well-known member of the circus fraternity. Bailey, It seems, was one of those individuals who disdained giving su- perfluous instructions, believing that any one of his men, in matters of minor importance, should decide for htmself : the best policy to pursue. Consequently, there were occasional instances when things did not run aa smoothly as Bailey would care to have them. The story told to The Stroller covers an.incident which caused Bailey much mortification and Injured pride. Bailey, so the story goes, entered a tonaortal parlor one day. Intent upon having a portion of his hispidlty removed. When the tonaorlallst yelIed"next!" Bailey ambled to the chair and pro- ceeded to:arrang;e himself Into a comfortable position. Failing to deliver the custpniaiT! Instructions, Just as Bailey had been wont to do, the razor wielder summarily :eoncluded that it was to be a "shave." and shave he made it. Incl<lentally, It must be said that Bailey took great pride In that luxurious bunch of whiskers, and when, the showman realized that he had lost the object of his pride there was some little commotion fitting the gravity of the barber's error. Dick Ferris, foremost in afTairs on the ooa^t as a business and theatrical promoteri spent a few weeks in Minneapolis last'summer in regard to some unsettled business, during which time several stock companies were In opera- Uon In the Mill City. Upon his return to Los Angeles, a friend in' the Twin Cities sent Mr. Ferris a clipping from a St. Paul paper which, under the heading of "Threw Bggs at an Actress." stated that the lady In question claimed this to be an act of Mr. Ferris, due to business difllealtles which existed between the two. Whereupon, Mr. Ferris wrote the editor of the "aheet" the foUovrlmr charac- teristic reply: . "On the first page of your issue of July 20th. under Ote caption of 'Threw Eggs at an Actress,* which has Juat been.brought to my attention, I note the lady referred to assigns the act to me. I Judge she was evidently interviewed, or. such a statement : would not have been' allowed to enter your columns, and I respectfully and earnestly ask that you do me the Justice to print an emphatic denial. "Neither myself nor my flriends would be guilty of such indecorous action, however warrantable a. theatrical performance may bOw There are at least more gentlemanly means of expressing one's dissatisfaction. So far as I am personally concerned In this particular instance,:! don't think It would be possible for me to throw an egg two thousand milea, although there might be some pride in the achievement." A vaudeville manas^r In a small town, not long ago. having heard some- thing about the value of originality, thought to surprise his patrons, and had a number of placards printed reading "By request" One of these he pasted on each of the v cards announcing the'name of the act, which was placed on an easel en each stdevof the stage. When the first number 'waa given the audience thought nothing of the sign, but after half of the prognim had been given, and the same words, "By request" ornamented Uie former's name card, some of the funny fellows in the audience eonoelved the Idea of playing a Joke on .the manageip, therefore, when the announce- ment .was thrown on the moving picture screen that the show was over, fl've or six jroung men stood up and Mid: "By .request."