The New York Clipper (January 1904)

DRAMATIC. It VAUDEVILLE. CIRCUS. Copyrighted, 1004, by the Frank Queen Publishing Oninnny i l.lni!it.il> Founded by FRANK QUEEN, 1853. NEW YORK, JANUAEY 2, 1904. VOLUME. LI.-No. 45. Pflos^lO . Cent*. . ^55 (Tipper's Motes, Personalities ami tents, CONCERNING STIGE FOLK and Sometimes OTHERS BY JOSEPHINE GEO. Among the many Interesting episode* In the lives of those popular dialect comedians, Weber & Fields, Is one that concerns a very early perled In their doable career. At the tine they were traveling with the side snow of s clrcns and "making good" In their specialty. One day, between the afternoon and even- some of his fear In the confident tones of his partner. "Say, Joe, we've got to throw away onr packages, we can't hold on to them too." "Throw nothing I" said the more carefn< one of the two. "Put 'em on the sleeper you're going to bang to," and he proceeded to place his half-dozen packages In a row. "What's the use!" said Fields, "the car* will scrape them off, besides we haven't a minute to spare," and, pitching his armful over Into the darkness, he proceeded to bus- fpsK slowly to a halt with a harsh grinding, creak Ing of the wheels that sounded above their beads like a veritable pandemonium. Then came silence for a moment, during which the unhappy boys conversed In disjointed sentences, and In very tremulous tones. "Say, Louie," said Weber, and from tb* direction his voice came bis friend real- ised that they were hanging hack to beck, "say, Louie, old man, I wish It wasn't so dark—and I do wish that train would hurry up and start—I don't think I can bang on few minutes, as their discomfort Increased snd their fears grew, the two boys could see the cars above move back and forth. "My Clod I" exclaimed Weber, as the situa- tion dawned upon him. "they're switching, and heaven knows when they'll be through,— Louie, I can't hold on much longer"—then, with a tremor, he added, "I wish I could say good-bye to my mother,—say Louie, I doa't want to go like this—smashed to pieces at the bottom of a gully,—ugh I" His fear communicated Itself to Fields, who, In awed tones, replied: . "Well, Joey, hold on aa long as you can, snd If yon bare to drop we'll go together I'd like to live to see my mother sgaln, though—let's brace up, maybe the train will move off In a minute." and for wbst !ng performances, the two boys went to the town, which was about a quarter o* a mile from where the circus tents were pitched. After making the purchases which bod »een .the object of their trip to the village 'hey started back with their arms full, On '•onsultlng the watch which they each wore W turn, week by week, owning It in partner- "Jilp, as they did many of their belongings at that time, they saw that they bad but a short time to get to the circus grounds. They rould see the tent lights through the semi ""knees—It was the late Autumn, when the nights came down early—and they decided to •was a long railroad trestle lnBteal of mak- ing a longer detour by the highway, even though the bridge was one with which they were unacquainted. Crossing a trestle bad °k, te . rn)r " tor them ' *> thel »tarted, barely •bie to discern their way, step by step, along the sleepers. Suddenly « train whistle broke the still- nees, and Fields, glancing behind him, beheld me Headlight of an. approaching locomotive, r.. °*T IookI " "• •"uUmed, with greater tot* 2 hewt tluul ne *■* •*•' before J. \ WB » 1 >»I1 be run over and killed—what'll we do!" ,l«.!^* be^ • Wno h * d comprehended the sltua- s. hJ?. "?** U "•* hto P" 4 """' "• *" h.„ . Mghtened. gasped, "We'll have to o«r"^. tte *"■*'• m tne t'*" 1 !*«•*• b»«.. «i** theri "« W » «""■«» »• •«« taL&T*"! *•"»*<>* *»• «* *■* or „T. ^ n won ' t ■»«<" 'or a couple minutes, anyway," said Field*, losing pend himself—bat-like—from one of the cross pieces on which lay the steel track. Two or three seconds later he was Joined by Weber, who suspended himself from the second sleeper, close to his friend, the out- line of whose hanging be could scarcely see. "Are you air right, Lou?" said be, In s low, strained voice. "Yes, Joey," was Field's answer In ex- tremely tense tones—and at that time of mu- tual danger he unconsciously sdded the "ey" to his friend's name,—then a trifle stronger, as If to encourage his partner as wells* him aelf, he added, half jocularly, "why, I could hang here all night, If I had to." At that moment the engine thundered overhead, followed by several cars, so that conversation, even If the two had been so Inclined, would have been difficult. Half s minute passed, which to the anxious boys seemed halt an hour, then the train came much longer, I'm getting stiff and chilled." "No, you're not," said Fields, "It's only because we're in danger that you feel so— brace up, we'll be out of this In a minute or two. Say, Joey, can't you swing around,— you've got your back to me." "I'd like to—It's lonesome this way, but I'm afraid I might dip If I changed now, and the two partners In trouble tightened their grip about tbelr respective slervere, while the train above tbem seemingly made strenuous efforts to start up again,—ths noisy creaking of the wheels on tbelr axles making sweet music In tbelr ears, for that meant the passing of the train end tbelr final release from their perilous position. After making a progress of a few yards the train, which wss a freight, again halted, while a cold perspiration broke out upon the partners, who realised that their danger was to be prolonged. During Ibe following seemed to tbem an Interminable time the switching continued, while the future pro- prletors of tbo now popular Weber 4 Fields' Music Hall bung trembling to what seemed to them but a spider web between them snd certain death on the rocks below. In subdued tones befitting the seriousness of the occasion the two boys, who were llttl* more than youngsters at that time, began to arrange tbelr worldly affairs with each other, should one of them survive the death tbnt seemed so Imminent. "You shall have the watch and mf half of the trunk," said Fields, "but I want you to sell the rest ef my things and send the money to my mother," sll of which bis part- ner promised to ace to In case be was the sur- vivor of the two. If Fields was the one whose life might be saved, It was arranged that the watch and half of their mutual trunk should be hi*, while Weber's effects should be sold for his mother's benefit. Their minds being settled concerning their earthly goods, and having given up hope of reloase, the doomed ones despairingly discussed the manner In which they felt sure they would soon be leaving this beautiful world. "Joey," said Welds, with a quiver In bis voice, "If you've got to drop I'll drop with yon,—when you can't hold on any longer Just pat your band over to me and I'll take hold of It, and we'll go together." "All right, Louie, boy," said Weber, with a choking in his throat, "but If yon can hang on a little longer than I do It,—maybe you'll he saved." "Never I" Mid ibe other, "we're partners In