Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 17, 1889, Page 16

“enrrere Carpet Rocker, $1.50; on easy terms ISN'T THAT Plush Rocker, 89.50; cheap at ¢15 T THAT FAIR? $9.50; cheapest Stove in America. ISN'T THAT FAIR? On Time Payments. AR FAIR. Sole Agents for Omaha. Sold on $24. Easy Weekly or Monthly Payments On Credit. rery Stove Guaranteed. ISN'T THAT FAIR? 6 hole Universal Range, $27.50. MOST (egal /4 3 ADIT Hause 1 IN:OMAHK S| )i ROSTAA !‘3 613 PEOPLES ) ManmoTH JET . T THAT FAIR. MIMIC EARTH, SEA AND SKY. How They Are Handled in a Mod- ern Theatre. AN ARMY OF SCENE SHIFTERS. Special Cars and Drays—Loading and Unloading—Stage Mechaunism and Propertics—Scengry of Ancient Days—At Omaha Theatres, Stage Scenery. In this rushing, enterprising, money- making age, scenery forms an indispen- sible adjunct to the success of. nearly all entertainments—especially of dramatic performances. In fact, a stage without scenery nowadays would be as primitive a8 a wooden plow. The origin of the drama can be traced distinctly to the religious ceremonials of the ancients, and through the inter- mediate ages, dramatists and their ex- ponents have kept in view, an intent and desive to benefit and amend the morals of mankind. But to no such distant reach into the past are there any evidences that actors in their mimic lives wero surroundod with such showy cmbellishments as drop curtains, flats, flies, wings and furniture. The object, therefor this shor cle to show, br 1 made in b art and representation to ir present g perfection by the enic effects: alsohow the proper ties is transported from vlaceto place, moved from depot to theater and theater to depot, and the amount of work required to handle it. Very few people outsido of the profes- sion have any conception of the vast sums of money invested by modern managers ) aceessories to plays @s they are being produced now. More wealth is expended in the mounting of a single tragedy or melo- drama in the present time than many of the finest theaters of 100 years ago cost to build, It is considered a very yoor attraction that does not carry rom one to half a dozen car loads of scenery and stage furniture. Theaters are of ancient ovigin, were found in every Greek city but not built like Boyds ‘or the Grand, with tiers of galleries rising one over the other. The reason of that is, probably there were no gallery gods l‘wn to sit in judgement of the playors. The seats of “the auditorium were arranged in semi-cireular form and the play was en- ted on a sort of platform erected in the center. Then cume u slight improvement; the proscenium was invented, and it formed the chord of cular auditorium. Behind as o solid wall ornamented with cornices and appropriate archi- ctural features, The first_intreduction of scene ike a seale of grandeu ing soreens, was put cain”? opers bhouse st Milan, Ttaly, built in 1774, Byt the correct- ness, eitber of costume or scene scarcely thought of till the time of Taling, toward the close of the last cen- Since then the best theaters have yed alaudable desive to reproduce, with something like truthfulness, the gpanners, costumes and spicit.of the reprasented. Thero is no his- however, to show that ' hps been mude to play Thoy ncarly 80 important a part as at the present time. Managers vie with each other to see which can invent and get up the greatest display and their enterprise has brought into de- mand the best talents of brush and pen- cil artists, To Kiralfy, the Hanlaus, Stettson, Henry E. Abby, A, M. Palmer, Robson and Crane, Booth and Barrett, Edward Rice, Augustin Daly Colonel McCall, and a dozen others, is due the credit of having conceived and consumated so much towards illustrating, perfecting and presenting dramatic productions with historical so far as scenic surrounding! rances and situations are concerned. Cranks may contend that Henry Ir deserves to be cla 1 as the leader in Ahis march of progress, but such is not the case. In no country on the globe has there been displayed such an enor- mous showing of stuff as the Amer managers carry about with them and use every night during the season. In no other country could such an under- taking be thought of. Facilities nec sary for doing it arenot to be had. A few large cities reached by railroads might enjoy the luxury, but such towns in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, as Council Bluffs, Lincoln Beaf . St. Joseph and Kuansas City never. Under what flag besides the stay and stripes have men engaged in this business, ever been known to transport for one night, or even a week stands, carloads of scenery? When the National Opera company troveled it had a special train and those who were attendants upon its performances remember well the great curtaifs of gorgeously painted canvass that added to the pomp. circumstance and pleasure of every opera given. What wonder- ful amounts of tinsel and tapestry, gilded intoriors, ed and pictured exteriors, streets, castles, forests, gar- dens, cities, lakes, rivers and fair) lands, give charm, heauty and enter- tainment to the Devil’s Auction, The Twelve Temptations, Black Crook, Excelsior, Lights O London, Silver King, Romany Rye, The Two Dromeos, Fantasma, Dolries, Flying Dutchman, Nero, Faust and Shakesperian trage- dies as presented by Booth and Barrett. To handle it all at every stand is no small task by any means, Several teams of horses and wagons, besides scores of men are required. 1n Omaba, contracts are made by advance agents with the transfer company to haul the truck back and forth between depot and theatre. Everything is arranged be- fore the show gets here for quick and smooth work, The company mechanic, isnotified ton days before hand about the size of stage, its permanent, fixtures, whether up or down stairs, and what the arraugements are for getting into it, Boyd’s is on the second floor, As an ample of the industry, take the show of Fantasma, thut was given there last week, That hud a car sixty feer long, loaded to the roof with stuff. There were thirty-three drop curtains, to say nothing of the flats that shove on and off from either side, the small pieces used in working tricks, As soon us the train arrived Sunday, Mr. Hanlon’s carpenter went to the theatre, took the dimeunsions of the stage, and ascertained that he could use everything. Monday morning they commenced putting it in. A large double door which opens off the stage at the rear into the alley about fifteen feet from the ground. These drop curtains come rolled up; they re- quire # pole forty feet long and ave heavy. To hoist ‘and shove them into the stage, block and tackle machinery is used. Baggage and wardrobe, and what are called properties, go up on a freight l Sy | Go it, Sawm. ansfer and put ap the scenery of this show twenty-two men and two teams worked seven hours with- out stopping to eat. The rollad cur- tains, as is always the case, went in Each one was marked, to correspond with the numbers on a printed scene plat for the stage cai- penter’s use, showing the position for it to be placed, whether near the fr rear or in the center. Ropes, operated men stationed in the left or scene gallery that pass over pulleys ne voof and have weights on th are let down, three to cach curtain is fastened to the button at either end, and the third in the middle. By these the curtain is pulled up, it gradually unrolls and is finally left hanging away the border lights. This operation s cated until every curtain is safely in its place. Then come work of undoing the flats and and setting them up, of putting each picce of furniture in a spot marked for it, s0 as to be handy when needed securing the many little thing ary and when the front curtain vises, a picture perfect in detail is disclosed to view. The car fortransporting scenery has a door in the end and demands the combined efforts of three or more men to load and unload 1t. The wagon, coupled long, is backed with the two hind wheels against the car and the rolled curtains are taken out or shoved in, as the case may be, endwise ‘When one gon 15 loaded it is driven to the thes where from six to fifteen men meet, unload it and get the material inside. The work of getting stuff out of the theater and outo the car is not so hard, though as many men are vequired to do it. The only difference between the Boyd and Grand is that the latter is floor. and there the scen s from the wagon right onto the stage. At Boyd’s. A, J. Uhl and Al Kosters, asstage carpenter and property man re- spectively, have full control behind th foot lights and on them Mr. Boyd de pends for assurances that every show will be put on and ready to broceed when the time comes. They are good men in that line and have Py disappointed him. At ('Imr{x-s Riddlebozer and hold similar positions. and Koster entertained the writ terday with a few interesting stories of the events they have passed through. Could Roscius and Asopus, who de- lighted the citizens of Rome in Cice- ro’s time with their tragic excellence, come from their graves and walk upon an American stage what would be their amazement. Imagine the satisfuction that it would give Willinm Shakesp could he see Hamlet, Merchant of Ven- ice, Othello and others of his creation in the way they dressed up by Booth and Barrett. But the most wonderful feature of the whole thing is found in the fact that, theough the energy, push and determi- nation of modern” caterers to public amusement, the veople of every com- muaity having a theatre are permitted to see and enjoy these things, just the same us those of the metropol Omaha gets just usmuch red fire, gorgeous tab- leaux and pompous pageantry, as New York, Chicago or Boston. ki i IMPIETIES. It is said of @ certain cranky clereyman in Ohio that he alwiys has either 4 row or ure- vival in his church, What if Sam Jones did call certain resi- dents of Los Augeles “boilod-eyed drunk- ards” aud “moral lepers” if they were such m belongs to the church militant, and the more wilitunt it is the better pleased is Sam. Hit the ola sioners aguin ana bit 'ens hard, The Kev., Michael Baxter, of London, wings { proved to his own lenium would dently was promised a raise of sala We hope he got it. In the he will have to walk around like without wings. here is an increasing danger of & religious war in Canada, At the same tim> it is hard 10 see how any war can be relizious. The Rev. Joseph Cook declares that ‘‘God is turning pr onist.” Des this an- nouncement carry with it the idea that the Supreme Bewng was once disposed to com, promise on beer! Minister (& satisfaction that the ml- Mar y on that meantime an angel newith the family) —Bobby 1 suppose when you grow up. to be man you will want to be an caruest christian, won't you! “Yes, sir, if 1t doesn't interfere with being a drum major.” Strikes are extendiag to the a church in Edinburg, the othe choir went on a strike, “their compl ing the inconvenient and draugh! loted to them.” Some preacher. veason to strike, because of the absen drafts. scats al- have good 2 of EA S b oL HONEY FOR 54t LADIL: White woollen toilets will be more than ever in vogue Lext s New priucesse dresses for home wear are shown with graceful jacket fronts. Pink wash dresses will be. much trimmed with white embroidery. 50 will those of gray and biue. A feature of the new wide-brimmed straw hats 18 that the ¢ 11y of one straw, the brim of another. Striped and plaide ranged with great ingenuit otony is thus avoided, Reseda, or mignonette, is the very protty shade of gray green which on many costumes is wade up of one material alone. Marguerite gauntlots, the deep close al- most elbow cuffs, may be either of velvet or of stuff to match the dress trimming, Real orange flowers for bridal wear are now arranged 1n bunds to cross the head with an aigrette of buds at the side. With white muslin any color may be worn; but yellow, old rose, tan und green will be most used Tor sashes and knots this suminer. A stylish spring long cloak in Connemara fushion is made of cloth brocade, the ground of a handsome shade of Roman red with raised flowers Albatros s or v rose, Persi als are still ar and all mon- 1 lilae, v, or ), in many lovely tints, will be in great e 'the coming season. lhe togue and the little French capote will rival cach ojher in favor t LW Crowns appear upon mearly every one of the Paris and London models thus far ex- hibited. ousidercd by manywomen present at the izaugural ball in Washington that the most graceful and beautiful toiiets displuyed were those fashioned in Princesse style, with Neo-Greek draperies. Many of the smurt tailor gowns of Eng- mel's hair, Venetiun a feather-stitched silk -waist beueuth an ewpire bodice fast od only at the throat. If the embrowdercd collars and cuffs of summer cotton gowns are made separate it will save a deal of laundry worl, us theso c led long before the gown g of washing. is made of all fabrics and in all sh » ohief model is vir- y a closely fitted bodice, with or witk aided or not braided, very or- ingly simple, according o its material garniture, uses and its wearer. One can hardly go astray in the use of rib- and knots and bows prevail, to say nothing of the folded ribbon finished with a bow that will be 8o favorite a finish for the ueck and sleeves of summer gowns. Paris seuds us for our summer wear cam- brics and percales in stripes or flowers, or else with borders. London, zephyrs and ginghamws 10 all manner of plaids and stripes, along with the most delicate aud vivialy flowered lawns, sateens and batistes. The genuine empire waist that is especially adupted to thin summer textures has the fronts gathered on the shoulders and lapping surplice fasaion, under @ broad sash or soft folded belt. Sometimes they are gathered, and surplice in the back as well, or cise loosely draped from one shoulder to the op. Posite hip, with trimmiog only cn one edge, Famous (400 615} 15 amily Uni\'~r al Cook, ¢18, on pay- Rq Universal---Fine as any Range made, §32. T THAT FAIR. ments. No Finer stove made, THAT FAIR? SERRGRE e Sole Agents for Omaha. Sold on Easy Weekly or Monthly Payments. ttan Rocker, cheap at ¢ Payments, ISN'T THAT FAIR. A T $25,00 and up. ‘BER Y L CAUGHT JACK IN THE BOX. An Old Baggageman's Experience ‘With a Boxed-Up Robbor. THE MAN IN FEMALE ATTIRE. An Unique Attempt to Rob a Train strated by a Vigilant Oficial —Tussell £age, the Stock Speculator. Caught in the Box. Tom Frazier,a contractor on the Rock Island, teils of a rather queer coinci- dence when he was manipulating be gage on the Milwaukee road. T was working on the outside. smashing the 1 travelers’ saumple cases,” Frazier, “one afternoon at the Reeds street depot in Milwaukee. T got hold of one of those big sample cases which the boys ‘moguls,’ and was laying out ev ounce of strength, but T could not get the box from the trucks into the car. While 1n this predicament, a tail man with gray breard and wearing o suit of sheeps- gray clothes happened along and was looking after baggage. 1 said to him, ‘Say, old man, put your shoulder to this box and give me a boost.” He stepped to my side and took hold of the box with the cluteh of an expert, and both of us elevated the trunk into the car. “That is all right, old man, I said, as he brushed his hands and stepped away a short distance on the platform. Finally hesaid: ‘One good turn deserves anothe doesn’t it?’ I remaried that I thought it did. Then he asked me to help him look up some baggage. It was a small grip, he said, and it had been lroaded some- how. We went through a monument of valises and finally I came across one and wus informed that it was the de- sired article. But whatdo you suppose? Right on the .side of the valise stood out in bold print, ‘Russel Sage, N. Y. I was thunderstruck, and as I handed him the grip he smiled gently and suid: ‘Yes, sir, I am Russel Sage, but the very work which I assisted you in was once my means of obtaining a lively hood.” He Dbade me good day and I returned the salutation but at the same time was looking around for a hole in the floor to drop through. Queer, wasu't it? I might have asked 4 clerkin a dry goodsstore to do me the vor and been snubbed, but the ailrond stock manipulator and appeared only o willing to assist me.” T “Let me relate 1o you some of my early experiences,” "said Conductor Frye, of the Burlington, “‘when I was ruining baggage on the Union Pacific. It was back about ten years ago. Wo were coming eust from” Ogden, and at a small station a box supposed to contain a corpse was putin the express car, con- signed to Lincoln, Neb. Bill Axley, now on the Santa e, was express I senger, and, as we elevated the box into the car, he remarked that it did not fit the coftin very well, as he felt a reuact- ing jar as the article was being put in the ‘car. There were two men fairly well dressed and showing no sigus of suspicion together, with what we took 10 be an aged woman, who accompanied the remain he was represented as being the mother of the deceased and - the two men,were the latter’s brothers, The woman or man as she turned out to be , was very anxious to r i vith the corpse in the . S £ C: d that her two sons might be by her side. This was against the ruies and they were informed that transportation would oaly be allowed the corpse in the express car, and accordingly they agreed to take seats n a coach. before the train pulled out, Bill said to me that he thought the game was a concocted robbery and was deter- mined to have the box handed out and inspected before the train started. But what if it were a real corpse? The boys hooted Bill off the road for ardice. This I said to Bill, and finally concluded to let the worst come if it must. he conductor sig- nalled the train to start and Bill jumped into his car and T got into mine, but the more I thought of the ion the more I found that Billie’s suspicions were not unfounded. Finally, atthe next station, we stopped to await & clear track and Bill not being in his accustomed place &t the doorway of his car, I decid- ed to ascertain where he wa Al the door, there sat Bill, with a face ns pale us o dend person and with large drops of perspiration standing out on his fore- head. I was about to laugh, but a sudden motion of his hand prompted me to rain. Finally he walked close to the door and with one on me and the other on the box he said: ‘There’s a man in that box al nd 1 know it. You had bet- ter keep your eye on those other fel- lows or we're their game sure.’ [ paused for a moment, 1 did not want to make a blunder by informing the conductor and being called a tenderfoot, but sup- posing that the hox contains a live rob- ber, there was the point. I meditated and I finally said to Bill to watch further developments, but he refused and said thav if T aid not come to his istance he would call on somebody 0 aw that he was frightened and id not have much the better of me. Taking hold of the car door I ente it and we both stood and gazed av the hox. It was sealed and neither of us had a right to open it. I findlly called conductor and informed him of the e. ‘Yes,' said he, ‘and I noticed that that old lady who is weeping in the conch back there has & ponderous foot for a woman.” But we all agreed to await developments and T ug ride 10 the express car with | again pulled out, but we had not gone T before the bofl rope 5 pulled und the train began to slacken up. At this juncture Bill did not vush to the door tosee what was up but set both eyes on the box. A moment of amuzement and suddenly the cov and a heavily avmes to rise, but Bill had him and in instant & ball went whizzing the fellow’s neck and not fully ¢ individual in about to my 1 words had when the uppeared and W car when I ley said ‘woman or man throw hands or I'll shoot,” In full individual could not do ot and one of the hands while suspended clutehed a fine specimen of tirearms. | beld the strange guest at the point of my revolver and was surprised 10 seo a little gray-haired man come out of the next coach with the two alleged hroth- ers heavily shackled. The little man 1 the two companions wis & tates marshal and was on » train at the time. T'he con- iter olver up nge and your the ductor was covered and ordered to pull the bell rope but before the truine wus fairly stopped the little officer had both men in irons. ‘Ihe supposed female turned out to be a man in le attire. The feined cor as converted into a real one and h to the penitentiury f ach and are now at Joiiet, Il tim of Bill's marksmanship was Utali st daring robbers that ever infested tne plains. We put the box and body off atthe next station and they were disposed of in a manner which ['never learned. An v, Bill’s temerity was the means of hreaking up aband of teain robbers that had ter- rorized the west, and his marksmanship sent Utah Charley to another home where he could not stay in & pine box very long. Bill had about $35,000 in rge at the time and after making that trip he turned over his keys and acandoned the service.” * Said Trainmaster ,Swhen [ wid “I remember,” Foley of the Union a newsboy in Indianapolis.” On the fain grounds. one day, one of tne hoys more papers than he could 1 me to help him sell them, rhad done any work of this kin hefore and I was green at the business, I started out calling the paper and adding ‘all ti \ I failed to find a purchase the meantime, mv comvanion’ wis pulling the nickles in good shape. ally he came_over to me and asked me how many I had sold. I told him I had sold none. ‘Well, then, you don’t holl it right,? was the response. *Why don’t you call out all about the ship-wr He took the paper out of my hand and showed me an advertisement of a vessel where a cut of ship at full sail was displayed, Lere,” suid he, **just turn that picture upside down and if that uin’t a wreck, nobody's a wrecl, but don’t pay any attention v it keep a 4 ) we dealin® with a will get bu 1up.” 1did this and was soon doing a land= office bu: Tsold ull the papers and the next day I started at the samo work for mysell. But all the entries to it were hazardous and 1 zot my share of that the next i hoys clus= tered at the familia spot and they put me anto a barrel which was kept there expressly for that purpose and was sup= plied with an automatic cover. Once in the barrel they started it rolling down hill, and when they let me out I wis o sud specimen of “a solution of boots, dust, bruises and carmine. They tumbled me over and over and finally let me out and declared me entitled to full citizenship in newspaper cireles,” The Taiior Made Girl, By M. S, Bridge, in New Yorl Mercury, Sne is fading out fast, She's i thing of the past We miss her chic costumes from whirl; New styles havo theur weight, And to-duy’s fashion plate Ignores wost compictely the tailor made girl, in guicty's he cartoonist The artist his beard Paints his Vensus's At three times the walst of the tailo ) made ) bold Dright and cold ; 1ip had & curly 8 d-shouldered out-of-door tailore et day, y t stay. ¢ ultars our idols mus 1iut the shrine won't be bare Vory long ~that I'll swear! 50 luck and good-bye 1o the twilvr-made girly