THE COURIER
mlse? How much money would It take?"
"He Is as anxious to get you oft as I
am," said the lawyer. "He Is begging for
you. He's not the only one. There are
others."
"Indeed! Well, we shall have to see
what we can do. Have you heard from
my father?"
"Your father says he will have nothing
to do with you."
"Impossible! The old man hasn't gone
back on me, I'm positive. He may have
been affected by the sensational stories
that have been printed about me, but
when the true facts are presented I am
sure he will come to my aid."
"Say, this is beastly, and I have some
of the most Influential persons In the
country for my friends. Why, in Chi
cago, I met Mrs. Potter Palmer and had
a most interesting talk with her. I know
Mayor Harrison and all the leading men
of Missouri, know them intimately. I
have met Russell Sage here and found
him very interesting. It Is an outrage to
hold me here like this."
Justice Wyatt, who had been scarcely
interested in the stream of dirty, ragged
i urchins before him, looked up with sharp
attention when young Murphy languidly
stepped upon the platform. The young
ster had left his hat and cane behind
him and had come in as though for a
ceremony.
Murphy stood listening in dignified si
lence while the evidence was presented
against him. He whispered to his coun
sel once or twice.
"We can't get around it," the lawyer
said, when the secretary of the Savings
bank swore that the bank book of Mur
phy had been falsified. "We will have to
plead guilty."
Then Murphy, who had been mani
festing signs of impatience at the con
duct of his case, took it into his own
hands. He marched up to the railing
and spoke to the justice. For ten min
utes he whispered eagerly to the justice
gesturing animatedly with head and
arms.
Justice Wyatt was deeply interested.
The nimble wit of the youngster kept
him on his mettle. The youngster won
a temporary victory and was not sent
away to an institution. He walked out
of the court room with a weary air.
The eyes of everyone followed the ex
traordinary little lad as he went back In
disgust to join the little ragamuffins he
had just left
Murphy. Is a remarkably bright and
handsome looking little chap. His head
is almost as large as that of a man and
is abnormally high from the ear to the
crown. It extends far out behind and
the organs of self-esteem and egotism
are abnormally developed. Curiously
enough his forehead is not very high and
his chin not very large. His features
are soft, almost girlish, and his eyes are
open, frank and intelligent. He makes
friends instantly.
He is extremely fastidious about his
clothes and about his bill of fare. He
eats only the best food. When he travels
he always stops at the best hotels and
rides in cabs. He carries a full ward
robe of tastefully selected clothes and in
the evening wears his dress suit.
He had not been at the Gilsey house
here a day before he made a score of
friends, all of whom took instantly to
the bright little chap who talked inter
estingly on all topics. Few men are
brighter in conversation. Major Rice, a
guest of the Gilsey, took a great fancy to
the boy and took him to the theater and
out dining, and when the youngster was
arraigned In court his friend. Major Rice,
vas there to comfort him.
His manner Is so plausible and sincere
that he inspires immediate confidence.
Even In the face of overwhelming proof
in the Children's court, he made the
spectators waver when he put on his
frank look of Innocence.
When the youngster was arraigned
Justice Wyatt had before him two letters
about the boy, one written by George J.
Sherer, a wealthy Minneapolis business
man, asking about the lad, and the other
was Father Ducey's reply. Mr. Sherer's
letter read:
Rev. Father Ducey, New York City.
Dear Father: In going from Minneapolis to
Chicago, over the Chicago Great Western railroad,
our train waa somewhat delayed, and we made
connections with the Kansas City division of this
road, and the passengers were taken on that
division. Among them was a boy by the name of
Richard E. Murphy, thirteen years old, and a very
bright young fellow, which we considered a marvel
for the brightness and Intelligence he displayed
and the manly way In which he conducted himself
during the three-quarters of a day we spent with
him. He stated you were his guardian, we became
Tery much Interested In the young man, and on my
return was astonished to read the Inclosed clip
ping, which I did not believe, or any of my com
panions would believe, was true, and I feel an
injustice has been done to the boy; that Is, if he is
under your guardianship. If not, then certainly
we all have been taken In by this marvelous boy,
as we all really fell in love with him. I hope to
hear from you, and If you will kindly answer this
you will oblige a cumber of us. and an acquaintance
by the name of Mr. Kerwln of St. Paul, Minn., who
attended your parish In New York while living
there. Hoping thl will prove a mistake, very truly
yours, GEORGE J. SHERER
J. W. Wolfe, candidate for the Republican nomination for exciseman,
came to Lincoln twenty years ago from Pennsylvania. In his endeavor to
accumulate his share of this world's goods Mr. Wolfe has tolled hard and In
cessantly. Starting life as a common laborer he has advanced step by step
and today Is the possessor of a goodly portion of that which he had contem
plated securing. He has for the past eight years been one of the owners of
the Farmers Grocery company, having direct charge of the meat department
of that institution, where he Is now actively engaged. Mr. Wolfe's business
qualification is shown in the fact that when he first took charge of this de
partment th6 yearly sales amounted to $24,000. He alone has been the means
of developing the business to the present standard of $124,000 annually. Mr.
Wolf caters to the common people. He Is associated with various lodges of
this city and Is a member In good standing In" the Knights of Pythias, B. P. O.
Elks, Knights and Ladies of Security and Knights of the Maccabees. He also
belongs to the Commercial club and the Young Men's Republican club.
Father Ducey in his reply said that the
boy was suffering from an overdeveloped
brain and unless properly cared for
would finally become Insane. He added:
"I am sorry your kindly hearts have been Im
posed upon by this unfortunate boy, whom I cared
for and forwarded to his parents with the hope of
saving him for good and not for evil. He should
be locked up In some reformatory, guarded and
treated with Intelligence until he has given evi
dence of moral balance."
u u off tfye SSjiom
The theatrical advance agent Is a
much maligned and little understood
person. In the eyes of Joke writers and
the public, he is an unscrupulous and
conscienceless liar, who perpetrates un
heard of "fake" stories about the at
traction or star he represents. Every
theatrical company has an advance
agent, but few people, even professionals,
know just why an advance man Is em
ployed, and what he has to do to earn the
salary, often quite respectable, which is
paid to him. The advance man Is never
seen by the public He is usually well
on the way to some other city by thr
time his company reaches the town
where he has spent a week. The ad
vance man of a theatrical company Is
his own boss at all times. He can do his
work when he pleases, and how he
pleases, but even with the advance man
there is a reckoning some day, so that it
behooves him to attend to business and
follow his route according to schedule.
Most agents do this, but there are al
ways some stray wanderers who fall by
the wayside now and then.
The theatrical advance man of to-day
is a development of the last ten years.
A few newspaper men, able to write good
stories about theatrical matters, found
the people read them with interest. The
atrical managers commenced to employ
newspaper men to write articles about
their attractions. The old style advance
agent, or "press agent," was unable to
write a line of correct grammar. In the
old days all the agent needed was a brief
and perfunctory announcement, prepared
in advance by some one in New York
city. But the new development of news
papers led to the demand for fresh and
readable theatrical matter. No one was
able to fill the demand excepting news
paper men. Thus It happened that many
newspaper men stopped working for
newspapers and wrote for theatrical
managers.
Some of the best known theatrical
managers of to-day were former news
paper men. Daniel Frohman was a critic
on the New York Tribune. Kirk La
Shelle worked on the Chicago Inter
Ocean. George C. Tyler, the executive
head of Ltebler & Co., was a printer and
then a reporter in Washington. Charles
B. Dillingham, manager of Julia Mar
lowe and Henry Miller, was the star re
porter on the old Chicago Times. Bruce
Edwards was a newspaper man from
Hartford. There are dozens of others
who might be mentioned. As these ex
newspaper men rose In the profession
they realized the need of more newspa
per men to assist them. Nine-tenths of
the advance men who now represent the
atrical attraction are ex-newspaper
men. "
The advance man has to regulate the
amount of advertising in the different
newspapers, supply It with fresh and
readable Information about a theatrical
attraction, and endeavor to get interest
ing articles published in the different
newspapers. The majority of the news
papers are glad to print stories that will
interest their readers. No newspaper
will print a story as a favor, but a con
sideration involving the publication of
an article Is: "Will It interest our read
ers?" If a story about Maude Adams or
Julia Marlowe or Henry Miller or Rich
ard Mansfield is well told and crisp, the
editor as a rule will print it.
The advance agent travels from seven
to ten days ahead of the star he repre
sents, going over the same route which
the company will follow. His first duty
is to make the railroad arrangements.
He sees the passenger agents of the dif
ferent railroads whose routes include the
territory he will traverse. Then he se
lects the best route, the best train, and
makes a contract for the movement of
his company. Most stars require ar
rangements for their personal comfort,
such as the reservation of the drawing
room or the state room, and certain
berths are held for certain members of
the company.
Each railroad company has its own
rules about movements of theatrical
companies.
As a general rule, twenty-five fares en
title a company to one free baggage car.
Some roads require only eighteen fares
to cover the free movement of the bag
gage car. If a special private car is
used, it requires eighteen full fares to
cover the movement of the car. no matter
if only one person uses the car. But a
private car is a very cumbersome thing
to handle. Richard Mansfield uses one.
but then the extra cost and bother in
his case Is inconsiderable, since he car
ries such a large company and so many
baggage cars that his train is usually
run as a special train. Mrs. Langtry
once used a private car. So did Anna
Held. So did Herrmann the Great. But
each discarded the private car after a
season or two. One of the women
In Henry Miller's company, play
ing a minor role, created a
sensation several weeks ago by
traveling in a private car while the
company used the day coach. The woman
in question was able to afford the lux
ury, but after trying the private car for
one week, she sent it back to New York.
The trouble of shifting It from one de
pot to another was too nerve-trying. It
often becomes necessary to hire a spe
cial train, on account of a difficult rail
road movement, where the ordinary
train service Is not ndcquate. A special
train of one day conch and one baggage
car can usually be had for fifty first
class tickets, but each railroad has Its
own rules upon the matter.
As soon ns he nrrlves In the city the
advance agent cnlls on the transfer com
pany nnd arranges to have the scenery
and baggage hauled to the theater Im
mediately after the company's arrival.
Sometimes the scenery nnd baggage
reach the city ahead of the company, the
special baggage car being brought by a
night train. The stage carpenter nnd
his assistants always travel with the car.
This Is to guard against any possible
Hide-tracking of the scenery.
The ndvnnce agent makes hotel ar
rangements for the members of his com
pany, reserving rooms for the important
players and the star. He also order
carriages to meet the star at the depot.
In some cnses he arranges for a piano to
be placed In the suite of apartments or
dered. There are many small details to be at
tended to at each theater. The schedule
of prices must be satisfactorily ad
Justed. The number of calciums required
ascertained and ordered. Certnln sets of
ropes at certain distances from the cur
tain line must be nrranged, so that when
the scenery arrives It will be hoisted
easily Into the proper places. There are
many plots to a production besides the
plot of the play. The scene plot tells the
manager of the theater what scenery is
required by the visiting company. The
line plot tells what ropes are needed.
The light plot gives explicit Instructions
to the electrician about the lighting of
the stage and tells him when to change
the orange sunset glow Into the pale
blue and purple which Indicate twilight
and then to the green, which Indicates
moonlight. Th property plot tells the
property man what "props" are required
what chairs, tables, crockery must be
furnished. The theater agrees to furnish
only imperishable properties, such as can
be secured without expense. The com
pany furnishes and pays for perishable
properties, such as cabbages, lemons,
onions, eggs, etc.
The advance agent nlso has to oversee
in a general way the blllpostlng of the
paper for his attraction. 'The different
lithographing and printing companies
send the printed sheets to each city by
express, and the agent opens the bundles
nnd "lays out" the paper. He explains
to the bill poster Just how It can be ar
ranged to the best advantage. Then the
bill poster usually winks nnd asks for a
pass or two; the agent gives It to him,
and the paper is upon the dead walls the
next day.
If certain hotels h.ive a prejudice
against pet poodles, and certain stars
carry dogs, the advance agent must rec
oncile the two opposing forces In some
way. If he cannot bring about a recon
ciliation, then he must promote a con
flict, and notify the reporters, who will
do the rest. The next day there will be
a lively story about Mme. Tuttl-Fruttl's
Indignation at not being permitted to
take her pet Unky-Anky-Ooo to her
suite of apartments.
There Is one Indignity which the ad
vance man cannot forgive. That is to
hear his company referred to as a
"troupe." ,
In spite of his association with the
theater, the advance man leads the most
melancholy existence imaginable. He
gets sick of the theater. He has heard
all the. Jokes they tell there. He has
seen most of the plays. He may have a
few friends in every city, either former
newspaper friends or theatrical acquaint
ances, but the chances are that they will
have their time occupied with their own
duties. If he were back with the com
pany his would be a more enjoyable lot.
Each company on the road organizes
itself into a Jolly club. The stars usu
ally entertain the players. Maude Ad
ams was noted for the pleasant surprises
she gave her company In the way of sup
pers, sleighing parties and entertain
ments. Julia Marlowe Is fond of doing
the same. Ethel Barrymore likes to take
half a dozen of her players for a horse
back ride into the country. Henry Mil
ler's hobby is taking his entire company
out sleighing whenever possible, and
rounding up the evening with a Jolly
supper at a country inn. He also has
been known to take his company to a
dog show on two separate occasions, for
he is very fond of dogs. Nearly every
star takes pleasure In treating the play
ers to some little surprise.
But the advance man travels seven
days ahead of his company. He hears of
these pleasant little parties, but to him
they are forbidden. The best he can do
Is to write vivid descriptions of the happy
events.
