The west shore., October 01, 1886, Page 299, Image 9

THE WEST SHORE.
200
properties used wore few and simple and wore brought
on and hauded to the actors in full view of the audionoo.
In the paucity of accessories, the actors resorted to pau
tomiue to supply the deficiency, and a lively imagina
tion only enabled us to understand whether an actor
working his arms vigorously was rowing a boat or put
ting out a week's washing. The oostumes of some of
them were of tho finest silk, velvet and broadcloth, but
the colors wore wonderfully aud fearfully mixod. As
we turned our attention to tho stago, it wns occupied by
a coy maiden who was singing or rooitiug in an expres
sionless falsotto voice something which seemed to bo
highly ploasiug to the audionoo. A mau with a flowing
rota of blue silk Hupping altout his limbs, and a long
board of yellow horse hair doponding from his chin, on
terod with a stately stride and began making love to the
maiden, apparently without making a favorable impres
sion upon her. They soon retired, and a lusty fellow
with his whitened face Botimod and crossed with streaks
of black, bounded in and pranced across tho stago as
though his shoes wero swarming with rod anU Ho was
evidently the " bad man " of tho play. Ho disappeared,
aud the coy maiden agaiu glided into view, this time ac
companied by a comely youth whoso amatory advances
were evidently more pleasing than those of her more
aged lover. Matters apparently soon came to a focus,
for immediately after making their exit, they rushod
upon tho stage again, hotly pursued by the rejected
suitor and tho " bad man," the latter waving aloft a long
paper sword whose flimsy blado flapped from side to
side as it clove tho air. Both parties disappeared and
soon the fugitivos made a broathloss eutranco at tho
other door.having apparently gained half a mile in tho
twenty sooouds of their absence. In tho center of tho
stage thoy stopped suddenly aud started back with hor
ror, having evidently almost fallen ovor tho brink of a
chasm which was visible only to tho eye of tho imagina
tion. They began to construct a bridge, and with tho
aid of somo assistant, two tables wore placed alxmt four
feet apart, across which a plank was laid, and a chair
set at either end for stops. While tho bridgo was being
constructed tho chasm obligingly disappeared so they
could cross back aud forth freely; but when all was
ready tho chasm was agaiu in full force and effect. The
fugitivos thou crept cautiously across tho impromptu
bridgo and ran joyfully away. Then apHarod in hot
haste tho "long board" aud "bad man," who also
" viewed with alarm " the imaginary chasm aud seemed
greatly perplexed by tho situation until they espied the
bridge, against which they had boon leaning while dis
cussing the problem. They also crossed timorously and
.rushed away. As the plot thickouod and the faco of tho
moon was moro and nioro tinged with gore, tho wrlU-r
became deeply interested. He suggested tho propriety
of remaining to see Uie eud, aud was plunged into con
fusion by tho scornful laugh which broke from the lips
of the entire jwirty. The manager then explained that
a Chinese play is built on the broad gauge plan, like a
continued story, running day ami night for many days,
and that tho one wo wero now looking at liegau tho week
More and might possibly bo concluded in another fort
uight The obliging manager then conducted us through
the audionoo and across tho stago to tho room in the
rear, passing unscathed through a bloodies one II lot he.
twoon a paroel of gorgoously-appnrolod gods and a latoh
of hideously-painted devils, who were hacking each
other with paper swords to tho merciless clash of the
orchestra. Tho ono long room at tho rear of tho stago
sorvod for dressing, property and waiting room, aud was
crowded with actors and assistants. The first thing wo
noticed was that tho ooy maideu was no ooy maiden at
all, but only a horrid man, as wero several other suppos
ititious females, and wo wero informed that thero are no
women actor among tho Chinese, all female character
being taken by men, who are considered tho leader of
tho " profesh." We found tho actor to lie socially in
clined, osocially tho " bad man," who shook hands all
round and smiled as licnignly as his black streaks would
permit After watching for a time their " go as you
please" manner of dressing and making their entrance
and exits, and after examining aud duly admiring their
multitude of oostumes and trappings, we descended a
ladder into tho dark space lioneath the stage, which is
not devoted to tho puroo of tho play, as in other the
aters, but is out up into numerous small apartment
whero the actor sleep. Ilotwocu tho stage and tho
ground wo found three separate floors, none with the
ceilings more than seven foot high, and ono of them so
low that wo had to stoop In going from one side to thn '
other. Wo glanced at the kitchen, which was an mrt
ment against tho interior brick wall, alxmt ten feet long
and four feet wide, and filled with a smell ample for a
largo hotel. Declining an invitation to partake of some
thing tho exact nature of which was involved iu mystery,
wo murmured our thank and groped our way along a
narrow passage leading to side door, Issuing out upon
tho street, glad to fill our lungs with tho fresh night air
and give our olfactories a w'cll-aamcd vacation.
IlAiiiir I Wkija
m
Tiie expenses of railroading in Mexico are great
Wooden tie have but a short life, cracking in the dry
aeason, aud rotting during tho rainy months; bridge tint
lairs and piles also wear out rapidly. Freight car must
1)0 painted frequently to prevent drying aud cracking,
aud even the sulistautial 1'ullmaucars shrivel under this
exposure. Fuel oonstituUw a large item of outlay. M
ipiit roots are burned on the Central road; pine out along
iU route is used on the Interoccauie; aud the Vera Crua
Company feed their engine coal Murks that are brought
from Wale as ballast Tho decay of tie will iu time
necessitate a serious outlay on the Central road, for
wooden sleeper cost 11.00 each. It la evident that irou
titst are a necessity in Mexico, and they are just coming
into use. The climate teuds to preserve the rail and
iron bridge. HprinuJliU Ib'iiMiiwu