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Show WHEN WILL MANSFIELD ARRIVE? B What time will the Mansfield special arrlvej H That question is quite the heaviest burden of mm one man's life. He is Richard Mansfield's rep B resentativo and it Is put at him personally by B mail, by telephone and by telegraph a hundred B times if once during the days preceding the dls B tinguished actor's arrival in town. B The Mansfield train is run on a schedule de- H termlned by the start, and the start is determined B' by the equipment and facility of the transfer B company in the city the train is leaving behind B The loading and departure is done much on the B same principle as a circus. The moment the final B curtain falls on the last performance the work B of packing begins, of getting costumes into B trunks, armor into crates, properties into cases H furniture into boxes and the scenery folded' B Meantime the wagons stretch in a long proces- B sion away from the stage door and one by one m are piled high with the paraphernalia. It takes H many willing expert hands. About thirty on the B stage, a dozen at the wagons and another dozen H down at the train, where the cars stand sepaiated H from each other by a car's length so that the B scene trucks may back up to the end of each. B When the train is loaded, all the company ac- B counted for in the coaches ahead, the start is B made. Sometimes this is not until long after day- B light, for it Is no small task which has been ac- B complishei . At this time some Idea may be reck- B oned of the hour of ariival in the next city. The B right of way is given the Mansfield special on all B roads, except for mail trains coming in an oppc- B site direction on a single track system. B The engineers who get this haul are always B very proud and strain every muscle of their great B steam horse to break a record. But Mansfield B prefers to transport his company safely at the ex- B pense of a little time and it is not unusual for B him to send word ahead to slacken speed. The B special consists of the distinguished actor's pri- B vate car, three sleepers and six baggage cars for B the productions of "Ivan the Terrible" and "Old B Heidelberg." B |