There was always a sharp rivalry between the advance brigades of
opposition shows, and many are the tricks which they play upon each
other. Perhaps the most serious and daring trick played on me was when
the agent of an opposition show actually went to the railroad office
and ordered a carload of my paper, which was on the sidetrack there
waiting for our man, to be shipped to California. Believing him to be
representing me, the freight agent did as requested, and my advance
brigade was delayed until a fresh carload could be sent on from New
York, which could be done in less time than it would have taken to have
brought the original carload back from San Francisco. After
accomplishing this contemptible trick the fellow escaped, and, although
I had Pinkerton men closely on his trail, I was never able to get
service on him. Of course the scamp's employers were legally
responsible; but in those days we never thought of bringing suit in
cases of that kind, although I was strongly tempted to do so in one
place, where an opposition show had covered my dates with their own and
had greatly damaged us by misleading the people.
Of the many other sharp tricks played on me by opposition shows, one of
the best, or worst, was that of equipping men with sample cases, and
sending them in advance of my show in the role of commercial salesmen.
These men would step into prominent stores and, after a short business
talk, incidentally mention my name and then impart the information that
my show had disbanded and gone to pieces. This, of course, would set
the whole town talking, and the news would soon spread over the entire
country, thus doing me irreparable harm.