For instance: We opened up in Manchester with a play called The Wyoming Whoop. Now out of that title they understood just one word—"The." They did not know whether "Wyoming" was a battleship or some patent skin food. And "Whoop" was still worse.
During the progress of the play one of the characters speaks of having left the day's ice on the steps all the forenoon; I say—
"Has that piece of ice been out in that Wyoming sun all the forenoon?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, you take a sponge and go out and get it."
After two or three shows the manager came to me and asked me what that line about the ice meant; was it supposed to be funny? I told him it was in America. He wanted to know why.
"Well," I said, "you know Wyoming is the hottest place in America, don't you?"
"No; is it?"
"Well then, you know that if you left a piece of ice out in the sun all the forenoon it would melt, don't you?"
"No; would it?"