. i tw. * ? rvSwue *
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY , FEBRUARY 27. 1S87.-TWELVE PAGES
Twentj-Fivo Years in on American
Amusement Temple.
FOOTLIGHTS FADED FOREVER.
Fnvorlto FACea I'Attt'B First Visit
Grlsl ami Marie Vcslvnll Pic-
colomtnl KclloRR'B Debut
Notable Units.
NEW YonK , Feb. 23. [ Correspondence
of the HEE. ] The sccno of so many lyric
triumphs , the homo of fashion twenty-
five years ago , the resort of the cul tlvate.il
taste nmTartistlc excellence of Now York
is to bo closed ; converted into a beer
pardon , perhaps , or a Gorman thrcatre ;
plvcn ever to purposes of which its pro
jectors and owners never dreamed.
Within those wnlh I heard the farewell
of Grisl and Marie to America , in Lu-
crczla Uorgla. There the sumptuous
queen of tragic oporn waved the arms
which it was said were the same that the
Venus of Mlle had lost , and with n grace
and passion and dignity that have never
been equalled since , hurled the Im
precations and accusations of the Druid ,
or implored for the life of Gennaro , with
a superb majesty and nathos that made
the infatuation of Ferrara credible.
There the greatest tenor of our time
warbled out the dyingstrainsof Edgardo ,
or the love notes of the Spirto Gcntil to
enraptured audiences. The final sccno
of the Favorita , when Grist crouched and
crawled at the foot of the cross and then
arose in the rapture of love , as Marie
dragged her to him , and both sang the
inspiring notes of the finale equalled in
dramatic power and passionate ex
pression anything seen or hoard on the
modern .stage. This was the culmina
tion of Italian opora. The rendering of
Mich artists was as indispensable to the
masters of song as the instrumentation
of to-day is to the embodiment of
Wagner's" idea ; but singers like thcFO
produced olVecls of exquisite expression
and melodic delight not surpassed by the
greatest triumphs of instrument or or
chestra in the German harmony. Not
only
OUISI AXI ) MAKIO
have left tfie.lr memories in Irving place.
Thorn the ' Huguenots" and the "Trova-
tore" were first produced in America.
There Vostvali , the I'ole , lirst sang tlio
notesnf Axucona toaNow York audience ,
and with her line presence and magnetic
bearing fora while fascinated young Now
York. There the delightful trio Hriguoli ,
Amodio and La Grange so long reigned
supreme ; a tenor full of sweetness , if not
of lire ; a baritone rich , full and sonorous ;
a soprano cultivated , refined , expressive ,
elegant , and able to interpret the music
of Meyerbeer , Donizetti. Verdi or Mozart.
La Grange and Formes In the third act of
the "Huguenots" gave a rendering that
has hardly been surpassed of that ex-
qiiiKito scene ; and in Robert lo Diablo , iu
tint great trio , without accompaniment ,
whore the struggle that comes to every
man , between temptation and principle ,
is portrayed with a grandeur and power
fully equal to the expression of the same
idea in thoTanhauscr , an effect was pro-
diiecd that the greatest musicians and
composers might envy. At this opera
house
KEU.Or ( MADE IIEH DF.IH'T
in Higoletto , while Colonel Stubbins , her ;
friend and patron , looked down from his
box and shared with his family and the
audience the pleasure of that artistic
success which he had done so much to
render possible. I remember going be
hind the scones to congratulate the now
prima donna on her voice and her boots ,
which both wore fine. Here also , of a
Thanksgiving night , 1'atti first sang in
opera , twenty-six years ago , to a scant
and once , wlio little dreamed they wcro
present at the entrance into thn musical
world of one of its greatest prodigies
and queens. Nor not the most hopeful
friend or enlightened critic anticipated
the brilliant career that awaited the timid
little maiden , scarce svcntcen , who came
out as Lucia di Lammcrmoor.
riCCOLOMINI ItEIOXEI ) HEItE
for a season ; not the grey test of singers ,
but surely one of the most delicious of
actresses. In comic roles she can never
have been surpassed. The exquisite
coquetry with llodolfo In spite of her love
for Elvino. in the "Sonnambiila ; " the
malicious archness of Kosina , all through
the "Harbor ; " the half unconscious
naughtiness of the Hatti-Uatti , and of the
minuet in "Don Giovanni" wore brimful
of womanly wiles and artistic genius.
Ah me ! tho'long procession of beautiful
women and delightful singers and
actresses ; the queens and peasants , the
nuns and ladies , the mad Lindas and
Lucias singing out their woes so that you
wished they would never get wnll ; the
Btatoly Sonuramidos , the rattling , drum
ming vivandieres ; the nbbesse.a that rose
from their tombs in ballot dresses to en
chain the son of Robert ; the saucy
Susannas who tlirtcd with Figaro ; the
gipsies , tlio Trayiatas. the Safes , even
tlio fair Homoos wluiro are all the en
chantresses now ? Their graces and
smiles all past , tlieir songs all silenced :
the curtain fallen forever on their charms
and arts.
Even the music is forgotten that In
spired them another sign of the chuiigo
that has come ever Now York. For 'tis '
not only tlio stage , and the style of the
music , but the people and their manners
that are different. The fashion has
passed away , i'et who that know the
old lifo at tfm academy of music but ro-
g rets the delightful house where ovory-
gb ody could see everybody else , whcrotho
I.ADIKS WKUE NOT STUCK
like milliner's figures in a shop window ,
but sat as iu n drawing-room , surrounded
bv tlieir friends ; whore a man could walk
nbout and find a dozen acquaintances as
ho passed ; whore it wai possible lo got
y . . . . ' " > v without peering at a half
illegiblo7am 5. orpcn : : ! ' 1 tliroflnft" ! ! , !
ante-room full of cloaks aim OTtn-lots.
and then perhaps blundering and floun
dering into the company of people you
do not know. Who does out recall the
gay look of the house where you were
near enough to recognize a friend across
the theatre , whore elegant women were
accustomed to sit iu the parquet and bal
cony in opera hr.ts and light colored
cloaks.a costume often as efl'ectlve as full
dress , but which is no longer known , and
which gave the whole audience a bril
liant effect as di lie rent as possible from
the funeral aspect of the tloor of the
Metropolitan.
In those days , too , the pcoplo wore far
bettor known ; not only known to them-
pelves , but distinguished by reputation
and character ; people of mark , whom
any country might be glad to consider its
representatives. Great authors like Han-
croft and Irving , ereat lawyers and
judges , composers lika Fry and Hristow
men of national faints in poliMcs wore as
abundant in New York .societyas in thcso
days they are rare , and all went to the
opera , They oven
M'KXT TO THE nr.UUTV BALL ;
for this was one of tliu events that made
the old academy of music notable , I'eo-
pie then were moro certain of themselves ,
and not' afraid to walk , or even to dance ,
on the lloor of thooiiora Houso. They did
not lind theirtcunttlityHodolicato thatthoy
' must shut it up in boxes where HO ono
could approach save through an ante-
chamber. Now the few who consider
thenuelves somebodies , especially if they
hnvo recently conm to that conclusion ,
ro too much afraid of being jostled by
| ioa who are nobodies.
- Forat no other place does sucle'ty vr ilk
he lloor Uucoliitiuc , atid in dress coaU ,
TJrdLJH
VACANT LOTS CALL ON US
In all LOWEST fart. * of PllIUES the City , , at the. EH REIiL BMII For Jitislncts Property and llcsidcncc ,
1513 Farnam St. 1513 Farnam St.
Have moved their office to 1513 Farnam St. , to the office formerly oc
cupied by Paulsen & Co.
TIPTON PLACE.
This beautiful addition is in the northwest part of the city ; is high and dry , overlooking all of Omaha
and Council Bluffs : is built up all around it ; has good Schools , Churches and Stores within 2 blocks of it , and
is the most desirable Property in the city. Is cheap and is sold on such terms that any one can buy ,
This is a snap. There are only a few lots left and they are all the very best. Come and see them , It
costs nothing ,
I
D
This is the best property in the market for the money. The North
western depot will be located either on this property or very close to it.
Don't let this slip. Lots only $275 to $350 each ; $50 cash , balance $10
per month.
Remember the Change of Location. 1513 Farnam St.
* cr j /
Three lots near tiainidcru St. , Three loin In Jlcacrvoir add ,
Itnllenoufli of I'lalnvletv , only cheap ; only . $20O casJt on cadi
$ I-iOO caali ; < / / termn. Thin lot , balance cany.
. .
beats body's .sn > .
any /
One cant front lot on I'arlt < tve.
MOTTEll , tit a bargain. MOTTEK ,
. i
1513 Farnam Street. JfJi Farnam St.
side by side with anybody who pays. In
the street , if it walks , society is nuilllcd ,
has on its hats and high bonnets ; at the
theatre or Dclmonico's , though it shares
the amusements of tlio unfashionable ,
and sometimes siis on the same benches
with them , it is passive ; amused , not
amusing ; at church , if it prays by the
side of sinners of another sut , it is , of
course , in separate pews , just as it listens
( or laughs ) at the opera in exclusive
boxes. Uut at n ball you must seem to bo
a part of the crowd ; you movn among
the othcr ; you can't bo told from them
except by the initiated. Yfit oven this
sacritico society once madn to charity.
Now It takes tickets , and if it attends the
ball , it only looks on from the grand tier.
It is true a few fall into the march at
the opening ; that ono may do , and not
lose caste. And how odd it seems ! A
quarter of a century ago some of the
same people were doing the same thing
nc tlio academy of music that they now
do at the Metropolitan. I could tell you
their names ! Hut there are more
TOL'I'EES ANU DALU HEADS
in the procession to-day ; or , perhaps , it is
other heads ; those that wcro grey or bald
then have disappeared altogether , I fear.
The chapcroncs of those times have gone
to their last ball , the social queens have
entered a kingdom not of this world. The
most frolicsome belles "before the war"
are the dowacrors of 1S87 ; it is the dan
cing men that I know who sit in the boxes
and look down ; perhaps they have good
reason.
When I think of the other changes still ;
when I see the crowds of people who have
not only grown up or grown old , but have
como In" and jostled aside tho'se who were
once so important ; when I remember , not
only the belles that are p.issco
and the beaux that are bald ,
but the fortunes that have been
spent , the names that have been forgot
ten though their owners are still alive ;
when I see some who were once socially
powerful , now hnmblo and obscure ; people -
plo who'lorded It ever society and
refused admission to their parties to
some whoso coiirtesis they are now happy
to accept ; charitable courtesies which
they can return only by their presence ,
which still confers a distinction
1 say again. The fashion of
this world passseth away , hook at
the list of the patrons and patron
esses of the charity ball a long scroll of
half-known names by the sulo of a few of
social distinction. Many wcro not on
that list only live years ago ; they wore
not then of consequence enough to bo
txllowt.it to buyb. places with u dozen
tickets. In five years more they will
romnu"r whether they care to bo on the
list at all ; and "m ft decade they will besought
sought after ; it will bo tnujT ffho confer
distinction , In twonty-tivo yo.IVS JOU
can.become of 4told family" in New
York. If your father and mother were
in society , your aristocracy is incontest
able.
Twonty-tivo years ago tlio charity ball
was an event. There were no "assem
" " " "matriarchs"
blies , uo "patriarchs" or
then nobody dreamed of dancing at Del-
monieo's ; there were noothoropportunity
for so line a lloor or so largo an assem
blage , and nearly everybody wont , be
cause it was the only chance in the year
of seeing so many of the fashionable
world together at once , Of course there
was no more beauty then than now ;
there was no smarter gowns ; and , of
coursewhat one sees iu one's youth has a
glamor that lasts across a generation ;
there is always a halo when you look
back. Hut for all this I Insist there was
a distictiou about New York fashion that
has not entirely remained , There were
more mou of Importance to bo seen.
Xow the really
JMl'OUT.VXT ME.X OF NEW VOI1K
are not in society. "Society" is com-
Eoscd. not of people whom society wnntd.
nt of ixioulo who want to be in society ,
There is iniinitelp more wealth anU dis
play , and infinitely less that attracts cul
tivated and rilined ) men anil women.
Tliesuaro thrust asideby the throng , .or
frightened by the impossibility of keep
ing tip .with the show ' , or disgusted wiih
the siice'ess ofvulgar ostentations ; or
they tind so llttlu to interest their tastes
or'ruward th'cir exertions that they keep
aloof , auu society id Lot good company ;
it is a pageant at which those who dance
and dross and dine sumptuously congre
gate for their own purposes.
There are , indeed , as main charming
people scattered about New York as else
where , or ever ; but the elements are
rarely crystalized. You lind one inter
esting or distinguished man ut this house ,
one fascinating or clever woman at an
other ; scarce any hostess has the art to
bring a room full of them together. Yet
nnvbody who knows Now York can think
of half a dozen women with fortune and
acknowledged position , with wit and cul
ture of their own , who might hayc made
their houses centers of as brilliant a so
ciety as exists anywhere in the world ,
but they have been too timid ; tlioy call it
exclusive , but timid is the word. They
dared not ask those they would have
liked , for fear they themselves might bo
the subject of talk. Hut they nave not
known their own power. Mankind still ,
as in Pope's day , is "born to be con
trolled. " There arc crowds of
IlItlOIIT AND CULTIVATED WOMEN'
in New York society to-day , old habitues
and now comers ; of the Knickerbocker
families , and interlopers equal to any ;
but the bright men arc rare ; they won't
goto teas or to balls , and they don't care
tor a dinner every night , no matter how
sumptuous , unless the company is as
choice as the cuisine , and the talk is as
good as the wino. The result is that
there is no one circle in New York
where every body of decided importance
is sure to bo found. A man of unim
peachable surroundings and acknowl
edged social distinction may be utterly
unknown to another of precisely the
same stamp. Tins situation could not
and docs not exist anywhere else in the
world.
Hut a society that docs not include the
most distinguished people of the neigh
borhood is not "society" in the sense in
which the word is used elsewhere. Those
who give dinners and balls , oven if well
descended , and used to the otiquctto of
fashionable lifo ( which all of them are
not ) , cannot and do not constitutn soci
ety. They may call it so and chronicle
its doings , but it will not bo the good
company of the place until it attracts
not admits , but attracts , people of im
portance other than fashionable ,
AUAM H.vi E.vir.
UEGISTKIl FIENDS.
Men Who Are Always Looking at Ho
tel ItenistcrH.
"What did that man want to find in
this register ? " asked a HEE reporter of
Clerk Davenport of the Millard , yester
day."If
"If you can tell mo I'd like to hear
you , " said the gentleman with the snowy
Blilrt-iront ,
"Ho looked at every name oh ilio last
three pages , " said the scnbo , by way of
explanation.
"Yes , and so do a hundred others every
day , They come to the counter as
if they desired to register , 1 hand them
a pen , and sometimes they do not
know enough to doc line it. They pore
over the pages , as if they wore looking
for some friend or business man , and if I
should ask them , whom they wanted ,
live-sixths would bo unable to tell mo.
This class of people is most numerous
when wo are most hurried. They stand
in the way of guests , assume an Import
ance which ill becomes them , roach for a
tooth pick , turn around and eventually
slink away after they have caused us n.
loss of time , and patience add given great
annoyance to our boua-lide patrons. "
Can consumption be cured ? Yes. Ono
man only , discovered the laws of gravi
tation. Ono man only , discovered ( he
virtue of vaccination. And one man after
years of'study anil reflection , has cliscov-
.ered the cure for consumption. Dr.
J'ierce's "Golden Medical , Discovery" ts
its . specific. _ Sen'd . _ two letter . . . . stamps . _ and
i
* i n ; * .i.i A. jf
get Dr.1'ierce's pamphlet treaties on
consumption. Address , World's Dispen-
eary Mbdival Association , Hullato , N. V ,
"VIVA VERDI ! VIVA VERDI ! "
Triumphant Reception , of the New Opera
"Othello" in Milan.
MAJESTIC AND MASTERLY MUSIC
Superb Scenery Perfect Costumes
and Chorus A. Great Orchestra
Indifferent Cast Unprece
dented Honors.
MILAN , Fob. 0. [ Correspondence of
the HEE. ] The grand opera house of ta
Scala has never before contained an audi
ence that could compare with the ono
that assembled last night in honor of
Verdi's now opera"Othollo. " From pit to
dome the immense auditorium was fillud
with easier faces , sparkling eyes and bril
liant toilettes. The now electric lights
shed an indescribable softness ever par
quet and gallery , and the scene recalled
some fantastic tale of the kings' courts in
the Arabian Nights. Tlio Italian court in
itself afforded a dazzling mass of colors ,
and Queen Marghorita's ladies of honor
and the high-bred Milanese women wcro
covered with jewels , iully an hour before
fore the. curtain arose every scat in the
house was occupied , and tlio light mur
mur of expectant voices coming from
three thousand throats , perfectly audible
yet discreetly indistinct , reminded you
of an enchanted forest on a moonlight
night ; where every leaf and ( lower stirs
to the rhythm of some wandering breeze ;
whcro the million confused sounds of re
dundant nature , freight air and zephyr
with an endless breath of imitative har
mony. No ono was too exalted or too
proud at this greatest of all solemnities ,
to jostle the conhulina on the doorstop ,
the fruit-vendor Verdin-
or - humming a -
ian measure under the portico of La
Scala ; all were frantic to bo seated before
the curtain went tip. Pride of rank ,
birth or position gave w.\y before the
universal homage which Italy still cows
in perennial laurel at the feet of her great
composer.
BOITO'S I.1WIETTO.
Franco Fuccio's appearance in the con
ductor's chair , which ho has filled so long
and so well , was a signal for thunders 01
applause. Tlio orchestra at once struck
tip a few glorious chords representing a
tempest , which was followed by an In
stantaneous rise of the curtain. Hoito
begins his libretto with the second act of
Shakespeare's "Othello. " The scenes are
laid in a maritime city of Cyprus , and
afterwards in Venice , i must first speak
of the Italian's pojt's work , to which
Yorii nas wriUenjsuch sublime measures.
Arrigo iioito is gifted in "arts , niuaJfl and
verse. Ho has laid a hand upon the im
mortal bard's work , which placed by an
other man than he , might have boon
heavy with sacrilegious weight. Hoito
has transposed , added to , and do not
start in some ways adorned the play of
"Uthcllo. " Ho has done what no ono else
has yet done : ho has made a study from
our classic which , while not absolutely
Shakespearean , puts the English poet in
u still newer light. The enormous dllll-
culty of miming an operatic libretto from
n play , is in it so If an almost insurmount
able obstacle. What to retain , what to
reject , what will lend itself to the con-
tines of a musical space , what cannot ba
compressed within the limits of musical
expression , are considerations weighty
enough in themselves to paralyze the
most facile pen or imagination.
THE FIIIST ACT.
Hoito began to think of his "Othello"
fifteen years ugo. Six yers ago ho sat
down and In as many months wrote and
completed his libretto. It Hews with tlio
limpidity which tranquillizes waters ruf
fled by the wildest btorm , and retlects the
light which wo see on' the wave lately
freed from the blackness tlw hurricane.
The opening scene on { ho island of Cy
prus presents lagolloijerigo , and Cassio.
A chorus sings a hymn of victory , rejoic
ing .that Othello and his : .ships have been
saved from Turk and tempest ; a briudUi
by lago represents the Moor's wish that
the city rojoicr. "Every man takes on a
merry mood ; some begin to dance , some
to make bonlirns. and each man goes
to what sport and revels his addition
leads him. " Cassio and Montana take
thcso instructions literally , and the duel
follows. Montana wounded , Othello ar
rives. Cassio delivers up iiis sword , and
the people disperse. Dcsdemona appears ,
and a tender love duet finishes the lirst
act.
act.It
It will bo scon that Hoito , in cutting tlio
first act of Shakespeare's play , by sup
pressing Dosdcmona's appearance before
the senate and transposing the duel
scene , brings heron at the moment when
calm must follow the storm. Instead of
two almost nondescript apparitions , we
have one , which , by its present arrange
ment , is the climax of the act , and , philo
sophically considered , the veritable situa
tion for such a climax. As a piece of
dramatic writing , I have never scon its
equal in intensity. One situation follows
another with such headlong rush that I
can only think of the arrows Shot from a
bow.
OKAND SI.NVtlXft.
In the second act , we have logo's solo
and great scene , with a short speaking
duet for Cassio and lago , Djsdomona is
scon at thn back of tiie stage receiving
gifts from women and children who are
singing a chorus that forms a most orig
inal accompaniment to a duct with lago
and Othello , both of whom stand well to
the front. The chorus finished , De.sde-
mona comes forward to solicit Cassio's
return to the Moor's favor ; a qtini lotto
follows , and the act ends with a grand
duct between Othello and lago.
Act third is where wo have most of
Hoito's changes from the original text.
Ho has written a trio for Cassio , Othello
and lago , called the handkerchief trio ,
so admirable in form and poetry that it
fits the English bard's play as a glova
fits the hand ; then follows a duct between
Diisdemona and her lord ; and ono. moro
terrible for lago and Othello , then comes
the finale of the third act , which , in spite
of its force , cannot help shocking tlio
Anglo-Saxon worshiuper at Shake
speare's shrine. We Know that Othello
was a Moor and a brute , but wo cannot
imagine that ho would have done what
Hoito makes him do , The senators ar
rive and announce now honors for
Othollo and also his required departure
for Venice. Othello , worked up to the
snpromest heights of jealousy In the pre
ceding duet with lago , breaks forth into
a paroxysm of passion unknown oven to
Shakespeare's here , Desdomona comes
forward and begs to bo allowed to ac
company her lord ; she again almost im
prudently pleads Cassio's cause , when
before court , senate and populace ,
Othello flings her to the ground , scream
ing
"TO EAltTII ANU WEEI' , "
and dealing iier such a blow that the
united UOOglO nuti .forward with one
commingiwt cry"of simmo ami horror , .
While the chorus rages , the Moor , with
bowed head , sits aside , but the quartette
ended ho starts up , and sends oil' the
court , senate , and populace ; seemingly
alone , in n terrible fury , he attempts a
cry for vengeance , when his force for
sakes him , and ho stairgers and falls insensible -
sensible to the floor. At that instant ,
lago who had loitered behind a column
of the peristyle , ru&hcs forth , plants his
heel on tlio Moor's breast ami , with ac
cents of piteous scorn , uiigs in contrast
to the senate's cull for Othollo anil the
people's acclamations to the Lion of Ven
ice , "Look upon him , tiero ! Hero is
your Lion of Venice ! " Thoeurtain falls.
This scene , as 1 have said , is Hoito's
chief innovation , and it seems to mo an
unnecessary one. The orlg'iial ' scene is
itself terrible enough to give the world
an idea of Othello's character. This
added expression of brtitalitv strikes the
lirst really discordant notot > f exaggera
tion in an otherwise extraordinary li
bretto
The fourth act is fairly traditional.
The Moor kills his wife , but spares Jago ,
for the traitor flees ; with a scornful ,
"Never ! Ah ! AIM'.on his perjured lipa ,
while the Moor ends an existence that
has never known peace.
Verdi's music , throughout the whole o {
the first ucr , la ot majesty , nobility ,
power and inspiration which ho has
never before surpassed , perhaps never
before equaled. The orchestration for
the tempest chorus , the chorus itself , the
brindisi and the duet parlanti or vocal
speaking , form ono succession of sub
lime pages , rich , not alone in genius and
style , but fraught with that superior ex
cellence of technique which the me
chanic's hand , after years of practice
alone , knows how practically to set forth.
Verdi knows what the public wants ; ho
knows how to touch
TIII : runuc IIEAKT ;
he knows every musical variety of light ,
shade , and effect to the nicety of a hair ,
and to the nicety of a hair weighs them.
Perhaps in "Othello" he has shown less
respect for the feeling of the public than
ever before. Divine bars of melody are
cut by so-called philosophical breaks ;
surprise follows delight , and incredulity
succeeds desiro. Verdi has not sacrificed
Verdi as ho has so often done. Verdi re
mains Verdi ; an Italian and a composer
who , in snito of innovation , temptation ,
and revolution in modern music , has
written a work intensely Italian , and an
opera which only an Italian could write.
I began by speaking of the first act , but
the same power aiulinspiration is visible
throughout tlio whole opera.
As for a technical description of the
music , why need I tell you that an irre
sistible torrent of chromatic scales and
groups of three and four describe the
tempest ; that lago sines a brindisi in I )
minor , or Othello an air in A flat ; that
Desdemona's tears and laments flow in E
natural , with harp accompaniment , or
that Othello's rugo and crime , again in A
Hat , are preceded by passage for the
contrc-basso unique in the philosophy of
musical composition ? When 1 say that
from the beginning to the end Verdi has
written four acts of grand anil extraor
dinary music , you will know that a vocab
ulary moro or' Jess of sot phrases can no
moro enhance the value of any opinion ,
than it could depict your appreciation of
Verdi's masterpiece. No word picture
can adequately describe the ingenious
work ; no words can portray the enthu
siasm It excited , nor the ovations it won
for its composer.
A IILEATIXO TEXOIt
Tamagno , the tenor , looked and acted
Othello , but ho did not sing ; ho bloated.
Desdomona has never been a favorite of
mine in history , and the present expo
nent of the role suggested to mo all my
thousand unavenged wrongs laid at the
door of Hrabantio's daughter. Mine.
Pantaleoni is an excellent person , but us
Desdomona she ought to have been
smothered the night before , nt the drp.ss
rehearsal. Her voice is naturally line
and dramatic , but she has no morn
knowledge of the pure art of singing
than I have of the real science of astro
nomy. She has a vlla omission of Voice
in the medium open notes ; the upper
notes are clear , but rarely in tune. TI ; 1
lovely musio assigned to Othollo's wife
must have splcaUI'l ' resisting powers not
to liuvo liilloh Jlal in her imnus , or throat ,
In appearance , iMmo. Pantaleoni is like
wise unfortunate ; gho is short , slightly
cross-eyed , and of a physical plainness ,
which dwarfed the already insignificant
Desdcmona. She acted very well in the
lirst and third acts , but not so well in the
last. Of the other singers lot me say
that Polsovitch. as Kinilio , was deserved
ly llOotoiJ ; V' rornarl , as Rodcrigo. was
not important ouou u tu he ! ! ' or hinder
the work- and M. i'aroli as Cassio w : > a
really fair second tenor ; ho , at least ,
know how to sing , but nature evidently
never intended him losing at La Scala.
The ovations to Verdi and H > ito
reached the climax of enthusiasm. Verdi
was presented with a silver album tilled
with tlio autographs and cards of every
citizen in Mil.m. Ho was called out
twenty times , and at the last recalls hats
and handkerchiefs were waved , and the
audience rose in a body. The emotion
was something indescribable , and many
wopt. Verdi's ' carriage was dragged by
citizens to the hotel. lie was toailcd and
surcnaded ; and at five in the morning
crowds were still singing and shrieking
Viva Verdi ! Viva Verdi ! Who shall siy :
that tilts' cry will not re-echo all over the
world ? At s 'cnt.v-fojr tli's stcondcon-
cutr ; may well exclaim Vi-ni , Viili , vjci !
HLANUII. KOOJKYLLT.
SUNDAY NIGHTS IN OUAIU.
Scones in The Various Dance Hails of th
Oil/ ,
THE PEOPLE WHO GO THERE.
A Motley ThroiiR ntut How It I * Com
posed Ijiquld KorrcBliincnlH
Tlio TOHKMS Avho co Tlicro
to Flfilit Sconce ,
The Sundny Ounces.
A nocturnal visit to the numerous Sim-
day dance halls in this city would dis
close tlio fact that however well the Sab
bath day may bo observed in Omaha , the
Sabbath night is not as rigorously re
garded as strlet Puritan ideas would re
quire.
There are thrco or four of thcso dance
halls in this city , all of which throw their
doors open to the public on Sunday
night. Ono of the most largely patron
ized is a halt In the southern part of the
city , several blocks bcfow the Thirteenth
street bridgo. Promptly-lit eight o'clock
the music strikes up in this resort. The
crowds of men and women , boys and girls
begin to tlock in. In a very few momenta
the initial waitis commenced by the or
chestra , which is composed of a violin or
two , a cornet , clarionet and bass viol. The
foot begin to tly , and it is not long before
the lloor is full of a jostling , jolting , but
merry throng ot dancers. A polka or a
sclm ttische succeeds the waltz , then a
square dance and soon. The ripple , la
counts , varsoviunno , waltz-quadrillo ,
make up n programme which keeps tliq
crowds busy until after midnight.
All kinds of people can be s.ecn tripping - *
ping on the lloor of this hall. There is
the staid laboring man of Swedish , Dan
ish or German nationality , who ib there.
CL'gularly every Sunday night with tliu
healthy , rosy-cheeked damsel , upon
whom , as his best girl , he lavishes his af
fection. Dancing in tlio samosct with him ,
perhaps , is a gambler , who has left the
faro-table long enough to enjoy the
pleasures of the evening , with a lemulo
friend. Opposite him you can spy the
bnuvnv form of a man who can tie seen
any day in the week driving a coal
wagon. A giddy youth who soils calico
in a Fnrnam .street dry goods store com
pletes the male port'on of the set. All
classes of laboring men , hack drivers ,
cab drivers , coal heavers , gamblers , bar-
lenders , dry goods clerks , servant girls ,
waitresses , and women whoso reputation
will not stand a critical test , jostle to
gether in the heterogeneous throng. By
no moans are the dancers conlinud lo tliu
lower classes. Quito occasionally yon can
see gliding through the crowd a young
man who belongs to good "sassiety , "
and witli whom the bust young ladies ol
Omaha ans proud to share thcplcuMirn of
a waitHe ! has thrown cares and con
ventionalities to the winds , and is enjoy
ing a "night out. "
Dancing is by no means the only pleas
ure enjoyed hero. On either side of the
main platform isa long.narrow platform ,
on which are placed tables. Around these
are seated the thirsty , quailing beer , wiuo
or something stronger. White aproned
waiters ily hither and thither , and during
the intermissions between tlio dances are
kept tremendously busy answering the
calls that are made upon them. ThougU
twenty-live cents admission is charged'
for every man that enters the hall , it is'
said the larger portion of revenue front.
these dances comes from tliu sale of/
liquor.
About ton or cloven o'clock the crowdh
grows hilarious , and then a now feature
of the evening's fun is developed. The
lighting begins. There are usually hi' '
the crowd several specimens of the ,
Omaha tough who would rather light ; " '
than cat a square meal. Several classes
of boor and a rual or imaginary griov-i
ancc are suUicient to sot his lists lo work
ing upoit the countenance of his oppon
ent. For a few moments tliu socno is a
chaotic mixture of blood , black eyes , .
broken noses , .sulphurous profanity "antr
'
Hying beer glasses. A dozen men o'n ono
side and a dozen on the other are tug
ging away in an attempt to part the
pugilists. The police come to tlio rescue ,
work their clubs handily for a few mo
ments , and then the lighters are carried'
bruised and bleeding , oil' to jail. Several
ollicers are kept on hand for such emer
gencies , and manage to preserve very
fair order.
Another dance hall , almost opposite
this one , is the J3ohemian hall. Hero on ?
Sunday nights tlio people of this nation
ality , young and old , enjoy tlicniEelvcHj
to the music of a fiddle , bass viol a net !
cornet. This hall is not nearly as largo
as the other ono , and its patrons are al
most entirely limited to the Bohemians.
"Hour on the side , " with a light or two
now and then , adds to the evening's on-
tertaimcnt.
There is another hall also in the south
ern part of the city which is a very pop
ular Sunday night resort , especially for
Germans. From eight o'clock"until after
midnight the pleasures of the dance are
enjoyed , to the music of a really good
orchestra. These dances are attended
for the most part by the Germans , al
though a dancer of the Swodisli or Dan
ish nationality may occasionally be seen
gliding through the crowd. IJocr and
wino dispensed during the intervals he-
twecn tin ; dance-numbers , serve to keep
the throng in a happy mood.
The crowds which attend these differ
ent dance halls are madu up of suhstun *
ti.illy the flame elements. The women ,
for the most part are rcspoutablo , though
several notoriously fast characters are
always to bo Been in the crowd of dancers
or spectators. It must bo said that n > any
of the dancerri are young girls scarcely
in their teens , whose morals , alack1 are
as loose as their parental restraint. And
it is by no moans an uncommon sight to
find small misses of seven , eight or ton
years of age dancing nt these places. To
what extent these children must be in-
llutmccd by such contaminating associa
tions , let the monilixing reader deter
mine.
ODDS ANI > ENDS.
_ _ _ _ _ * <
Stray I cnveu From a Iluportor'B Note
lloolr ,
"Well , when in the name of all that is
celestial , are you going to die ? " iibkcd
A. I ) , Jones of John M. Clark , two days
ago.
ago.Mr
Mr , Jones is seventy-four , and Mr.
Clark soventy-nlno yearn of age.
' You are live years older than J am ,
and yet you don't use a cano. It is you
who ought to have this stick of mint' and
I ought to be running even more lively
than you are. Hut 1 ain't. "
"Thank you , I Uou't want your cano
until I got to bf > an old man , " laughingly
retorted Mr. ( JlarK ,
"I have just made my will , " said Judge
Neville yesterday to W. li. Jjams , clerk
of the district court. " 1 leal J am got- ,
tint ; old , and now I would like to gut
two or thrco young men \o \ witness it "
"Then lot mo suggest ono of the young
men. " said Mr. Ijams , ,
"Ceitainly , " replied the judge.
"Siiipoau | you select John M. 'Clark1
Thu judge laughed heartily , t-eeing im
mediately the point of Mr. Ijams' sug
gestion. 'Mr Clark , though within ten
days of being suvonty.-nliiu years ot
is. one of the youngest men of his
iu the couutiry.
