Nebraska Newspapers

    THE O7\l \ AHA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY , MAY 28 , 18W ) . 13
J * AMUSEMENTS.
As though fully appreciating the fact that
last week was to bo the closing one of the
now past theatrical season of S8-99 , local
patrons ct the play-houso crowded Boyd's
theater at every ono of the five performances
glveu there and this , too , despite the fact
that the weather durln'g the last four per
formances was extremely torrid and the the
ater about the most uncomfortable swcatbox
that could bo found any pFacc.
But , as Manager Burgess say : "Qlvo
Omaha people the class of attractions they
want ami they will crowd the theater no
matter what the price or weather conditions
may be " If anyone doubts this fact they
need only to have their attention called to
the Mansfield engagement last Tuesday
night , during which Omaha thcater-goors
made a record which stamps this city at
fircsent ns ono of the best theatrical towns
for Its size In the west.
During his entire career Mr. Mansfleld has
never before played to so largo a house. Of
course the presence of Admiral Schlcy at the
performance of ' 'Cyrano" lent additional nt-
traotlvencsa to It and doubtless drew many
who otherwise wouM not have been there.
Hut even though this popular naval hero had
not been present , It Is almost certain that
the theater would have been nearly as well
filled , for while there were many who went
merely out of curiosity to see Schley , there
vvcio ns many regular theater-goers moro
anxious to ECO the play and Mansfield who
could not gain admission. The exact amount
of money taken In nt the box office was
$2,961.60. Allowing that the presence of
Schlcy drew $500 of this amount which Is
doubti'css much moro than ho did this
would leave the receipts close to $2,500 ,
which at that would be moro than the great
nctor has ever taken In at any ono per-
formancu during his theatrical career. These
facts should put a quietus on some of the
managers of mediocre attractions that visit
this city , play to small houses and then
ndvcrtlso the fact broadcast about the coun
try that Omaha as a theatrical town Is "a
dead one , " thus causing many of the man
agers of larger attractions to think twlco
before coming here.
The receipts of the engagement of the Bos-
tontans , whllo in no way record-breakers ,
% ere exceptionally largo for this season of
the year and had their annual visit been
made a month earlier they would doubtless
liave played to the capacity of the theater.
OmabaiiB have at last scon what the ma
jority of critics terra the literary nnd dra
I * matic gem of the century , "Cyrano de Ber-
gornc , " produced by Mansfleld himself , and
bavo thereby been enabled to Judge of Its
raerltd for themselves. Its literary merits
are palpably , though never aggressively , In
evidence. The cadcnco of the dramatic
poem strikes the car occasionally and
sometimes there Is a seemingly accidental
rhyme. But the inteicst of the story Is so
engrossing , the spectacle Is so magnlllcent ,
the flow Is so natural nnd Mi. Mansfield
and his well trained associates read with
Buoh subtle appreciation of the real un
derlying valuei , that fact dominates form
and the car forgets that It Is lulled by po
etry , though poetry contributes much to
( bo charm of the Mansfield Cyrano. Thu
translation used by Mr. Mansfield Is the
work of Howard Thaycr Klngsbury , an
American. The nctor has accepted , with a
few major and several minor changes , the
translator's text. Yet It seems to be the
daring pen of Mansfleld that has given this
play In Unglls'i the final charm and the tom-
pcrmcntal touch that have confounded the
earlier ciltlca , who Baplently Insisted that
the sentiment of the original could not bo
transplanted. The third and fifth nets are
unchanged , save a few words In the apostrophe
trophe to death nt the end. The ballad of
the duel flnds only "hit" substituted for
"thrust. " The rcclpo for almond cream
tarts , the nose speech nnd nearly all the
scene on the battlefield before Arras ore
spoken ns In the book. The main changes
nre In Cjrano's speeches In the first , second
end nnd fourth acts. Hero wo find frequent
rhyme nnd always In some line that Is
sppken by Cyrano himself. This Is artful ,
nnd n moment's thought will demonstrate
how logical It Is also. Cyrano was a poet ,
even an Improvlsor. The extremes of dog
gerel and epic Hero spontaneous with him.
Such men are uncommon now. They were
not uncommon In the clays of Richelieu ,
Mollore and Cyrano. The troubadours had
passed , but In their wnke came the starving
rhymesters of the wine and pastry shops.
The swordsman scored his point with his
steel , the pool with his tongue's wit. It
was ns the knight of the nose said :
And well I hope that 1 may die some nlpht
Upon ( ho field of gtoiy. not the sick lied ,
With point In heart , but also point In head.
i So Mansfield has given three occasional
4. rhyming lines to Cyrano , especially where
* * * they make the point , nnd sometimes to
Itagnencan , who Is a poetaster , but to no
others. Ho\v ably ho has accomplished his
rather hazardous purpose Is realized In the
added thilll Insplied by the lines that conclude -
cludo the flno "No , thank you , " speech In
the second act :
In short , scorning- be the clinging1 vine ,
When you nre neither oak nor made of
stone ,
Ollmb not so high , perhaps , but all alone.
Reverting to this thought In blank verso
or to the prose edition , It appears that Mans-
flfld'n chrlco of words In the only choice
possible
U may bo suggested also that the point
of wit is not Mr Mansfield's only motive
for the changes he makes U Is a matter
of the selection of words not alone for sense ,
but for combined sense and enunciation.
Certain words end a sentence weakly They
do not carry distinctly and oftentimes Im
pede the tongue. No ono realizes so well
as the practical , careful , ( linking actor the
Importance r.f selection In words that nro
to be spoken. The rugged , robust , braggart
nlde of Cyrano U artistically disclosed In
the tonal qualities of the words that Mans
field cmplovcs. It Is this graphic sound
quality that makes the actor's version of
the Introduction of the Gascon cadets In the
second act a tour do force that hardly has
Its equal In dramatic literature. Thus , It
ought to be emphasized that Mansfield's
pen , vUth only a few strokes , has wrought
wonders , though an amended Klngsbury
text would possibly show fewer changes
than one word to the page , taking the book
through.
The play Is eloquent and witty. Its graces
of literary expression are conspicuous nnd Its
dominant character , In n peculiarly dramatic
sense , Is a brilliant , whimsical , cynical and
captivating conception. But when one
comes to vlow It ns a whole on the stage ,
even the tyro may perceive Its defects ,
some of the more assertive of which aie
disproportion of words to action , the wild
Improbability of the fable and the presence
of great numbers of superfluous and more
or less confusing characters However ,
these things nre Insignificant when one con
trasts them with the glittering pageantry
of the production , the acting of Mr. Mansfield -
field , the ennobling Influence of Cyrano's
great net of renunciation , the refreshment
that poetry affords and the Intellectual
pleasure that is derived from contemplating
so wide a dcpartuie from the tiresome con
ventionalities of the stage. No ono can
doubt the extraordinary skill of the poet
in setting before the people his Ideal Cyrano
and In perfectly reconciling his heroic nature
and his deeper nobility with his extravagant
eccentricities nnd his swashbuckling man
ner. This Is sufficiently proved by the
sympathy for nnd with him , despite his
grotesque exterior , and In that light ono
cannot " bo at a loss to apprehend the reason
of "Roxano's adoration of the soul that In
suffering all things suffers nothing.
In trying to arrive at an accurate view of
the character of Cyrano , one may not Inaptly
refer to the able French critic , who esti
mates him as a hothead and a hero ; a lu
natic and brave through every test ; Intrepid
and devoted , who never flghts for his own
Interests ; a true artist and a true man of
arms younger brother of Don Quixote.
Finally , ho Is nn exquisite soul In a some
what neglected covering , which has one
ridiculous point the nose , the afflicting
protuberance , along which ho cannot , or will
not , let run a single tear through fear of
making sacred tears ridiculous , Cyrano ap
pears brusquely in the midst of the crowd ;
ho Is the devil ; he rails , he commands , ho
lights and dispatches In cadence a young
fop whoso accomplishments concern him but
little. From this moment one loves him for
his gaiety , as one feels they shall
love him for bis generosity and his
kindliness. Then there Is Cyrano , the never
ceasing lender of love , of eloquence , of
courage and lender without any particular
motive , who , In a delicious scene , obtains
for Christian the coveted treasure a kiss
from the object of his adoration. In a word ,
"Cyrano de Bergerac" Is a luring poem of
self-abnegation and the highest courage , two
virtues which in the theater never cease to
make those marvel who are least capable of
practicing them. Ono French critic de
scribes him as brimful of cleverness , but
mad , commanding admiration , yet grotesque ,
a caricature and a hero ; ho Is the form and
feature of tragl-comcdy.
Cyrano Is practically the play. It Is with
him , therefore , that people are chiefly con
cerned. He seems to have a natural accord
with the splenetic Mansfield temperament ,
and while there are In Mr. Mansfield's Im
personation moments of seeming careless
ness , there are liberally compensating
quarter hours during which he moves bis
audiences to admiration and sympathy. Ho
has seldom. If ever , exhibited hero a finer
achievement than his masteily treatment of
the balcony scene In act third , not only In
his reading of the speeches addressed to
Roxane , under cover of the night , but in
his weird and strangely musical chanting
of the llction about bis flight to the moon.
The felicity with which ho conveys the
moro dellcato meanings of the character is
not thu least Interesting study in his Cy
rano. For example , when Roxano's admira
tion for Cyrano's prowees In routing a bun
dled enemies flnds expression In some
phrase of enthusiasm , Cyrano ( having Just
made his wonderful sacrifice ) replies with
subtle significance , "I have since done bet
ter. " It Is by such touches that Mansfield's
Intellectual superiority Is attested and the
perfect command of his resources Is ex
emplified In the sudden transitions from
phrase to phrase of Cyrano's many-sided
character. There are but a few other char
acters in the play that excite even a meas
urable degree of Interest and in each case
these were played Tuesday night with
When You're ' Lost in Thought
It is exasperating to be in
terrupted in your reverie
by some silly billy who
wants to know what you
wore thinking about. Per
haps you were thinking
about buying a nice , new
\ Lamp for Your Wheel
One of those Solars , Solitaire -
taire or 20th Century
either are good and at
the price wo sell them you can't afford to be without one.
75c TO $5.00
When you come down to look at a lamp you may "get
stuck" on ono of our ' 99 wheels. We'll take pleasure
in explaining the details of any of the followin
Andrea , $20. Crawford , $30.
Olive $35 , Monarch , $40 ,
Barnes $40 , Pathfinder $22.50
WHEN YOU GET READY
BUY A. HALL'S SAFE ,
None better made in the world. We're
iho agents for these safes. We also sell
the Jowott and Williams Typewriters.
They are not in the trust.
;
Tel , 353 , J. J. DERICHT & , CO. , 1116 Farnam
noteworthy klll nnd fidelity nnd wlih a do-
| Rrco of flnhh that Indicated long training
and Intellectual grasp of opportunities by
their different Interpreters.
The Trccafiero will enter upon the third
week of Its season this afternoon with every
I prospect bright for a continuation of the
i excellent business that marked the opening
week. This theater has overjthlng In Us
favor for a successful summer theater It Is
n coot place , hns a spacious summer garden
i ndjolnlni ; It , and refreshments arc served to
| the audience. Manager Cole has made the
follo'wlng colfectlon of acts for this week :
The Mldglcys present what Is said to bo anew
now and original comedy sketch , which
comes to the Troondero from Keith's New
York theater. Kecly and Vloletto have been
tren In Omaha before On their last \lslt
both press and public endorsed them. Their
repertoire of songs nnd their act hiuo under
gone an entire change. It was this team
which popularized "My Honolulu Queen "
The three Ornyson sisters nre known ns the
"rag time glrh " Their act Is a black fnco
ono nnd Is n rollicking , happjgolucky Jumble -
blo of negro dittos of the day and negro com
icalities. The girls but recently closed a very
successful season with Hoyt's "A Milk Whlto
Flag" company.
Wcrntz and Adalr nro comedy acrobats
and head balancers. They nre said to be
among the foremost In their line , partic
ularly In balancing.
The Klectrcs nre musical artists of well
sustained reputation. They nre said to do
a clever refined musical specialty without
the horse play and alleged humor which arc
the tiresome accompaniment of the major
ity of musical nets Pascatcl Is known as
the "limber nondescript. " He Is the only
contortionist that makes a double disloca
tion of his shoulders , both forward and
backward.
Beginning with this afternoon , the man
agement of the Crclghton Orp-houtn will
picscnt the first of Its summer vaudeville
entertainments. Since the decision wnn
reached to keep the house open throughout
the summer season , the general representa
tives of the Orpheum circuit have nccn
hustling to secure the most prominent at
tractions of a vaudeville character. This
afternoon will witness the Initial appearance
of the European mnnol , Taclanu , who Is said
to bo the most wonderful female Impeinon-
ator In thn world. Whlln a European star
Is the hcadllnor , the bill will not bo lacking
In stars of domestic manufacture. Janet
Melville and Kvle Stetson are to appear.
They will present a medley of tropical songs
nnd dialect Imitations. A comedy with a
rustic theme , entitled "Grasping an Oppor
tunity. " Is to be presented by Will M.
Creesy nnd Blanche Dayne. Both artists
wore for several years associated with Den-
man Thompson In the production of "Tho
Old Homestead , " Mr. Cressy creating the
part of Cy Prime and Miss Dayno that of
Rickety Ann. The Nichols sisters \\111 pro-
oant n black-faco specialty. They were
lately a feature of the Havcrly minstrel
otganlzatlon and their specialty is said to
bo very effective. The Rio brothers will do
tricks on the Spanish rings , while Knox
Wilson , late of the "Boy Wanted" company ,
will give his musical Dutch comedy act ,
which Is eald to be Inimitable and a great
mirth provokcr.
Ono might continue talking about "Cyrano
do Beigerac" for hours , for It Is a play
which provokes discussion one of the sure
signs of greatness , by the way. In a drama.
There will prob.ibly bo people who will con
tend that It is the greatest pray over writ
ten and there will doubtless bo just as many
who will Insist that it Is simply rubbish.
The truth , however , lies somewhere near the
following statement- The play contains a
beautiful story , vell worked out In poetic
language and strong dramatic Incident. Mr.
Mansfield's noble production undoubtedly has
had a great deal to do with the play's suc
cess in this country. Without the magnifi
cent scenery , the hlstorlcar costumes , the
splendid stage management and last , but
not least , the illuminating power of Mr.
Mansfield's genius as an actor , I believe the
play would have fallen flat hero where people -
plo are Inclined In any case to gag at ro
mance.
Mansfield strictly adheres to the principle
of never spoiling a good death scene by ap
pearing before the curtain after It Is over
as the character ho portrays. And Tuesday
nlht after the last act , whllo the audience
remained seated , applauding vigorously for
the great actor to come before the curtain ,
he kept them waiting for fully flva minutes ,
during which time he remo\cd his make-up
and stepped before the curtain bowing his
j
acknowledgements as Mansfleld the man ,
rather than Mansfleld the Cvrano. There
are a great many who doubtless look upon
this as a Mansfield eccentricity , but If aero
actors would follow this rule the characters
they portrayed would live longer In the
memory of thelr'audltors. It Is cne of Mans
field's commendable stage traits for which
ho should be given due credit and the time
is not far distant when the majority of the
great actors will bo compelled to follow his
load.
That the Bostonlans still comprise as pop
ular and strong a light opera company as
they were five years ago was proven hero
last week by the paUonage bestowed upon
them. It Incronsed with each performance
and had they lest any of their popularity
the effect would have been the reverse.
The absence of Eugene Cowles , who Is to
day without a doubt the greatest comic
opera basso in the country , from the cast
was , of course , noticeable , but William
Broderlck , who takes his place , Is an experi
enced singer nnd one that Is as acceptable
as a Cowles substitute as any other singer
could possibly be. The addition of Helen
Bertram and Charles Lavln strengthen the
organisation noticeably , for both arc clever
singers The staging of the pieces was
even more elaborate than ever , whllo the
costuming was ns gorgeous ns could bo
asked. In fact , each of the productions
was put on In the same chaiacterlstlc way
that nro all of the attractions that nre un
der the direction of that prince of show
men , Frank L. . Pcrley ,
Manager Cole of the Trocadero has been
j appointed amusement director of fiann
Soucl park , Chicago , and will book all the
vaudeville acts nnd amusement features used
there during the season. 'Mr. ' Cole will hnvo
an ofllce In Chicago nnd will devote half of
leach week to the paik huslnnss Ho was
I Instrumental In joining the park to the
| Burke circuit , to which the Trocadero also
j belongs , The park will bo opened within
I two weeks. It Is located on the south sldo
I of Chicago and covers fifty acres of ground.
I This will now gl\o the Burke circuit a Chicago -
cage cpcnlng und closing for vaudeville acts
] not before possessed
I The man who compiles a dictionary "f' '
mueleal terms which can be used in writing
up reports of musical events und In Issuing
notices for the same will be a benefactor.
There are many words which ha\a been
relegated to the waetc paper basket , having |
served their usefulness , but they of course ] i
| will at some future time be resurrected , I i
I The worst nuisance of the present day , the' '
meet absolutely o\er-worked adjective in the
English language Is the word "gland "
j A concert of any description whatever la
' a "erand" concert. Who ever heard of a
' billiard contest that was not grand ? Grand
boxing bouts are successfully pulled off , oc
casionally Churches have been known to
engage In grand bazaars and grand church
fairs , Tie grandeur of many an occasion
was enhanced by the presence of some one
r other. Grand planre are in order , and
even baby grandi. Grand nvenue Is applied
to man/ streets In thin country And it U
only n matter of time until we will go the
whole way and have real grandees Our
close connection with everything Spanish
will Induce that/
Grand openings of millinery stores , bath
houses , thlrpt parlors and other houses of
commerce nre nlwajs mhertlseil , rallroids
advertise grand canyons nnd grand botcls.
We have even come to that place where v.o
speak of grandfathers and grandmothcis.
"Fine , " "splendid , " "superb" nnd "auspi
cious'1 nre also working overtime. They nto
good adjectives , Indeed , and they have their
place , but would that they could bo re
moved from the flrlnc line and allowed to
rest for a little while In order to recuper
ate ,
Every musical critic nan on his staff the
word "rendered. " It seems Impossible to
secure an adequate substitute. The terms
"produced , " "presented" nnd "pcrfrrmed"
cannot alwajs bo handled to advantage.
"Rendering" a pleco of music Is horribly
suggestive of n lard pall "Executed" Is
suggestive of the fact that the production
was criminal In Its nature. Why not use
electrocuted' That a selection was "given"
Implies n donation , and thin would be nil
very well In Omaha , where musicians arc
unhappy If the people will not accept their
services frco of charge all the time , bit In
other places why not say that Mr Tomltskl
"sold" an exquisite Interpretation of Chopin
at so many dollars per measure ?
"Timbre , " "technique , " "temperament , "
"traditional Interpretation , " nnd kindred
phrases are used with recklessness by many
rash persons who rush in where angels fear
to tread , nnd employ edged tools , which
might some day cut back. These words nro
weighty , and should bo approached with re
spect. There arc three classes of people who
should never use them unmusical musical
critics bc-lng added to the other two which
may be guessed.
When people say a man sings well and
therefore Is a good director. It Is ns foolish
ns to say that when a man plays well ho Is a
good typcwrltlst. Yet It has been said. Per
haps the critic meant that ho directed his
tone well , or pcrchanco he was a good con
ductor of sound ,
Another much-abused word Is "conscien
tious. " A musician said once , and no matter
who It was , "Give mo a slap In the face ,
roast mo to a turn , but for heaven's sake
lon't tcfl me that I am either conscientious ,
worthy , or meritorious. " It Is a left-handed
compliment. It Is like recommending a per
son to the leniency of the Judge , or the sym.
pathy of the public In the name of charity.
It is useful , however , when ono wants to
mention a name and has nothing good to say
about It.
Any one who will furnish a list of good ,
new , wholesome phrases to music critics will
earn the gratitude of the scribes.
One of the finest musical organizations In
: ho country Is the Musical Art Society of
New York , which is under the musical di
rectorship of Frank Damrosch. This society
las given to the people of New York many
exrcllent choial works , which they vvoutd
otherwise not have heard , and the Influence
of the organization has been to build up
choral features , and establish a permanent
and profound Interest In that branch of
music.
In order to a further encouragement the
society now offers a prlzo of $250 for the
) est composition for mixed voices , unaccom
panied , and the following are the conditions :
1. Any ono may compete who has been for
.he past five years or longer a resident of
the United States or Canada.
2. The work shall be sot to English words
of a secular character for a chorus of about
fifty voices.
3. The time of performances should not ex
ceed ten minutes.
1. The compositions offered should be ad
dressed after May 1st , 1SD9 , to the president
of the society , Dr. Frederick E. Hyde , Green
wich , Conn. They will bo submitted to the
three following judges :
Horatio W. Parker , B. J. Lang , the con
ductor of the Musical Art society.
5. The name of the composer Is not to ap
pear and the composition must brnr a sult-
abfa motto. A sealed envelope containing the
composer's name and address , and bearing
on the outside the same motto and a return
address , must accompany the manuscript.
Only the envelope bearing the motto of the
successful composition will bo opened.
6. The composition receiving the prize will
bo porfoimed by the Musical Art society dur
ing the season In which the award Is made.
7. The composer Is to retain all rights of
whatsoever description , In his work , except
that the Musical Art society reserves to
Itself the right to first production.
8. The strictest anonymity will bo ob
served as regards all competitors , and only
the name of too successful composer will be
madepublic. .
9. The jury reserves to itself the right
to reject all compositions offered , if none
come up to the standard set by the alms of
the society. A partial list of the works
already performed by the society -will bo
found In this circular.
10. All competing compositions must bo
In the hands of the president before Septem
ber 1 , 1899.
11. All manuscripts -will be foelrt at the
disposal of the composer after the award
has been made.
The recital to bo given by the pupils of
Dr. and Mme. Baetons 13 timed for
Wednesday evening , May 31 , and Is to be at
the Young Men's Christian association hall ,
i There will bo no admission fee. The program -
gram will bo participated In by Misses
i Bertha Smith , Reglna Bnetens , Estclla
! Burton , Anne Walsch , Josephine Levy ,
I Angle Lynch , Beatrice Hasse , Dora Heimrod ,
Josephine Vandcnborg , Amauda HarMon ,
I Lllllo Bookmoyer , Master Howarl Dobcck
nnd Messrs. Steckelberg , Smith , Prels-
| j man , Chaffee , Woodward , Krotder ,
i Cressoy and Rces. Conspicuous amongst
I ' the numbers to bo played are the
two movements of the second con
certo of Wlonlawskl , which will bo offered by
Guy Wordward ; the 'Martha ' Fantasies , to bo
given by Miss Hasse , the author of the com
position being her teacher , Dr. Baotens ;
i , the Baetcns arrangement of the themes
from the ninth symphony of Beethoven , by
I Mme. Baetcns , Dr. Baetens nnd Miss
neglna. Miss Bon man and Mrs. Woolman
I will afcslst at the recital
Madame Muentefcrlng will give , a recital
at the First Congregational church tomor
! row ( Monday ) evening , beginning promptly
at 7.43. The participants In the evening's
entertainment will bo pupils of the well
Knowu artist and will Include Miss Elsie
and Vera Nojos , Misses Deverell , Lamb ,
Bessie Brady , Marlon Johnson , Ada KIrken-
dull , Helen Thomas , Helimhelmer , Josephine
Daniels , Ruth Weller , Belle Dewey , Susie
Brady , Alice Weller and Rogers and Mrs ,
Fred Wcad. Madame Muenteferlng will play
In several of the duets and two quartets.
Members of Dean Falr'o famous choir In
I
Grand Rapids , Mich , are now with the
"Bostonlans" and will sing the offertory
at Trinity cathedral today at 11 a. m. and
7:45 : p. m. They are MUs Belle Chamber-
lain , contralto , and Mr William Lorlng ,
tenor. Their selections will bo from "St.
Paul" nnd "Creation "
THOMAS J. KELLY ,
n-vrliiniKi' d ! < < > ! In IM ,
CASSEL , II a0"Naisau ! , May SO. At a. banquet -
quet today , given by the municipal council
In celebration of the competition of the
German choral societies. President Seldlltz
read a cable message of greeting from I'reaU
dent Wlcland of the choral societies of Now
York , whereupon three cheers were given
for the German singers across the ocean.
I
II
Risks Taken by Engins Men Who Sleep
While on Duty.
ENGINEER BILL GARDNER'S ' CLOSE CALL
Story of \VrcoU ISnrroirly
on n Dim n Crntle V l.rnxou
tlinl I.nntcil a
Lifetime.
"I have been reading carefully the cvl- .
deneo regarding the terrible accident at
Exeter , Pa. , on the Reading railroad the
other day nnd whllo It Is contradictory , I
believe that the verdict of the coroner's Jiir )
will be that some one of the cmplojes' was
asleep while on duty. "
The speaker was ono of the oldest rail
road engineers In the country , relates the
Washington Post. After twcnlj jcars In
charge of the throttle of n locomotive he
voluntarily resigned to seek other pursuits
not so dangerous or exciting. When the
Pennsylvania railroad was completed to
Plttsburg nearly fifty years ago he took the
second locomotive ovei the Alleghan ) moun
tnlns , with the late Thlmns L. Scott ns his
conductor. At that time the Pennsylvania
ralfroad named all of Its locomotives after
rivers or creeks along the line and this en
gineer was known ns "Billy Gardner of the
Blackleg , " the latter part of the title being
the name of the locomotive nnd the former
the engineer's name. Resuming , the en
gineer said :
"There Is something about railroading
that conduces to sleep It may bo the rum
ble that causes drowsiness , It may bo the
long hours on duty , but In many cases , In
my judgment , It Is the failure of the em
ployes to secuio needed rest when they
have the opportunity. During my twenty
years' experience ns a driver of the Iron
horse I know of hundreds of severe wrecks
duo entirely to some one being 'asleep on
the post of duty. ' Even the responsibility
Imposed on the man would not have the
effect of causing him to keen awake. Some
times It Is the fnuft of the higher officials
In compelling the men to work too long
without sleep. I remember one occasion
dining the first year of the civil war when
nil the members of my crew , Including my
self , were icqiilrcd to work seventy-two
consecutive hours without sleep nnd then
were dismissed because we declined to mnko
another trip before seeking repose. During
that period there were times that the only-
way I could keep awake was to rub tobacco
julco Into my eyes and the pain , of necessity ,
banished slumber for a time. However ,
when the superintendent was told of the
facts leading up to the dismissal he not
only reinstated all those dismissed , but gave
them two weeks' reave of absence with pay.
At the same time the master mechanic , who
made the dismissals , came In for n severe
scoring * at the hands of the superintendent.
TniiKlit Him the I.ONNIMI of Ills Lite.
"But once In my railroad career did I
tutn my engine over to my flreman and go
back to the caboose foi a little rest , and
the narrow escape that 1 then had from n
severe wreck and the killing nnd wounding
of hundreds of bleeping passengers taught
me a. lesson that was never forgotten. The
Incident occurred In Illinois In February ,
1870. At that time I was running an en
gine pulling a fast freight on the Illinois
Central railroad. My flreman was a young
man named Houck , whom I bad Instructed
In all that he knew about railroading. My
health was not of the best at that time , as
I had been nn annual victim of the ague
thit pervades southern Illinois , and my
system was shattered from the 'shakes. ' In
addition , theio was some sickness among
the nembers of my family , with the result
that my nights at homo would be broken
up In looking after the comfort o the loved
ones. Business on the railroad was brisk ,
and there was a heavy passenger traffic clue
to the annual Mardl Gras celebration In
New Orleans.
"On the night In question my train was
running south. I had a five nnd a half foot
Rogers engine and was hauling forty-
loaded cars. Along about 10 o'clock I found
that I could hardly keep my eyes open. The
road ahead of me was clear of trains for
nn hour or more. About the only thing of
Impoitance In view was to meet nnd pass
the Chicago expicss at Makanda , which
was twenty-four miles away. I then yielded
to temptation. Placing my fireman In
charge of the throttle , with the head
brakrmnn to do the firing , I wont back to
the caboose to secure a little rest. I should
not have taken this step If I had not re
posed every confidence In my Ilieman , and
I believed that be was thoroughly compe
tent to run the engine.
"How lone I slept I do not know , but I
awoke with the premonition lh.1t some
thing was wrong As I regained my senses
I realized by the swaying of the train that
it was running much faster than It would
have been had I been In charge of the
throttle. There was a heavy down grade
for five miles to the point where I was to
meet the express , and my first thought was
that wo had struck the grade and gained the
impetus. Springing to my feet I hurried
out the front door of the caboose , and
climbed to the too of the first freight car.
The sight that met my eyes nearly paralyzed
me. There In full vlow I saw the headlight
of the heavily loaded express train waiting
at Makanda for my train to take the side
track and permit It to pass. How I got
over that train to my engine I hardly know.
But I did. Jumping down on the tender
I sprang Into the cab , shut off the throttle
nnd took other means to reduce the momen
tum. I glanced at my flreman. Ho was
sound asleep on the seat ; the head brakeman -
man kept him company on the other side.
I realized that It was utterly Impossible to
stop the speed of the train , and I had
visions of the awful wreck that would fol
low. My engine was making forty miles
an hour , being propelled by the heavily-
laden cars In the rear , and certain destruc
tion seemed to face the express and the
hundreds of sleeping passengers. As the
rules required that I should stop , nnd , after
the head brakeman had opened the switch ,
should pull by the passenger train , theio
Econicd to bo no way to avert the disaster
All these thoughts flew- through my brain
In a twinkling , nnd as I expected to meet
death at my post , I wondered who would j
care for my two boys who would become
orphans.
I'rcHiMit't * of .111 nil .Sin oil Many IMr * .
"Fortunately the siding was a short ono
nnd that fact , coupled with my reputation
ns a caieful engineer , prevented the disaster
at the critical moment nnd saved the lives
of many. The engineer of tlio passenger
train divined fiom the rumble made by my
train that something unusual had happened.
Ho told mo afterwards that ho knew I i
would not have approached that meeting ,
place nt such a late of speed If everything '
was all right. When my train was about
300 yards from the express I saw a man '
run from the engine of the express and j
throw the switch for me. At the same time
I could see by the swinging of a lantern In I
the rear of the express that the switch at the '
other end of the elding had also been
opened. The disaster had been averted
My train dashed onto the sidetrack , past the
express , and then out en the main track
again , at the rate of thirty-five miles an
hour and I could not bring It to a stand
still untir I was more than two miles past
the station. You can Imagine the effect
upon the express If the engineer had not
acted as he did. It Is needless for mo to
add that during the remainder of my ca
reer on the rail I never left my engine
egala In charge of that flreman or any other
Prices Never iKi-Heiened CK.- . seats , ay ? nnd fiOo ( liillorv 10 , "
fii CK.ItcRttliir iiiiitliicoNVodiiosilnv" . Sntiir'
fr * day s and Triilnys any tout Mo. ( ! . .llory . Oc. Chlhi u IWC *
OBOI010BOHOI010HOHOHOKOIOB OBOMQlaiGHOBOBQlOBOHOBOM
fireman. Ono such lesson was enough for
mo. ,
"Naturally , my flreman was much cha
grined over his net , but I never had con-
Idenco In him afterward. lie had been
tried In the balance and found \\antlng.
A few jcars later ho was promoted to bo
in engineer and had been running his en
gine but a short time when It exploded ,
tilling him , his llrcmnn nnd a br.ikcman. "
IUM'AI.TY L'.MIKII UIIAKU.
How fluCrnmicil Il 'ml Arc I'ro-
( reloil from PoMNlltlv Injury.
Guarding the person of a sovereign Is a
matter of some Importance- and nearly
every European ruler has his or her special
jody of guards whoso sole dut > Is to stud >
ho safety of their regal emplojer. In clvl-
bed nations Is this especially the case
when anarchists and plotters of various
< lmls nro the chief enemies to bo feared.
Those who i tile over nations bound up In
unclvilzatlon scarcely need bodj guards ,
nnemuch as even a look may mean death
to n subject when life Is regarded as such
i trifle. In Hurope , says a London paper ,
things nro different , nnd every king or
queen is protected by n certain body of
irmed men. '
The queen is gunided In many ways. To
-Mgin witti , she Is always shadowed by n
special body of detectives , who follow her
about Incognito and set a watch upon every
suspicious person. The real bodyguard of
a British sovereign consists of the Beef
eaters , that venerable corps whose quaint
drcbs attracts the attention of all visitors
to the Tower of London. Henry VII founded
them for this purpose , and they have since
existed as the bodyguard of every sovereign
eign we have had.
When her majesty Is traveling In London
Bho'ls generally accompanied by a squadron
of Hoyal Horse Guards or Life Guards , In
: ho absence of the Beefeaters , who now ful
fill their duties mere In name than anj thing
else , except as keepers of the tower. In the
diamond jubilee procession a guard was
furnished by both British and colonial
tioops.
The czar Is pcitiaps the most dlfllcult per
son to look after In the whole world , owing
to the deep-rooted plots which nro con
stantly being foimed against bis life by
nihilists. His chief bed > suard consists of
n number of Corslcan police , veterans who
lave grown hoaryhcaded In the detective
service. TIoy : nro never engaged by the
Russian court until they have attained a
state of ability far above that usually
cached by n detective , and there Is no
Scotland Yard official who can claim the
uccess achieved by one cf these men. They
ire all Corslcans 'bred ' nnd 'born ' , for the
cunning and craft of the Inhabitants of that
sland are proverbial , and furthermore they
110 said to bo the only people who can
strlko fear Into the heart of the nihilist.
Their work chiefly lies In the kitchen and
lousehold generally ; when he Is traveling
he czar seeks pi election from n special .
orps furnished by the National guard. '
Another crowned head In constant peril Is
ho Sultan Abdul-Hamld. He is , however ,
omen hat comforted by the thought that ho
ins n corps of men , known as Janissaries ,
always about him. They taste his food , and
gunid lila going out and his coming In , even
o examining his bed before ho gets Into U.
'hey nro nothing more than fanatics , with
o great n lust for blood that they will kill
anyone or anything upon the least provoca-
lon , which Is , perhaps , the reason why
heir august master employs them. It Is n
common bajlng In Turkey that anyone who
show.1 ; the slightest sign of madness can
; et Into the Janissaries. Up to about seven
eais ago the sultan always employed Al-
mnlans to guard him , but ono day ho Im
agined that he had cause to doubt their
Idellty , so ho bcnonded some , Imprisoned
liters and sent the rest about their busl-
ess.
The Swiss used to be utilized as guards
) y nearly every sovereign in Europe on
ccount of their fidelity , but now the pope
s the only person who seeks their aid.
Ho ha two bodies of Swiss soldiery on
uty at the Vatican , one in the da > tlme and
lie other at nlsnt.
Tor peculiar methods of being looked after
orhnps the queen of Spain comes llrst ,
ho has no l > od > guard In the daytime un-
ess she Is traveling , when alio is accom
panied by a bodyguard of mounted troops.
At night n special corps , known as the
Montcros do Uaplnosa , guard the palace
from midnight until 7 In the morning , when
they are dlsmlEacd till the same hour the
following night. Ono of these men Is al
ways placed In the corridor outside her bed
room door throughout the silent watches
of the night.
In conclusion the female guardians of the
king of Slam must bo mentioned. They
consist of eighty well-trained amazons ,
diesscd In fantastic garb , some of whom
ahva > s follow his majesty even when he
got-3 In the crounds for a walk. Their
fidelity Is proverbial , and their strength
almost superhuman so much BO that they
can cleave a man In two with one blow
from the long knife they carry In their
girdles.
UfxiiiiK-H Ills .luiiriioj- .
COLORADO Sl'IUNGS , May 27 Admiral
Schloy and party left heio early today fdr
the west In a special train on the Denver &
Rio Grande railroad. They will stop for a
few hours at Glenwood Springs and will re
sume their journey to Salt Lake tonight.
Fain ! ( limrrt'l llclucrit I'lirnicm.
I'lTTSnURO , Kan , May 17 Q C
Weaver , a wealthy merchant ftnd stock
owner of Opolls , was shot and killed hero
today by Charles linker , a prosperous
farmer , the result of family troubles.
W. W. COLE , Lessee and iM r.
Omaha's ' FasliionableVaudeville Theater
Week Commencing
With Matinee.
THIS AFTERNOON.
Vaudevilles choicest collec
tion of stars. A bill of nnlouo nov
elties. The season's strongest , bill.
First time west of Now York ,
THE MIDGLEYS
In a Startllngly Original Comedy Act.
The Clever Farceurs ,
Williams and O'Neal
In Burlesque eccentricities.
'
The "Rag Time Girls. "
3 The Gray son Sisters 3
In their origlual Black Face Singing Spe
cialty.
The Famous Head Balancers nnd Acrobats ,
WERNZ and ADAIR ,
Their equals never BCCH hero.
The Eminent Musical Duo ,
The Limber Nondescript ,
Only man who dislocates his shoulders
will.
Trocadero Challenge Dand nnd Orchestra.
Tree concerts In the garden after every
performance. Refreshments solved.
Prices 25c , 35c , SOc
Art Institute
IN Drawing ,
Painting and USSONS-
A'Dr0eVio.r' ? ? Decorative Work . . ,
llospe AndltoriiTm , 1313 Dougloi.
IIOTHI.S.
THE MILLARD
13th and Douglas St.s. . Omnlin.
-AUISIUCAN AND liUIlOI'EAN I'LAfl- .
* CBNTfiALLY LOCATED.
J. K. HAItlCUL. ifc SO.X. Prop *
The New Victoria
M. BURNETT , Prop.
STB A HI HEAT AND I1ATII
HATES 1.00 to 51.50 per Mar *
UOS-10 Dodao 6t. Between 13tb and Htb.
WHEN OTHERS PAIL
. . .CONSULT. . .
Searles & Searles
OMAHA ,
NEB.
Specialists In
Nervous , GlironicS
Private Diseases
We guarantee to cure all casra curable of
Cntnnli , All Dtteaeet of Hie Kone. Throat , Clint.
.Slmnnc/i / , llnncU anil'Ltier ; Jlydruccle , Varl-
cocde , Sm > liHlt , Gunurrhucil.
Nervous Debility
Middle Aged anil Ola Men
Blood and Skin
a
niors. Teller , Eczema , and llloml I'olsoa , thor
oughly clransrd from the syMrni also \ \ > al < -
nrssof ' Oriraui , liillaratnaliou , Kuptures , I'lles ,
I'lslula , etc.
p--ppi , Throat. LungR , Mrer , Dyipcp&ia
Ddlfll I II and alt bowel a nrt stomach troubles.
I sHIne ( : ivcn careful and special attention
LdUILo for all their many ailment * .
WRITE your trouble ! . If out of the city.
Thousands cured at home by correspondence.
Dr , Searles & Searles , 119 S , 14th St. , Omaha.