The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-29 00:00:00

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MESSRS. COPE, BROTHER, AND CO.'S
ANNUAL ENTERTAINMENT.

- . Messrs., Cope's cigar factory, in Lord Nelson-street,
is an unique institution, and in many respects IS one of
the lions of the town. The spirit and enterprise of the
worthy proprietors have been so far appreciated that
their establishment has now grown to colossal propor-
tions; and it is interesting from the fact that whilst idle
• philanthropists have been feebly lamenting the obstacles
which stand in the Way of the employment of female
labottr, those entrusted with its management haVe; in
true business fashion; practically solved the ,prOblem.
If our information he. correct, fidt legS than 400 girls;
who might dthei4ls6 lie dee.tittitei die able bele to earn
kespectable livelihood in the making of cigars, in the
filling, rolling, and wrapping of which their pliant
fingers are found to be equally dexterous to f''
of the most practiced -- - "lUS"
nommen, TO MOO them thus
...ployett, congregated together in one. immense -*mit-
min, is a sight fid easily fbfgotten aid there 'afe
Warty indicaticals of the ,idniost Vatefrial each With which
ihe,propilettlig ttteli eoth foi4,
heis. (hie of the latest inoveiii:).fits,hil tbiis ditoctito as
eqn the establishment Cf. a . music claff,r, under the
• intAttCtioil of„ Mr: Itasksoh; it the AoGiieert-idll,l.ncl
which, we believe,' nurrebers auodt 1.3111
every Christmas a grand entertainment is given by the
and this annual reunion, to
firm to:all ttleiremp:(7l.:;
which only the special friends of the proprietors are
invited, has hitherto been conducted with such liberality
afid tate; as to thro* into the shade and totally surpass
all other festivities of a like ,thatacter. The batons of
old, as -We learn ,by our 1344 made then- retaiqrs
" blithe and gay," once a dear at gast and nhvi
' fetidalisin is happily
,dead; it, is pieasing•te ..olprkt.# how
generally the employers of , labour are .beginning to
acknowledge the mutuality of the tie which blerids,their.
i,pterestis ,with thellhaPPioessi ant}, welfareecxthos9,•
whypi,iley are itinnediateliesiirreihided: Messrs. Cope'-s
annual aeitee took place last night, and so excellent
were the arrangements, and such the infinite variety of
the entertainment provided, that a happier party per-
haps never assembled. The company numbered nearly
MO, arid the proceedings, which commenced at nine
o'clock-icoilld.sWelte hyptight to a termination before
eitjit o'clock this Morning:
The ditettaiiiment as usual was agreeably diversified,
and consisted of a ball, concert, scenes in the circle, and
"a grand dramatic performance." At nine o'clock the
eon:wally began to pour in, and to keep off the, outsiders
who usually congregate.* multitudes on these, Occasions,
Co*efed testibule, footed with ,tatpet cloth; and
eitending,.. genii ~the thiptirayi to ,theititerh-sterie, had
be4n provided for the receptpri Of guestP; This has
Vept by foui polleenibh j and the visitor on entering
was dismayed to find that the huge work-rooms had
been stripped as if by magic of all their trade paii-
phernalia, and decorated in a style of unusual Magni-
fieeliee iti -lietictit of the occasion,. A crimson' clOth
Yvai spread the the walls *ere.
• - • . ,t
Orilehel flaws fad evergecii ClefiCes,; ti.,ftM, little
tlielit6 had t•ellid fitted do, *itii wellLelecated's(iefies
ana every accessory which art could supply ; and the
pleasing transformation which had.been effected was in
every sense complete. It will be sufficient, perhaps, if
we state that the decorations. had been drawn from the
resources of Compton House, and that taste and tact
were exhibited eVetyt4itere4 -
Mr. Martin's large and excellent °MU-
pied the orchestra, and played during the ,evening a
selection of the newest dance music,of,the day.: Some
of the pieeel were cipitenoiT,Andi,hadfbeen,wrigen for
the Occasien,, three of .than ben4, the compesitioniof Mr,
Frank Musgrave, late df the ThOatre Royal, and now
of the Strand Theatre in London. These Were the
"Fairy Queen Schottisch," the "Pantomime Polka,"
and the "Harlequin Galop." They embodied for smart-
hefts and vivacity the very spirit of the season, and were
ir.ett t Lgeiiesally adtiiited: We understand that Mr.
ini,th' of Lerd-Stfeet; apart giating their merits has
date 'lliritigelents tor publishing them, On itie st of
January, at a very low price ; and we have no doubt
that- tuey will soon attain celebrity. A new galop,
"The Prairie," by Mr. Martin, was also introduced, and.
appeared to meet a merry appreciation from the dancers.
After a quadrille 3 polka, ?ie., had been, gone thkeb.gh,
the break was filled up by a song front the Members of
the music class. Connected with the establiShment, in
which they were led by their tutor, Mr. Lawson. Some
of the girls who sang the solo parts have really beautiful
voices, and the choir gave evidence of careful and
assiduous practice. Again,-carpe the daPee; and
.as the
tired waltzers rested theniselies, Arthur Fornian, the
flutina player, 3+60 tunes are so faniilidt tO.tbelars pf
the Wandering riblipprolll his little eoCteyritiee lute the
*ll " with his usual ability he plays an
Liz •
upera or an old English melody, and receives loud
applause from an appreciating audience. This clever
performer must be familar to many of our readers ; as
he is generally to be found behind carts or in some out-
of-the-way corner in the neighbourhood of Clayton-
square, delighting with his performance certain admirers
who seem never to think it too cold to stop and listen to
him. So on during the evening, the pause between
each dance, which is usually so embarrassing, being
happily filled up with choicest music of one kind or
another, until at length the time arrived for the grand
dramatic performance. Each guest had in his hand a
beautiful coloured programme) and we here insert the
cast for the
r •
4RAND DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE.
In consequence of the brilliant success, crowded houses,
enthusiastic reception, &c., &c., which has attended the xnag-
niilceßt revival of that gorgeous Oriental Spectacle, "

"BOX AND COX,"
it will be repeated this evening, as originally performed, for
several hundred consecutive nights before Her Majesty the
Queen and her Youngest Daughter.
Box., Mr. Cox. Cox Mr. Box.
Mrs. Bouacer Mrs. Bouncer's Mother.

Corypheseses, Warrioreseses. I Knighteseses,Waitreseses.
Booteseses, Villagereseses.
Etceteraceseses by the entire strength of the Company.
Leader of the Libretto The illustrious 9aticy Gamp.
Stage :Manager • • • , The celebrated Mrs. Harris.
Prciperties; Machinery, Sdeneryi Deedraticinii, &0.,_ &c.,
by various artistes, Irbote names are foci well knoWn even to
need mentioning. •

After which, at about a Quarter-past One, will be performed,
By a Company of distinguished Amateurs, the 2nd Act of
GRAND SCENES IN THE CIRCLE,

Two of the Limited Liability Company's Horses having been,
regardless of expense, borrowed for the occasion.
The whole to conclude with the marvellous performance of the
BOUNDING BROTHERS OF THE BREATHLESS

PRAIRIES,
who will give their elegant Drawing-room Entertainment, as
originally performed by them before the Emperor of China, on
the evening before he left Pekin.

The appointments of the stage, which was fitted up
with footlights and every legitimate accessory, the small
historical looking-glass hang against the wall,- the
rasher of baton was eihibited, the private property of.
Mr, Cox, and Mr. Itok provided the usual multiplicity
of old hats. The character of Mrs. nounter Was admi-
tably pourtrayed bk a .young man Connected with the
iiiess of the town, and Mr. Copeland will; Rd doubt,
pike violent efforts to de6irb the services of both Mr.
Cox arid Mr. Bdt. The parts were rendered with
ii!itnitable drollery, and the audience testified their
eldpreciation by uproarious laughter and rounds of ap-
Plause. Throughout the acting was above a mere
amateur effort—it was finished. Some more dances and
some more songs succeeded the drama, after which, pur-
suant to the programme, " the Bounding Brothers
of the Breathless Prairies" went through their wonderful
burlesque acrobatic performances. The "Brothers "
performed wonderful feats of strength, balancing feathers,
lifting accumulations of paper half-hundred weights,
and balancing huge-poles secretly supported by rings in
the ceiling. They were dressed as red and blue men, their
tight-fitting garments glittering with sprangles. Alto-
gether their entertainment was intensely ludicrous, and
much merriment was created by the cool effrontery with
which the Brothers, after performing a feat made diffi-
cult only by the contortions of the performer, bowed
appealingly to the audience for their applause. The
termination was made intensely comical by a real police-
man walking into the ring, and ordering them off on
the pain of being immediately arrested. On this they
at once packed up their battered hats and old clothes,
for a supply of which Fontenoy-street seemed to have
been ransacked. _

The refreshment department was presided over by
Mr. Mitchell and a numerous staff of assistants, a long
table being laden with immense pork pies, substantial
rounds of beef, and other Christmas cheer. No small
amount of fun was created at this table by a huge boar's
head, which had been secretly fitted up with a gutta-
percha tube running under the table into a lower apart-
ment, and by means of which the boar's head appeared
to hold a confab with anybody who felt inclined to hold
a conversation. The boar's head sang comic songs,
quoted Shakspere, yelled and howled, barked like a
dog—in fact, did everything but submit to be civilly
cut up as it should have been, and the pipe being
cleverly concealed, the mystery for a long time remained
unsolved.

The whole entertainment was a decided success, and
one which will be often recurred to with pleasure by
its happy participants. The ball, as we have stated,
was not to close till eight o'clock this morning, Messes.
Cope preferring a protraction of the time to the other
alternative of the girls having to wend their way home at
an earlier hour in the morning,. When we left, the guests
generally appeared equally inclined to stay ; and although
many had ordered coaches at a much earlier hour, few
went away before the close, for to do otherwise was to
relinquish. an enjoyment such as comes only once a year,
arid such, it was felt, as might not be shared in again
for & life-time,

THE BOUSFIELD TESTIMONIAL.—A further list of
subscriptions for the Bousfield testimonial will be found
this day in our advertising columns. As the committee
intend to close the list with the present year, we would
suggest that all our readers who have not yet sent their
donations to the fund, which will be shortly presented
to our gallant young townsman, now universally and
officially acknowledged to be the originator of the present
volunteer movement, should do so without delay. Both
locally and nationally, the inhabitants of Liverpool owe
a public debt to Col. Bousfield ; and we trust the amount
of subscriptions will prove that, despite the numerous
demands upon them at this present inclement season, his
varied merits are fairly appreciated.
CORONER'S INQUESTS.—Yesterday the coroner held the
following inquests :—On the body of Charlotte Samp-
son, two years old, the child of a master mariner, who
lives at 90, Seacomb-street. On the 2nd December the
child's clothes caught fire, and she was so much injured
that death was the result. Verdict accordingly.—On
the body of a child named John Kelly, six weeks old,
that was suffocated in bed in a court off CroSshall-street.
Verdict, accidental death.—On the body of a child named
James Murray, six weeks old, the child of parents living
in a court off Shaw's-brow. The child was found dead
in bed on Thursday morning. The mother of the child
went to bed drunk on Wednesday night, and the child
was found suffocated in the morning. The jury, in
returning a verdict of found suffocated, censured the
mother, and told her she had narrowly escaped being
charged with manslaughter.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LANCASHIRE AND YORK-
SHIRE RAILWAY. —On Wednesday ,night last, an
accident, by which a fireman lost his life instantaneously
occurred on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, at
Knottingley, near POntefract. A goods train, consisting
of nine trucks and one cattle truck, left Wakefield for
Doncaster in the afternoon, and at Knottingley the
driver was engaged • some time in shunting. When,
about seven o'clock, he started for Doncaster, his engine
was suddenly thrown off the line and rolled down the
embankment, at that spot about twenty feet high, into a
garden below. He escaped, but his fireman, a person
named Foster, was killed on the spot, the engine rolling
over him in the fall. An examination of the line after
the accident showed that a." chair" had been broken by
a preceding train, and the rail having no support under-
neath gave way as the engine got over the spot. Of the
cattle in the truck that was attached to the tender
three were killed :" the -others did not sustain the least
injury,