The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-27 00:00:00

The Claque in Paris,

Every theatre in Paris has its own claque, and
every claque has its own leader, who is practically
as much a leader as the leader of the orchestra, and
who is professionally designated le chef de la claque.
The management deal with the chef only, who em-
ploys his own assistants, and is responsible for
them. These assistants are continually changed
and badly paid, and vigorous measures are
adopted to secure their diligence and punctuality.
The chef, who is permanent, makes a large income,
and his cabriolet at the stage door indicates the posi-
tion he has acquired in the theatre. His sources
of income are numerous and elastic. He is paid a
regular salary by the manager, and in addition he
levies black mail on the artistes. Every artiste
must pay him. No pay, no applause ; and as
the actor cannot live without applause, pay is
inevitable. The usual mode is to enter
into a contract for a month. The minimum
fee for a month, from the poorest and most obscure
person in the theatre, may be set down at 50 francs.
The maximum has no limit. It mounts according
to the ambition or the means of the actor. As.
.much as 500 franes have been known to be paid for
a single night's applause. The ordinary month's
contract does not cover all occasions. When a new
play is brought out, or a stock play is reproduced,
each of the actors is personally waited on for instruc-
tions as to the particular passages at which they de-
sire applause, and fees are charged accordingly.
So completely is the claque reduced to a system, that
the chef is admitted to the last rehearsal of every
new piece, in order that he may arrange and orga-
nise, in concert with the company, all the points for
which his services are required. There is a tariff for
special demonstrations, over and above the ordinary
course of applause during the performance. A re-
ception, for example, which is the technical term for
applause on the entrée of a performer, is five francs;
and so in proportion for calls, encores, and other
marked displays of hired support.—The Reader.

MAROONS.—" Barclay's Dictionary" says :—" A
name given to those negroes who, on the conquest
of Jamaica in the time of Cromwell, deserted their Spanish
masters, and betook themselves to the mountains, and
maintained themselves in independence. This was after-
wards confirmed to them by treaty, and a distinct portion
of land allowed them for their residence ; but on the occa-
sion of a revolt the greater part of them were destroyed
and transported. Slaves who run away from their owners,
and live iu the bush, are usually, now, called maroons."
" Walker's Dictionary" says :—" A name given to free
blacks living on the mountains in the West Indies.—To
put sailors ashore on a desolate isle for some crime.--A
brownish crimson ; of a claret colour.
The New York papers say that the Hon. Caleb
Cushing's contemplated trip to Europe has been postponed
until spring. He will then go professionally for the
United States Treasury Department, in relation to large
quantities of libelled Confederate States cotton, unless the
English Government should sooner conclude to admit the
American claims in the premises. It is said that one of
Caleb Cushing's recent retaining fees was $20,000.