Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-07-18
THE CHEAP ADJUSTMENTS OF THE CITY
Mritten for tho ..Rartsman,s Journal''

Written for tho '.RaftSman'5 journal
Philadelphia, unlike New York. rejoices in
but few theatres. Indeed if we except tue a
cademy of Music, and tho Circus, there are
but two regular Theatres in the city of Phia-
dclpha, while in Now York there are no less
than nine. This is a greater disparity than the
difference in population would seem TO justify,
assuming that the people of each city are gov
ercned by the same taste for that ARTIFICIAL
stimulus SO common in cities, and SO essential
to their very existence. But Philadelphia has
other amusements, which have grown into in
stitutions. 1 have reference to what denoin-
mate the lager beer concert saloons. They
arc neither chaste nor elegant, and yet 1t is
astonishing " hat an amount of patronage they
receive, since no less than six, or probably
seven of them are in full blast nightly. To enc
who eyes things specifically, or merely CLAN
ces at the surface OF things, it would be a mys-
terry how they can be made to pay-and yet
the thing is palpably plain-=it is merely a
wheel within wheel, working as smooth as
that which done Hons ssknltting.' Let the
reader follow me into one of those Concert
Saloons, cheap Theatres, or by whatever title
we may choose TO designate them.
We ascend 4 wide stair. case of building
located in one OF the most popular thorough
fares in the city, and at small hole we hand
in dime which entities us to admission. We
enter. The room is long, fitted up with ben
ches, with an aisle between the two rows. Be-
fore each bench there is an elevated trough,
or gutter, the use of which we can not yet de-
terminc. at the far end of the ON there is
a kind of raised stage with fancy wall paper
prosceniIm. The air is redolent with the
stencil of smoke emitted from villainous Sc
gars. 1t is yet early, but the audience COM
mences TO pour in. First a couple of rough
looking rowdics-neXt brace of clerks, par
ty of broken down black-legs, and finally a
couple of finished swells. The audience is
de- 81 SfS of buD drni
persons. ssuow is this 20 we inquire mental
ly-ssSure such number is not sufficient to
remunerate." All! but there is Ca power be-
hind the throne greater than the throne it
self" and it will devclope itself in due time.
A Teutonic gentleman ssbearded like the
pard'' now makes his appearance, and running
his fingers glibly over the keys of an antigua
ted piano, then starts off on overture
and ends by giving the keys particular fits.
The curtain now goes up, and out comes n
young lady whom l should judge to be four
teen years of age. l say that appears to be
her age, and yet her form is as fully devel-
oped as that of woman of twenty yfive. In
her hand she holds piece of music, and ad-
vancing to the foot lights, she bows profound
ly, and then sings ssIIark, hear an angel
sing.' The execution is Indifferent, but the
applause which follows would hardly be recog-
nized as legitimate among the frequenters of
the Italian opera. One fellow with thin foxy
pounds the floor with his cane as if he was
bent upon punching hole in it.
A lull follows, and in every direction We
hear the sshist" of individuals, some of whom
are calling ss1Uey,' and others holding from
one to five fingers in the air, which being in
terpreted ,means so many glasses of lager (which
the German boys who act as walters supply al
most on the instant And it is therein lieth
the actual profit of the cheap concert saloon.
The bell tinkles, and out comes masculine
looking-I viii not say woman-for a board of
medical examiners alone could determine her
sex. She--for 1 will class her feminine-is
dressed in what is intended for Chinese cos
tune, and she dances, in the most indecent
attitudes, all the time wearing the winning
smile of the harlot.
More lager and German segars follow.
Next comes half grown impudcnt looking
boy, and a tawdry painted girl, who sing mis-
eraby out of tune vulgar Duet, the burthen
of the chorus being, ssOh Yes by thunder" !"
ssShouldn't wonder,'' &c.
More lager. Calls from every part of the
house as if fire ragged which lager alone
could quench.
Now comes q fellow with ragged coat, an
old hat, and an indefinite quantity of red paint
upon his face. He butchers and mangles up
an Irish comic song in the most barbarous
manner, having no idea, however remote, of
either time or tune, nevertheless he is most
enthusiastically applauded.
After the usual lager calls, fearfully increas-
cd as the evening advanced, two fellows with
banjo and tamborine, and faces we'll covered
with burnt cork, appear and sing number of
songs nearly as ssold as the hils,'' and perpe-
trate jokes we have heard oftener than those
of the circus clown. And thus they go on,
singing old stale songs, repeating musty, worn
out jokes, and dancing lcwd, indecent dances
until late hour of the night.
How enlightened people in city can night
ly witness such exhibitions, and even take q
delight IN them, when they never fail to dis
gust those from the rural districts who are at
tracted thither, is a mystery to me.
At about IL O'Clock the gas lights are turn
ed down, and the audience dispcrses. The
performers, pale, emaciated looking women
and seedy looking men, emerge from the stage
and start for home-perfect butterflies robbed
of their gay colors. The ladies generally find
men to escort them, and SO the scene closes.
| go to my hotel, and to my bed. The great
reflect upon the fact that it takes all kinds of
in review before my eyes, and before 1 sink
into sleep see their graves in my minds eye,
in Potter's field, without a stone to plead to
the memory of those who now the attention
of appreciating audiences command. This in
the vista of the cfuturc-neverthelcss sssich is
life.'' j.
Hollidaysburg, Pa, July 1859.
correspondent of the Steele says that ono
sthe best shots in GaribaIdi's service, is an
Engishman of fifty years old, who carries q
capital Lancaster riiic, and, aided by pair of
spectacles of which ho stands in need, brings
down every Tyrolean chasseur that he takes
aim at Somebody lately asked him whether
ho had been attracted to join the volunteer