The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-28
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.
We can at last record something fresh in

We can at last record something fresh in
the way of amusements. Italian opera had
palled upon the tastes Of the sophisticated
select: Othello had smothered the blubber.
ing Desdemona with the " property" pillow
until we wished he had more effectually
squelched her on the first night" Even
rich BILLY BURTON had displayed the won
ders of bis Protean face and shown us the
mellow Mr.. TooDLEs almost too often,
when, all at once, unheralded and Imputed,
dropped down among US sort of composite
entertainment, which strictly, is neither
Opera, Drama or Farce, but union of all
with dash of Pantomime. We mean the
bran new entertainment called "Draytons
Parlor Operas" The name does not fully
express their variety and scope, as they in
clude not only most excellent operate sing
ing but capital acting, fine defamation, and
the surprising changes necessary to enable
Mr.. and Mrs. D. the only performers, to
represent half dozen different characters
in the same piece. They are, in short, q
reunion OF what is mostly in the Drama and
Music. The perfection of the Draytons in
these Parlor Operas may be inferred
from the fact that they, unassisted, delight
large audience through an entire evening
Their first appearance last evening was a
decided success, and if your young country
friends wish to learn him to make the parlor
entertainments of private theatricals, Ia
bleaux, etc, which are becoming so fash
ionable, the nearest perfection yet seen in
this country, Drayton's Parlor Operas are
the school for it. Tableaux have indeed
been common enough in fashionable private
entertainments, but the intent of the actress
es, especially, has chiefly appeared to be to
display the symmetries of Miss so and so
rather than portray to the life the character
which Miss so and so affected to represent.
There certainly is need of rational parlor
amusements; any quantity of people despise
dancing as tiresome and childish amuse-
ment; the old country games have gone
out of the pale of society" entirely, and
good parlor acting, we predict, will be the
staple amusement at parties in future
generation.
A great but silent change is going on in
a lately notorious part of our city. The
upper part of Church street, with the cross
streets in its vicinity, has long been known,
not only to citizens but to multitudes OF
unfortunate strangers, as den of thieves,
and whatever worse than thieves, the city
harbors. In this neighborhood was the
headquarters of the "panel game" by which
so many foolish countryman has been
relieved of his watch and pocketbook, going
home to his friends with a frightful story Of
"garroters." 1t was a mans own fault if
he found himself in such place, but now
the opportunity will be removed to greater
distance. Quite a number of blocks of dirty
dens in that neighborhood are being torn
down to make way for wholesale stores, as
the wholesale dry goods business is crowd
ing further and further up town every
season, and promises before two years
elapse to occupy the whole of the district
bounded by Canal street, Fulton street,
Broadway and West Broadway. Magnif-
cent stores are going up in Duane and
Reade streets on the very site of some
famous haunts of iniquity. Where the
wretches go to who are crowded out of
these dens, no one yet knows probably
they will open sore on some other part of
our body polite. For the present, at any
rate, they are routed. ~